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Looking for an opening.
A weakness.
I startle as a hand brushes mine. My eyes snap down to watch Paxton curl his fingers around mine. It’s surprisingly… wholesome, considering the day we’ve had and the tumultuous affection we’ve shared up to this point. I try to remember how easily Jimmy and I fell into things after our bond, but there’s a mental block that makes the memories blurry. The harder I try to think about it, the more I simply feel like I’m giving myself a headache.
Focus on what’s in front of you.
The familiar voice feels so close that I whip around in my seat as if I expect someone to be leaning over my shoulder. Paxton is instantly on high alert.
“What? What’s wrong?” The car slows.
“It was nothing.” I know he doesn’t believe me, but I don’t care to try to explain at the moment. It’s too hard to try to explain what I don’t even understand myself.
I squeeze my eyes shut and right myself in the seat. That was the Luna Sovereign’s voice as clear as day. My predecessor. From what the Sovereign Pack told me, her spirit is meant to move on after naming her successor. The fact that she hasn’t worries me. Even more so because she doesn’t seem to be coming to police how I do my work but rather how I’m handling my relationship.
Even after marking him, there’s a part of me that wants to keep this man at a distance. But with our hands still clutched together, I know it’s a little late for that. I can feel my heart expanding, making room for him even though I’m not quite sure I’m ready.
“When we know you’re safe, I’d like to help you search for any other kids my parents might have had,” Paxton says casually, as if he isn’t dropping an emotional bomb on me out of nowhere. Tears instantly spring to my eyes.
“Do you mean that?”
“Yes.” His voice is gruff. “While you were working, Tobias caught me up on what Poppy has been up to. Apparently, she’s been talking everyone’s ear off.” His hand squeezes mine a little tighter. “She’s worried that the little ones—if they do exist—may have never gotten out. The Wild Bend Pack technically was broken up, but several of the other members seemed to disappear off the face of the earth while the focus was still on my parents. It’s possible any pups might have been left with one of those families and brought up the way we were.”
I can feel my heart beating in my throat. Poppy already told me this last night, but it hits me harder coming from Paxton. Not only because I am desperately worried about what might have happened to those pups, but also becausehe cares. As hard as he’s tried not to for so long, he cares.
If he hadn’t cared, it would have taken a lot longer than one night to change his mind. Deep down, he hasn’t given up on his siblings. Not really.
The rest of our ride passes in silence. I don’t know about Paxton, but I have a lot on my mind. Even in the midst of all our other problems, I desperately want to help Poppy find those pups. Something inside of me is telling me there are young shifters out there whoneedus. But as much as I try to think of ways to search for the young ones, I only come up empty. I think I have to accept for the moment that we seem to be missing some crucial piece of the puzzle that would tell us where to look.
I force myself to take a deep breath and accept that this is a problem that won’t be solved in a matter of days. Even if it takes years, wewillfind them.
As I’m lost in my own musings, Paxton and I finally reach the house, a single bright light shining from beside the front door to illuminate the house in the dark. I’m still mulling over his words, but I turn my head to study our surroundings carefully. Dominic sent twice as many wolves up here than before to secure the perimeter and check the house.
Still, we can’t be too careful. There’s too much at stake.
“Wait here, and I’ll come around.” Paxton slips his hand from mine as he parks the car.
I watch with a frown as he carefully maneuvers himself out of the driver’s seat. I can hear the low groan he tries to hide, and I know the worst of his pain must be setting in. In a few days, his wounds will heal as if they never existed. We’re lucky that as shifters our bodies have a natural inclination to work hard to heal themselves. We can’t heal from everything—but he’ll heal easily from this.
Paxton circles the car quickly, making it to my door and swinging it open for me in record time. “Welcome home,” he says quietly.
“Welcome home,” I repeat as I take the hand he offers and let him pull me gingerly out of my seat. He doesn’t let go of me as he closes the car door and starts toward the house, butterflies erupting in my stomach as he leads me along.
Nature greets us with a chorus. A light breeze blows the tree branches, leaves brushing against each other. Crickets chirp near the garden as we pass. An owl hoots somewhere in the distance. It feels like the house’s way of welcoming us home. And the Luna Sovereign house does feel like home, even if I never expected to end up here.
“Are you sure you don’t want your sister to come stay the night?” Paxton asks as he pushes the door open. Tess begged to come with me after the discovery that the rogue that attacked Paxton was indeed one of the ones responsible for killing Jimmy.
“No,” I answer honestly. “I think it should just be us tonight.”
Paxton hesitates on the threshold, angling his body so he can stare down at me. I’m not sure what he’s looking for, but his dark eyes seem to search mine. One of his thick eyebrows rises.
“What?” I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear self-consciously.
“I want to fuck you, Tasha.”
My eyes widen, and my mouth gapes open. It doesn’t seem to faze him.
“I realize this has been the day from hell. We’re both tired and at our mental cap… But all I can think about is how good it felt when I was inside of you. So before we walk into this house together, I need to know one thing.”
