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CHAPTER EIGHT

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Jenn and Karl slept for some time as the moon rose higher in the sky, and it was a little after midnight when Jenn woke with a start.

They'd shifted in their sleep. Karl spooned behind the smaller woman, arm banded around her to keep her held tight to his chest. Their bodies seemed perfectly slotted together, his face in her hair, legs tangled together. She felt so warm and secure that she wasn't sure why she had even woken up in the first place.

She adjusted her legs slightly, feeling a rock underneath her thigh, and the shifting of her hips made her realize what had woken her up as her bottom rolled against something quite distinctively shaped and rock solid pressed against her.

The fire inside that had been banked within her roared back to life instantly and she froze, resisting every instinct that told her to roll her hips back again, face flaming. She held her breath.

'He's asleep. That happens to guys. Calm down,' she told herself, trying to ease her racing heart by taking slow, deep breaths.

But oh my God, she felt it, and she was both intrigued and slightly frightened now—not that she should have been surprised, she supposed. Karl was a very large, broad-shouldered man—a mountain of a man. It would stand to reason that he would be proportionate.

'JENNIFER stop thinking about this right now!' She scolded herself, squeezing her thighs in a subconscious effort to find some sort of stimulation, feeling heat pooling low in her belly. Her lips

trembled as she wet them with her tongue.

She was hyper-aware of his face in her hair, his warm breath puffing over the back of her neck, powerful arm holding her tightly against his chest. His arm was banded just below her breasts, pushing them upwards and causing her hardening nipples to strain against the fabric of her bra, aching for stimulation. Every place they touched burned.

A quiet whimper slipped from Jenn's throat, barely audible over the wind through the trees, but it was enough to stir Karl from his deep slumber. Sleep-muddled eyes cracked open to peer into the darkness surrounding them, brow furrowed as he attempted to discern the source of the disturbance.

Then he registered the subtle tensing of her muscles beneath his hand, the hitch of her breath against his chest. Slowly, realization crept upon him, and he followed the trail of sensation downward to the unmistakable shape pressed against the cleft of her rear.

Karl froze, a muffled curse escaping his clenched teeth. His heart kicked into overdrive, hammering wildly in his ears as a blush of embarrassment heated the back of his neck. 'Christ,' he thought wildly.

'Of course, this happens now, when she's awake enough to notice.'

Part of him wanted to shift away discreetly, feign ignorance, and hope the issue resolved itself given sufficient time. Yet another, larger part refused to budge, unwilling to relinquish the snug fit of her curves against his length. If anything, that stubborn side urged him to grind himself deeper into her warmth, to chase the pleasurable friction that sparked along his nerves.

He knew why he was like this, after all. He'd been dreaming of her – dreams that went from arousing to something he was ashamed to even recall, the way his dream had shifted so abruptly when he was above her, one moment kissing her neck, the next it was sharp teeth, his long tongue laving over a bleeding wound as his hips plunged and his paws-

Fuck – He needed to stop thinking about it. Now.

Internal conflict warred within him, his conscience battling against the raw, carnal hunger surging through his veins. For several moments, he simply lay rigid, scarcely daring to breathe lest his inhales betray the heavy swell of desire building in his groin. Finally, he surrendered to instinct, letting out a shaky sigh against the nape of her neck.

“I'm sorry,” he rasped hoarsely into the silence, the admission little more than a whisper. “I didn't mean...” He trailed off lamely, unsure how to verbalize his predicament without offending or alarming her further.

Instead of offering an explanation, Karl simply tightened his arm around her middle, anchoring them together in a silent plea. 'Please,' his muscles screamed silently. 'Don't move away.'

Jenn wanted to tell him that he had nothing to be sorry for, it was perfectly natural after all, he'd been shoved up against her butt for hours probably. But the words wouldn't come.

Instead, she closed her eyes, bit her lip, maybe sent a tiny prayer for this to go well, and then deliberately rolled her hips back against him, sliding her bottom along his length, feeling it throb in response.

“Karl-” she gasped, feeling an answering pull deep within, a rush of warmth between her legs, and she rolled her hips back again, mewling softly as a desperation she'd never known began to come over her.

She clutched at his forearm with both hands as if holding on for dear life as arousal the likes of which she had never experienced flared to life within her, consumed with the sudden, inescapable need to be completely taken by him, for him to possess her completely, body and soul. If she'd been in her right mind, she would have found the whole thing to be crazy, but she was certain that he needed to-to-claim her. It sounded barbaric in her mind, she had no idea where it had come from, but the thought made her ache. She needed him.

