She couldn’t imagine not having them in her life. Through everything, family was family, and yet Fang and his brothers were now suspicious of one another.

That broke her heart.

Fang wanted to turn around and leave as he realized every eye in Sanctuary was now on him. Most of them had had no idea he’d awakened and he felt like a freak in a lab where everyone was trying to figure out what had gone wrong in his DNA.

But he wasn’t a coward.

Ignoring the cold lump in his stomach and wrapping his arms around himself, Fang kept his gaze on the goal of his brother and his mate. Even though Bride was seated, he could tell she was tall and Rubenesque-just the way Vane liked his women. With auburn hair and eyes so bright they danced with life, she was exquisite. And the love in her gaze as she looked at Vane was something rare. Something that should always be cherished and never abused.

His brother had done well for himself and that only made the lump inside him that much tighter.

Fang did his best to ignore all the other Were-Hunters and Acheron and Simi as he made his way to them. They were the only thing that mattered and as he approached his anger mounted.

Fang hated what he felt, but he couldn’t stop it. Resentment and bitterness swelled inside him. How dare Vane go off and find happiness while he’d been tortured and abused. Images of the demons beating him, of the wounds that had cut him bone-deep went through his mind. Again, he remembered the unrelenting hunger and thirst that had never been sated. The months of grueling agony.

All the while Vane had been with Bride…

Stamping his rage down, Fang held his hand out to Bride the instant he reached her.

She hesitated a moment before she took his hand into hers and he felt the way she trembled in uncertainty. The scent of her nervousness was heavy in his nostrils and the protective wolf in him wanted to soothe her. It wasn’t her fault that he’d been locked in the Nether Realm. She was his brother’s mate and he would honor her as that no matter what he felt inside.

“She’s beautiful, Vane. I’m glad you found her.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze before he withdrew and met Fury’s shocked gaze.

At least the bastard had the decency to look shamefaced. Well he should too. It was all Fang could do not to punch him for replacing him in Vane’s affections and loyalty.

But Fury’s presence in the room wasn’t nearly as shocking to Fang as Stefan’s was. Stefan who’d been the ringleader who beat him and Vane and then chained them to the tree for the Daimons to eat. Stefan who’d been sent out to kill them. Obviously things had changed while Fang had been out of it.

Now, their father’s grand asshole sat at a table looking like someone had beat the shit out of him. No doubt he deserved it.

Stefan refused to meet Fang’s gaze.

Vane came to his feet. “Fang?”

Fang didn’t stop on his way back to the kitchen. He was afraid that if he did, he’d attack his brother for abandoning him to the Nether Realm and the last thing he wanted was to taint the happiness Bride and Vane shared. Vane deserved to be happy and Fang had no right to hurt him. He knew that Vane would have moved heaven and hell to get him out… had he only answered when Fang had called.

Gods, his emotions were absolutely bipolar and volatile where Vane was concerned.

That pain and hurt were still raw inside him. The months of brutal survival couldn’t be undone with a simple encounter. He needed time to come to terms with what he’d been through.

What he’d consigned himself to.

With a hesitant smile on her beautiful face, Aimee met him at the kitchen door. Her T-shirt was a bit tighter on her body today and it caused a vicious wave of lust to consume him. Thank the gods something overrode his pain.

Before he even realized what he’d done, he reached out to her and put his arm around her shoulders. She wrapped her arm around his waist and helped him through the kitchen and back up to his room.

Fang didn’t speak the entire way up the mahogany stairs as the lavender scent of Aimee captured him.

Once in his room, he lay back in the huge tester bed while she covered him with a brightly colored quilt.

Her gaze suspicious, she paused by his side. “I know something’s wrong with you, wolf. You’re never this silent.”

Fang snorted at her poor attempt for humor. He probably shouldn’t mention any of this and yet he found himself confiding in her even against his better judgment. “If my mother’s defeated and Stefan is down there in the bar with Vane and Fury and not fighting them to the death…” He didn’t finish the thought. He already had a good idea of what that meant.

Someone was now in charge of those two clans.

And it wasn’t him.

That stung him deep inside. Things had changed so dramatically and he felt all alone. Disassociated. Stunned. Most of all, deeply betrayed. Maybe he should have stayed in the Nether Realm. It was obvious that no one here needed him anymore. Vane had moved on with his life.

Their entire clan had restructured under someone else’s leadership.

What was he going to do now? He felt lost and he hated that sensation.

Aimee felt Fang’s turmoil and it made her want to cry that she couldn’t help him. She couldn’t stand feeling so helpless. Most of all, she didn’t want to see their family splintered at a time when they needed one another the most. “You know your brother checked on you every day while you were out of it. Even today, he made sure to come see you. Fury was here too.”

“I know.”

And still he was so sad.

Without thinking, she curled up on the bed beside him and wrapped her arms around him to hold him close. It was the only way to comfort him that she knew.

Fang closed his eyes as his heart pounded from the warmth of her embrace. No one had ever held him like this before.

No one.

There was nothing sexual about it. It was a hug meant to comfort him. And may the gods have mercy on his worthless soul because it did.

Placing his hand over her much smaller one, he felt something inside him shatter and in that moment, he knew a truth that scared him even more than the demon that was living inside him.

He loved her.

It made a mockery of what he’d thought he felt for Stephanie all those years ago. This wasn’t the crush of a young wolf fascinated with a beautiful wolfswan who was coveted by the pack. This was the bloody and bruised heart of an animal that had never really been opened before.

Aimee had come for him and she had stood beside him when no one else had. She alone had fought to save him from hell.

Even now…

Gods help me. He shouldn’t feel like this. He should shove her out the door and yet he couldn’t bring himself to destroy the serenity of this moment with her. The tenderness inside him that her touch awoke.

For the first time in his entire life he was at peace.

Without a word, she trailed her hand up to brush through his hair. His body was white-hot, reminding him of the fact that it had been literally months since he’d last been with a woman.

And he wanted her with a madness that was consuming. A madness he had to deny for both their sakes.

“As much as I’m enjoying that, Aimee, you’re going to have to stop.”

“Why?”

“Because I want you so badly I can taste it.”

She rolled him over onto his back. Her crystal blue gaze only added to the need in him to have her. Those dainty fingers, so soft and soothing, played over his lips as she smiled at him. Then she did the most amazing thing of all, she lowered her head and kissed him.

Fang growled at the taste of her. At the warmth of her breath mingling with his as their tongues danced together. He surrendered himself to the magic of her mouth.

For a moment, all of his thoughts scattered.

“No,” he said, pulling away. “We can’t do this.”