Then, claws clicked softly on the wood floor.
Ranger appeared in the doorway, mud-streaked and breathing steadily, eyes alert. He crossed straight to Mia and settled at her feet, watchful and calm as if he’d never been anywhere else.
Guarding.
Mia reached down automatically, her fingers sinking into his fur. Ranger leaned into her touch, then went still again.
For the first time since Dana had come at her, Mia believed it.
It was over.
CHAPTER 58
Caleb leanedup on his elbows and stared at the woman in his bed. Mia’s hair was splayed across the pillow, the moonlight spilling over it and giving her an almost ethereal glow, her breathing slow and even. This was something he was never going to take for granted.
He’d faced death before. Lost friends in battle. Lost Titan. He’d accepted it, learned how to go on.
But the thought of losing the sweet, kind woman now snoring lightly beside him, completely unaware, scared him far more than anything he’d faced before.
She wasn’t waking from nightmares anymore. Not the kind that had left her gasping and disoriented, clinging to him in the dark. It didn’t happen overnight. Their friends had rallied around her without being asked, filling the farmhouse and barn kitchen with laughter, food and conversation. Someone had been there every day, rotating in and out without making a big deal of it until Mia felt strong enough and finally said enough.
A few weeks had passed since Dana had been taken into custody, and the full weight of her actions had finally settled in. One murder. One attempted murder. The attack on Mia thatnearly ended everything. The anger still sat in Caleb’s chest, sharp and unresolved.
Dana’s parents had reached out after that, asking if they could come by. Caleb and Mia talked it through. He’d been ready to shut it down if Mia so much as hesitated. But she didn’t.
Last week they’d come to the farmhouse, grief etched deep into their faces, and apologized. There were no excuses. No explanations. Just regret and sorrow that would never undo what had been done. Mia had listened. She hadn’t forgiven them. But she’d been kind. That alone reinforced everything he already knew about the woman beside him.
Carefully, Caleb shifted and reached into the nightstand, pulling the small velvet box from the drawer. He didn’t open it, didn’t need to. He already knew the promise it held, the future it represented.
Tonight, he’d get her to the event barn. Their friends would be gathered there. A celebration she thought was just another reason to bring everyone together.
She had no idea what it was for her. For them.
He smiled faintly, imagining the look on her face when she realized what he was asking. He wanted her surrounded by everything she loved. Her friends and her family. The place that had nearly been taken from her and now stood whole again.
Caleb slid the box back in the drawer and eased down beside her, careful not to wake her. Tomorrow, he’d double-check the final details. The lights and music. The timing. He’d make sure it was perfect. For her.
He brushed a kiss against her hair and whispered words she couldn’t hear.
Soon.
“Caleb, come on,”Mia said, tugging lightly at his hand. “We’re going to be late.” Her dad had invited them for dinner, and even though she checked in every day, they hadn’t actually sat down and shared a meal together in a while. That mattered to her.
Caleb just chuckled. “I’m ready.”
They reached the farmhouse, but instead of slowing, Caleb drove past and continued down the drive.
“Caleb?” she asked.
He pulled to a stop in front of the event barn.
Mia frowned when she saw all the vehicles lined up along the gravel. Some cars she recognized; some she didn’t. Her stomach fluttered, unease and curiosity tangled together. “What’s going on?”
He only shrugged, far too casual, a faint smile on his face as he came around to open her door. “Come see.”
He guided her toward the barn. The moment he opened the doors, she stopped short.
The place glowed.