At Jenn's action, all semblance of restraint dissolved. Karl groaned into the crook of her neck, the vibration sending delightful shivers down her spine, as her soft, inviting movements incited the beast within him.

For a man accustomed to controlling his body and his emotions to the most extreme degree, the sudden loss of that dominance felt... liberating. Terrifying, yes, but also exhilarating.

His hands flexed against her, the urge to slide lower, to touch her in the most intimate of ways, almost overpowering. But he held himself in check, instead focusing on the sensations she elicited as she arched against him.

“Jenn...” he murmured, his voice thick with want. “Do you know what you're doing?”

It was a question he wasn't sure he wanted an answer to, the possibility of her stopping made his heart ache. But the decent part of him knew he had to ask. Had to be sure.

She rolled her hips back into him deliberately in answer to his question, nails digging into his forearm.

“Karl... I'm not a blushing virgin, I know exactly what I'm doing,” she panted, grinding back into him once more. “Please, I need...” she whimpered, unable to put the desperation into words.

“Fuck...” he growled lowly, head falling forward onto her shoulder with a frustrated groan as she continued her sensual rolling motions against his clothed length. The pressure built at a rapid pace, coiling tighter and tighter until he feared he would snap entirely.

Releasing one of the death grips she held on his arm, he slid his palm up, cupping the mound of her breast and giving it a firm squeeze. “Jesus Christ, baby girl...” he panted, marveling at the supple flesh spilling between his calloused fingers.

Determined to stifle whatever doubts threatened to plague her, he angled his hips, grinding deliberately against the plump curve of her ass as his free hand worked feverishly at the zipper of her jacket. Cool air kissed the newly exposed skin of her torso but it was nothing compared to the heat emanating from the junction of his thighs. Pre-come oozed from his tip, dampening his boxers, as his length twitched erratically, throbbing insistently.

He needed more. Needed to bury himself inside her slick heat and claim every inch of her willing body.

But for now, the friction of their clothes between them, coupled with the wanton sounds spilling from

Jenn's parted lips, served as an acceptable substitute.

“Touch me...” she pleaded breathily, and fuck if he didn't obey immediately.

Thumbing her nipples to stiff peaks through the fabric of her sweater, he swirled and pinched mercilessly, reveling in each accompanying moan and cry. Lost in lust and sensation, he lapped a stripe up her neck before sinking his teeth into the juncture of her shoulder, biting just hard enough to leave a mark. The thrill of possession, of rightness, that flooded his system at the action was staggering. He could feel her body jerk and shudder against him as he laved the tender spot with his tongue, and he

growled against her skin, breath hot and wet.

She was his. And he would take whatever she offered. No matter the cost.

Jenn was awash in sensations she'd only read about, fears that there was something broken about her completely chased away by the pleasure Karl was causing to flood through her system.

The feel of his hand on her breasts was intoxicating, but it wasn't enough. When his teeth sunk into her shoulder the answering wetness that immediately pooled between her legs was shocking.

“Karl!” she cried, rolling her hips back into him again, needing more.

Her desperate cries fueled the fire raging within him, demanding release. Karl was beyond denial, beyond caring about the consequences that might arise from their passionate coupling in the meadow.

All that mattered was quenching the burning need coursing through his veins, the irresistible demand for completion pulsing in his straining shaft.

With deft movements, he managed to flip them over so that Jenn lay on her back beneath him. The layers of fabric separating them were agony, and he wasted no time in yanking her pants and panties down her slender hips in one pull, exposing her fully to the elements. His rough hands skimmed the smooth expanse of her thighs, gently nudging them apart to reveal her dripping core.

“Look at me, Jenn”, he commanded huskily, capturing her gaze as he settled himself between her legs.

His heart thrummed with anticipation, eyes locked on hers as he positioned himself at her entrance.

There was no going back. Not now. Not ever.

“Tell me you want this as much as I do,” he implored, voice ragged as he hovered on the brink, waiting for the signal to plunge forward and stake his claim. “Tell me you need this too.”

Jenn's head spun, the giggle she'd let out at his abrupt change of their position quickly transforming into a desperate whine as he prodded her entrance.

Dimly, she was aware of a throbbing discomfort in her side, far outweighed by the pleasure and anticipation she felt, and she felt grateful that her shirt was still on, shielding the worst of her wound from view.

“Karl...” She gasped, grabbing at his arm, eager but a little nervous as well - like she'd told him before, her ex was the only other man she'd been with, and she had been wholly unprepared to actually see the size of him instead of just feeling it against her. He was so much larger that it could have almost been funny (at the expense of her ex, the bastard) if it wasn't so intimidating.

