Cora sighed, and her posture slumped. “What happens if we can’t stop them?”
“We will,” Grayson stated without hesitation.
“And if we don’t?”
“Then I’ll burn their whole operation to the ground.”
The conviction in his voice silenced any further argument. Grayson pushed his plate away, no longer able to stomach the meal.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For dragging you into this. For making you a target.”
Cora’s expression softened, and she reached across the table to place her hand over his. The gesture was small, but the warmth of her touch sent a jolt through him.
“You didn’t make me a target, Grayson. The people running the auction did. All you did was get me out.”
Her words should have eased his guilt, but they didn’t. If anything, they only reminded him of the stakes. He turnedhis hand over, intertwining his fingers, brushing with hers. “You know about Emily. She was my mate. You know that. And losing her… It wasn’t just about losing someone I loved. It shattered everything I thought I knew about myself. About what I was capable of. I thought I was strong, but after she was gone…” He paused, exhaling slowly as he tried to find the words. “I wasn’t strong enough to survive it. Not in the way I should have.”
Cora tilted her head. “You did survive it.”
“Barely,” he admitted. “I shut everything out—my pack, my work, myself. I became this…hollow version of who I was. Nothing mattered except the mission. It was the only thing I could control, the only way I could keep going. If I could stop someone else from feeling what I did, maybe it wouldn’t be for nothing.”
Her thumb brushed gently against the back of his hand. “That’s not hollow, Grayson. That’s you trying to heal.”
“It didn’t feel like healing. It felt like punishment. I threw myself into work because it was easier than facing the guilt. Easier than admitting I’d failed her. And even after all this time, that guilt hasn’t gone away.”
“You didn’t fail her. You did everything you could with the information you had at the time.”
“Did I?” he challenged. “Because every decision I made back then feels like the wrong one now. And every time I see you—every time I think about what could happen to you—I feel it all over again.”
“Grayson…”
“You don’t understand. I can’t lose you, Cora. I can’t go through that again. It’s not just the bond. It’s not just the mission. It’s you. You matter.”
“You won’t lose me,” she declared. “I’m not going anywhere.”
The sincerity in her eyes undid him. Before he could think better of it, he leaned across the table, capturing her lips in a kiss that wasn’t driven by desperation or adrenaline this time—it was an acknowledgment of the connection between them, of the bond that neither of them could deny.
Her hand slid to the back of his neck, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened. For a moment, the world outside ceased to exist. There was no auction, no danger, no looming threat. There was only her. Her soft lips. Her breath against his skin. Her scent surrounded him.
It was a momentary reprieve, a moment of peace. One he would willingly surrender himself to.
Grayson didn’t realize how much he needed her—how much he needed the way she grounded him, the way she anchored him. He was drowning, and she was his lifeline. He didn’t deserve it. But damn if he wasn’t grateful for it.
When they finally broke apart, both were breathing harder. Grayson rested his forehead against hers and whispered, “I’ll keep you safe, Cora. No matter what it takes.”
“I know,” she replied. “And I’ll fight, too. For you.”
The words settled between them, and Grayson reluctantly pulled back. His fingers lingered on her cheek before he stood.
“We should get some rest,” he suggested, though it killed him. They were both too high on emotion to think clearly, and he didn’t want her to regret anything that might happen.
“Good night, Grayson.”
“Good night,” he replied before retreating to the couch.
