Chapter 24 - Kaius

The warmth of her body radiates up into mine. Julie's soft lips are inches from mine, and her breath whispers against my skin. I cup her cheek gently, my thumb grazing along her jaw. I can't escape how gorgeous she is. I pull her closer and kiss her, my heart racing.

She wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me in closer as she turns sideways to lay back on the couch. We kiss deeply, and I can't shake the feeling that the connection between us just keeps intensifying with each passing moment. My thoughts swirl around her, the way she makes me feel, the way she's become the most important person in my life.

Her hand moves between us, stroking up the length of my cock, and I let out a rasp of a breath. I brush a strand of hair from her face, smiling down at her. "Julie," I whisper, my voice thick with emotion.She looks up at me, her eyes shining. I run my hand down the length of her thigh as she wraps it around my waist.

There are just too many layers of clothes between us.

Julie seems to have the same idea, and she pulls insistently at the waist of my pants. I sigh and pull back to create enough space to undo her jeans and start pulling them off her when a slight giggle slips out of her as my hand brushes against her thigh.

"Tickles," she says with a shrug as I lean back into her, the tip of my dick pressed against the soft, wetness of her. Every other time we've been together, it's been anger, angst, or just rushed. I want this slow.

I slide into her with agonizing slowness, resisting the urge to rush it. She seems to struggle with the idea as well and tries to move faster against me. I shake my head slowly and use one hand to slow her hips down before leaning down to reclaim her lips with mine. Once I'm buried inside her as far as I can get, I move with long, slow strokes, enjoying the tension that's riding between us on a thread.

"Kaius," she pleads, "More…"

"More what?" I smile against her lips as I punctuate the question with a slightly faster thrust into her.

She wraps her legs around my back and starts winding her hips against me at a faster pace. The absolute strength of her body clenching around me, pulling me in with each little twist of her hips, is threatening my limited self-control.

Julie's breathing is coming in faster, shallow pants as she works against me, faster and faster. I can feel my body tensing as she's getting closer, and I can't hold back anymore. I thrust three times hard and fast before spilling into her as her body clenches around me.

I collapse around her on the couch, our fingers intertwined, our breathing in sync. I want to stay like this forever, to hold her close and never let her go, but she breaks the silence, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm scared, Kaius."

"Of what?" I ask, my brow furrowing.

"This," she says, gesturing between us. "Of us."

"I'm doing my best to show you I'm not like him. I know how it seemed at first—you showed me just how bad that was. I swear, it's not who I am."

"I just don't know if I'm ready for something this intense. For us."

I lean in, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I don't know if I am either, if it makes you feel better," I say with a sigh, "I don't think we have to rush anything. I'm not going anywhere."

She looks up at me, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

"Promise?"

"Promise," I say firmly. We lay there for a while, just talking, and I can see the excitement on her face lighting up as she talks about her plans for the museum.

"This is a big step for you," I say, watching her with admiration. She nods, a smile spreading across her face.

"I know. But it feels right."

"This new version of you, the one who likes that little thrill—that's the person who's got me hooked."

"Hooked?" Her cheeks flush, and she looks down at her feet.

"Definitely."

As the night wears on, I can see the hesitation in her eyes and the way she keeps glancing toward the door.

"What's wrong?" I ask, a frown tugging on my face. She hesitates, biting her lip.

"I want you to go."

"Go?"

Damn, I thought today was going really well.

"It's not that I don't want you here," she says quickly, her voice wavering. "But I need to do this on my own. I need to prove to myself that I can. I've never lived by myself before, and if you're here the first night, it's like it doesn't count."

I let out a long breath, understanding where she's coming from. I don't want to leave her, not tonight, but I know I have to respect her wishes. She needs this as much as she needs the space.

"Okay," I say finally. "I get that."

"Thanks for understanding."

I lean in, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Promise to text me updates with whatever book you fall into?"

"Absolutely. We're diving into werewolf shifter romance tonight."

"Fine, just don't be expecting me to bite you later," I laugh as I reluctantly push myself off the couch, my heart heavy as I make my way to the door, but the smile on her face reassures me this is the right thing to do. I turn to look at her one last time, memorizing the way she looks in her new apartment.

"Goodnight, Julie."

"Goodnight, Kaius," she replies, her voice barely above a whisper, pulling her book open with a smile.

I step out into the cool night air, the chill biting at my skin. I feel a pang of worry in my chest as I walk down the street, my mind filled with thoughts of Julie. I don't like the idea of leaving her alone, especially with everything that's been happening lately.

As I reach the corner, I glance back toward the museum, my eyes narrowing as I notice a figure standing across the street. My heart skips a beat as I pick up the distinct scent of a shifter.

Fuck.

I won't leave Julie with them lurking around. I quietly move toward the figure, keeping to the shadows as I approach. They don't seem to notice me, their gaze fixed on the apartment building.

When I'm close enough, I step out of the shadows, my voice low and steady.

"What are you doing here?"

The figure whirls around, his eyes widening in surprise. We're too exposed for either of us to shift here, and he knows it, too. I grab for him, pulling him into the shadows. We grapple on the pavement, our movements quick and frantic. I can feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I fight to keep him pinned down.

He lets out a growl, lunging to land a punch to my head. I meet him head-on, punching him in the jaw and sending his head bouncing off the pavement behind. The small man recovers quickly, his blue eyes blazing with fury. We continue to exchange blows, the fight dragging on. He's wiry and difficult to control. I refuse to back down, my determination fueled by the need to protect Julie.

Finally, I pivot and get one arm pinned to the ground beneath my own. I press my forearm against his throat, leaning into it.

"Why are you here?" I growl, my voice low. The urge to shift is rolling through me, pulling at my patience.

"I don't know!" he chokes out, fighting for air as his eyes flare wide. "I was just following orders!"

"Whose orders?" I demand, leaning into the pressure more.

"Julian, he's positive that her family is holding one of the keys," he gasps, face turning red.

I grit my teeth, my anger boiling over. Julian won't stop until he gets what he wants, no matter who he hurts. I twist the shifter around, pulling him up and keeping his arm twisted behind his back while keeping my own around his throat and shoving him into the small alley between the buildings.

I let out a long breath, my mind racing.

I can't kill him and just leave a body in the middle of town, but I'm not leaving him anywhere near Julie.

I slam his head hard against the brick wall and sigh as his unconscious body slumps to the ground. I pull my phone out of my pocket and text Sarah to see if she wants to put him in jail for the night or if she has any other suggestions.

Sarah settles on picking him up and holding him for the night in the drunk tank. She wants me gone before she arrives, though, so that it's not picked up on her body camera. I wait until I can see the flashing lights of her patrol car in the reflection of the windows before I turn to walk back down the street.

I feel a sense of relief that I've kept Julie safe, at least for tonight. But I can't shake the feeling that this is only the beginning, that Julian and Eclipse won't give up so easily.