Page 46 of Her Courage

"Thank you," I rasped.

She leaned down, pressing her lips to my forehead. "That's what family does. We catch each other when we fall."

Andrei's hand squeezed my shoulder again. When I glanced back, his amber eyes were suspiciously bright.

"What she said," Andrei managed, his accent thick with suppressed emotion. "All of it."

Colby appeared beside Lottie, a warm, damp cloth in hand. He gently wiped my face, the gesture so tender it made my chest tighten all over again.

"Come eat something," he urged quietly. "You'll feel better with food in your stomach."

I wanted to protest. To insist I was fine now.

But Lottie's hand found mine, lacing our fingers together.

"Please, Daddy K?" She squeezed. "For me?"

How could I refuse her anything?

I let them guide me to the breakfast bar. Let Colby set a plate in front of me. Let Lottie crawl back into my lap instead of sitting on her own stool, her arms wrapping around my neck.

"I love you," she whispered against my ear. "So much it scares me sometimes."

"I love you too, baby girl." I held her tighter, breathing in her scent. "More than I can put into words."

Andrei settled beside us, his presence solid and unwavering. Colby took up position on my other side.

Surrounding me. Supporting me.

The way they'd done for fifteen years.

The way Lottie had done since the moment she'd tumbled into our lives.

I took a bite of eggs, then another. The normalcy of the simple act helped settle something deep in my chest.

This was my family.

Not Patrice. Not Rupert. Not the ghosts of my past that haunted me.

This.

And I'd fight like hell to protect it.

Patrice had no idea what happened when you messed with the Wulf family now.

Chapter Twenty-Six

KALEB

Iwoke the next morning with a clarity I hadn't felt in weeks.

Maybe it was the release of finally breaking down in front of Lottie. Maybe it was knowing Patrice was behind bars, at least temporarily.

Or maybe it was the weight of Lottie's body pressed against mine, her soft breathing a reminder of everything I had to protect.

Everything I had to fight for.

I carefully extracted myself from her embrace, tucking the blanket around her shoulders before padding to the bathroom. The face staring back at me in the mirror looked like hell—red-rimmed eyes, jaw tight with tension I couldn't quite shake.