"It's done," he said. "It's really done."
"It's done." I pulled him close. "You're mine. Officially, legally, permanently mine."
"And you're mine."
"Always." I kissed him, soft and slow. "I was always yours, Dalvin. From the moment we met. We just had to find our way back to each other."
***
Chapter 11
Dalvin
I woke on the last morning of the trial period with Min-ho's arm heavy around my waist and Eli's small body curled against my chest.
The bond hummed between us, settled now into something that felt permanent. Not the raw, electric pulse of the first hours, but a steady warmth, a foundation I could build a life on. Min-ho's emotions filtered through the connection in soft waves. Contentment. Protectiveness. A quiet joy that matched my own.
Eli stirred against me, his dark curls tickling my chin. He'd crept into our bed sometime in the night, escaping from Rosa's watchful presence in the guest room, driven by the need to be close to me after so many weeks apart. Min-ho had woken when Eli climbed over him but hadn't moved, hadn't spoken, had simply shifted to make room and then gone still again.
Small mercies. Small moments of grace that added up to something larger.
"Daddy." Eli's voice was thick with sleep. "Are we going to the new house today?"
"Yes, baby. Today."
"Is the big alpha coming too?"
I glanced over my shoulder at Min-ho. His eyes were open, watching us with that quiet intensity that still caught meoff guard. He'd heard the question. Was waiting to see how I answered.
"Yes," I said. "Min-ho is coming too. He lives at the new house. It's his home, and now it's going to be our home."
Eli was quiet for a moment, processing this information with the serious deliberation of a child who had learned to be careful. Then he asked, "Will he be loud?"
"No, baby. He's very quiet."
"Will he be mean?"
"No. He's very kind."
"Will he..." Eli's voice dropped to a whisper, afraid of the answer. "Will he hurt you like the other alpha did?"
My throat closed. I pulled Eli tighter against my chest and pressed my lips to the top of his head, breathing in the familiar scent of him, letting it ground me.
"No," I said. "Min-ho will never hurt me. And he will never hurt you. I promise."
Behind me, Min-ho went still.
Eli considered this, his small face serious. Then he nodded, apparently satisfied, and wriggled out of my arms to go find Chompers.
The drive to Min-ho's house took three hours.
Rosa sat in the front passenger seat, navigating from her phone, while Min-ho drove with the steady competence he brought to everything. I sat in the back with Eli, who had attached himself to my side and refused to let go.
The mountain roads wound through forests painted in shades of green and gold. Late afternoon sunlight slanted through the trees, casting long shadows across the pavement. Eli watched the scenery with wide eyes, his hand clutching mine, his body pressed so close I could feel his heartbeat through his shirt.
"Look, baby." I pointed out the window at a hawk circling overhead. "See the bird?"
Eli nodded but didn't speak. His gaze kept darting to the rearview mirror, where he could see Min-ho's reflection. Watching. Assessing. Waiting for the moment when the quiet alpha would prove himself to be just as dangerous as the one who had hurt us.
