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“You won’t lose us,” all three promised in unison, their bodies curling protectively around mine.

I should have kept fighting. Should have maintained some shred of dignity or independence. But as their words sank in, I realized I didn’t want to fight anymore. Didn’t want to run. Didn’t want to be anywhere but here, with them.

“I love you,” I whispered through my tears, the words I’d kept locked away for four years finally breaking free. “All of you. I always have. Even when I was running, I was loving you.”

Their expressions transformed instantly, three pairs of eyes widening with identical looks of shock, hope, and something that looked suspiciously like their own unshed tears.

“Say it again,” Cade demanded, his voice hoarse with emotion.

I reached up, cupping his face in my hands, then turning to do the same to Logan and Keir in turn. “I love you,” I repeated, stronger this time despite the tears still flowing. “I love you, and I’m done running. I’m done pretending. I’m done being afraid.”

Logan made a sound that was half growl, half sob as he pressed his forehead against mine. “Four years,” he murmured, his usual gruffness softened by emotion. “Four years waiting to hear those words.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, the apology encompassing everything—the running, the hiding, the wasted time. “I was so scared of losing you that I couldn’t let myself have you.”

“No more apologies,” Keir said, his thumb wiping away a tear from my cheek. “Just no more running.”

“No more running,” I promised, leaning into his touch. “I’m home. I’m finally home.”

Cade’s hand found the back of my neck, his touch both possessive and tender. “There’s so much we need to tell you,” he said, his silver eyes serious. “About your parents, about why we came for you now. But tonight…”

“Tonight is just for us,” Keir finished, his gentle diplomat’s mask slipping to reveal something more primal beneath. “For making up for lost time.”

The look that passed between the three of them sent a shiver down my spine—a silent communication that spoke of barely leashed hunger and four years of restraint about to break.

“Tomorrow, we’ll talk,” Logan promised, his hand sliding down my back in a touch that was no longer comforting but claiming. “Tonight…”

“Tonight you’re ours,” Cade stated, his voice dropping to a dangerous rumble that made my heart race and my body respond despite my exhaustion.

As they moved closer again, their bodies forming a cage of muscle and desire from which I no longer wanted to escape, I surrendered to the inevitable—to them, to us, to the bond that had always been stronger than my fear.

Tonight, I would finally stop running.

Chapter 25

Ifound myself trapped in a cage made of muscle and desire—three alpha werewolves surrounding me with the predatory focus of hunters who’d finally cornered their prey after a four-year chase. Just as Cade’s hand moved to the hem of my tattered shirt, my stomach let out an embarrassingly loud growl, breaking the tension and drawing reluctant smiles from all three brothers.

“When did you last eat?” Cade asked, his hand moving to my waist.

“Breakfast? I had a shift at the café this morning.”

“Hours ago,” Logan growled, disapproval evident in his tone. “You’re too thin.”

“Always the charmer,” I muttered. His bluntness was familiar, comforting even.

“Food first,” Keir decided, though the hunger in his eyes had nothing to do with dinner. “Then we continue this… conversation.”

The Sinclair Stronghold was even more impressive than I remembered. As Cade led me through the hallways, I couldn’t help but gape at the soaring ceilings, the floor-to-ceilingwindows overlooking the forest, the obviously priceless art adorning the walls.

“The bathroom’s through here,” Cade said, guiding me into a suite that was larger than my entire Seattle apartment. The bathroom was a monument to luxury, but I was too exhausted and irritated to appreciate it.

“I’ll get you some clothes,” he offered, his eyes lingering on my disheveled state.

“Don’t bother on my account,” I heard Keir call from somewhere in the bedroom, the smile evident in his voice.

Cade ignored him, disappearing into what I assumed was a closet while I stood awkwardly in the bathroom doorway, suddenly self-conscious about my appearance.

“Shower,” Logan instructed, materializing behind me with unnerving silence. “You smell like that coffee shop.”