DEREK POV

The moment her lips touched mine, my body eased instantly. The anger that had been tearing through me went quiet, my Lycan side pressed down like it had been caged again. I stayed still, not kissing her back, not pulling away either. I could feel how nervous she was.

She struggled for a second, then finally pulled away. Her cheeks flushed red, and I knew it was from shyness. She could not even look at me. Her eyes dropped, and she bit her bottom lip like a child caught in ...