He rifled through his own drawers before remembering the bundle of clothes Sasha had left by the door. Good enough. He dug out a long-sleeve tee and a pair of pajama pants in an orange so bright it could qualify as a warning signal.
Alex watched him with silent, wide eyes, not protesting as Wade stripped off the rest of his wet clothes and replaced them with warm ones. The collar still shone like a steel noose around his mate’s neck, and Wade wanted to rip it off with his bare hands.
Instead, he reached out, brushing a thumb over the mark on Alex’s neck where the collar dug in.
“Feel better?” Wade asked as Alex padded barefoot to the bed and sat on the edge.
His mate nodded “Thanks. Sorry about earlier.” He hunched his shoulders, looking ashamed to still be alive. “I don’t usually faint. Not my best moment.”
“Let’s be honest, you’ve had worse.” Wade sat beside him, propping his feet on the coffee table. The rain hammered the roof, a steady, grounding drumbeat. “Remember, that was three wolves, two armed deputies, and one bunny in a police car built for humiliation. Could’ve been uglier.”
Alex hid a smile. “Glad you snapped me out of it.”
“I’d do worse for you,” Wade admitted. “Just try to avoid giving me heart attacks in the future, okay?”
“I owe you one,” Alex said, lips quirked. “Maybe two. You didn’t have to haul me around all night.”
“I’m contractually obligated,” Wade replied. “It’s in the mate bylaws, somewhere after ‘don’t let mate die’ and before ‘share snacks when asked.’”
Alex laughed, the sound thin but real. “You clearly read the fine print.”
Wade bent closer, fingers itching for that first touch. Not the casual grab-and-drag of earlier but something real. Deliberate. He traced one knuckle lightly along Alex’s jaw. “You did good, back there. Most people would have peed themselves.”
“Almost did,” Alex said. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”
“Been there myself. Except I was twelve and the sheriff was bigger than God.”
Alex eyed him then looked away, heat crawling up under his skin. “So, what happens now?”
Wade cupped Alex’s face and leaned close, letting their breaths mingle. “Now you let me be the guy who keeps you out of trouble,” he murmured. “And you kiss me, so I know this isn’t just a stress dream.”
Their lips met, soft at first, equal parts caution and curiosity. Alex’s lips were warm, as real as anything Wade had ever tasted. The first brush was over in a heartbeat, but the second lingered, letting Alex melt into the space between.
Wade deepened it, the taste of clean skin and rain and something stubborn edged with need. Their bodies pressed together, sharing heat and comfort and the relief of not being arrested. Would’ve been hard as fuck to kiss his mate between bars.
Snagging Alex by the waist, he tugged him up into his lap, this time holding him close and carefully.
Alex’s hands slid around Wade’s neck, careful of the collar, and pulled him back for more.
This was it. Not drama, not the demon nightmare or the assholes in the drug house, but this. Hands on skin. Relief in every touch.
Wade broke away first, just long enough to suck in a breath and let Alex catch up. His mate looked at him, eyes bright and shining despite the exhaustion hovering just out of view. “You taste better than anything I’ve ever put in my mouth. And I eat a lot.”
Alex hit him with an honest-to-god giggle. “I’m not supposed to like that comment, but I do.”
“Good.” He kissed the tip of Alex’s nose.
The whole scene felt weirdly domestic, considering they’d spent the night dodging cops, drug dealers, and a demon who had their home marked with a pin on Google Maps.
“I could get used to that,” his mate joked.
“Get used to me,” Wade said, rubbing circles along Alex’s ribs. “I’m not going anywhere.”
He pressed one last kiss to Alex’s forehead, settling his mate against his chest, and reached for the covers. “Get some sleep, honey bunny. Tomorrow, we figure out how to get that thing off your neck and maybe piss off a few demons while we’re at it.”
Alex nodded, eyelids heavy. “Sounds like a plan.”
Settling in, Wade wrapped them both in the thick comforter, letting the quiet night dissolve everything else. He let himself drift with Alex, warm and sure, and for the first time in decades, he actually felt like he’d survived something worth fighting for.
