“Still am.”
That did something to me. I felt it all the way to my bones.
“I didn’t mean for you to get dragged into all this,” I said.
“You didn’t drag me,” Rafael said. “I walked in. Eyes open.”
I reached for his hand. He let me take it.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
His fingers tightened around mine. “You never have to thank me for protecting you.”
And just like that, some of the pressure in my chest eased. Maybe this was the start of something better. Not just surviving. Not just paying off Joel’s mistakes, but actually living.
* * *
RAFAEL
James was laughing again.
I’d only meant to drop off the extra bag of cinnamon sticks Wolf and Whisk had requested last week. Beau had gotten a deal through one of our vendors, but I lingered a little too long in front of the window.
Inside, James stood with Callum, Rowan, and Cyrus, the trio of wolves taking turns making each other crack up while they prepped dough.
James tossed back his head and laughed at something Callum said, full-bodied and bright. I should’ve felt happy for him. That was the whole point of coming here.
Making sure he was okay, especially after what happened yesterday. He looked okay. Good, even. So I turned to leave.
But I’d barely made it a block before I felt that unmistakable hum of power, like a live wire in the air. A quiet tension that tightened everything inside me. Callum.
The wolf alpha fell into step beside me, silent for a few paces. I didn’t need to look at him to feel the weight of his stare.
His energy, while contained, pressed against my skin. It wasn’t a challenge, not exactly, but my grizzly bristled anyway, ever ready to square up to an alpha out of instinct.
I kept my steps even. “Let me guess,” I muttered. “You want to talk about James.”
“You were going to walk off without saying a word,” Callum observed.
“Didn’t think he needed me right now.” I flicked a glance his way. “Seemed like he had his people.”
Callum exhaled slowly. “How long have you known?”
“About the debt?” I nodded. “Not long. A couple weeks, maybe. I only found out because I followed him one night. Something felt off.”
Callum’s jaw ticked. “You followed him?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Not proud of it, but something didn’t sit right. That’s when I saw one of Avery’s guys waiting near James’ building. The same shifter from yesterday. The mesSean was clear.”
“And James?” Callum asked. “What did he say?”
I paused. “He didn’t want me involved. Said he was handling it. But… he’s not.”
I could still remember the look in James’ eyes. He looked panicked, exhausted, brittle at the edges, and the tension that rolled off him in waves when he thought no one was watching.
“He’s barely scraping by,” I went on. “He told me he’s been living on cupcakes and instant ramen half the week. He eats like crap and smiles through it.”
Callum’s hands curled into fists at his sides.
