Glancing over at Kade, about to make a joke, I freeze because I've never seen that kind of wonder on his face. He looks mesmerized as he stares down at our Omega, his expression holding a vulnerability he rarely allows. The hard edges he usually maintains have dissolved. He looks at her like she's the most precious thing in the world, like he would burn down everything to keep her safe.
The same way he looks at me.
He reaches for one of the extra blankets and pulls it over her, tucking it around her shoulders. His hand lingers on her back, resting there as if he needs the contact to confirm she's real. Then he just watches her sleep, his focus narrowed down to this one Omega and the rise and fall of her breathing.
"We should probably get home," I say quietly, though I don't really want to move. "Get her into an actual bed instead of sleeping on the ground."
Kade shakes his head without looking away from Solana. "No. We're staying right here for as long as it takes. She needs this. She needs to know we're not going anywhere, that we're not going to force her into situations that she’s not ready for."
A smile spreads across my face because I'd been slightly worried that Kade wouldn't be as affected by Solana as I was. That maybe the connection I felt was one-sided, that I was projecting my own feelings onto the situation.
But it's clear now that something has already changed for him. Kade has included Solana in his protective bubble, extending the same fierce devotion he shows me to her. Watching him look at her makes my chest feel full.
Lying back down beside Solana, I'm careful to leave a little space between us. We haven't discussed boundaries yet or what kind of contact she's okay with. Aside from the few kisses we shared, the last thing I want is for her to wake up feeling trapped. But knowing she's protected between us is everything. Kade on one side, me on the other, both of us watching over her while she sleeps. This is what pack is supposed to feel like.
Pulling up my phone again, I navigate to the camera monitoring app. We have cameras covering all the main access points to the ranch, the barn, the paddocks, the driveway, and the perimeter of the main buildings. For the kind of business we deal in, aside from the horses, we need protection running around the clock.
The monitors are already on when I open the app. Kade must have activated them, probably the moment we pulled away from Harmony House, making sure we have eyes on everything. The paranoia that usually feels excessive suddenly seems justified with Solana here. I don’t want any surprises.
Tomorrow morning, everything is going to change. We'll wake up with an Omega in our pack, someone who needs us in ways that go beyond what Kade and I provide for each other. Someone who's been broken down by a system designed to control her and will need patience and support as she learns to trust again. The responsibility feels enormous and terrifying but also right.
Hell, everything has already changed just in the few hours since we walked out of Harmony House with her. The way Kade looks at her, the way my chest feels tight every time I see fear flash across her face, the way our scents have already started mingling together. We brought her here to save her but I'm starting to think maybe she's saving us, too.
Solana shifts in her sleep, a small sound escaping her throat as she burrows deeper into the blanket. My hand moves to her back, resting there beside Kade's. She settles immediately at the contact, her breathing evening out as if our touch reassures her that she's safe.
Kade finally looks away from Solana to meet my eyes. "Thank you," he says quietly. "For finding her. For not letting her go."
"I couldn't," I admit. "The moment I caught her scent, I knew. And then when I saw her, when she smiled at me despite being terrified, I knew I'd do whatever it took to bring her home." Some part of me worries that Kade will be disappointed that my focus has shifted from him to her but I shove that down to deal with later.
"We're going to have to be careful," Kade warns, though his hand never leaves Solana's back. "Harmony House will be looking for any excuse to take her back. We need to make sure everything is perfect."
"It will be," I say with more confidence than I feel. "We'll make sure she's happy and healthy. They won't have any grounds to remove her."
"And if they try anyway, they'll have to go through me first."
The protective growl underlying his words makes me smile because this is the Kade I know and love. The one who will fight for what's his, who doesn't back down when something matters. Solana matters now. She's ours and we're going to make sure no one takes her away.
"Get some sleep," Kade says, his hand moving from Solana's back to squeeze my shoulder. "I'll keep watch for a while."
"You sure?" I ask, though my eyes are already getting heavy.
"I'm sure. I want to make sure she stays calm. Besides, I don't think I could sleep right now if I tried." His gaze returns to Solana, that wonder creeping back into his expression. "Still can't believe she's real. That we actually got her out of there."
"Believe it," I murmur, my eyes drifting closed.
The last thing I'm aware of before sleep claims me is Solana curling up against my chest like she belongs there.
Chapter eleven
Solana
Waking up against a hard chest with something else hard nestled against my ass is disorienting. My eyes flutter open slowly as confusion settles over me, my mind struggling to piece together where I am.
Not the isolation room with its gray walls and thin mattress. Not my bunk at Harmony House with the springs that dig into my back. Somewhere soft and warm with the smell of grass and earth and two distinct Alpha scents wrapping around me in a way that makes my Omega instincts purr with contentment.
Looking up, I see Dustin sleeping with his mouth open, his face relaxed in a way that makes him look younger than he did yesterday. One of his arms is draped across my waist, holding me close against his chest.
Twisting around carefully so I don't wake him, I see Kade behind me, his arm thrown over my waist as well, his hand clutching Dustin's hip on the other side of me. We're tangled together on the blanket, the three of us creating a cocoon that feels impossibly safe.
