Page 33 of Wild Games

My fingers ghost over his cheek, unable to resist touching him. He doesn’t stir.

Growing bolder, I kneel down and press my palm to his chest, feeling his heart beating strong and steady beneath my touch. My wolf whines inside my head, wanting to comfort our mate, wanting to release him from his chains, but as I scan the surfaces close by, I can’t see any keys.

I try not to become even more distressed when I spot a cage and more shackles in the far corner. This is wrong. All of it. A wolf this powerful shouldn’t be caged, even by his own choice. Nothing I’ve seen of Jax so far would lead me to believe this is necessary.

But maybe… maybe there’s a reason he has to do this. I don’t want to get him into trouble by freeing him and letting his wolf loose.

As I hold my hand over his heart though, feeling the heat against my palm, she takes immense pride in how his muscles relax, his pulse slows, and how his breathing evens out, becoming more peaceful with our presence.

This is what I can do for him.

I edge closer, turning so that I’m sitting right beside him, but he moves in his sleep and curls one muscular arm around me, pulling me down and tucking me tight against him with a possessive growl.

What the hell happened that he, or anyone else, thinks this is necessary? I can’t bear to think of his wolf being in so much pain that this was the best solution they could come up with.

The mate bond would help stabilize him, giving his wolf the anchor it needs, if he’d just let it.

Deep down in my gut, I know it. I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.

Knowing this is probably crossing so many lines, both professionally and personally, I don’t extract myself from his grip. Instead, I curl against his side carefully and enjoy how he scoots me closer, wanting me near.

He’s warm despite the cold basement, and it’s nice to be held by my big strong mate, even if it is in his sleep. So, I let myself have this moment.

Just this,I tell myself.

He moves, his head turning toward mine, and murmurs something too quiet to understand. Not my name, just a deep rumble of contentment as he buries his nose in my hair, and his hand moves slowly, rhythmically, stroking my stomach.

My eyes burn with unshed tears. He’s so convinced he’s dangerous, but even chained and sleeping, he treats me with care.

I stay there longer than I should, memorizing the feeling of being so close to him. My annoyance from yesterday melts away.

Yes, he acted like a possessive jerk. But seeing him here, understanding the daily battle he fights with himself, and how he punishes himself, I can’t hold on to that anger.

He needs help.

Eventually, I force myself to pull away, slowly easing myself out from under his heavy arm. He makes a small sound of protest but doesn’t wake as I stand. One last look at him chained up like a prisoner cements my determination.

“I’m going to fix this,” I whisper, not sure if I’m promising him or myself.

I slip out quietly, making sure the door locks behind me, but knowing that when he wakes, he’ll be able to tell I was there.

“Camille?”

I turn to find Dean watching me from the shadows of the hallway. He lounges against the wall in black jeans and a black henley, arms folded loosely in front of his impressive chest, but there’s nothing casual about his aura.

His eyes track from my face to the basement door and back, nostrils flaring slightly as he catches his brother’s scent all over me.

“Morning, Dean. I… eh… didn’t want to wake him. He seems exhausted.”

There’s no point in pretending I’m not sneaking out of his brother’s quarters. He’s going to find out what we are sooner or later—that is, if Jax hasn’t told him already.

“He doesn’t sleep.” His tone stays neutral, but his posture shifts, shoulders squaring as he pushes himself off the wall. “Most of the time, he only comes out at night. Like a vampire.”

He’s not laughing because he knows it’s no joke.

“I couldn’t sleep either. The investigation’s been on my mind.”

He studies me for a long moment, eyes sharp with intelligence. Eventually, he nods. “My office. Let’s discuss where we go next with the case.”