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“Between your brother and Ivy, I think I’ve got protection duty covered,” Loren said with a sigh. She could hear him mimicking her out in the hallway.

Jewels grinned. “He’s fun, isn’t he?”

“If you equate fun with irritating, then yeah, he’s pretty fun.” She gave a little wave. “See you later.”

“See you.”

On her way out, she squeezed past Travis, who looked more nervous than angry as he stepped into Jewels’s room.

“Good luck,” she said quietly. He whispered a thanks.

Loren drifted down the hall, her tired eyes scanning the colorful wayfinding signs secured to the ceiling. She suddenly had to pee so badly, it felt like her bladder was going to burst. It was a miracle she’d lasted this long without peeing her pants.

She made a beeline through the waiting room, following the signs—past the others who were crowded around talking. But she barely made it three feet before Malakai was shouting in protest.

“Hey, hey, hey!” he hollered. “Where do you think you’re going?”

The others paused their conversations to stare.

“I have to go pee!” she hissed, mortified when staff and patients turned to look. She might as well shout it into the PA system! “I’ll be back in like five minutes.” There was no way she was letting him go with her while she did her business—she had to draw the linesomewhere.

“I’ll go with her,” Ivy said, squeezing between Malakai and Kylar. “I doubt she wants your grumbling ass listening outside of her stall.”

“You did just fine standing next to me while I pissed,” Malakai challenged.

Jack, who was slumped so low in his chair he was practically sliding onto the floor, chuckled. “You forced her to stand next to you while you took a piss?” He adjusted the ice pack he pressed against his head.

“Yes, and it won’t be happening again,” she declared.

She hurried away, Malakai shouting after her—something inappropriate, probably. But she was too distracted by the ache in her bladder to care. She turned the corner?—

And slammed into a solid chest so hard that she bounced backward.

She was about to mumble an apology when her gaze pulled upward—slowly, as if drawn by some unseen force. And suddenly?—

She forgot how to talk. How to think. How tobreathe.

Because Darien Cassel stood before her, looking anything but happy.

15

Intensive Care Unit

YVESWICH, STATE OF KER

Loren let out a soft,strangled sound. A sob.

Behind her, the others murmured, those who were sitting rising to their feet.

But Loren paid them no mind while she stared up at Darien, too stunned to speak.

Her face crumpled as the weight of these long, horrible hours crashed down upon her all at once, snapping the tenuous leash she’d kept on her emotions until now.

She started crying in earnest, only half-aware that something wasn’t right as she covered her face with her hands and let herself shatter.

The relief she felt from seeing Darien alive and safe was enough to make her knees shake, her mortal body that had managed to carry her all this way finally ready to give out.

“Loren.” Darien spoke her name the same way he would a deep and heartfelt prayer. The sound of his voice—so rich and deep andreal,so very real—only made her cry harder.