His eyes soften, full of emotion. “Then that’s what we’ll make it. Home.”
We turn off the lights and climb into bed together, bodies fitting perfectly. As I drift toward sleep wrapped in his arms, the worries about Magnus feel far away. Tomorrow will bringwhatever it brings, but tonight I know exactly where I belong. Here on this mountain, surrounded by found family and the man who makes me believe in forever.
The lodge may be called Little Lodge by the others, but to me it already feels like the biggest, warmest home I have ever known. And I can’t wait to be part of every Sunday dinner, every story, every ordinary beautiful day that comes next.
FIFTEEN
THORNE
The evening air on the mountain carries that sharp, clean bite that always clears my head better than coffee. Sadie walks beside me on the gravel path that winds behind the cabins, her hand tucked comfortably in mine. Snow still dusts the higher branches of the pines, but down here in the clearing the ground is mostly bare and crunchy under our boots.
Sadie’s cheeks are pink from the cold. She wears one of my thick flannel shirts under her jacket, the sleeves rolled up so they don’t swallow her hands. Every few steps she looks up at me and smiles, that soft, real smile that still hits me square in the chest every time. Last night solidified something deep inside me. She wants to stay. Not just until the threat passes, but forever. The words keep replaying in my head, making the whole mountain feel different. More like ours.
We walk slowly, no real destination, just enjoying the space between the main lodge and the tree line. I point out the new solar panels Boyd helped install last month, explain how the well system works, and tell her about the expansion plans Gavin has been talking about for the garden plot come spring. She listensclosely, asking questions that show she’s already imagining herself here long term. When she laughs at one of my dumb jokes about the temperamental generator, the sound carries through the cold air and settles warm in my gut.
I stop near the edge of the clearing where the ground slopes gently toward the gate and pull her against me, wrapping my arms around her from behind. She leans back into my chest without hesitation, her head resting under my chin.
“This feels good,” she says quietly. “Just walking. No rush. No looking over my shoulder every second.”
“It can be like this every day,” I tell her. “Once we handle Magnus. Then it’s just us and the mountain and whatever kind of life we decide to build.”
She turns in my arms and looks up at me, eyes bright. “I believe you. For the first time in a long time, I really believe it.”
I lower my head and kiss her, slow and deep, savoring the way she melts against me. Her hands slide up my chest and around my neck. For a few perfect seconds the rest of the world disappears. There’s only the taste of her, the warmth of her body through our coats, and the quiet promise of the future we both want.
The first gunshot shatters everything.
It cracks through the night like thunder, sharp and close. Then another. And another. Rapid fire. Automatic weapons. The sound echoes off the mountainside and turns the peaceful evening into chaos in an instant.
I yank Sadie down behind the nearest thick pine, shielding her body with mine. My heart slams against my ribs. My onlythought, clear and loud above the noise, is keep her safe. Nothing else matters. Not the compound. Not my own life. Just Sadie.
“Stay down,” I order, voice low and hard. I pull the pistol from the holster at my hip, the one I started carrying everywhere since she arrived. More shots ring out. Shouts follow. I risk a quick glance toward the main gate.
Figures move in the darkness beyond the heavy iron bars. At least a dozen men, maybe more, armed with rifles and wearing dark clothing. They breached the outer perimeter somehow, probably cut through the fence line farther down the road where the cameras have a blind spot. Bullets ping off the metal gate and spark against the stone walls of the lodge. Glass shatters somewhere inside. A woman screams. Children cry.
The men of Haven 7 move like the trained soldiers all of us once were. Silas is already shouting orders from the porch of the lodge, rifle in hand. Rafe appears at the corner of the building, firing controlled bursts toward the gate. Boyd and Wyatt take positions behind the thick log barriers we built for exactly this kind of threat. Chase, Gavin, and Harlan move fast toward the generator shed to cut the exterior lights and make us harder targets. Eli drags someone inside, probably one of the women caught outside.
“Thorne!” Silas yells across the chaos. “Get Sadie to the lodge! Now!”
I don’t need to be told twice. I grab Sadie’s hand and pull her up, keeping my body between her and the gate as we run low across the open ground. Bullets whiz past us, kicking up dirt and snow. One round smacks into a tree inches from my head,sending bark flying. Sadie gasps but keeps moving, trusting me completely.
We make it to the lodge steps. I shove her through the door ahead of me and slam it shut, throwing the heavy deadbolt. Inside, the women and children are already being herded toward the back hallway. Harper has Poppi clutched tight to her chest, face pale but determined. Kayley carries Aidan, who cries into her neck. Fiona and Emma move quickly, grabbing medical kits and extra blankets. Daisy and Hannah stand by the basement door, holding it open.
“Everyone downstairs!” Rafe’s voice booms from the doorway. “Now! Bunker protocol!”
The women move fast, no panic, just efficient fear. They drilled for this. Haven 7 has always known trouble might find us one day. Sadie hesitates at the top of the stairs, looking back at me with wide, terrified eyes.
“Thorne…”
I cup her face with both hands, forcing her to focus on me. “Go with them. The bunker is reinforced. Concrete walls, supplies for weeks, independent power and air. You’ll be safe down there.”
She shakes her head, gripping my wrists. “I don’t want to leave you.”
My chest tightens painfully. I hate this. I hate every second. But the gunfire outside grows louder, closer. Someone rams the gate. Metal groans under the impact.
“I have to fight,” I tell her, voice rough. “This is what we do here. We protect what’s ours. And you’re mine, Sadie. Which means I have to make sure those bastards never get close to you. I needyou safe so I can focus. Please. Go downstairs. I’ll come for you when it’s over.”
Tears fill her eyes but she nods once, fiercely. I kiss her hard, pouring everything I feel into it. Fear. Love. Promise. When I pull back I look at Harper.
