“It’s beautiful,” I said, surprised.
“It’s home.” Dane’s voice carried something I’d never heard from him before. Vulnerability. “Or it was. Before.”
Before his team died. Before he convinced himself he didn’t deserve anything good.
We parked and I climbed out of the truck on legs that felt unsteady. The heat was maybe an hour away now. Maybe less. I could feel it like a storm front moving in, inevitable and overwhelming.
Dane unlocked the front door and we stepped inside.
The interior matched the exterior. Comfortable furniture, well-used books on shelves, photos on the walls. A kitchen that looked actually used, not just for show. A stone fireplace with wood already laid. It felt lived-in despite Dane’s claim that he barely came here anymore.
“Generator is automatic,” Dane said, moving through the space with military efficiency. “Communication equipment is in the office. Kitchen is fully stocked. Bedrooms upstairs. You can take the master. We’ll take the other two.”
“The master has a lock,” Silas added. “If you need privacy, you have it. No one will push.”
I looked at the three of them standing there, looking exhausted and concerned and somehow still ready to do whatever I needed.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked again. “Really. Not the pack speech or the noble protection thing. Why?”
Beau answered first. “Because when I was frozen in panic before that water rescue, you looked at me and told me you believed I could do it. And you were right. You saw past the failure to who I actually was, and that mattered more than I want to admit.”
Silas went next. “Because you’re the first person in eight years who figured out I was scent-sensitive without me telling you.You pay attention. You see people. And being seen is terrifying and addictive at the same time.”
Dane was last, his dark eyes intense. “Because you’re strong enough to survive what I survived. Strong enough to rebuild after betrayal. And I want to know what it’s like to have someone that strong in my corner instead of keeping everyone at arm’s length to protect them.”
The heat chose that moment to surge, making my vision blur and my knees buckle.
Beau caught me before I could fall. “I’ve got you.”
“I need to lie down,” I managed. “Now.”
They moved as a unit, guiding me upstairs to the master bedroom. The bed was large and comfortable, and when I collapsed onto it, I caught Dane’s scent embedded in the pillows. Leather and gunpowder and something that made my omega purr in satisfaction.
“We’re going to set up downstairs,” Dane said. “Give you privacy. But we’re here if you need us. Radio is on the nightstand. We’ll check in every hour unless you tell us not to.”
“Okay.”
They turned to leave, and I heard myself say, “Wait.”
All three stopped, looking back at me.
“Thank you,” I said softly. “For not making me do this alone.”
“Never alone,” Silas said. “Not anymore.”
They left, closing the door behind them, and I was alone with my building heat and the terrifying realization that maybe, just maybe, I’d found three alphas who actually saw me.
And instead of running, they’d chosen to stay.
The heat hit full force thirty minutes later, and for the first time in five years, I didn’t face it alone in a sterile hotel room trying to prove I didn’t need anyone.
I faced it knowing that downstairs, three broken alphas were waiting to prove they were worth the risk.
Maybe that was enough to start with.
Chapter 14
Dane
