Rowan sighed dramatically, but her grin stayed. My heart did something stupid as she climbed off me, returning to her starting position.
And I had never been so excited to get my ass kicked again.
Chapter 17: Rowan
“Iam coming,” I said with absolute determination, leveling my glare at Cade.
“Youarenot,” he replied dismissively.
“I am.”
“Not.”
“I took down both Ryker and Talon today at the fitness center. I'm not helpless! This whole thing revolves around me, and I deserve to be in control of my life.”
“Yeah, and how many times did they overpower you?”
“That's beside the point.”
“No, that is exactly the point! Every time they overpowered you was a time an alpha, a direworg, or anything else out there could have killed you. Do you understand that? Getting lucky a few times is not the same as being prepared.”
Before I could argue again, Talon stepped forward, surprisingly on my side. “She needs to practice her shift. We'll all be together, and the plan was to train tonight anyway. What difference does it make if she comes with us while we explorethe decommissioned base?”
Cade narrowed his eyes at Talon, and something unspoken passed between them. A silent argument I could not hear.
Cade sighed. “You know what difference it makes, Talon. The base is a hell of a lot farther west. Arca built it into the wall. A layer of block and cement is all that will separate us from the Northern Front. Also, there are direworgs crawling through those woods in the dozens. It's not safe.”
Ryker chimed in. “You said it yourself that we might have to bring her north with us for covert missions. It's a hell of a lot safer on this side. She needs actual situations, Cade. The fitness center will not prepare her for combat—”
“Enough,” Cade snapped, rubbing his temples. He turned to Killian, who leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.
Cade signed,What do you think, Brother?
Killian shrugged. “Crane will have us. Not safe. But not helpless. She comes.”
A grin split my face before I could stop it. I ran straight to Killian, jumping into his arms and kissing him all over his cheeks. “Thanks for having my back, big guy,” I whispered, and he grumbled, trying not to smile.
Cade narrowed his eyes. “I see you've all conspired against me. Fine.Fine.Rowan, you can come. But if you do not listen to every order exactly how I say it, when I say it, I will drag your ass back to base myself. And the punishment you will receive… let us just say you won’t sit for a week.”
“Agreed,” I said, giddy, dropping out of Killian’s arms and running to Cade with a big hug.
Cade liked to think hisgood girlsand soft smiles were conditioning me into compliance. He thought every gentlepraise, every warm touch, every steadying hand on my neck was training me to listen, to obey and to fall in line under his command.
But what he didn't know was that I was doing the same thing to all of them.
I was learning how to work them, each one differently.
With Killian, it was comfort. A tender kiss to his jaw, a warm thank you against his throat, a gentle hand in his hair. He melted every time, like the giant brute had no defenses left when I offered him affection.
With Talon, it was trust. When I let him teach me, when I leaned into his hands without flinching, when I listened to his direction without arguing, something sharp inside him eased.
With Ryker, it was attention. A smile, a laugh, a playful shove, or flirt. He would do anything to keep my eyes on him. Anything to keep me laughing and happy.
And with Cade… well. Cade thought he was the one shaping me, but he didn't see how easily he bent when I wrapped my arms around him. How his anger slipped the second I hugged him. How fast his strict rules shifted when I touched his chest and looked up at him like he was the only man in the room.
They were big, terrifying alphas. Elite Soldiers. Killers. Predators.
But I was finding every weakness in their armor. The soft points and cracks. And with every kiss, every thank you, every small gesture of affection, those cracks widened.
