I smiled at that, the absolute certainty in their voices. The way they both declared it like a promise, an oath.
Outside, the horizon split open into a wash of gold light. The mountains rose up to meet us, sharp and endless and alive.
“Guess it’s official, boys,” I said, stretching, heart hammering as that wild, electric heat rippled through me again. “The chase is on.”
Beneath all the laughter, all the bravado, there was this truth sitting heavy in my chest, what happened next would change all of us. We would mark her, take her, and when it was right, we’d knot her. She would be ours forever then. No one else for us and no one else for her.
I couldn’t fucking wait.
“Don’t suppose you’d consider driving faster?”
Roan didn’t answer, at least not verbally. He did, however, put his foot down and my grin seemed to just grow.
We’re coming, boots. Then you will be…
ROAN
The storm was coming in fast. You could smell the metallic tang of rain on the air, clouds boiling dark and low over the ridge. The trees were already whispering, restless, and the gravel popped under the truck’s tires as we pulled up.
Her car was there.
That simple fact hit me like a punch and a relief all at once. The jolt ofshe’s herecut through the rest of the noise in my head. The cabin sat tucked beneath the pines, just like before, weathered wood gleaming faintly with the last streaks ofsunlight. The same porch. The same damned stillness. But this time, every nerve in my body felt tuned to her.
She was close. I couldfeelit.
We climbed out, the three of us quiet for once. Rhett’s grin was gone, replaced by that sharp-edged focus he only wore in a game or in a fight. Jay rolled his shoulder, wincing, still sore, but he wasn’t complaining. The silence wasn’t awkward. It was electric. We all knew what this was.
The door creaked open under my hand. The cabin smelled like dust, wood, and Wren.
Christ, her scent was everywhere. Thick and warm, sliding through the air like silk. My control went tight, a muscle pulled too far. It wasn’t just heat. Not this time. No, it washer.Every ounce of focus and defiance and quiet fire that made her who she was. I wanted to roll in it, breathe it,livein it.
Jay swore softly. “She was here. Recently.”
“Yeah.” Rhett’s tongue clicked against his teeth. “And she was planning something. You feel that?”
I did. The faint hum of her challenge, like static on the air. Wren hadn’t run. No, she’d takenusinto account when shecraftedthis chase. She was so incredibly ours. It was just a matter of time.
I dropped my gear bag and pulled on the mask, the world narrowing, scent sharpening, every inhale a map of her. She’d been near the back door. She’d stepped on the porch. She’d?—
The next scent hit me like a blade.
Rylan.
I froze. The name tasted bitter in my mouth. His scent wasn’t old, less than a few hours. Not mixed with hers, but close enough to twist something deep in my gut.
“Son of a bitch,” I muttered, voice low, raw.
Rhett’s head snapped up. “What?”
“Rylan.” I turned toward the porch, eyes narrowing on the faint scuff marks near the railing. “He’s been here.”
Jay’s tone dropped, deadly calm. “There’s no car.”
“I know.” My pulse pounded, heat crawling under my skin. “But he’s here. Or was. Maybe on foot.”
Rhett’s mask came down slow, his shoulders rolling, that predator energy rippling through him. The humor was completely gone. What was left was something feral.
“Motherfucker followed her,” he growled. “He followedour omega.”
