At least as long as Marco was still alive.
Knox’s words replayed in my mind.
And maybe once he’s gone, something will finally loosen for you.
I didn’t know if that was possible after all I'd been through.
But sitting here now, sunlight spilling across the table, Knox watching me like my laughter was the greatest prize he had ever won, and Silas smirking, eyeing his mark with devious delight…
For the first time in a long time, it didn’t feel impossible.
Knox cleared his throat, turning toward me.
“Lena, I want to go over something with you before your appointment. Two things, actually.”
I nodded.
“First, Silas and I have a meeting with Command, Friday morning. We’ll be gone for a few hours,” he said. “Officer Yuri will stay here with you.”
He watched me carefully.
“We wanted to tell you ahead of time so you had time to process.”
I drew in a breath, but it caught halfway.
Panic started to rise. Slow at first. Then sharper.
My handlers reacted to my anxiety. Silas’s fist clenched. Knox leaned forward slightly, ready to offer comfort.
Doctor Hampton's voice echoed in my head.
When panic rises, Lena, you can convince your body to remain calm.
She had taught me techniques to control my anxiety. Breathing exercises. Bilateral stimulation. I tried to remember them all.
Breathe.
I forced air into my lungs. Four seconds in.
Hold.
Four seconds out.
Hold.
Again.
“Good,” Knox said softly. “That’s it. Stay with it.”
I focused on the count, clinging to the numbers as the air around me grew thin.
A low sound rumbled from Silas beside me.
Not a warning or his usual sharp, irritated growl either.
An alpha purr.
It wove through me, easing the frayed edges of my nerves. Since we had marked each other, instinct had been riding both of us harder. His body answered mine now in ways neither of us seemed fully conscious of.
