Once inside, I kick the door shut behind us and head straight for the bedroom. I set my mate down on the bed as gently as I can, but her eyes open anyway.
“I should go back,” she says, voice thick with sleep.
“No.” I sit on the edge of the bed, my hand cupping her face. “You’ve done enough. Daciana’s recovering. She’s going to be fine.”
She looks at me for a long moment, her gaze softening. “I know. I just…I needed to be sure. After what happened—my claws—I couldn’t stop myself.”
“It wasn’t you.” My thumb strokes her cheek. “It was the binding. Zane was using you as his puppet. And he’s gone now. You’re free.”
“I know.” She leans into my touch, her eyes closing briefly. “It’s just hard to let go of the guilt.”
“Then, let me help you.” I lean down, pressing my forehead to hers. “You don’t have to carry it alone.”
Her hand comes up to rest against my chest, right over my heart. “I’ve been shutting you out.”
“Yeah, you have.” I catch her hand, holding it there. “But I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere.”
She opens her eyes, meeting mine. I see a shift in her expression—warmth overcoming exhaustion. “I missed you.”
The admission makes me feel warm. “I’ve been right here.”
“I know. But I’ve been so far away.” Her free hand slides up to trace my jaw. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Just come back to me.”
She kisses me then—softly at first, tentatively, testing.I kiss her back, slow and deep, tasting the relief and the need and the promise of better days.
When she stops me, her breathing’s uneven, her cheeks flushed. “Stay with me tonight?”
“I’m not going anywhere.” I brush a strand of hair behind her ear. “Ever.”
A small smile tugs at her lips—the first real one I’ve seen in a week. “Good.”
She pulls me down onto the bed with her. I go willingly, stretching out beside her and gathering her close. She curls into me, her head on my chest, one leg tangled with mine.
The bond settles between us—warm, alive, healing.
“The binding’s really gone?” she asks quietly.
“Yes. Kieran said it snapped when Zane disintegrated. You’re free, Selene. Completely.”
She exhales slowly. “It feels like I can breathe again.”
“Then breathe.” I press a kiss to her hair. “We’re okay. Daciana’s okay. And tomorrow, you’re going to let her recover without hovering.”
She huffs a soft laugh against my chest. “Maybe.”
“Definitely.”
Her fingers trace idle patterns on my shirt, following the lines of muscle beneath. The touch is absent at first, then more deliberate. More present. Like she’s reminding herself I’m real.
“Seth?”
“Yeah?”
She tilts her head up, finding my eyes in the dim light. Her expression is open now, vulnerable in a way that makes my breath catch. “I love you.”
Everything stops.
