I suck in a breath so sharp it burns, panic spiking so fast I can’t think, can’t breathe, can’t?—
Jameson pulls me closer, arms tightening around me like iron.“Fern,” he murmurs, “look at me.”
I do.
His eyes are steady.Fierce.Determined.
“We will get her back.”
There’s no hesitation in his voice.No doubt.Just promise.Strength.
Him.
And I realize something at that moment, something that settles into my bones like truth: I believe him.
Completely.
“I know,” I whisper, surprised by the certainty in my voice.“I know you will.”
His expression softens a little, but the tension in his body stays coiled and ready for war.
I’m not alone anymore, and I know I’ll never be alone again.Jameson is here.He’ll always be here.
“I can’t lose Roxie,” I tell him.“But I can’t lose you either.”
His eyes hold mine as he cups my face in his big hands.“You’ll never lose me.Never.”
“Promise?”I choke out, tears forming in my eyes.
“I promise, mate.”
“I love you,” I whisper.
Jameson’s breath stutters out at my words.“I love you too, mate.More than anything.More than I can put into words.”
I grab the front of his shirt and pull him down for a kiss—urgent, fierce, full of everything I can’t say right now.
A promise of my own.He kisses me back like he already knows.
When we break apart, breathless, he cups my cheek one last time.“Stay here.Stay inside the house.I’ll bring her home.”
I nod, even though every part of me wants to follow him straight into the storm.
He rises, grabs his gear, and heads for the door.Just before he disappears into the night, he glances back at me.
His mate.
His heart.
“Be careful,” I whisper.
He gives me a look that says he will be, because he has something worth coming back to.
Then he leaves to meet his team.
And I sit in the quiet house, knowing that one way or another, everything is about to change.
TWELVE
