Not the protection.
Not the safety.
Not the plan in their eyes.
The fact that they aren’t pushing.
They’re following my pace.
“Okay,” I say quietly.“Not yet.”
Atlas gives a small nod.“Your call.”
Kael’s voice stays low.“We walk you wherever you need to go today.”
My stomach dips.“All of you?”
“We’ll rotate,” Finn says.“Who do you want first?”
The question knocks something loose inside me.It’s gentle, but it hits.
Who do I want first.
Desire pulses under my skin—slow, warm, dangerous.
I look at Finn.Soft.
Then Atlas.Solid.
Then Kael.Steady.
My breath stutters.
“I...”My throat closes.“I don’t want to make this complicated.”
Atlas steps closer—one slow, careful move.“Too late.”
Finn lets out a soft laugh.“It’s already complicated, Wren.”
Kael says nothing, but the way he watches me—direct, focused, patient—makes the heat behind my ribs spread.
I sink onto the nearest chair, coffee cradled between both hands.“I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“We do,” Kael murmurs.
“Do you?”My voice cracks.“Because I don’t understand...any of this.”
Finn moves first.Always.He crouches in front of me, resting both hands on his thighs instead of reaching for me.“You don’t have to understand it all today.”
Atlas comes to stand behind him.“You just have to let us help.”
Kael leans one palm on the table beside me, close enough that his knuckles graze my knee.“We’ll handle the rest.”
My breath trembles.
The silence grows thick, electric.
Finn’s eyes drop to my mouth.
