"Better?" he asked quietly.
I pressed a kiss to his chest. "Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me for this." His arms tightened around me. "This is whatmatesmean. We carry each other."
"I know." I lifted my head, met his eyes. "But I'm still grateful. For you."
He kissed me.
"Whatever's happening with Stone," he said against my lips, "we'll figure it out. Together. You don't have to fix him alone."
His hand cupped my face. "You can love him while he learns to fix himself."
My eyes burned.
James held me while the tears came—quiet, exhausted, finally releasing some of the pressure that had been building in my chest. He didn't try to stop them. Just let me cry against his shoulder until the wave passed.
"Sleep here tonight," he said when I finally stilled.
"I should check on Stone—"
"In the morning. He asked for space. Give it to him." His hand stroked my hair. "Let someone take care of you for once."
I was too tired to argue.
I fell asleep in James's arms, the bond between us warm and steady, and for a few hours, the white walls and the pain and the grief all faded away.
Chapter three
Cole was waiting for me at the Healing Center entrance.
He stood with his back straight, hands clasped behind him, eyes scanning the corridor like he expected a threat to materialize from the walls. Professional. Controlled. The same way he'd been every time I'd seen him since we met.
"Morning," I said.
"Miss Orlav." A nod. Nothing more.
"Lumi," I corrected. "You asked me to call you Cole. Fair's fair."
Something flickered across his face. Gone before I could name it.
"Lumi," he said. The word sounded different in his voice. Heavier. "Shall we begin?"
The walkthrough was thorough.
Cole had submitted a security report after his initial assessment. Rae had implemented nearly all of it. Now he wanted me to understand every change—where the new sensors were placed, how the reinforced doors operated, which corridors had been designated as containment zones.
"The eastern wing has been fitted with silver-core locks," he explained, gesturing toward a heavy door I'd walked past a dozen times without noticing. "They can be activated remotely if a feral loses control."
"To trap them inside."
"To protect everyone else." His tone was neutral. "Including the feral. A contained situation is easier to de-escalate than a pursuit."
I nodded. It made sense. All of it made sense.
But I was having trouble focusing on security protocols. Every time the bond tugged at me, Cole stepped back.
Literally.
