“You okay?”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah. Just… full.”
He chuckled. “Physically or emotionally?”
“Both.”
He kissed my hair again, voice dropping to a promise.
“Good. I want you to stay full. With me. Every damn way you can.”
And I did.
I curled tighter into him, heart pounding steady for the first time in days, skin buzzing from more than just the sex.
Because this wasn’t just about being claimed.
It wasn’t even about being safe.
It was about knowing, without question, that I wasn’t alone in this anymore.
And when I finally drifted off to sleep, still tangled in his arms, it was the last peaceful night I’d get for a long, long time.
17
WRECKER
The compound was quiet. Too quiet.
I hated that feeling, when your instincts are yelling before your brain catches up. When everything looks fine, but your gut starts whispering,get ready. That whisper had been getting louder all morning.
I leaned against the railing outside the clubhouse, scanning the tree line while Ranger double-checked the perimeter readings on his tablet.
“No movement since last night,” he said, voice low. “You think they’re regrouping?”
I didn’t answer right away.
Because I didn’t know.
And I hated not knowing.
“They’re watching,” I said finally. “I can feel it. They’re not done.”
Ranger glanced at me, then back at the screen. “Cap wants us to check the west fence again. Motion sensors glitched around 0400.”
“Fuck.” I pushed off the railing. “I’ll go.”
He paused. “You sure? Thought you’d want to stay close to?—”
“She’s with Ariel,” I cut in. “Cap’s got two guards posted outside the office. She’s locked down.”
It sounded good.
It even feltmostlytrue.
But my spine was still prickling.
Cap had told me ten minutes ago that he needed eyes on the west perimeter. Just one hour. That’s all. I’d done hundreds of sweeps like this before. But leaving Amanda behind, even with guys, was starting to feel like cutting a wire I couldn’t reattach.
