“I’ve been up here almost two years,” he continues. “Just me, Bear, and Chaos. No visitors. No contact. I came here to disappear. To make sure I didn’t hurt anyone else.”
Something fractures in my chest. This man, this protector, this storm-forged warrior has been punishing himself for something he couldn’t control.
“You’ve been alone that long?”
His smile is crooked. “Not anymore.”
Silence stretches between us. Warm. Complicated. Full of truths too big to say aloud.
“I know what happened between us came from a heightened place,” I whisper. “You saved me. I was scared and hurting andneeded something to hold onto. I don’t want you to feel like you owe me anything.”
His hand tightens on mine. “You think that’s what this is?”
“I hope not, but I need you to know I don’t expect anything from you.”
He nods slowly, then shifts, pulling me gently onto his lap. His voice, when it comes, is quiet but unyielding.
“I hear you, but I need you to understand something. Even if you hadn’t come apart in my arms, even if we’d spent the night on opposite sides of this cabin, I would still protect you. I would still stand between you and whatever’s hunting you. That’s not because of the sex. That’s because it’s who I am.”
Tears sting my eyes. “That’s not something I’m used to hearing. Especially from a man. Especially not one I barely know.”
“You’re not used to a man being a man,” he says. “To someone standing up for you just because it’s right.”
“Steffan has ties in every department,” I whisper. “Cops, FBI, even judges. I didn’t mean to drag you into this.”
“You didn’t.” Mason’s expression hardens with quiet conviction. “I have friends too. Not official channels. Not the kind who wear uniforms. But they’re loyal. Smart. Trained. They’re already en route.”
“What?”
“I made a call while you were sleeping.”
I blink at him. “You—did?”
“You deserve peace. You deserve to live. I can give you that.” He cups my jaw, his thumb brushing my bottom lip. “And once this is over, if you’re still willing, I’d like to explore this.Us. Not as a one-night thing. But as something more.”
“I’d like that,” I whisper.
“Good, because this is happening.” His eyes darken, pupils dilating. One hand slides up to cup the back of my neck, thumb tracing my pulse point. “I swore I’d never take responsibilityfor another submissive. Never trust myself with that power again. Then you said ‘yes, sir’ in that soft voice, and everything in me wanted to claim you.”
Heat pools low in my belly at his words. “I never responded to Steffan that way, even before the abuse started.” I meet his gaze steadily. “With you …” Now it’s my turn to pause. “I don’t know how to explain it, but it comes naturally.”
A growl rumbles through his chest. “Dangerous words, little one.”
“The truth often is.” I press closer, my lips a whisper from his. “I trust you. All of you—even the parts you’re afraid of.”
His control snaps. He claims my mouth in a bruising kiss that steals my breath. His hands brand my skin through the borrowed clothes, marking me as his. When he finally pulls back, we’re both breathing hard.
“I’ve been hiding from my life long enough. Punishing myself for Rachel. But finding you…” He shakes his head, wonder mixing with determination. “I’m done hiding. I’m done letting ghosts dictate my choices.”
Pain flickers across his face. “Rachel would hate what I’ve become. This—half-life.” His thumb traces my lower lip. “She would have liked you, though. Your courage. Your resilience.”
Tears prick at my eyes. “I wish I could have met her.”
“So do I.” The simple honesty in his voice breaks my heart and heals it in the same moment.
Twin growls suddenly shatter our peace. Chaos and Bear are alerting to something.
In an instant, Mason is off the bed, grabbing the tablet and flipping through perimeter camera feeds. Bear lumbers to the window, fur bristling, a low growl rumbling from his chest.
