Marc slaps Alex on the back, saying something about missing him at the warehouse, but I’m too busy taking in all the damage.
The coffee table is destroyed, the couch is shoved against the fireplace, there’s trash and glasseverywhere, and there’s a single shoe—one of Brayden’s expensive loafers—lodged in a nail in the plywood.
Closing my eyes, I push my face into Tadeo’s neck, inhaling his rich aroma as he carries me down the hall and into the bedroom. The motion sways softly, dreamlike, and I let myself drift with it.
I’m vaguely aware of him setting me on the bed, his touch careful as he lifts my foot. There’s a quick, sharp sting, but it fades almost as soon as it comes. I hear the faint splash of water, the brush of cloth, and the rip of a bandage. Tadeo murmurs something low under his breath, but the words slide past me. I’m too far away inside myself to really focus.
Then he’s moving again—my lovely Tadeo—guiding me gently into my nest, tucking the blankets around me like I’m made of glass. The mattress dips under his weight as he lies beside me, pulling me close until I can feel his heartbeat steady against my back.
And then he purrs.
The sound starts low, a soft rumble deep in his chest, vibrating through my ribs. It rolls through the space between us, filling the air until it’s all I can hear—thick and warm and safe.
Somewhere down the hall, voices overlap. They’re faint and muffled. A quick laugh. The soft click of the front door shutting.
And then all I can hear is my mate’s steady, grounding purr.
Exhausted, I sink into the rhythm of Tadeo’s breathing, and the hum vibrating against my bones.
And then it happens—that thread inside me, the faint, lingering connection with Brayden, just ends.
There’s no flare, no snap, no pain.
He’s just…gone.
And with it, the awful, hollow ache that has haunted me for so long finally goes still.
A New Day
Skyla
Sunlight filters through the curtains, spilling across my face. The salty scent of bacon and eggs drifts through the air. For a second, it feels like any other morning—except my body feels lighter. Like someone reached inside my head and scraped out something rotten.
He’s gone.
And I’ve never been so happy in my life.
You’re horrible,I tell myself as I slowly sit.A good omega would feel bad.
After all, Brayden was my former mate. And he’s dead…I assume. And it’s my sweet pack that killed him.
I wish they hadn’t, but it’s the only logical explanation, and I’m not sure how I feel about that.
Proud?
Happy?
A little aroused that my pack loves me enough to kill for me?
Yup, I’m a horrible person.But I can’t obsess about that right now. I need to see my boys.
Rolling forward, onto my hands and knees, I crawl out of my nest.
When my feet touch the floor, a dull ache shoots up one leg. I glance down, surprised to see a bandage peeking out from the top of a fuzzy sock—my whole foot wrapped neatly.
For a split second, the memory flickers through my head—blood, the sting of cold air, Tadeo’s warm hands as he carefully cleaned me up.
I shake it off, not wanting to think about that right now.