“I-I want you,” she gasped, eyes wide. “But... are you sure you're gonna, you know... fit?”

His eyes softened at her confession, even as his own resolve hardened. “We'll fit just fine,” he assured, voice low and soothing.

Propping himself up on shaking forearms, Karl shifted his hips, pressing forward slowly as he captured

Jenn's lips in a tender kiss. Her channel stretched around him, clamping down rhythmically, drawing him deeper into her warm depths with each small advance. His jaw clenched against the urge to thrust wildly, to seat himself to the hilt in one smooth stroke.

But this moment called for finesse, not animalistic abandon. Their joining demanded patience, and care. Jenn deserved nothing less.

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As he inched his way closer to being fully sheathed inside her tight heat, he broke the kiss to murmur praise against her temple. “You're so perfect, baby girl... Taking me so well...”

His hips rocked back slightly, giving her respite as he sought to gauge her comfort level. Then, with agonizing slowness, he pushed forward again, groaning at the exquisite friction as her walls swallowed his length. Each increment earned a corresponding tremor along his shaft, the threat of release mounting as he buried himself deeper in her silken embrace.

“Look at us, Jenn...” Karl whispered reverently, angling his head to meet her gaze. “...See how we fit together? How right this is?”

She whimpered in response, unable to speak past the intense sensations and overwhelming emotions rushing through her. She watched where his length disappeared inside of her, cheeks flushed and lips parted.

It wasn't long before Karl's control snapped, a growl rumbling deep in his chest as his self-imposed restraint crumbled entirely. He pulled nearly all the way out, leaving only the tip inside her entrance, before slamming back in with a force that jolted through both their bodies. Again. Again. His thrusts turned punishing, chasing the completion he'd been denied for so long.

Jenn nearly sobbed in pleasure, the feel of him bottoming out quickly becoming overwhelming. She grasped at his forearms tightly, looking up at him through heavily lidded eyes as she felt him so deep inside.

“Karl, s-so full...” She gasped, nails digging into his arms as her legs squeezed around his hips tightly.

His name falling from her mouth was pure ecstasy. Karl drank in every gasp, every moan that poured from her parted lips, each sound fueling the inferno burning low in his belly. He needed her closer, needed to feel her essence merge with his on the most primal level imaginable.

With a guttural snarl, Karl grabbed Jenn's wrists, intertwining their fingers as he adjusted himself above her. The position allowed for greater leverage and increased depth of penetration, and he took advantage without hesitation. Shifting his hips minutely, he found a spot deep within her core that made her cry out sharply in pleasure.

“There,” he growled approvingly, repeating the motion in earnest. His grip on her hands kept her anchored below him, preventing either of them from losing purchase as he pounded into her relentlessly. “Take all of me, Jenn... Every last fucking inch.”

Her passage rippled around his length, coaxing his heavy sack to pull tight with impending release. Yet some stubborn part of him resisted, delaying his peak until she achieved her own first. Dropping her hands, he leaned back, altering the angle of entry as his calloused palms landed beside her shoulders.

With a twist of his wrist, he gathered her shirt in his fist, tugging the garment overhead impatiently until only her bra separated them.

“Can't wait any longer...” he rasped, jerking the flimsy material over her head before discarding it somewhere behind them. Lowering his forehead against hers, their noses brushed as he sealed their mouths together hungrily. “Need to see you...”

Jenn was completely awash in sensation, the punishing pace of his thrusts combined with the angle so intense she could hardly breathe.

Each press of him within her jolted her body, sending a throb through her right side, and she braced her elbows beneath herself, pushing her upper body up to take more of the force into her hips alone, and squealed when the angle became even more stimulating, his shaft grinding along her clit with each thrust.

She could feel pressure deep inside of her building, alarming in its intensity, and she pressed her lips against his as a delicious heat began to expand rapidly from her center, and then suddenly the dam burst and she gasped against his lips in surprised delight as her first ever orgasm ripped through her body, her walls clamping tight on him, drawing him deeper still.

Her cries echoed through the silent meadow, merging with his own thunderous roar as ecstasy ripped through his core. The feel of Jenn spasming around his length sent him hurtling towards release, every muscle in his frame seizing up as his climax approached with devastating speed.

With three final, brutal strokes, he seated himself impossibly deep and emptied himself with a gut-wrenching groan. Pulse after pulse of hot seed flooded her innermost walls, claiming her with each burst as his own.

