Page 135 of Hunted to Be Mine

I smiled at my reflection in the glass. The perfect operatives aren’t the ones who obey without question.

They’re the ones who think they’ve broken free.

Chapter 32

Selina

Epilogue

“Don’t despair.” I leaned closer to the laptop screen. The video feed pixelated for a second before Maeve’s face resolved again, worry etched around her eyes.

“Xavier’s body hasn’t been found. Both SENTINEL and Oblivion are searching for him. That means he’s alive.”

“Logically, yes.” Her fingers worried the edge of her sleeve. “But logic and intuition aren’t lining up right now.”

“Trust your instincts. I learned that from a very stubborn operative who refused to give up on himself even when everything said he should.”

A ghost of a smile touched her mouth. “Sounds familiar.”

“Your brother’s strong, Maeve. He’s fighting with everything he has. I’ve seen it firsthand. He’ll prevail again.”

“I need to be there.” The words came out tight. “Get on a plane right now, fly to Europe. Help you search. Do anythingother than sit here in this goddamn safe house in the middle of nowhere.”

“You can’t. Not yet.”

“I realize that.” She exhaled, shoulders dropping. “Dresner remains a threat. Oblivion continues hunting us. And Ronan would probably tie me to a chair if I tried.”

That pulled a laugh out of me, surprising us both. “Wolfe would do the same. Must be a trait among these reconditioned operatives and their need to protect.”

“Need is putting it mildly.” But Maeve’s expression softened, tension easing. “Does he do the staring thing? Because Ronan will just… observe me. For no reason. I’ll be reading and look up, and he’s across the space watching like I’m the most fascinating thing he’s ever seen. When I ask what’s wrong, he just says, ‘Nothing. Continue.’”

I had to laugh. “Yes! Wolfe does that exact behavior. Last week, I caught him observing me eat cereal. Just standing there, mug in hand. I asked if I had food on my cheek and he said, ‘No. I’m memorizing you.’” The memory made my chest tighten. “Who says things like that?”

“Someone who’s afraid of losing memories, I guess.” Maeve shook her head softly.

“To be fair, they were emotionally reprogrammed for years.”

“True.” Maeve’s smile faded slightly, though warmth remained in her eyes. “Makes it all the more meaningful that they chose to feel again. To love again. Even when it terrifies them.”

“Especially when it terrifies them.”

Silence stretched between us. Outside the cabin window, powder continued falling, blanketing the Swiss Alps in thick white.

“You’ll keep me updated? About Xavier? About everything?”

“The second we learn anything, you’ll hear it. I promise.”

“And you’ll be careful? Both of you?”

“We’ll get through, Maeve. We don’t know how to be anything else.”

She nodded, blinking hard. “Same here. We’ll get through this.”

“We will.”

“Stay protected, Selina. And tell Specter… no, I mean Wolfe, the same.”

“I will. You too.”