My team.
My city.
My home.
“What?” I breathe.
My eyes shift to Milton, who’s wearing a broad smile. “We’re going home. To where we’re meant to be,” he says. “With you.”
Something inside mebreaks open.
The fear drains out of me all at once, replaced by a tidal wave of something so big I can barely contain it. My chest aches. My vision blurs. Tears rush in fast and hot, spilling over before I can stop them.
Korbin wraps one solid arm around my waist, anchoring me fully now. When he signs, his movements are precise, controlled—but his expression softens in a way I don’t see often. A rare, gentle smile tugs at his mouth.
All of us.He signs.Together.
More tears spill, and I clutch Korbin’s shirt in my hand like he might disappear if I don’t hold on tight enough. My other hand seeks out the other two, needing to touch them to know this isn’t a dream.
“You’re not—” My voice breaks. “You’re not leaving?”
“No,” Korbin says immediately.
“Never,” Milton adds, then presses his forehead to mine, kissing me gently.
My eyes drift to Lincoln last, who speaks while signing. “This is it. The four of us together, forever. We don't know how we got on the Krakens’ radar or why they wanted us, but we’ll take it.”
The realization hits me fully then.
They didn’t get tradedawayfrom me.
They fought for me. From the beginning. And somehow, fate found a way for us to be with each other.
“I thought…” I swallow hard. “I thought I’d have to choose. Or that one day you’d?—”
Lincoln cuts me off, placing his fingers over my mouth and pulls me away from the others into him. My body collapses into his chest, and I press my cheek against his heart, letting the vibrations overtake me.
He leans back, and I glance up at him.
He waits until I’m looking him in the eyes. “You’ll never have to choose,” he says. “Not between us. Not between your life and ours.”
A hand lands on my shoulder, and I turn to see Milton. His hand cradles my face, his thumb brushing under my eye, wiping the tears as they fall. “We made it clear,” he says. “No split trades. No separation. We go together, or not at all, from the beginning. The Krakens were never on our radar. Not with the strife between Benton and Korbin. But somehow they took both of us. We have a meeting this afternoon and a press release. We should know more then.” He bites his lower lip. “But honestly, I don’t care why. I’m just happy we got what we wanted.”
My breath stutters.
“Me too.”
“Everything we’ve done since meeting you has been for us. We didn’t know it at the time, but even before, our plans included you,” Korbin says when I look at him. “We’re a pack. A family. The good of our group and you will always be what’s important.”
The words land heavy and perfect.
Us. Our pack.
My hands shake as I reach for them—touching Lincoln’s arm, Milton’s wrist, Korbin’s chest—like I need to prove they’re real. That this moment isn’t something I imagined.
I don’t know what to say.I sign, my voice weak from use.
Milton smiles through his own tears. “You don’t have to say anything.”
