Leo glanced at Estelle, his expression carefully neutral. “That’s up to your mom.”
The weight of his gaze, the choice he was placing in her hands—it was too much. Too soon. Tooeverything.
“We’ll see,” Estelle managed, the non-answer the best she could offer.
It seemed to be enough for Leo. He nodded once, then crouched to say goodbye to Adara. “Take care of Fizz, okay? And that window seat looks like an excellent reading spot.”
“It is,” Adara agreed seriously. “Thank you for fixing the floor.”
“Anytime,” Leo said, and the simple word held a promise that made Estelle’s heart race.
She walked him to the door, hyperaware of his presence beside her, of the scent of cedar and earth that clung to him. On the porch, he turned to face her.
“I meant what I said,” he told her quietly. “No pressure. No expectations.”
Estelle nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
“But,” he continued, his voice dropping lower, “I’m here. When you’re ready. If you’re ready.”
With that, he walked down the porch steps and strode to his truck. Estelle stood frozen, watching him go. The distance between them grew with each step he took, and something inside her stretched painfully, like a cord pulled too tight.
Go after him,her dragon urged.At least say something.
But what could she say? That his presence made her feel safe in a way she had not in years? That she wanted nothingmore than to lean into that safety, that strength? That would be admitting weakness, creating vulnerability where she could not afford any.
So she watched in silence as Leo strode down the drive, taking with him the warmth that had briefly filled their new house. The trees swallowed him as he stepped off the drive, but then she felt it—the subtle change in the air as he shifted.
She kept her senses fixed on him as he ran, getting farther and farther away.
I miss him,she thought with surprise.How can I miss someone I just met?
Because he’s ours,her dragon replied simply.And we’re his.
Estelle closed the door firmly on that dangerous thought and turned back to the house, which suddenly felt much emptier than it had before Leo Thornberg walked into their lives.
Chapter Four – Leo
And there we were, thinking that our mate being a shifter would make things easier,Leo’s bear said as they ran through the forest, heading toward home.
But was it home?
Home is where our mate is,Leo’s bear said with a sigh, then pushed on harder, trying to outrun his fear that his mate might simply up and fly away.
She won’t,Leo said firmly.
But how could he be sure? After what Estelle had said about privacy, and after making him promise not to tell anyone about them, he was certain she was hiding from someone.
But who?
The child’s father?His bear bristled at the thought of anyone posing a threat to either Estelle or Adara.
A new, primal surge of jealousy rushed through him. His mate had carried another man’s child. And that man would always have a claim on her. A claim on them.
But Leo shoved the jealousy down. Nothing would stop him from protecting and loving Adara as his own. She was part of him because she was part of his mate. It did not matter who her father was or what history Estelle carried with her.
But it does matter,his bear replied.If the father is the threat they are running from, then it matters a lot.
But now she knows we are by her side, maybe she can stop running,Leo said.
