I lift my chin, meeting his gaze directly. “Rudy is in custody. The threat is gone. Your own security team confirmed it.”
“There could be others,” he insists, taking a step toward me. “We don’t know if he was working alone.”
“Based on the evidence, it seems to have been a solo operation,” Dane says quietly from his position by the door. His words land like a betrayal. Rett shoots him a look of pure venom.
“See?” I say, trying for a lightness I don’t feel. “I’ll be fine. And you all can get back to your normal lives.”
“What if we don’t want normal?” Tristan asks. “What if we want you?”
The words make a lump rise in my throat. I have to look away from the raw sincerity in his eyes.
“You don’t even know me,” I say softly. “Not really.”
“That’s not true,” Diego protests, taking another step toward me. “We know you drink your coffee with too much sugar. We know you’re smart as heck and good at your job. We know you have a weakness for trashy romance novels and mint chocolate chip ice cream.”
“And we know you’re brave,” Dane adds, his voice a low rumble. “Braver than most.”
“And stubborn,” Rett says, a hint of grudging admiration in his tone. “And sharp. And kind.”
Their words wrap around me like a warm blanket, tempting me to stay, to sink into the comfort they’re offering. But I can’t. I won’t be their cure, their band-aid solution for a problem they’ve lived with for years.
“The static will come back,” I say, forcing myself to be cruel, to say the thing they’re all thinking but won’t voice. “Without me here, you’ll go back to how it was before. Headaches. Irritability. Pain.”
The silence that follows confirms what I already know. That’s the real reason they want me to stay. Not because they like having me around. Not because of whatever happened between me and Rett that night, or the quiet mornings with Dane, or the laughter with Tristan, or the gentle touches from Diego.
They need me. For relief. For comfort. For silence in their heads.
But I need more than that. I need to be wanted for myself, not for what I can do for them.
“I can’t,” I repeat, my voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t stay and be your... your living aspirin.”
“That’s not what this is,” Rett growls, closing the distance between us in two long strides. He stops just short of touching me. “You’re so much more than that.”
“Then what am I?” I challenge, looking up at him. “What is this? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like a business arrangement that’s run its course.”
He opens his mouth, then closes it again, frustration etched into every line of his face. He can’t answer. None of them can.
I turn to the door, my hand tight around the handle of my suitcase. Dane is still standing there, watching me with those pale, knowing eyes. For a moment, I think he might block my path. Instead, he steps aside, giving me a clear route to the elevator.
“At least let us drive you,” Diego pleads, desperation clear in his voice. “Make sure you get home safely.”
I shake my head. “I’ll take a taxi.”
“Zoe,” Rett says, and there’s something in his voice, a raw, unguarded plea that almost breaks my resolve. “Please.”
I stop at the door, my back to them, unable to look at their faces. If I do, I might waver. I might stay.
“I’ll be fine,” I say, forcing lightness into my tone. “I’ve managed to survive on my own for twenty-six years. I think I can handle a cab ride.”
“The claiming marks,” Dane says quietly. “They’re still active. The bond is still there.”
I touch my neck reflexively, feeling the slightly raised ridges of the four marks. “They’ll fade,” I say, though I’m not sure I believe it. “They have to.”
“And if they don’t?” Tristan asks.
I finally turn to look at them one last time. Four powerful alphas, looking utterly lost. My heart clenches painfully in my chest.
“Then we’ll figure it out,” I say. “But I can’t stay here. Not like this.”
