Page 303 of Immune

Kaito Kanai does not make vows out loud. Not easily and definitely not where people can hear them.

But with Dakota still locked around me, my bite on her throat, and her heart beating hard against mine, I make one anyway.

Not to keep her.

Not to control her.

Not to save her from herself.

But to stand in the storm with her for however long she’ll let me.

FORTY-TWO

DAKOTA

By the time Kaito’s knot deflates enough to release, the voices outside the training room have grown from cautious and timid to downright impatient.

That feels pretty fucking rude to me. I mean, can’t an Omega have a mental breakdown and a couple of orgasms in peace these days? It’s bad enough we’re in the thick of an apocalypse. At least let me steal the sweet moments I didn’t even know I could have before these annoying Alphas barged into my carefully crafted life.

I’ve had a very big evening. I killed three men, discovered my body might be hosting a murderous science goober, bonded another Alpha on a rubber training mat, and apparently made Kaito bleed through his stitches again.

Some patience would actually be a delight right now.

Unfortunately, patience is as rare a resource as chocolate cake in an apocalypse here at Haven Ridge. Right up there with fresh fruit, privacy, and men who know when the hell to stop talking.

Kaito is still behind me when I get dressed, one hand pressed to his side like pretending he’s not guarding his injury makes it any less obvious. His bite throbs on my neck, buried in the opposite side to Ewan’s, a deep ache that feels less like pain and more life proof.

Ewan’s bond is bright in my chest. Bold, warm, and restless.

Kaito’s sits lower. Heavier and still, like someone is standing in the dark holding a knife and some very strong opinions about anyone trying to get past him.

I shouldn’t find that comforting.

I absolutely do.

Kaito watches me pull on the least bloody clothes we can salvage, his eyes tracking every movement but not like Mercer’s would. It’s not like he’s collecting evidence. He watches me like he’s always watched me, like he’s making sure I’m still choosing. Choosing him.

“You’re burning a hole in my head,” I mutter.

“Can’t help it.”

“At least pretend you’re normal.”

“That’s actually not something I promised before getting my teeth into you. No refunds, either, sorry,” the cheeky bastard smarts, handing his shirt over to me to wear, and I’ll be damned if that isn’t completely fair.

I shove it over me, instantly surrounded by him. Then I reach for the bandana next, but stop myself. It’s ruined now, covered and stiff with drying blood. So is my shirt, honestly. And several pieces of me that are annoyingly attached.

My fingers hover close to my hat instead. Maine’s hat. With a deep breath, I put it on but not because I’m trying to hide again. It’s because I just need something familiar sitting on my head before I walk into a room full of people who are about to decide what kind of problem I am and if they can handle it.

Kaito notices but he says nothing, something he does regularly that makes me trust him more and more.

A hard knock pounds at the door just before Valeria’s voice comes muffled through it. “Kota? Hale is here. Mercer too. They want medical first, then briefing.”

I close my eyes and sigh. The word medical makes both of my bonds snap tight. Ewan’s is instant. Hot, panicked, and furious. Kaito’s is colder, quieter. Worse. I can feel them both wanting to pull me away from the door, but neither one is acting on it.

That’s new.

Also terrifying.