Karl collapsed atop her with a shuddering breath, trembling from exertion as aftershocks continued to course through his spent body. His softening member remained embedded within her quivering heat, anchoring him to her as though she were his lifeline, the rest of the world fading away into insignificance. All that existed was here, now - him and her, joined in the most primal sense possible.

“Jenn...” he murmured, lips brushing feather-light across her forehead, her nose, her cheeks. “That was...”

Burying his face in the crook of her neck, he simply held her, cherishing this stolen moment of pure bliss before reality inevitably encroached once more. His breath tickled her ear as he spoke, his voice muffled by her skin. “Thank you...”

Jenn was stunned.

She lay beneath Karl, arms wound around his neck, legs still wrapped tightly around his hips, feeling the weight of him there, his scent surrounding her, the taste of him on her lips... she was utterly consumed by him, and she felt nearly boneless, lighter than air as if Karl was the only thing anchoring her to the Earth.

In her 30s and just now she was understanding what all the fuss was about - Karl had unlocked feelings inside of her that she never would have believed lay dormant within.

She pressed soft kisses against the side of his head, the only place she could reach with his face buried in her neck, and she brought her lips to his ear, kissing the lobe.

“Karl,” she breathed. “That was... I've never felt like that before.” Her voice, a bit raw from her pleasured cries, was tinged with wonder. “I should be thanking you, not the other way around.”

He lifted his head to look down at her, a hint of surprise flickering in his dark eyes. Karl had expected many things from this night - passion, maybe even the sweet oblivion of physical release. But the gentle awe in Jenn's voice was something else entirely, something he hadn't planned for.

A soft smile touched his lips as he studied her flushed features, tracing the line of her jaw with a gentle thumb. “Never?”

The question hung between them, loaded with unspoken curiosity and a hint of possessiveness. It wasn't jealousy; Karl knew he had no right to feel such a thing. But the knowledge that he'd given her something no other man ever had, that he'd shown her this kind of pleasure... it settled like a warm stone in his chest.

“Does it scare you, baby girl?” he asked softly, brushing the hair out of her eyes. “What you just felt?

Because it shouldn't. It's beautiful, natural - it's just us connecting on a level few ever get to experience.”

He kissed her softly, a promise of future moments like this one.

With a grunt, he began to withdraw from her warm embrace, rolling to the side so she wouldn't have to bear his full weight. Karl sat up, reaching down to help Jenn up as well. He took her hand in his, the connection feeling so right despite everything telling him otherwise.

Jenn blushed as she sat, feeling somehow more exposed now than during their lovemaking, naked on the blanket before him in the moonlight.

She moved to sit up, wrapping an arm around her body as if to hide, even as she realized how ridiculous she was being - the man had just been inside her - the time for self-consciousness had long since passed.

The movement coupled with the endorphins in her body beginning to calm after her pleasure brought discomfort to the forefront of her mind, her right side throbbing sharply, and she angled her body away quickly. In her passion she had forgotten the healing gunshot wound, and that Karl, as far as she knew, had yet to see it.

“Are we still sleeping here?” She asked as she reached for her shirt, hoping to distract him with her question.

Karl's gaze followed the subtle adjustment of her position, his brow creasing in suspicion. She'd covered herself, hiding a portion of her torso from view. Given the ease with which she'd accepted his touch, the sudden modesty struck a discordant note.

“You okay?” he asked, rising to his feet as he helped her stand, supporting her elbow lightly.

Once upright, Karl guided her into a turn, inspecting her body with a practiced eye. The movement exposed a section of bruised and reddened flesh along her lower ribs on her right side. His fingers brushed against the edge of the mottled flesh, the rest still obscured by the arm crossed over her body.

His voice taking on a commanding tone, he spoke.

“Show me.”

It wasn't a request, and for once, he didn't bother tempering his tone. Jenn needed to understand he wasn't going to back down this time. Not when there might be something wrong, not when she was under his care. He'd promised her protection, and that included examining the wound.

Without waiting, he reached for her arm, gently beginning to move it away, giving her ample opportunity to stop him. If she did, Karl would respect her wishes, but he wouldn't be pleased about it.

Jenn bit her lip, looking away for a moment. She offered no resistance, allowing him to expose the injury.

The moonlight was bright enough to illuminate the bruising, a circular area over her right side, just above her floating ribs. They were faded yellows and greens, the injury nearly two months old. In the center, the raised, pink flesh of a fresh scar.

