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There’s no way…
As she opens the door, a bundle of black fur leaps into her arms. Pearl has always had a flair for the dramatic, but Audrey never expected her cat to do a flying jump into her embrace.
It’s a miracle.
Time stops as she cradles her cat to her chest, half laughing and half sobbing as Pearl purrs with the strength of a small car engine.
Audrey’s best friend is back, and she can take Pearl with her when they cross to Canada.
The knowledge patches one of the holes in her heart, but not the other.
Julian is still gone, but right now, she has more than she could have hoped for.
The charges are dropped, Pearl is back, and now all she has to do is message Mindy with the good news.
She’s about to shut the door when a booted foot holds it open, and she lets out a gasp of surprise.
CHAPTER 26
JULIAN
The separation affected her,too.
He can tell by her hollowed cheekbones and baggy clothes that hang off her frame as she makes eye contact with him. He hopes the look she gives him is more from surprise than fear. Otherwise, it’s going to make their next steps much more difficult.
She’s just as beautiful as before, but the light has left her eyes.
He can’t have that.
Pearl falls from her arms onto the couch as Audrey faces him. Her mouth parts and she exhales a shaky breath, looking him up and down as if she can’t believe he’s here.
“How?” her voice is barely above a whisper. “Julian?” she asks in disbelief.
She looks as if she’s seen a ghost.
He cups her face with his hands to prove to her he’s real.
Fuck, he missed her.
And as he leans closer, her scent overpowers him.
Her Heat is close.
That would explain the clammy skin and the dilated pupils. He was so intent on making sure Pearl reunited with Audrey that he hadn’t bothered to focus on her Omega scent.
But now that it permeates the room and mixes with his scent, it’s all he can focus on.
“It’s me,” he promises her, his finger trailing down her cheekbone. “I’m here, Audrey.”
She stares at him, her eyes wide. “I thought you were dead,” she trembles. “You—you killed those men—”
“And I would do it again,” he says. He smells the slightly sour note of her fear continues. “I know I got carried away,” he admits as she swallows nervously. “They were going to take you from me, and I couldn’t let that happen.”
There’s a thud and a small weight drops onto his feet. They both glance down to see Pearl rolling around happily on the carpet.
As Audrey glances down at her cat, a small smile lights up her face. “You found her,” she says softly. “I can’t believe it.”
“She’s been with me almost this whole time,” he assures her. “After what happened, she was hiding behind a log. It didn’t take long to find her.”
