Page 56 of Home With Holden

“You have everything to offer,” I said fiercely, not letting him look away. “You’re everything I need, Mylo. And my family? They already love you. You have them now. You have us. You’re not alone anymore.”

A tear slipped down his cheek, and I wiped it away with my thumb, my heart aching at the vulnerability in his eyes. He was strong, but he’d never had anyone tell him that. He’d never had anyone show him how much he was worth.

“Please,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “Stay. Let me be the one to love you. Let me be the one to show you what it means to have a family—to have a place where you belong. I’ll give you everything, Mylo. Just... don’t walk away.”

He stared at me, his eyes searching mine, and I held my breath, waiting for his answer. The seconds stretched, my heart pounding, my hands shaking as I held onto him. I’d never been this vulnerable—never put myself out there like this. But for him? For Mylo, I’d do anything.

Finally, he nodded, a shaky breath escaping his lips. “Okay,” he whispered. “Okay, Holden. I’ll stay... but I need to figure out—I need time to think, okay?”

Relief surged through me, and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. I pulled him into my arms, holding him close, my heart pounding against my ribs. He was staying. He was mine. And I’d spend the rest of my life proving to him that he’d made the right choice.

“Thank you,” I whispered against his hair, my voice breaking. “Thank you, Mylo.”

I knew it wasn’t a yes to forever—not yet. It wasn’t even a promise to accept the bite. But he hadn’t run, and that was more than I could have asked for.

So if he needed time to process it all, I’d give it to him—even though both my bear and I wanted to hold on tight and never let go now that he knew everything.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

MYLO

Don’tyou wish life-changing decisions announced themselves? I wished there was some kind of flashing neon sign saying, “This way to your destiny,” or a voiceover giving me a pep talk.

Instead, it was more silent, but you had this weird feeling in your gut—like that moment at the top of a rollercoaster, right before the drop. Probably how skydivers felt before they jumped out of the plane.

Right now, that feeling had me pacing my cabin like a crazy person. My heart felt stuck somewhere between panic and… hope? Maybe.

Like maybe this time it would be different. Like I’d finally get the happily ever after, even if I definitely hadn’t seen it coming with shifters...

But they were still them. Or maybe they’d always been shifters—that was probably the better point.

I tried imagining what it would be like to have such a big secret to tell. Maybe I would’ve hesitated too.

My phone was in my hand, but I hadn’t texted anyone. I thought about calling Tyler, but yeah, that definitely couldn’t happen.

I wanted to call Noah, but—well, aside from the fact that he was one of them—he’d literally almost been torn to pieces because of me.

And then there was Holden.

Since he’d left my place a couple of hours ago, I could still see his face, the way he looked at me with those eyes—like I was his entire universe. And damn if that wasn’t terrifying—and exhilarating.

I’d spent so long feeling like an outsider looking in, like everyone else had their lives figured out and were just floating along, while I was over here trying not to drown. But Holden... he was holding out his hand to me. He made me feel like I finally belonged somewhere. Like I belonged with him.

I wasn’t sure what was scarier—the fact that I felt that way, or the fact that I was ready to risk everything for it again.

Because yeah, the last time I let myself get close, I ended up face-planting hard. And maybe the logical part of my brain was still screaming at me to be cautious, to protect myself, but... it felt right. And maybe it wouldn’t be. But I was tired of the walls I’d built around myself—they hadn’t helped. And being alone sucked.

I sank down on the couch, staring at the ceiling.

It wasn’t perfect—none of this was. But Holden, he’d put everything on the line. He’d shown me his world—the one filled with bears and wolves and a whole bunch of stuff I never could have imagined was real. And instead of running, instead of freaking out, I’d felt... okay. Hell, maybe even a little excited.

Like I was finally a part of something bigger than myself. Like I’d finally found my people.

And so what if they turned into predator animals?

I shook my head, a wry smile tugging at my lips. Was I really considering this? Was I really ready to dive into this world, into this life?

I so was.