She was herself.
The officer hesitated, trying to salvage control. “If you see her or hear anything?—”
“You’ll be the first to know,” I cut in, my voice sharp as a blade. The words curled in the air like smoke from a gun barrel—smoldering with warning.
He opened his mouth. Thought better of it.
Good.
Because I was already picturing what would happen if he didn’t walk away.
Finally, he stepped back, nodding once. No words. Just a retreat—quiet, stiff, and not nearly fast enough for my liking.
But before he turned, his eyes flicked to Seph again.
And he looked at her like she was something anyone could take.
Like she wasn’t already claimed.
The door closed.
My hands were fists at my sides, knuckles white with restraint. I exhaled once. Shallow. Controlled.
Then I looked at her.
She was still standing there, shoulders squared, jaw tight—but her eyes flicked up to mine.
“Are you all right?” I asked, voice low, threading gentleness through the storm still churning in my chest.
She stood there, still and sharp, eyes lit with something that looked an awful lot like defiance—but beneath it, she was trembling. Not out of fear. Not anymore. No, this was adrenaline. Aftershock. And she wore it beautifully.
“You didn’t have to lie,” I said, watching her like she might vanish if I blinked.
Her chin tipped up, that stubborn little spark flaring. “I wasn’t lying.”
And just like that, the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding eased out of me.
She was choosing this.
Choosing me.
The thought hit somewhere low and primal, twisting deep in my chest. I hadn’t expected it to feel like this—like possession and peace colliding in a single heartbeat.
“Good,” I murmured, a slow grin pulling at the corner of my mouth.
I didn’t reach for her. Not yet. Wanting her and taking her were two different things, and right now I needed her to see what that choice meant.
So instead, I turned toward the dresser, grabbed the small box I’d stashed there this morning, and tossed it onto the bed.
She blinked. “You got me something?”
“Open it.”
I leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, heart pounding like I hadn’t already rehearsed this moment in my mind a dozen times. She padded toward the bed, curiosity flickering in her expression, fingers untying the ribbon and peeling back the paper with slow precision.
Her breath caught.
A soft, disbelieving sound.
