Who wouldn’t be angry to have been through that, to have lost so much of their youth? To have been trapped in a place where they were always watching over their shoulder, where they’d been hurt over and over by the guards who were supposed to maintain order? Add in that Derren hadn’t deserved any of it, had carried the blame for something he hadn’t done, and it was no wonder there was so much pain, anger, and darkness in him.
Ally might not be able to relate to his experiences in juvie, but she did know how much it hurt to be blamed for a crime she’d played no part in, to have everyone turn against her. If she were to come across someone who made her think of Rachelle, who brought back those memories, Ally couldn’t say she’d be all that happy to be around that person. And if she’d been charged with protecting them, Ally definitely wouldn’t have liked it very much. So, yes, she could understand Derren’s reaction to her.
Careful not to unbalance the hammock, she sat upright. “I’m sorry for what happened to you—”
“I don’t want pity,” he snapped.
“Good, ’cause I’m not giving you any.” Anyone who could survive juvie was worthy of respect and admiration, not pity. “It’s true that power corrupts, and some Seers abuse their gifts. But the same could be said for Alphas. How many times have you heard of Alphas abusing their position and power? Or dominant wolves using their vibes to suppress and force less powerful wolves to submit against their will? You can’t tell me you haven’t known at least one person guilty of that.”
Derren wanted to object, but he knew she was right. He simply hadn’t thought of it that way before.
“People do shit like that because they’re assholes, Derren. Not because they’re Seers, or Alphas, or dominants. It’s all about the individual.”
He wanted to dispute it, wanted to hold on to his anger . . . but he couldn’t. She was right again.
Even though it wouldn’t be easy and her wolf wouldn’t like it, Ally proposed without heat, “Look, how about I stay out of your way, and you stay out of mine?”
It would probably be for the best, but Derren knew he wouldn’t manage for long. This female drew him, was like a magnet to his wolf. He’d dreamed about her the night before, dreamed he was balls deep in her, his teeth piercing her neck, his hand clutching her breast. Just the memory had his cock hardening. Suddenly she inhaled sharply, and a flush crept up her neck and face. He knew then that she could sense his arousal.
Ally cleared her throat. “I think you should go.”
She was right once again; he really should. But Derren had always been a person who did what he wanted as opposed to what he should. “What does it feel like?”
Perplexed, she asked, “What?”
“Emotions cause physical sensations for you, right? I know you can sense that I want you.” He took a few steps toward her. “What does it feel like to you?” He knew what it felt like for him. His hunger for her wasn’t soft or tame or romantic. It was vicious, sharp-edged, and biting. It was raw desperation that had teeth and claws, and it had him in a tight grip. “What does it feel like?” he repeated.
Like teeth plucking at her nipples, but she wasn’t about to tell him that. Then a crooked, satisfied smile surfaced on his face, and she winced. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?” His chuckle answered that. “Bye, Derren.” She thought he’d taunt her, but he turned and strode away, disappearing into the trees.
Her wolf lay down with a snarl, no doubt intending to sulk at his absence. But even the animal understood that there was too much darkness in Derren for him to ever accept her. He wasn’t a bad person, though he seemed to believe he was. But he was misguided in many ways, broken on some level. And even if she hadn’t been a Seer, he could never have trusted her. Trust and acceptance was important to Ally.
Derren could give her neither.
CHAPTER FIVE
It was dark. So dark. She hated the dark.
Shivering with cold and fear, she shoved at the huge rocks that had tumbled down in front of her. They didn’t budge an inch. She was trapped.
“It’s okay, Ally, we’re going to be okay.”
No, they wouldn’t be. He didn’t understand. He hadn’t seen what she had. “We have to get out.” She pushed harder at the rocks with her small hands, but they still didn’t move. Panic filled her, and she clawed at them as she began to shiver so hard her teeth chattered.
A hand on her arm pulled her back. “Ally, stop, you’re going to hurt yourself.”
“We have to get out! We have to warn them or they’ll die!”
As something wet and rough grazed her cheek, Ally jerked awake with a gasp—and realized a large black wolf was nuzzling her. Before she had the chance to push him away, he backed off. It wasn’t the first time over the past week that she had snapped awake in the hammock, haunted by a bad dream, to find the black wolf standing there. Watching over her? Being nosy? She didn’t know.