The knot in his chest didn’t vanish, but it loosened just enough to let air back into his lungs, to feel the sting in his eyes. He held on, his face pressed to Tristan’s shoulder, the solid warmth of him a tether. Tristan’s fingers kept tracing those slow circles, steady and sure.
He didn’t know how long they stayed like that, whether it was minutes or hours. But eventually, his breathing evened out, the tremors in his limbs began to ease, and his hold on Tristan gentled.
“You’re okay,” Tristan said again, this time more like a promise than a plea. “You’re okay, Colby.”
Colby nodded against his neck.
Tristan eased back just enough to look at him, brushing Colby’s hair back from his forehead. “Matt wants to talk to you because I couldn’t really tell him anything,” he said softly.
Colby didn’t speak right away. His fingers were still fisted in the back of Tristan’s shirt, reluctant to let go. But when he looked up, he saw the belief in Tristan’s gaze, and that mattered more than his fear.
“All right,” he said at last.
Tristan led him into the kitchen, holding fast to his hand. Matt was at the table, a mug of coffee in front of him, and Jesse wassitting on a counter, looking unusually serious while Jason peeled potatoes beside him.
“Guys, give us a minute,” Matt said, and Jesse slipped off the countertop to disappear out the back door, followed silently by Jason.
“What happened out there?” Matt asked. Not gentle, but neutral. That helped.
“Nico.” Colby dragged in a breath, and it turned into a gulp. “He was there, down by the creek. It wasn’t old scent.”
“Okay.” Matt raked his hand through his hair. “Karl, Christian and Dave are out there now, hunting.”
Matt’s eyes flicked briefly to Tristan, then back to Colby. “Was he alone?”
“I didn’t scent anyone else,” Colby said. Then he realized that, even if it cost him Matt’s good regard, he had to be honest. “Doesn’t mean there wasn’t anyone else, though. The instant I caught his scent, I just—reacted.”
And if Matt had seen him chase Tristan under the porch, his ears flat and his tail clamped between his quarters, he’d know exactly what Colby meant by that. So much for being allowed to become part of the pack. It had been too good to be true.
“You think he’s here for you or for Jesse?”
“I don’t know,” Colby said, and it felt like failure. He tried to explain. “He knows what people would pay for Jesse, and with Cale gone, he wouldn’t need to share that money. So hedefinitelywouldn’t let that go without a fight. But Nico…” He hesitated, reluctant to admit it, even to himself. “I don’t think it’s just about Jesse.”
Tristan stiffened beside him.
Matt didn’t look surprised, but he didn’t look satisfied either. “Why?”
Good question. Nico could have anyone he wanted. Wasn’t like Colby was anything special.
“I don’t know.” His confession felt raw and shameful. His wolf stirred uneasily, remembering the clench of Nico’s grip, the bone-deep wrongness of being held against his will. “He always said I was his. Like I was something he’d claimed and everyone else better keep their hands off. And the more I wanted out, the tighter he held on.”
Tristan’s hand closed around his.
Colby drew a breath. “Sometimes I thought it was all about control, or power. But sometimes… sometimes it felt like he was trying to fill a space. Like I was a replacement for someone he lost, and he loved me for being there but he hated me for not being that person.” He shook his head, and his throat burned. “I don’t know. It never made any sense how badly he wanted to keep me.”
And he knew now… Before, he’d thought Nico was hunting him to punish him. But it wasn’t as simple as that. It never was with Nico.
Matt leaned back in his chair, brows drawn down. “You’re saying this is personal as much as it is anything else.”
“Yeah.” Colby looked down at his hands. “And that’s what makes it dangerous. He’s smart, but when it comes to me? He gets reckless.”
He hesitated, dreading what was about to come out of his mouth but knowing he had to say it. Had to warn them.
“I think—maybe, while he’s here, I mean…”
He was finding it hard to breathe and Tristan’s hand was on his back, rubbing soothing circles. Colby was so terrified over what he was about to say, he didn’t even care anymore what Matt must think of him.
“I’m scared he might go after Tristan, too.”
