I draw in a long breath and it helps, a little.
His presence helps more.But I don’t want him to know that, but he probably already does.
I clear my throat.“Did you have to handle something important?”
His jaw flexes.“It was a pack meeting.”
“For me?”I whisper.
“For the Hunters,” he corrects gently.“But, yes, partly for you.”
My stomach drops.“Because they’re after me.”
His silence confirms it.He doesn’t sugarcoat.He doesn’t lie.Something that I didn’t know I would appreciate.
“We won’t let them get near you,” he adds, voice firm but soft.
“We?”I echo, my heart tightening.
“Me.”His voice roughens.“And the entire pack.”
The idea of so many wolves protecting me should terrify me.It should overwhelm me.But part of me feels ...warmer.Stronger.Less alone.
I drag in another breath.“And when I panicked ...you came right away.”
“Of course I did.”
“Why?”I whisper.
He hesitates for a heartbeat.Just one.“Because you needed me.”
The words slam into me with too much force, too much honesty.I grip the blanket to stay grounded.“You say it like it’s simple,” I manage.
“It is simple,” he replies.“At least for me.”
My heart stutters painfully.The bond flickers, warm and soft, then sharp again.Not painful, but intense.I curl my knees to my chest and look out the window, trying to escape the weight of the moment.My leopard presses against my awareness, pacing, and restless.
She’s watching him too.She’s the one who pushed my hand forward earlier.She’s the one who reached for him, not me.Not fully at least.But I didn’t stop her.
Silas shifts slightly, drawing my attention back.“There’s something we should try today,” he says carefully.
My muscles tense.“Try?”
“Only if you want to,” he adds quickly.“And only if you feel safe enough.”
I grip the blanket tighter.“What is it?”
He studies me for a moment.“Walking.”
I blink.“Walking?”
“Just in the room,” he clarifies.“Nothing outside.Nothing overwhelming.But you’ve been in bed since you got here except for your shower, and moving might help your leopard feel less trapped.”
Trapped.The word resonates too sharply.He’s right.Iamtrapped, in my body, in my mind, in all the leftover pieces of what the Hunters did.
I nod slowly.“I think I can ...try.”
He stands up immediately, giving me space.He moves toward the corner of the room, far away enough that I have the whole floor to myself.
