“He’s not going to hurt you again,” I promise quietly. “Not while I’m breathing.”
Skyla wipes at her cheeks, but the tears keep coming. “I’m just so sick of it,” she says, voice trembling. “His stupid, ugly, horrible hatred.” Her words shake at the edges—exhausted and raw. “I just want him gone. I don’t want to feel him anymore.”
For a second, no one speaks. The air feels thick enough to choke on.
Then Tadeo’s quiet voice breaks through. “It’s not ugly,” he says softly.
Skyla blinks, confused as she turns toward him.
He meets her gaze, his dark brown eyes filled with love. “If he wasn’t such a hateful, miserable bastard,” Tadeo continues, “you wouldn’t be here. We wouldn’t have you.” He shrugs, almost sheepish. “So maybe…in a way, it’s kind of beautiful.”
His words hang there—overly sentimental but somehow perfect.My hopeless romantic.
Skyla stares at him like she doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. A small, wet sound escapes her—a mix of both. “I guess you’re right,” she whispers.
Tadeo’s mouth twists as he glances away.
Our omega gives the room a sweeping look, taking in the plywood, the scattered nails and broken glass. “What are you going to do to him?” she asks as the fear in our bond coils tighter.
I take a slow breath and meet her eyes. “Whatever it takes,” I say. My voice is quiet, but it cuts through the room anyway.
Her throat bobs as she swallows hard. “Are you going to hurt him?”
I don’t lie, but I don’t want to make Skyla feel worse.
“Here’s the thing, little one.” I rest my hands on her knees. “As long as he still has a bondwith you, he can find you. He canfeelyou. He can use that to track you down, to get in your head, to keep hurting you.”
“I know,” she whispers, as a few fresh tears slip down her cheeks.
I swallow hard, feeling my pulse thunder behind my ribs. “The fact is, I’m not letting that bastard terrorize you anymore. You’remyfucking omega.” I let my voice drop, letting her know that I mean it. “You belong to me and my pack. And we won’t let that motherfucker touch a single hair on your head.”
Skyla swallows, eyes darting between all of us. “You can’t just?—”
“Yes,” I cut in quietly, meeting her gaze head-on. “I can. And I will.”
The words vibrate in my chest, a growl edging underneath. “Because the minute you joinedmypack, he made this a fucking war.”
2:37 AM
Skyla
It’s been way longer than two hours.
It’s pitch black outside, and has been for hours, but I’m wide awake.
We all are.
In my nest, Tadeo’s arms are wrapped around me, solid and steady, his heartbeat thudding against my back. Every rise and fall of his chest feels deliberate, like he’s trying to breathe calm into me. The soft cotton of his undershirt brushes my bare arm with each breath. But it doesn’t help. My mind won’t stop racing.
Across the room, Knox and Alex stand near the bedroom door, shirtless, their skin catching the faint shimmer of my twinkle lights. They haven’t moved in hours—just listening. Watching. Waiting.
Dakota lingers near them, also bare-chested, a baseball bat resting easy on his shoulder. But I can tell through the tension in his scent that he’s anything but relaxed.
The house is too still.
Too quiet.
Why isn’t Brayden here yet?
