She’s safe here,her dragon insisted.Bear Creek called us for a reason.
Because of Leo,Estelle thought, the realization striking her with sudden clarity.
Yes,her dragon agreed.And because we need to stop running.
Estelle wrapped her arms around herself, watching as Adara crouched to examine something on the forest floor. The little girl’s delight in simple discoveries—a strangely shaped stone, an interesting leaf, a perfect pinecone—made Estelle’s throat tighten. How long had it been since she’d allowed herself to find joy in small things? To be present instead of always planning their next move?
Last night, with Leo, she had been present. Completely, overwhelmingly present.
Heat rushed to her cheeks at the memory—his hands on her skin, his mouth against her throat, the weight of him pressing her into the mattress. For those hours, she hadn’t been thinking about danger or escape plans or the past. She had just been feeling. Being.
You could have that again,her dragon murmured.Not just the physical part. The peace.
It wouldn’t last,Estelle argued, but the protest felt hollow even to her.
“Mama! Look what I found!” Adara came running back, her small hands cupped around something. She opened them carefully to reveal a milky-white stone shot through with tiny crackles that glittered in the light. “Fizz says it’s special.”
“I think she’s right.” Estelle kneeled to examine the treasure. “It’s beautiful, sweetheart.”
“Can I keep it?” Adara asked, her eyes bright with excitement.
“Of course.” Estelle smiled, tucking a stray curl behind her daughter’s ear. “We should find a special place for it in your room.”
As they headed back inside, Estelle felt the mate bond tugging at her again, a persistent ache that no amount of busywork could dull. She tried to focus on helping Adara find the perfect spot for her new stone, but her thoughts kept drifting to Leo.
Was he thinking about her, too? Was the distance as painful for him? The memory of his face when she’d asked for discretion—the hurt he’d tried so hard to hide—made her stomach clench with guilt.
He accepted it anyway,her dragon reminded her.He respected your boundaries even when it cost him.
That was the problem. Leo’s respect for her boundaries, his willingness to give her space despite the mate bond urging otherwise, only made him harder to resist. Harder to keep at a distance.
By lunchtime, Estelle gave up on pretending she was hungry for anything she had unpacked herself and warmed the leftovers Leo had brought the night before. The cottage soon filled with the savory scent of soup and roast chicken, and her heart ached at the reminder of his quiet thoughtfulness. Even after he’d left, he was still here in small ways—in the food in her kitchen, the milk in the fridge, the sense of care he had somehow woven through the place.
She set bowls on the table and tore bread into smaller pieces for Adara, who climbed into her chair with Fizz tucked beside her like an honored guest.
“I like Leo,” Adara announced between bites.
Estelle couldn’t help but smile. “What kind of faces?”
“Happy ones.” Adara demonstrated, her eyes crinkling at the corners in an uncanny imitation of Leo’s smile. “Like he’s got sunshine inside.”
The simple observation pierced Estelle’s heart. Sunshine inside. Yes, that was Leo—warm and bright.
And we’re keeping him at arm’s length,her dragon said sadly.
For good reason,Estelle insisted, but the argument was growing weaker by the hour.
She thought of how easily Leo had fit into their morning—making breakfast, chatting with Adara, filling the cottage with a warmth that had nothing to do with the stove. It had felt natural. Right.
Maybe too right.
Estelle rubbed her chest, where the mate bond seemed to pulse with a dull, persistent ache. Distance was supposed to make things clearer, easier to manage. Instead, it was making everything worse—her thoughts more scattered, her emotions more raw, her body restless with a longing that went beyond physical desire.
You’re just making us both miserable,her dragon pointed out.For what?
For safety,Estelle replied automatically.
Her dragon’s skepticism was palpable.Is it really safer to be alone? To deny what we both know is true?
