He’s just pulling his phone from his pocket when he pauses, a thought striking him.
“Wait,” he says. “Maybe Josie is with her. She’s her best friend, right?”
Of course. Josie. The witty woman from the book club. The one who looks at Willa with such fierce, protective love.
“You’re a genius,” I say, a wave of relief so strong it almost buckles my knees. I’m so grateful Dot insisted on getting everyone’s numbers, a small social act that now feels like a lifeline.
I find Josie’s name in my contacts and press call. The phone rings twice before she picks up.
“Saramaria? You heard.”
It’s not a question. It’s a statement. The whole town knows. The whole world knows.
“Yeah,” I manage, my voice cracking. “I just... I wanted to make sure she’s okay.”
Josie lets out a long, weary sigh on the other end of the line. “She’s... processing. This happened last circuit, you know. Willa never shared all the details, just that there was an... incident with Dalton. But now that it’s out, it’s all hitting her again.”
“Last circuit?” I repeat, my mind reeling. “But the news is making it sound like it just happened.”
“That’s Jack’s team doing damage control,” Josie says, her voice laced with contempt. “Trying to make it seem like an isolated, recent event. But the truth is, that asshole had her cornered. Locked her in a bathroom in the middle of her heat.”
“Shit,” I whisper, the word a puff of air. A cold, sickening dread washes over me. An Omega in her heat, trapped and atthe mercy of an Alpha who wants to force a bond. It’s one of the most deep-seated fears of our designation. A violation on every possible level.
Josie agrees, her voice grim. “He wanted to take advantage of her, to mate with her in that state when she couldn’t properly consent. When her biology would make it almost impossible for her to refuse. It’s predatory. It’s monstrous.”
I curse again, a string of foul words that would make my grandfather roll over in his grave. “Is she... is she safe now?”
“She’s with her pack,” Josie assures me, her tone firm. “Beau, Charlie, and Jake aren’t letting her out of their sight. But she’s shocked everyone in town knows. She’s a private person. The thought of everyone talking about it, looking at her with pity... it’s a lot. She’s laying low.”
“Is there anything we can do?” I ask, feeling useless. “Anything I can do?”
“I’ll let you know if there is,” Josie says, her voice softening slightly. “Honestly, just knowing you’re thinking of her means a lot. She liked you, at the book club. She thought you were tough.”
I let out a watery laugh. “I don’t feel very tough right now.”
“You are,” Josie says, and it feels like a benediction. “Just... be safe, okay? Things are probably going to get weird around here for a while.”
“I will,” I promise. “Thank you for telling me, Josie.”
“No problem,” she says. “And hey, don’t let those cowboys give you too much trouble.”
I hang up, the phone feeling heavy in my hand. The world outside the truck seems a little more dangerous.
Rhett is waiting patiently, his gaze fixed on the dark clinic. “Were you able to reach her?”
“She’ll be okay,” I say, and it’s not just a platitude. It’s a prayer. A hope. She has her pack. She has friends. She’s not alone.
He lets out a deep, slow breath, the sound releasing some of the tension that has been coiling in the cab. Then, he does something that surprises me.
He reaches across the console and takes my hand.
His hand is warm, callused, and it completely engulfs mine. It’s not a romantic gesture. It’s a grounding one. A simple, human connection in a moment of shared fear and concern.
We just sit there for a moment, his thumb brushing over my knuckles, a slow, soothing rhythm as we watch the sunset.
“Should I take you to the walk-in clinic?” he asks. “Have that hand checked out properly?”
I look down at my wrist, still swollen and bruised. “The ice pack Boone gave me helped,” I say, and it’s strange to say his name out loud to Rhett. “I feel so much better. I think it’s just a sprain.”
