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She lowers her foot and leans forward to grip my shoulders. “What?”
“It was just a snapshot of us together when we were younger.”
She blows out a breath. “I’ve seen that too. But the moments are short.”
“I wish I could remember our past.”
“We will, in time. Our memories are there, just beneath the surface.”
I grumble. Patience has never been my strong suit, but I am comforted by the fact she wants to remember too. We were together before I went feral, before she came to the facility.
“Lift your foot again.”
She does as I ask, and I get the boot into place, securing it to her foot.
I don’t care what it takes—biology, magic, whatever. I will make her mine again.
She waits while I step into my own boots, lacing them, and then I help her into a coat. I don’t miss the way she winces with each movement or the guilt I feel about it.
She slips her hand into mine, and we leave the cabin together, heading out into the barely spring chill.
Just having her next to me like this is enough to soothe the swirling fear and frustration inside me. It goes against every instinct I have to knowingly put Dove in danger, so when we reach the house, my footfalls slow. I don’t want to take her inside. What I want to do is pack her up and get the fuck out of here.
“What’s wrong?” The softness of her voice has me turning to face her.
“My offer to run still stands.” I give her a lopsided smile, even though I mean every word I say.
“I love that you want to keep me safe, Jackson, but I don’t want to run. I know that they don’t like me now, but I want to show them I’m not what they think I am. I want to be safe and free to live my life with you, and I don’t want to take you from the only people you can remember.”
I want to tell her they don’t matter, that nothing does but her, but I can’t. Yeah, I’m pissed with my pack, but it doesn’t erase the things they have done for me over the years.
“Then we stay and fight. No matter what.”
She nods and repeats, “No matter what.”
I don’t say another word, giving her hand a gentle tug so we can walk up the steps onto the back porch.
When I push through the back door into the house, heat envelops me, chasing away the cold air from outside. It’s freakishly quiet, and that makes the hackles on the back of my neck stand to attention. My wolf goes on guard, ready to demand a shift from me if necessary, because he’s not willing to let anything happen to our mate again.
Mate.
I can’t call her that, not yet, and it makes my throat burn with repressed emotion. She will never be truly safe until she is bound to me.
That thought has me on edge as we move through the kitchen toward the living room. Everyone is here, but there is no sign of our captive, and I wonder where they’re keeping him. I didn't get the chance to ask them that last night.
Cade lifts his eyes as we hover in the doorway. My alpha gives me a look I’m getting used to seeing from him: disappointment. He masks it quickly, but I can tell he has things he wants to say to me.
I brace as Halle gets to her feet. All my protective instincts flare to life, and it takes all my willpower not to shove Dove behind me.
Cade clearly has the same concerns. He grabs his mate’s hand, as if he’s going to stop her, but Halle glances at him, and whatever passes between them makes him release her.
His mistrust of my woman makes me want to unleash my rage at him. She doesn’t deserve it. Dove has done nothing to warrant so much suspicion.
My attention slides to the redheaded tau as she reaches for Dove. It’s more than I can tolerate. I grab Halle’s wrist, stopping her, and she lets out a squeak, surprise registering on her face. Cade shoves between us, dragging his mate behind him as he blasts alpha waves at me.
“Don’t fucking touch her,” he snarls, the beast inside him surging to the surface.
I don’t blame him for his anger, but I’m not going to roll over and let him scratch my fucking belly. “Fuck you, Cade.”
