Saffie cursed under her breath, a sharp, vicious word that made Willow’s skin prickle.From the void, Jacob and Liam growled, their fury vibrating through her bones.Ursula, however, only grinned—a wicked, satisfied curve of her lips.“Marcus fucked up.He’s given us a date, a timeline.That’s leverage we didn’t have before.”She glanced at Willow.“But we need to get you out of here.Now.”
The redhead’s eyes flashed with steel.“I’m not taking any chances.He’s rattled and that makes him more dangerous.He knows the bond is pulling tighter.If he’s bold enough to flaunt threats in front of witnesses, he’s desperate.Desperate men are unpredictable.”
Jacob growled his agreement.“Listen to her, sweet.Don’t underestimate him.”
Willow’s throat worked as she nodded.“Then let’s go.”
Saffie snapped her fingers then turned her glare on the one-way glass.“Captain Riley, if you don’t drop every bogus charge you’ve cooked up against my client, I will see to it that your career ends before the week is out.Release her.Now.”
There was a click, then a voice over the intercom.“Ms.Anderson, we apologize for the inconvenience.You are free to go.”
Saffie exhaled and gave Willow’s arm a squeeze.“Stay close to us.I’ll hold the veil a little longer, but the second we step outside this room, we’ll be back on their grid.He’ll know you’re slipping from his grasp and that will only make him angrier.”
Ursula’s grin sharpened.“Good.Let him be angry.It means he’s off balance.”She threw a quick glance at Willow.“And when a predator’s balance falters, that’s when you strike.”
Jacob’s wolf snarled in approval.The fight wasn’t over.But tonight, they had won her back.And he swore to the fates themselves—they would never let her face Marcus alone again.
Chapter Ten
Willow sat cross-leggedon her bed, the last streaks of daylight painting the room in molten gold.Her heart thrummed with an anxious anticipation she couldn’t shake.She could feel it—the faint tightening in her skin, the pull low in her stomach.The bond was stretching, straining, ready to snap wide open again.Sunset.Any moment now, her mates would arrive.
She rose and paced to the window, staring at the bleeding sky as if she could hurry the descent of the sun.“Where were you when I needed you?”she whispered, not in anger but in aching lament.She imagined their muscles flexing as they knocked Marcus flat on his smug ass and the image almost made her smile.Almost.The ache beneath her ribs stayed sharp.She wasn’t weak—she’d survived alone before—but damn if it wouldn’t have helped to watch them standing beside her, shoulder to shoulder, making her fear just a little easier to carry.
She huffed out a bitter laugh, muttering, “Not that I needed rescuing, but watching those arms and all that muscle in motion while you pounded the crap out of him?Yeah, that I would’ve enjoyed.”She pressed her palm flat against the cool glass, voice dropping to a softer confession.“Instead, I got to do it alone.Again.And it hurt more than I want to admit.”
She could almost hear Liam teasing her about her sarcasm, or Jacob telling her to quit pretending she wasn’t bleeding on the inside.That thought made her chest ache.Sarcasm came easier than admitting the hurt, but the truth coiled inside her: facing him without them had been hard and part of her hated that she’d had to.
The ache twisted with longing, building heat low in her belly.She wanted them.Needed them.Not just for protection, but because she was tired of being strong alone.She wanted to lean into them, laugh with them, take what fate had given her and make it hers.
And then, the air shimmered.Heat rolled across her skin, her breath hitched and the tattoo on her stomach seared with light.She gasped as two dark plumes of smoke unfurled before her, solidifying into muscle, skin and beloved faces.Liam and Jacob stood naked in the middle of her room, raw and real, their eyes locked on her as if she were their entire world.
“Sweet,” Jacob rasped, his voice thick with longing.
Liam stepped forward, jaw tight with emotion.“Love.”
Tears pricked Willow’s eyes as they closed in around her, bracketing her with heat and strength.She laughed wetly, swiping at her cheeks.“God, I missed you so much.”She shoved at Liam’s chest, not really pushing him away.“You left me to face him.Do you know how terrified I was?”
