Shameful by May Dawson
31
Legacy
Killianand I prowled around each other, looking for an opening. His sweatpants hung low on his hips, revealing his tan, glistening skin and the muscles rippling through his pecs and biceps.
If he was trying to distract his opponent, he was succeeding, but I didn’t think he had any idea how sexy hewas.
I whirled out in a high kick. He blocked me with an arm thrown up, pushing my leg away from his face, and dropped low. His leg whirled out to kick my other foot out from underneath me, but I threw myself backward, into a back handspring and came up with my fists raised.
He gave me no chance to recover, throwing a punch toward my face. I dropped below his fist, knew I was dropping into a trap even as his uppercut flew toward me. I jerked to one side, narrowly escaping the blow. I used my momentum to slip one leg behind his, grabbing his arm to throwhim.
But he was already moving, pushing me against the wall. My breath rushed out of my lungs as I hit the stone wall, as the hard muscle of his body pressed against mine. The two of us slammed into each other.
Killian fenced me in with his arms, then came to an abrupt halt. I froze, my breath shuddering in my chest. Sweat beaded along his forehead, but his fresh sweat smelled good tome.
“You’re good,” he said, pausing instead of movingon.
“You’re incredible,” I admitted, and his lips quirked. For a second there was pride written across his face, and a sudden possibility hit me like a ton of bricks.
Killian thought I wascute.
I felt the stupid smile write itself across my face before I could control it. The next second, Killian’s handsome face so close to mine blurred into Lucas’s face, as if my damned mate was hauntingme.
“What’s wrong?” Killian asked.
I shook my head, trying to shake off Lucas. He was gone; Killian’s bright brown eyes were staring down at me, and he was beginning to frown in concern.
“Damn mating bond. It’s the worst, Killian.”
“I wouldn’t know,” he said. “I never found amate.”
“I’m sorry,” I said softly. He must have been so lonely the past few years. Especially when Rhett and West weren’t exactly friendly towardhim.
“Don’t be.” His gaze was on my lips, and then suddenly he pulled himself away, turning and padding across themats.
He moved silently, a born predator, and I stared at his powerful back and the curve of his ass in those sweatpants before I swallowed.
God, Rhett had said he could smell when I was turned on. I hoped it wasn’t the same for Killian. Because I couldn’t be in close proximity to him without losing mymind.
“Lucas Harley is an idiot,” he said, wiping his damp hair with a towel before he slung it over his shoulder as he turned to me. “I hope you realizethat.”
“Oh, I do, absolutely.” I tugged at the end of my ponytail. “But I prefer for everyone to love me. Even if they’re idiots.”
He grinned. The flash of his white teeth, the way his high cheekbones moved when he smiled, the crinkle at the corner of those gold-flecked brown eyes—his smile was magnetic.
“I know what you mean,” he admitted.
That admission surprised me. Killian had always seemed so cool and untouchable when we were growing up. “Youdo?”
“I hate when anyone doesn’t like me. Even if I don’t like them.” He shrugged. “It’s just rude. How does anyone not love thisface?”
I laughed. “It does seem impossible.”
His grin widened slightly, and I felt my own smile widen.
“It’s hard knowing the pack probably thinks I’m some terrible fuck-up,” he admitted, his eyes dimming.
“Everyone thinks the same aboutme.”
“Not everyone,” he disagreed.
I looked down, tucking my hair behind my ears. Hope was expanding in my chest, but I felt so ashamed whenever I thought about that night, or about how Cyrus and Lucas had shamed me in front of the whole pack. Just the memory left me overwhelmed with humiliation.
“Legacy,” he said, his voice closer to me than I’d expected. He moved so silently. When I didn’t look up, he slid one finger under my chin and tilted my face up to his. Those golden-flecked brown eyes seemed to see right through to mysoul.
“You’re not a fuck-up.” He sounded so sure of himself that tears flooded my eyes. I blinked, embarrassed, felt them spill over onto my cheeks. I expected him to be uncomfortable with my tears, but he just wiped them away with his thumbs. “Someday, everyone will seethat.”
“I don’t know how we get there from here.” My voice came out steady, despite the tears.
“Me either. Not yet. But someday, I promise, they’ll regret what they did toyou.”
I wasn’t sure if I believed him, but I believed he meant it, and that was enough.
“Thanks, Killian,” I said, wrapping my arms around his waist. I pressed myself against him, and he hesitated for a second before his arms wrapped aroundme.
He squeezed me tightly. “No problem, kiddo.”
Even as he comforted me, even as I felt better, my stomach dropped.
I’d thought he liked me too. But he probably saw me as a kid to protect, the same as he would anyone in thepack.
He felt sorry for me, he felt kind, but he didn’t feel desire.
And even though I barely knew him, somehow that stung as much as Lucas’s rejection.