Page 44 of Lock

Not the grab. Not bringing him here. Those were necessary. Strategic. I’d replayed that decision a hundred times since last night and I’d make it again every time.

This —this— was the problem.

Bringing him to my room. Letting him look at me like that. Letting my instincts get ideas my head knew better than to entertain.

I scrubbed a hand down my face and headed for the stairs.

The compound was already awake. Low voices. The clink of tools. The distant growl of engines warming up. Normal sounds. My people moving through another day like nothing had changed.

There was no way Kellan could be anything but safe here… because even though I’d broken the rule.You don’t take omegas. You don’t drag them into your wars. You protect them. It was a line Havocs knew not to cross.

But Saint was one of us. And I’d still protected my own.

He’d gone down because of the rule I’d just broken.

Defending Saint didn’t make it right.

It just made it necessary.

I stopped halfway down the stairs and pulled my phone from my pocket. I leaned my shoulder into the wall, eyes tracking the yard below as it rang.

“Rafe,” I said the second the line picked up.

“Yeah, Prez.” There was background noise on his end, low voices, the muted beep of monitors.

“Saint.”

Stillness on the line. Then, “Not awake yet.”

My jaw tightened. “Vitals?”

“Stable. Doc was about an hour ago. Said it could be any time now. Or not.” A pause. “He didn’t like how long it’s taking, but he’s not panicking.”

Neither was I.

Outwardly.

“And Mason?”

“He’s here. Hasn’t left the floor.”

“That changes,” I said, already pushing off the wall and heading back toward the stairs. “You or Holt with him at all times. Bathroom. Food. Parking lot. I don’t give a shit if he’s grabbing air, no solo movement.”

“Copy.”

“If Rowan makes a move,” I added, “Mason’s might be the first.”

“I know,” Rafe said quietly. “We’ve got him.”

“Good,” I said. “You call me if Saint so much as twitches.”

“I will.”

I ended the call and stood there for a second longer than necessary, phone still warm in my hand.

Saint was still down.

Mason was exposed.