I take a step closer and place my hand on his shoulder. “Showing love isn’t weakness.”
He huffs a breath, swipes sweat from his eyes, and looks at the cracked stone floor.
He swallows and then words rush from him like the leaky faucet in our shitty excuse for a bathroom. “What if I’m too rough and I hurt her and she leaves us and it's my fault... again?”
I reach out, faster than he can stop me, grasp a fistful of his collar and drag him bodily into a firm hug.
He struggles, then freezes rigidly, before finally surrendering with a long, shuddering sigh.
We don't hug. Ever.
I think this might be the first time we’ve embraced that’s not as a greeting with heavy thumps on the back, or supporting each other’s weight after taking one too many bullets.
Knox is stiff and awkward, as if he doesn’t know what to do with his arms. I chuckle and squeeze him tighter.
"See? Ain't so bad."
He grumbles, but doesn't pull away. Instead, he leans in, his arms finally settling around me.
We stay like that for a moment before I release him and take a step back. He's still looking at the floor, avoiding eye contact.
"You didn't make her leave all on your own. You know that, right?" I say, pushing myself to speak more than I'm comfortable because that's what you do for people you love. “We’re a Pack. And when we fuck up, it’s a team effort.”
Knox snorts and swats at my shoulder with the hint of a smile. He doubts me, but he doesn’t argue.
"Come on, let's go. The others are with Halley, and we're missing out." I clasp him on the shoulder and give him a tug towards the outbuilding we've claimed as our den.
"Missing out?" he echoes, frowning.
Right.
He’s always mysteriously been AWOL when Halley would slip into her sweet O-space. He never saw just how special those moments are.
My cheeks stretch with a big grin. “You’re in for a treat, Prime.”
Chapter Thirty
Shade
"Shade? Where's Knox and Viper?" Halley asks, her voice small and hesitant. “Why did they leave?”
"They had something to do, but that’s okay because they’ll be back soon,” I reassure the Omega, hoping Knox won’t make a liar out of me. “And in the meantime, Blaze and I are going to take care of you. Would you like that?"
She licks her lips and nods.
I’m carrying her down the snowy path to the cabin we’ve claimed as our den. Our girl deserves so much more than a dilapidated shack, but it’s better than the standard-issue tent we had her bunked in at the training camp.
I’d told Blaze to run ahead and start a fire, expecting some resistance or at least a sarcastic grunt, but he’d actually done it. No knife, no dark undertone, just… focus. Lucid and strangely tender, like helping Halley had become his new life purpose. Part of me is itching to dissect whatever alignment of chemistryand circumstance made that happen, to crawl inside his head and trace the spark.
But now’s not the time. Halley comes first.
“And then we build a nest?”
Her whole face lights up with wonder. Her eyes are glazed and unfocused, pupils blown wide, and every part of me recognizes it. Her Omega instincts are firmly in control.
I grin, probably too big. Strong-willed Halley is a force of nature, no question, but this version? The soft, trusting one who wants a nest and safety and care? She’s my favorite.
"Yeah, sweetheart. We will build you a nest. I know we fumbled it before, missed how deep this need runs in you, but not this time. This time, we get it right."
