“I think she’s more like me than we realize. She’s stronger than you think.”
Her words twisted in me, cutting with the sharp edge of truth.
“Y’all should have a girl’s night or something.” I wanted her to agree, wanted her to see the possibility of danger the same way I did.
She stilled, and for a moment, I thought I’d gone too far. But then she looked up at me again, eyes sparkling in the light. “Maybe we will,” she said. Her hand traced a path across my shoulder.
“Couldn’t do this without you, girl,” I said. And I meant it, every goddamn word. She kept me sane and insane all at once.
The evening was turning dark, the stars out bright and fierce against the night. She was in my arms, everything I never knew I needed, everything that terrified me to my core. I pulled backslightly, just enough to look her in the eyes again, to tell her the thing I needed her to hear.
“Brace yourself,” I said, my voice rough with the gravity of it all. “I love you, Juliet. Don’t forget it.”
Her hands were in my hair, and she was fierce and alive and mine. “I’m never forgetting that.”
She drew me back into her, and we moved in a slow circle, the music and lights spinning around. I didn’t know what the future would bring, but this moment, this connection—it made everything else worth it.
And for now, that was enough.
She gave me a little wink as she stepped away, pulling me along. “Hey, my wolf wants to come out and play.” Then she started to run as she tossed over her shoulder laughing, “Catch me if you can old man.”
“Just wait, Little Wolf. Your Alpha is hot on your heels.”
Epilogue
Sawyer
“So then Lily says, ‘Just because you’re the Alpha, doesn’t mean you can leave your dirty clothes everywhere!’” Juliet’s laughter mixed with Maddie’s in the soft, inviting space of the living room. I perched on the edge of the sofa, nursing a glass of wine and the loneliness of my secrets. They were trying to make me feel welcome, like I belonged. But I’d been here before, letting my guard down only to have it slice me open when I least expected it. The cabin was so different from the sterile hell Dane had locked me in. Warm lighting played off hardwood floors. Furnishings that looked like they were out of a magazine surrounded us. This should have been comforting. But every gentle question Juliet asked about my past brought my shoulders tighter. Every time Maddie switched the conversation away, I saw the worry in Juliet’s eyes. They were so kind to me, and I was lying to them about who I was and what I’d run from.
I forced a smile as Juliet handed me a fresh glass of wine, the dark red reflecting against the plush pillows like drops of blood. “Thanks,” I said, trying to sound grateful. “This is really nice. I’m not used to… nights like this.” My voice felt foreign in my throat, words I should have said but never could. I took a sip to mask the hesitation.
“Well, Sawyer,” Maddie chimed in, a teasing lilt to her voice, “you better get used to it if you’re going to stick around here.” Her eyes sparkled, her short dark hair catching the light like a halo.
Juliet nodded, her expression softening. “We want you to feel at home. Like you’re part of the family.”
Home. Family. Things I’d only known in name, but not in heart. “I really appreciate it,” I said, not trusting myself to say more without my voice cracking under the weight of falsehoods.
Juliet sat next to me, her sincerity palpable. “So, what’s your story, Sawyer? Where are you from?”
The question hung in the air like a sniper’s bullet. I had my answers prepared, the same evasive maneuvers I’d used on Pearl and anyone else who got too close. “Up north,” I said vaguely, studying the glass in my hand as if it held some revelation.
“And you decided to stay in Texas?” Maddie pressed her curiosity in earnest.
I shrugged, my shoulders tensing. “I needed a change,” I said, keeping my tone light, my insides a churning mass of fear and memory. I could still feel the cold steel of the lab, the clinical detachment of Dane’s voice as he charted my responses, the gnawing realization that I was little more than a tool to be wielded by my father’s ambitions. Distance, I reminded myself. Distance is your friend.
Juliet must have sensed my discomfort, because she shot Maddie a look. “It’s okay,” she gentled. “We don’t mean to pry.”
“It’s fine,” I lied, hating how easy it was becoming.
Maddie leaned back, changing gears. “So… Bridger, huh? He’s kind of a big deal around here.”
At the mention of Bridger, something flickered inside me. It was the same flutter I’d felt when his hazel eyes first met mine, like he could see past the lies and straight into the truth I’d hidden even from myself. “Yeah,” I said, the word laced with more meaning than I intended.
Maddie raised an eyebrow, catching the subtle shift in my voice. “He’s a good one.”
I felt heat rise to my cheeks and hid behind my glass. “He’s been so great. Since he broke those chains off of me…” my voice trailed off.
“Oh, shit!” Maddie just remembered he is who brought me out of the lab. “I’m so sorry, Sawyer. I’m such a dumb bitch. Forgive me for reminding you of that.”
