Estelle’s fingers trembled as she lifted it. Inside was a silver pendant—a dragon curled protectively around a pearl. “Maris,” she whispered, holding the pendant to her chest as she stared out at the mountains. “You would love it here.”
A floorboard creaked behind her. Estelle whirled, heart hammering, instinctively shoving the pendant back into the box and covering it with clothes.
Leo stood in the doorway, concern etched on his face. “Everything okay?”
“Fine,” she said too quickly, her voice higher than normal. “Just... organizing.”
His eyes flickered briefly to where her hands had hidden the box, then back to her face. He did not ask, nor did not pry. But she felt exposed all the same, as if he could see straight through her carefully built defenses.
“Adara’s satisfied with my work,” he said after a moment. “She’s very particular for someone so young.”
“She likes things to be exact.” Estelle’s voice steadied as she spoke about her daughter. “Always has.”
Leo nodded, then hesitated. “Listen, I know this is probably not what you want to hear right now, but...”
“Please don’t.” Estelle held up a hand, suddenly terrified of what he might say. Of how much she might want to hear it. “I can’t... We can’t... It’s not...”
The understanding in his eyes was almost worse than if he had argued. “Okay,” he said simply.
But it was not okay. Nothing about this situation was okay. She had come to Bear Creek to disappear, not to find... whatever this was. Whatever he was.
Our mate. Our destiny.Her dragon’s words were so achingly true they tore at her.
But the pendant hidden in the box seemed to burn through the clothes covering it, a reminder of everything she stood to lose if she let her guard down.
This was exactly how mistakes happened.
One kind man. One moment of weakness.
And suddenly someone knew too much.
“I appreciate your help today,” she said, the formal words creating distance. “But Adara and I need privacy. We need to keep to ourselves.”
Leo’s expression did not change, but something in his posture shifted, a subtle drawing back that made her dragon keen in protest.
“Of course,” he said. “I understand boundaries.”
“No questions,” she added, needing to make it clear. “It’s safer that way.”
Safer for whom?her dragon demanded.For us, or for him?
“Safer,” Leo repeated without questioning further.
“I know you probably want to tell the world... about us...” She shook her head. “But I need you to promise me that you won’t.”
Leo held her gaze. “I won’t tell anyone until you’re ready.”
“Thank you.” Estelle wrapped her arms around herself, already regretting the walls she had just reinforced. But what choice did she have? She could not risk Adara’s safety, not even for the comfort of this connection that hummed between them like electricity.
“There you are,” Adara said as she came into the room. “Are you helping Mama unpack?”
Leo straightened and looked at Estelle before turning to Adara. “I think your mama has it covered, and I should get going. Let you two get settled.”
Adara’s face fell. “But you just got here.”
“Leo has his own home to go to, sweetheart,” Estelle explained, ignoring the twist in her chest.
“Will you come back?” Adara asked him, clutching Fizz tighter.