Jenn winced, face still turned away, afraid to see his reaction, afraid to tell him her story, the reason she was in witness protection. The story the FBI told her not to tell.

Karl's fingers ghosted over the rough edges of her scar, barely registering the slight tremble of Jenn's muscles at his touch. His jaw clenched, eyes narrowing as the realization finally dawned upon him, seeing it so unobstructed for the first time. He knew the signs all too well, even aged like this wound was.

“What happened?” he asked quietly, not looking away from the wound. His hand dropped, falling limply to his side. “Who did this to you?”

He'd known her story went deeper than simple misfortune, that she'd fled something terrible. And now...now the pieces were starting to fall into place. Jenn, skittish at sudden movements, jumpy with unexpected noises, the way her breathing hitched at his intensity earlier, her fear at his grasp of her chin when they met. It all made sense now in light of this revelation.

Yet still, he needed to hear it from her own lips. Karl wanted her to acknowledge the severity of what had happened to her, to own her own trauma rather than let it define her. Only then could they move forward, however tentative their steps may be.

“Talk to me, sweetheart,” he urged softly, voice rougher than intended. “Don't keep it bottled up inside anymore. You're safe now, I swear it.” His hand came up, resting on her hip in a gesture both soothing and grounding. “Tell me everything.”

Jenn let out a shuddering breath, turning her head to meet his gaze.

“It's kind of a long story...” She murmured. “Let me get dressed first.”

Mechanically, she slipped her shirt and pants back on, mind over a thousand miles away, remembering everything and trying to figure out how to explain it.

Once they had both wordlessly dressed again, she sunk down to the blanket below and took Karl's hand, tugging it to draw him down next to her.

“I... haven't talked about this to anyone besides the police and then the FBI... So, I'm sorry if this is all jumbled or like, I don't make sense or-” her hands wrung in her lap, eyes downcast.

Karl's gaze never wavered from her anxious profile. He caught her restless hands in his, stopping their nervous movements and squeezing gently in silent reassurance.

“Take your time,” he said, his voice low but steady, providing her with a solid foundation amid the turbulence of her recollections. “I've got nowhere to be but here with you.” He released her hands and draped his arm over her shoulders instead, offering her warmth and comfort without hovering.

His eyes, attuned to her every twitch and change in respiration, were focused solely on Jenn. He gave her space to collect her thoughts, granting her the silence she seemed to need before sharing such a painful chapter of her life.

Karl didn't rush her, knowing that this was likely the hardest thing she'd ever done - speaking aloud the terrors of her past and exposing her vulnerabilities to someone else. His presence alone served as a testament to his commitment, a silent vow to safeguard whatever she entrusted to him.

She met his eyes for a moment as if drawing strength from his gaze, before her eyes slid shut and she began to speak, head bowed low.

“I met my ex on what was supposed to be my gap year before starting college. I graduated high school a year late, missed a lot during my original senior year when I was...” she faltered for a moment. “Sick.

I had to retake the whole year, so I was 19 when I graduated. Like I told you before, school wasn't great for me. I was super weird, didn't have many friends, got bullied a lot.” She shrugged, not wanting to dig deep into the trauma of her school days, bullied hardly being the half of it.

“My ex, he was older, in his early 30's. He said all the right things, you know? I was special, no one appreciated me, all that shit. And because of how school had been for me, no one had ever been interested in me... and that attention from him wasn't something I was used to, so I fell for it all.” She took a few ragged breaths.

“He took me to live far from my family, isolated me. Things were great for a while, but then he started being... mean, I guess? Wearing me down, criticizing everything... and then he started hurting me...

And I was so convinced by him that no one else would want me that I stayed.” She cringed a little, so ashamed. “It was better than being alone, and I thought what he did to me, that it was what I deserved.”

She wet her lips, pausing to collect her thoughts.

“I knew he was up to something shady, he'd disappear at all hours, would only let me meet a few friends, and never get to know them... He had guns, and never wanted to talk about his job at all, wouldn't tell me any details. He'd get so mad if I asked any questions at all.”

“A couple months ago, I came home early from shopping. I went in through the back door, and I heard angry voices, so I went to the kitchen. I walked in and saw my ex in the middle of the room, back to me, and one of his friends was just inside the front door.”

“I heard this like, really loud pop and I remember looking at his friend, I knew him kind of, he'd always been so nice to me... He had a gun and I just remember his face, he looked so surprised, just completely stunned, and then the next thing I remember is paramedics and police and screaming...” She had to stop for a moment, breathing hard.

