I thought about the first time I’d seen her smile,reallysmile. Small and uncertain, as if she didn’t quite trust it yet. I had given her that puzzle, and when her lips had curved just slightly, I’d felt absurdly proud of myself for it.
Now, her smiles came so much easier. Unrestricted and without hesitation.
And each time they did, I felt the same pride settle in my chest again.
Not just because I’d made her smile.
But because I had played a role in healing her.
In helping her find peace.
And she'd done the same for us.
Lena glanced over, catching me watching her, a knowinglook slipping into her expression.
“What?” she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.
“Nothing,” I said, though I couldn't quite hide my smirk. “Just thinking.”
Her brow arched immediately. “Careful,” she said lightly, teasing me. “Don’t hurt yourself.”
A voice carried from the stairs before I could respond.
“Probably should leave the thinking to this twin,” Knox said as he descended, tone dry, eyes flicking between us. “And stick to what you’re good at.”
I scoffed as he stepped into the workshop.
“Still alive?” he asked.
“Barely,” I replied.
“Well,” Knox continued, shifting his focus, “did you figure out where they’re smuggling goods through the wall?”
“No,” I said, glancing back toward our interrogatee who hadjust lost consciousness. “He claims the shifters meet him on our side. Says he doesn’t know where the breach is.”
Knox’s gaze sharpened slightly. “You believe him?”
I shrugged, holding out my knife. “You’re welcome to ask for yourself if you want confirmation.”
His eyes flicked to Lena, as she nodded slightly. “If Lena agrees, I believe you.”
I rolled my eyes.
Lena crossed her arms loosely, looking between us with an amused shake of her head. “I find it hard to believe you two used to do this together before me,” she teased. “You don’t share or play very nicely anymore.”
“Yeah, well…” I said, stepping closer, a sharp smile forming, “we’re still good at sharing some things.”
Knox moved in from the other side, closing the distance, sandwiching Lena between us.
And she didn’t pull away.
She didn’t flinch at our proximity or tense at our touch. Instead, she leaned into it easily, her gaze moving between us with an affection that still felt unreal some days. There wasso much warmth in her now. Trust. Love. Things I once thought Marco had destroyed beyond repair.
The woman standing between us was barely recognizable as the omega we had first dragged from that cell. Back then, she had hidden beneath furniture just to escape being looked at. She used to bare her teeth and bite at our hands whenever we reached for her, terrified of what touch would cost her. Every inch of closeness had been met with panic, distrust, or the instinct to flee.
Now she sought us out on her own.
Maybe not the rest of the world.
