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twenty-six

. . .

Kane

M oonlight streams through the living room window, and I gaze out at the night, unable to shake thoughts of Mia’s close call. The werewolf had cornered her, and her scent had turned bitter with terror. Despite everything, Mia had never been afraid of me like that.

I don’t like that anyone has made her feel that way.

My instincts rage within me. Mia has become important to me in a way I never thought possible. Her smile, her tantalizing honey scent, the way her body feels against mine—it ignites a fierce protectiveness in me.

The only solution is to keep Mia safe. By any means necessary.

The fire crackles in the fireplace, but I barely feel its warmth. Soon, I’ll need to make some tough decisions.

I sense Jace and Finn’s return before they even walk through the door. Their hair is windswept and messy, their eyes wild.

“Perimeter check produced nothing,” Finn states calmly. “No sign of any alpha. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t planning something. ”

Jace remains silent, lost in thought. I want to make a joke about him never being this quiet, but it feels like it would fall flat.

There’s been a strange tension between us since we found Mia. We messed up by letting her venture into the forest alone. We should have insisted on accompanying her or kept her here in the house. Now, we’re all blaming ourselves for the oversight.

“We really should do something,” Jace says.

I turn back toward the window and let out a deep sigh. “We need to prepare for the worst.”

“Agreed,” Finn replies.

“I’m weighing the benefits of heading back to the safe house in the city. It might not be safe here anymore, especially now that they have Mia’s scent,” I say.

Finn nods. I know he has likely already considered this option. I had installed the highest quality security features at the house in the city; it was nearly impenetrable.

“Do you think she’ll come with us?” Jace asks.

“I’ll talk to her,” I say, leaving no room for discussion. “It’s best I do it.”

I had lied to her the previous night, and she might have been still holding a grudge. But I needed to see her again and talk to her after what had happened in the forest.

“We’ll continue keeping an eye out. Let us know what the next move is,” Finn says.

The two of them leave the living room, and I am left alone with my thoughts. The truth is, I’m not entirely sure what to say to Mia. I feel confident during regular pack duties, but talking to a scared omega requires deep emotions and sensitivity. I need to think this through.

I head to the back of the house, to the room we had furnished for her. Jace and Finn had settled her there when they brought her back. None of us had spoken to her since; we were too focused on ensuring her safety.

The door is open when I arrive.

Mia is sitting at the bay window across from her bed, staring out at the forest. Her expression is distant, and her eyes are glossed with unshed tears. She has pulled the comforter from the bed and has it draped across her lap.

My heart aches at the sight of her pain. I can only imagine how terrified she must have been earlier, discovering the truth about werewolves. The memory of his blood staining the forest floor had satisfied me and made my blood pound in my veins.

I wish I could make her feel safe again and shield her from this harsh reality. I kneel beside Mia, searching for her expression. It’s hard and closed off. She has put her walls back up. When she finally speaks, her voice is harsh.

“I can’t do this anymore. I’m done. It’s over. I want to go back to my old life.”

Even though I had expected her statement, the words still weigh heavily on me. What she doesn’t realize is that there is no longer a choice—if there ever truly was one.

Still, I waver. She wants out, and I don’t want to hold her against her will. She has already been through so much.

Yet, my instincts push those thoughts aside. The overwhelming need to protect her from threats overcomes me as I say, “You will be making a mistake, my love.”

Mia finally turns to face me directly. “Oh, am I? Because since I’ve been here, things have only gotten dangerous.”

Mia seems beyond the point of caring. Her expression is filled with fire and spite. There’s something beautiful about seeing her so passionate, but it also breaks my heart that she wants to leave me.

“Mia, we need to think rationally,” I begin.

“I can’t do this. The bond, the ritual... the fact that werewolves are real? It’s too much. And the worst part is that you have kept so much from me. I don’t even know where I stand anymore.”

“I understand how you must feel,” I say.

“No!” Mia cuts me off. “You can’t possibly know what I’m feeling.”

She’s right. I lied to her, and I have no idea how to make it right. Still, it’s crucial that she listens to me. Her safety depends on it.

“You are going to be a target no matter what, Mia,” I explain. “Being an omega makes you vulnerable. All alphas will hunt you simply for what you are. They’ll want to use you. They?—”

“I don’t give a shit about them!” she interrupts.