Karl's grip on Jenn tightened ever so slightly with every word, the depth of the horror he felt threatening to spill over in some outward sign. But he managed to maintain a neutral expression, offering her the unwavering strength of his presence even as her story unfolded like a horrible nightmare.

“I found out later when the police came to the hospital that my ex, all his friends, they're part of some gang. His friend was there to confront him about skimming off the top, as far as they could tell, and when I came in he panicked and shot. The bullet shattered my floating ribs and did a bunch of muscle damage. I lost my right kidney too, good thing I've got the backup still.”

Eyes still closed, she sighed. “Turns out I knew a lot just by knowing when my ex was home or not, money coming in and out... I told them everything I could, and they recorded my testimony on all of it and the... abuse... To use in court when the date comes up, so I don't have to be there. And then they put me in witness protection. My testimony is gonna fuck a lot of them, it was the key to a lot more evidence, most of them are looking at life.”

As her final words registered, a low, menacing growl rumbled in Karl's throat. The sound was pure animal, a visceral response to the savagery she'd survived. He clamped his teeth together hard, fighting the urge to track down the scum responsible and shred them with his bare hands. Only the gentle press of Jenn's smaller form against his side kept him seated, kept the blood lust from consuming him whole.

“Jenn,” he whispered urgently, feeling the tightness building within him transfer to Jenn, making her entire body rigid against his. “You're safe now, I promise. Those bastards will never hurt you again.”

He turned to face her fully, cupping her damp cheek with his free hand, thumb swiping gently beneath her eye. “Listen to me,” he said firmly, waiting for her tear-filled eyes to find his. “They broke your body, but they'll never break your spirit. You lived, and that means they lost. You're stronger than they'll ever be.”

Slowly, carefully, Karl drew Jenn against his chest, one arm wrapping snugly around her waist as the other came to rest on the nape of her neck. He tucked her in close, sheltering her from the world, a steadfast bulwark between her and any further harm.

“We'll face this together, from now on. No matter where it takes us, no matter what happens... we'll handle it as one.”

Karl sealed the promise with a kiss to her forehead, silently swearing that if those vermin ever set foot near his mountain he would tear them limb from limb.

Jenn nodded, allowing him to guide her down into a close embrace, her head tucked under his chin as she lay against his chest, one leg tossed over his.

Snuggling in close, she closed her eyes, listening to his heart beating beneath her cheek.

“I'm sorry,” she mumbled. “I'm a total wreck. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into...”

Karl's chest rumbled with a soft chuckle, the sound vibrating through Jenn's cheek. His hand continued its soothing path up and down her back, fingers tracing absentminded patterns along her spine.

“Baby girl, you're not a wreck,” he murmured, his voice low and steady. “You're a survivor. And I don't give a damn what I've gotten myself into. You're worth it.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, his lips lingering for a moment before he spoke again. “We'll take it one day at a time. No rush, no pressure. Just you and me, figuring this out together.”

Karl's fingers stilled, resting lightly on her back as he let out a slow breath. Get some sleep, Jenn. I've got you. You're safe.”

She nodded sleepily. “Mmkay, that sounds perfect...” She breathed as she began to fall asleep, feeling so treasured and cared for, safe and secure.

Her last thoughts as she drifted off were of Karl, and wondering if this was what it felt like to really fall in love.

Karl remained awake for some time after Jenn drifted off, one arm wrapped tightly around her sleeping form. His fingers brushed lightly along the curve of her hip, feeling the delicate bones and lean muscles beneath the fabric of her shirt. A fierce sense of protectiveness surged through him, coupled with an unfamiliar warmth in his chest at the thought of Jenn relying on him so completely.

In the silence of the night, Karl's mind raced with the implications of Jenn's story. He replayed every detail, every tremor of her voice as she recounted the horrors she'd endured. A low, continuous growl vibrated in his throat, an instinctive response to the knowledge of her suffering. If he ever crossed paths with the men responsible, they'd learn firsthand the meaning of regret.

Karl knew Jenn believed she'd found safety with him, and dammit, he would move heaven and earth to keep that promise. But a tiny, nagging doubt wormed its way into the back of his mind. Could he truly offer her the sanctuary she deserved? His own secrets, his own demons, loomed over him like gathering thunderclouds. There was only so much room in his world, and inviting her in meant risking everything...

But then Jenn stirred against him, mumbling incoherently in her sleep, and Karl's doubts dissipated like morning mist in the face of the heat of the sun. He tightened his hold on her, pressing another reverent kiss to her hair. Come what may, he'd face it with her.