“I know.” She looked up at him with absolute trust. “And I’m not afraid.”
He kissed her with desperate intensity, pouring everything into it, all the fear and shame and self-loathing he’d carried for years, and she took it, accepted it, and transformed it into something beautiful.
He tried to be slow and careful this time, but she was having none of it.
“More,” she demanded, her nails raking down his back. “Victor, please?—”
He gave her what she needed. What they both needed. Let himself get lost in the feel of her. The sounds she made. The way she said his name like a prayer.
Hyde rose closer to the surface, and he could feel the familiar prickle of transformation starting. Skin warming. Muscles shifting.
But it didn’t feel like losing control. It felt like becoming more of himself.
“Yes,” Chloe breathed. She touched his face as it started to change. “Both of you. I want both of you.”
Permission. Acceptance. Love.
He let the transformation wash over him. Felt his body shift and grow. Felt Hyde’s strength merge with his own. But his mind stayed clear. Present. Aware of every sound she made. Every movement. Every gasp.
They moved together. Human and Hyde and something in between. All of it Victor. All of it whole.
When she came apart in his arms, he followed, the pleasure so intense it bordered on pain. He felt the transformation reverse and Hyde settle back down, satisfied and content.Protected our mate, Hyde purred.Kept her safe. Loved.
Yes,he thought back.We did.
He collapsed beside her, careful not to crush her, his heart hammering, and his body trembling with aftershocks.
“You stayed,” she said, her voice awed. “The whole time. I could see you both.”
“We’re not separate.” He pulled her close. “Not anymore. Maybe we never were.”
“Your father?—”
“My father was alone.” He kissed her temple. “Fighting Hyde instead of working with him. No anchor. No reason to unite.”
“And you have me.”
“I have you.” He rolled to face her fully. “My anchor. My reason. My love.”
She gave him a radiant smile. “So what now?”
He looked around the cabin. Really looked. The temporary patch around the hole in the roof wouldn’t last. Snow had blown in and melted, leaving puddles on the floor. The branch was still wedged in the damaged section, bark scattered everywhere.
Cold drafts leaked through gaps in Hyde’s makeshift repairs. The fire was dying. And Chloe—his pregnant, precious Chloe—had spent the night in a compromised structure that could have collapsed on her at any moment.
No. Absolutely not.
“You’re moving in with me,” he said. It wasn’t a question.
She blinked. “What?”
“This cabin isn’t safe.” He sat up, already cataloging what needed to happen. “The roof needs professional repair. The structure needs to be inspected. And you shouldn’t be out here alone, especially this close to your due date.”
“Victor—”
“My house is warm. Secure. In town.” He looked at her seriously. “And I can’t—I won’t—spend another night wondering if you’re safe out here.”
“That’s very sweet but?—”
