Page 77 of Daisy

"Yeah, beautiful?"

"Thank you." The words feel inadequate for what he's given me. "For helping me. For making me feel... normal. Like what I want matters."

His eyes go soft, and something fierce and protective flickers there. "Your wants always matter, Daisy. Always. Don't let anyone ever tell you different."

As we leave the bathroom together, I feel fundamentally changed. Not just because of what we did, but because of how he looked at me while we did it. Like I was beautiful and powerful and worth wanting.

Like I was someone who deserved to choose.

The thought stops me short. Here I am, having just shared the most intimate experience of my life with an alpha, and I've still never been kissed. The realization makes me blush. What kind of backwards world did I live in where I could discover pleasure but had never felt someone's lips on mine?

Where did this boldness come from? Because this certainly isn't the girl who sat in Uncle's parlor just days ago, accepting whatever fate others decided for her. I'm not sure I recognize myself anymore.

But maybe... maybe that's not such a bad thing.

For the first time in my life, I'm starting to believe that might be true.

Chapter 21

August

Something's wrong.

I feel it through the door before Gunner even starts talking. The way his voice sounds when he calls my name. Urgent. Sharp.

"August, we need to move. Now."

I'm already grabbing my jacket. In the few days we've been running, I've learned to trust these moments.

Daisy sits on the edge of the bed. She's still got that soft look from whatever happened with Dante last night. But when Gunner's words hit her, I watch it all change. The happiness fades. Fear takes over.

"What happened?" I ask, stepping into the main room where Gunner and Hawk are packing.

"Two cars circling the area," Hawk says. His hands never stop moving. "Could be nothing. Could be everything."

"Three passes," Gunner adds. His jaw is tight. "We're not waiting to find out."

This is not our first time doing this dance. Already too many times.

I move to help Daisy, but she's frozen on the bed. Her eyes are wide. Her scent spikes with panic. Honeysuckle turning sharp and bitter.

"Hey." I sit beside her. Keep my voice calm. "We're okay. This is just being careful."

"They found us." Her voice breaks. "They found us."

"We don't know that. And even if they did, we're ready." I reach for her hand, but she flinches. She's back in survival mode. All that trust we built, cracking under pressure.

The others move around us like a storm. Bags zipped. Escape routes confirmed. It's familiar and terrifying.

"I can't do this," Daisy whispers. The pain in her voice cuts right through me. "I can't spend my whole life running."

"You won't have to," I tell her. "This won't be forever."

But right now? It feels like it might be.

"Van's loaded," Hawk calls. "Two minutes."

I help Daisy to her feet. She's shaking. Not from the cold. From having your world turned upside down just when you thought you might be safe.