“No,” he said firmly. Without a hint of question to his voice. “It’s not. You can only take responsibility for your own actions. You didn’t make Luciana do all those horrible things.” Our faces were so close that our noses were nearly touching. “You were taken advantage of. Abused. Scared. You were a child.”

Abused? No. I’d handed my power over.

“Your parents should have protected you, but they didn’t.” He paused, and I stared into his eyes. Nearly losing myself in those dark pools. “Or maybe they couldn’t protect you. Either way, you are not to blame. Now you’re doing everything you can to fight back. No one could possibly ask more of you.”

With those words, it felt like a weight had been lifted. My parents had left without so much as a thank you. I’d done my best, but that had never been good enough. And here was this guy. Telling me it was okay. That I’d done a good job.

“Come on.” He lay on the bed and pulled me down with him. I rested my head on his chest as I cried. “It’s going to be okay,” he murmured as he ran his fingers up and down my arm.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been held. Comforted. Raphael wasn’t a huggy guy. Neither was anyone else in the coven.

But as I lay there, feeling so many different emotions, I wanted to hold on to Lucas forever. That feeling terrified me because now I had someone else in my life that I’d give up everything for. I’d already given so much. What would be left, if I kept giving pieces of myself away?

He hadn’t asked for anything. Not yet. But I knew the other shoe would drop. Maybe not today or tomorrow. But sometime.

Even knowing that, I let myself enjoy this moment. The once in my life that I truly felt loved. Cherished. Taken care of. By a man—a wolf—I barely knew, yet felt so deeply connected with. For as long as this lasted, I gave myself permission to savor it.

This was what love felt like.

And boy, did I want it to last forever.

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

The next morning, I woke up sore. Lucas had been right. Leaving in the middle of the night would’ve been dumb, but now I was ready. The clock on my bedside table told me it was just after five in the morning.

After I settled down, Lucas had gotten me some food, and then tucked me into bed and left. Exhaustion—emotional, physical, and magical—hit me like a ton of bricks. I’d barely managed to brush my teeth before climbing under the covers. I’d been so worn out that I hadn’t even put on pajamas—I’d just slept in a pair of underwear and my white camisole.