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SEVEN

Dillon

“What happened?” I ask Jensen as we enter the bathroom, digging around in the cabinets until I find a first aid kit.

“We were out on patrol, and some Red Fog Pack members came onto our land. They weren’t going down without a fight.”

My heart drops as I think about what could’ve happened if more pack members had been there.

“You could’ve been hurt. Or worse,” I chide.

“I’m okay. We’ve done a lot in the last twenty-four hours. The jail in town is full of their pack members.”

“So, it’s over?” I ask hopefully.

“Not exactly. We’ve got a rough estimate of their numbers, and we’re pretty sure there are still at least fifty left, including their Alpha and higher-ups.”

Mabel and I are no strangers to living in a town filled with tension and rivals, but nothing quite like this.

“We need to get you cleaned up. I can’t see where the blood is coming from,” I complain as I scan over his body.

Jensen has flecks of dried blood on his arms and neck. His gray shirt is stained crimson, with more smeared on his jeans.

“What the heck did you do? Roll around in a blood bank?”

He chuckles. “We shifted, and when I got dressed again, the blood ended up on my clothes.”

“You need to take a shower so I can bandage you up.”

“Got it, doc.”

I bite back a smile, turning my back as he tugs his shirt off and reaches for his pants.

“You’ve seen me naked before,” he reminds me.

Heat hits my cheeks. “I thought you might want some privacy.”

“You’re my mate, Dillon. I don’t want anything between us. No secrets. Nothing.”

Swallowing hard, I stay facing the door until I hear the shower turn on. I peek over my shoulder to see Jensen in the shower.

I turn around and clear my throat. “What’s the plan now? With the Red Fog Pack.”

“Keep up patrols. Capture those we can. Kill the ones we can’t until this is all over.”

“Is this…normal for you guys?”

“No, not really. Most packs co-exist peacefully. It’s in our nature, you know?”

“Sure. So why are you fighting with this other pack?”

“They’re territorial. The Alpha of the Red Fog Pack used to be our Alpha. He was into some bad shit, and when Ryker and Griffin came to town, they ran him out. Seems he never got over it.”

“Seems dumb. Why not just move on?”

“Some people are all about their ego.”

I nod in agreement. “My mom dated a few guys like that.”

“Yeah? Did she date a lot?”

“Oh, yeah. She was never single. Always had a date or a new man.”

Jensen peeks at me from behind the shower curtain. “Must’ve been rough to grow up like that.”

“It was easier when I got older and could sneak out.”

“No, it wasn’t,” he says quietly.

His unexpected insight brings tears to my eyes.

Jensen shuts off the shower and grabs a towel, wrapping it around his waist.

“Okay, no, it wasn’t. I spent most nights with my door locked and the dresser pushed in front of it to stop her latest boyfriend from sneaking in. My mom was rarely home, but when she was, she didn’t give a shit about me.”

“Fuck, Dillon. I’m sorry, mate. So sorry.”

I shrug, trying to play it off like it’s no big deal. Then Jensen wraps his arms around me, and the dam breaks. The tears come, and I bury my face in his chest.

“I wish I’d found you earlier. I wish I could’ve protected you from all that. Hell, I wish you’d a different mom, a different dad. You should’ve grown up with a loving family who treated you like a princess.”

He holds me tightly, and I cling to him as I sob.

“My parents died when I was young. I grew up in a foster home. That’s where I met Miles,” he says, rubbing my back.

“I thought you were brothers?”

“Foster brothers. We consider ourselves family, and we’re best friends. Like you and Mabel.”

“I’m sorry about your parents,” I whisper.

“Thanks. They were good people. My dad was a mechanic, and my mom was a nurse. We were part of this little pack up north. It was tiny. Maybe three hundred people. My parents went out to get us something to eat the night we moved to a new town. A drunk driver hit them, and they never made it home.”

“Oh, my god, Jensen! That’s terrible. I’m so sorry.”

“It was scary, you know? I was in a new home, a new town, new everything. It was supposed to be our fresh start, but in the blink of an eye, I was all alone.”

We hold each other, lost in the past and our pain.

“I’m glad you had Miles,” I murmur.

“Me, too. I’m glad you had Mabel. And now you have me.”

I pull back, wiping the tears from my cheeks. “I read my records from the hospital.”

He seems surprised but doesn’t say anything, waiting for me to continue.

“I didn’t know my injuries were so serious. When I woke up in the hospital, I didn’t feel that bad. I thought Mabel was just stressing. I… I should’ve listened to you and Mabel. I should’ve trusted you.”

“The accident and everything after was a shock,” he says, trying to excuse how I acted.

“I know, but that was only part of it. I have a hard time trusting people, especially men.”

Jensen nods. “Because of your mom’s boyfriends.”

“Yeah. It’s just…I spent most of my teenage years fighting to be heard and have a choice.”

“And I took that away from you when I bit you.”

I nod, a lump forming in my throat.

“I’m sorry, mate. If there had been any other way?—”

“I know,” I interrupt him. “I know. I saw how bad it was in the reports. The broken bones and bleeding.”

“I thought I was going to lose you. I couldn’t…It would kill me.”

“I know. I don’t want to lose you, either.”

“You won’t.”

I step back, and my gaze falls to the cut on his side. “Oh, my gosh! I was supposed to be bandaging you up.”

I grab the first aid kit and open it, grabbing the antiseptic and bandages.

“I’ll be okay,” he insists.

I shake my head as I wash my hands. “We need to clean it so it doesn’t get infected.” I grab the antiseptic and a cotton ball and clean the small cut. “When do you have to go back out on patrol?”

“Midnight. I’ll be back around eight. In time to bring you breakfast in bed.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to. I love taking care of you.”

“That’ll take some getting used to,” I admit.

Jensen smiles. “We have time.”

He watches as I place the bandage on him and then lowers his arm.

“All done.” I close the first aid kit and put it back in the cabinet where I found it.

When I stand and turn to face him, I realize how close we are. Jensen is only a breath away. The bathroom suddenly feels smaller and warmer, like all the air has been sucked out.

My eyes flick up to meet his, and what I see—raw affection, desire, and something deeper that tugs at the frayed edges of my heart—makes my breath hitch.

“You okay?” he asks, voice low and rough, like gravel smoothed by time.

I nod, not trusting my voice.

His hand lifts slowly, giving me a chance to pull away. When I don’t, his fingers brush my cheek as he tucks a strand of damp hair behind my ear.

“Dillon,” he murmurs. “Can I kiss you?”

The question sends a shiver down my spine. I’ve never had anyone ask before. Never had someone treat me like I matter, like what I want matters.

I swallow hard. “Yeah,” I say softly. “Please.”

That’s all it takes.

His lips meet mine in a kiss that’s gentle at first—soft and questioning like he’s afraid to scare me off. But when I lean into him, when I press closer and slide my hands up to his bare chest, he deepens it.

He tastes like mint and something wild—like the forest after a storm. He cradles my cheek with one hand while the other rests at my waist, holding me like I’m precious.

My heart pounds in my chest, and every nerve ending lights up as I kiss him back with everything I’ve been holding in—fear, longing, hope. All of it pours into that kiss.

When we finally break apart, we’re both breathless.

His forehead rests against mine, his eyes closed. “Mate,” he rasps, voice hoarse.

“Thank you for saving my life.”

“Anytime. Always. I’ve got you now. I’m not going anywhere.”

I smile, my heart swelling in my chest. “Good,” I whisper. “Because I think I’m finally ready to stop running.”

His smile is slow and devastating. “Then come here, mate.”

When he pulls me into his arms, I go willingly because, for the first time in my life, being held feels like home.