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“I still don’t completely understand why you wanted to be there,” I say. “It was awful.”

“If he was there, we hoped he could influence the doctors in some way,” Ethan explains. “We also wanted eyes on what was happening, but in some ways that was worse.”

“It wasn’t a cakewalk,” I say, shivering. Cooper drapes an afghan over me, the warm material attempting to warm placesthat are due to trauma and not the cold. “I do think the doctors would have been willing to kill me to prove a point if necessary.”

“No, I think they wanted your mother’s money more,” Riley says. “If there was a way to get you out, then I wanted to be the one to do it, Nina. Even before I found out that you were mine.”

“If you’re Ethan’s, I think I would have been yours either way,” I mumble, beginning to feel the emotional toll of the day pulling at me. “I may be an only child, but I share just fine.”

Riley’s jaw drops wide in shock, and I chuckle softly.

“Glad I can still surprise you, Doctor,” I tease him.

“I have a long way to go before I’m a doctor,” he admits. “You have so many holes in your memories… Do you want me to see if I can put them back?”

“I don’t want to be an experiment,” I yawn, covering my mouth apologetically. “I’ve had enough of that, thank you very much. I’d like to move forward with what I know now, see where things go.”

I know I’m taking a leap of faith, but I feel pulled to each one of them. I’m a little wary of Riley, yet I’ve always felt protective of him for some reason, even before meeting him. Fate doesn’t always make sense.

I don’t think this needs to either.

“I think we can manage that,” Riley says. “Are you not sleeping well?”

“I don’t have any doors or curtains in my room,” I breathe, my eyelids feeling heavy. “My mother took them all because she doesn’t believe I deserve privacy. Knowing that people can walk in whenever they want makes me twitchy, so it’s difficult to fall asleep. The window also lets in a lot of light, so when the sun rises, it’s game over.”

“Vivian really is such a cunt,” Cooper grumbles. “Do you care if you ever see her again, Nina?”

“Not really,” I say. “Is this your way of asking me if I care if you kill her?”

This time, the strangled sound comes from Riley.

“Yes, it is,” Cooper admits. “Would you care if I killed her?”

“Not in the least. I’d finally be free then,” I admit.

“Good,” Cooper says, lifting my body as he adjusts himself so I’m lying over him. I guess he decided I was too far away. “She’s never deserved you.”

“You should nap then,” Riley says. “What do you love to eat that you never get to?”

“Lasagna,” I moan, remembering it. Fuck, my mouth is watering at the memory. “I’ve only had it a few times, but it’s so good. My mother always said that pasta was bad for my figure and would make my ass expand.”

From where I’m sprawled over him, Cooper’s hand ghosts down my body to squeeze my butt.

“She’s wrong,” he rumbles. “You’re underweight if anything. Eat the fucking pasta, Princess.”

“Yes, sir,” I sigh sleepily.

“I’m going to make you lasagna for dinner then,” Riley decides. “Take a nap, it’s just us here. No more big surprises.”

Nodding, I allow myself to drift off as I listen to Cooper’s heartbeat. I don’t know what’ll happen when I wake, but I do believe that I’m safe with my pack. I can tell from the strain in each of their faces that they’ve been through their own share of hell while we’ve been apart.

I don’t believe in beating a dead horse because it’s what my mother’s always done. She’ll take the same topic and berate me about it over and over again. My alphas did the only thing they could so I could survive and I could be theirs later.

I understand untenable circumstances, and this is one of them.

“Sleep,” Cooper murmurs. “You’re thinking very hard.”

“Hard to stop,” I rasp.