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With her Heat over and his Rut ended, there’s still much more to learn about each other.
She bonded to a man she’s only known for a week, and while the thought is daunting, it doesn’t feel wrong.
It feels like she’s exactly where she needs to be.
She’s fortunate enough to have left Washington when she did, but others aren’t so lucky.
Now that Abel’s video has gone viral, there are more uprisings at Alpha military bases across the United States, and confused Omegas desperate to understand the truth behind their biology.
Ava is still there, Hazel realizes with a guilty conscience. Now that she’s no longer aroused out of her mind, she thinks about the friend she left behind.
Ava will be okay; Hazel knows she will be. Her best friend is smart, capable, and resourceful.
I’ll be fine, Hazel,Ava had texted her a week ago.Just stay safe and we’ll talk soon.
Still, Hazel worries, and Abel senses it. He thinks he hides his guilty expression, but she’ll catch him glancing at her occasionally with narrowed eyes, lost in thought.
He’s not sorry for what he’s done, he’s made that clear. But he regrets that it ever hurt her, even if he would do it all again just to be by her side.
What he can’t say out loud, he communicates through their mating bond.
She still feels his awe when she smiles at him, amazed that she chose to stay and give herself to him fully.
He offers details of his life to her that he couldn’t before, and she learns more about the person he was before the twisted rules of Lincoln City.
She still hasn’t told him she loves him yet—she never thought she would say it to anyone again, ever—but she doesn’t need to.
He whispers it in her ear when he thinks she’s asleep at night.
Not everything is perfect, though.
Their future is up in the air, to be decided by what Canada wants. There’s still the matter of the murder, and no matter how much Abel may try to reassure her, she can’t shake the feeling that she’s complicit.
She’s still as frightened and unsure as she’s ever been, despite Abel’s constant reassurances. She can’t hide the feelings from him due to the bond, so he chooses to act as her anchor, welcoming her into his embrace without question whenever he senses the change in her scent.
At the end of the month, there’s a knock on the front door and her heart stops.
They aren’t expecting anyone—the only people that have shown up are government officials coming to take her statement, or members of the press asking for interviews.
But this is totally unexpected, and she stands frozen in the kitchen with Abel as he angles his head toward the door, his lip quirking.
“Baby, it’s okay,” he breathes, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Before she can protest, he’s opening the door, and a familiar voice rings out.
Ava.
How he made it happen, Hazel doesn’t know. But she greets her best friend in a warm hug, happy to see her alive and safe.
* * *
“I’mglad you’re out of there,” Ava tells her as they sit on the couch. “It’s better for you here, for now.”
They’re both sipping hot chocolate and talking as if their home country isn’t in chaos. Ava showed up healthy but exhausted, as if weeks of stress were weighing her down.
“And Connor?” Hazel asks hopefully, cradling the mug in her hands. Abel sits on the other side of the couch, listening with interest.
“His parents have sued the shit out of the state of Washington. All those documents that you leaked help their case,” Ava adds, nodding towards Abel.
A warmth spreads in her chest at the sight of Ava and Abel interacting amicably.
