Lucas didn't let her go. He couldn't. His grip on her was firm but not forceful, as if he knew that the second he let go, she would vanish into thin air. She was trembling and he knew the bond was settling in, and Ava was feeling every ounce of it.
She was going to yell. Oh, he knew it. The moment she got her bearings, she would probably try to kill him, maybe even try to rip his heart out with her bare hands. And honestly? He wouldn't even blame her. What he had done was his way of proving to her that he trusted her, that he wasn't going to let anyone take her away from him. But he was an Alpha first, and in his world, love and leadership constantly collided, grinding against each other until someone broke.
Ava squirmed against him, her body tense with resistance, her hands pushing against his chest. But then, just as suddenly as she had fought him, her muscles slackened, her breath hitched, and a small, helpless sound escaped her lips.