“I know. But that’s how things are. Right now, we’re the only ones who can keep you safe. There are packs out there you don’t want to encounter, Mia. I assure you.”

“Yeah, I think I’ve got that figured out,” she snaps back.

It suddenly hits me how scared she must have been in the forest. That rogue wolf could have taken her from us. I had thought she couldn’t fathom the danger, but maybe she knows all too well how badly it could have gone.

“I’m just trying to keep you safe. That’s all I want,” I say, my voice softening.

“I didn’t ask for any of this!” Her voice is harsh and ragged, filled with rage and grief. She stands up from her perch by the window. “I never wanted this!”

Blood pounds in my ears as I stand as well. “We are the only ones who can keep you safe, Mia. Please listen to me.”

I’m not sure if it’s what I say or the desperate tone I use, but it all seems to hit Mia at once. Her face crumples and tears pour from her hazel eyes. A wave of sobs wracks her body, and before I know what’s happening, Mia collapses into my chest.

Her hot tears soak my shirt as she clings to me .

I envelop her in my arms, pressing a light kiss into her long hair. It strikes me that this is the first time Mia has allowed me to hold her like this. Despite our connection, she has never turned to me for comfort; that had always been Finn or Jace.

“Shh, it’s okay. I know this is a lot to take in, but we’re here to make sure you’re safe,” I say, rubbing circles on her back.

As Mia’s sobs quiet, as she sags against me, spent. The emotional release seems to have drained her of any remaining energy. She sniffles softly, burrowing into my chest, seeking the comfort I am glad to provide.

Her breathing eventually slows, and the sniffles stop. Still, she clings to me. I let her. I want her to know that, no matter what, she isn’t alone in this new reality.

Mia

Several hours later, I wake with a gasp, my head pounding and my skin warm.

The darkness of the bedroom presses in around me, but all I can focus on is the heat coursing through my veins, pooling low in my belly like liquid metal.

I look around wildly and see Kane sleeping peacefully beside me, his arm around my waist.

Something’s wrong with me. Something’s different. My body feels like it belongs to someone else—someone desperate, hungry, aching with sexual need.

How long have we been asleep?

I shift on the sheets, and a whimper escapes my lips at the friction against my suddenly hypersensitive skin. My nipples harden painfully against the thin fabric of my borrowed t-shirt, and between my legs, my panties are soaked. It’s soaked enough that I can feel it coating my thighs .

“What the hell?” I whisper into the darkness, pressing my thighs together in a futile attempt to ease the ache building there.

Kane stirs slightly beside me but doesn’t wake.

The moonlight filtering through the window casts silver shadows across his face, highlighting the sharp angle of his jaw and the fullness of his lips.

My gaze drifts down his bare chest to the waistband of his gray sweatpants, and my mouth goes dry at the outline of his manhood beneath the fabric.

The memory of him hard and thrusting inside me sends a fresh wave of wetness between my thighs.

I can’t look away. Can’t stop staring at the bulge between his legs.

The need building inside me is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced—a desperate, clawing hunger that obliterates all reason and self-control.

I should be terrified of these new sensations.

I should be worried about what they mean.

Instead, all I can think about is Kane’s cock filling me, stretching me, claiming me again.

I need to feel it again.

Before I can stop myself, my hand reaches out, hovering over his groin.

My fingers tremble with anticipation as I lower them to brush against his length through the cotton.

The contact, slight as it is, sends a jolt of pleasure straight to my core.

I bite my lip to stifle a moan, but another whimper escapes anyway.

Kane’s cock twitches beneath my touch, beginning to harden even in his sleep. Emboldened, I trace the growing outline with my fingertips, applying the lightest pressure as I follow the impressive length from base to tip.

His breathing changes, becoming deeper, but his eyes remain closed.

“I need you,” I whisper, not caring if he hears me or not.

My hand cups him now, feeling him swell beneath my palm.

I’m rubbing him with more pressure, my movements becoming desperate and needy.

I squeeze gently, feeling the heat of him even through the fabric, and my pussy clenches in response, empty and aching to be filled.

“Mia,” Kane’s voice, rough with sleep, breaks through the haze of my arousal. His eyes are open now, glinting in the darkness like blue fire. “What are you doing?”