I knew that voice. Had heard it in dreams and nightmares, had felt it rumble against my skin during the brief time when he’d been mine. Deep and commanding, carrying authority that made lesser wolves bare their throats in automatic submission.
Damon.
My mate stood behind me, close enough that his scent wrapped around me like smoke and cedar, rain and dark coffee, all the markers that had once meant comfort. Now they meant danger, discovery, the end of everything I’d built from nothing.
“Let’s go,” he said, voice rough with what might have been exhaustion or barely leashed control.
I couldn’t turn around. Couldn’t face him yet. Couldn’t process that the man who’d carved me from his life was here, in my sanctuary, demanding compliance like he had any right to make requests.
“No.” The word came out steadier than I felt.
Wayne moved then, shifting to block whatever path Damon might have to me. His beta frame looked fragile compared to the power radiating from behind my booth, but his courage was absolute. April’s hand found mine under the table, her fingers intertwining with mine in silent support.
“You need to leave,” Wayne said, his voice carrying the authority of someone defending their territory. “Now.”
I felt rather than saw Damon’s response, the way predatory energy filled the space around us. The entire diner had gone quiet, conversations dying as patrons sensed danger without understanding its source. Silverware stopped clinking.
“This doesn’t concern you, old man.” Damon’s voice held the kind of casual threat that promised violence if pushed. “Step aside.”
“Like hell.” Wayne remained planted, though I could see the tremor in his hands. Fear and determination warred in his scent, but he didn’t budge from his protective position.
That’s when I realized what this confrontation might cost. Wayne and April, who’d offered nothing but kindness, could be destroyed simply for standing between me and my mate. Their small, precious life could be shattered because they’d chosen to help someone too dangerous to help.
“Fine, just stop,” I said, the word scraping past the glass lodged in my throat. “I’ll go with you.”
“Rhea, no,” April whispered urgently. “You don’t have to...”
But I did have to. Not because Damon had any right to command me, but because these people I’d grown to love couldn’t pay the price for my choices. I’d brought disaster to their door simply by existing in their orbit.
I turned slowly, finally meeting the eyes that had haunted my dreams for months. Damon looked exactly as devastating as memory painted him, all sharp angles and controlled power wrapped in expensive clothes that couldn’t hide the wildnessbeneath. But something was different. Haggard lines around his eyes, a gauntness that spoke of weight lost and sleep missed.
His gaze dropped immediately to my stomach, to the curve that the passing weeks had made impossible to hide. The shock that crossed his features would have been comical if the situation weren’t so dire. He stared at my belly like it contained mysteries he couldn’t solve.
“Wayne,” I said, forcing my voice to remain calm while my world collapsed around me. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The lie tasted bitter, but it was kinder than the truth. We all knew tomorrow was unlikely, that whatever happened next would end with me disappearing from their lives as suddenly as I’d entered them.
Wayne’s jaw worked silently, decades of careful survival warring with the desire to fight for someone he’d claimed as family. “Rhea...”
“It’s okay,” I lied again, sliding from the booth on legs that threatened to buckle. The turn of events left me unbalanced, making movements that once felt natural require conscious thought.
April’s hand squeezed mine one final time before releasing me to whatever fate waited outside. Her eyes held tears she was too strong to shed in front of predators, but her love wrapped around me like armor I didn’t deserve.
“Outside,” Damon commanded, not a request but an imperial decree that expected immediate compliance. “Now.”
“I heard you,” I replied, reaching for dignity I wasn’t sure I possessed. “I’m moving as fast as I can.”
Behind me, I heard April whisper fierce instructions to Wayne, probably planning how they’d help if escape became possible. The knowledge that they’d risk themselves for me made each step toward the door feel like betrayal.
Damon followed close enough that his body heat warmed my back, but he didn’t touch me. Didn’t grab my arm or force my pace, though the restraint felt more ominous than aggression would have. Control that tight suggested consequences if it snapped.
The diner door chimed as I pushed through, cold January air hitting my face like a slap. I’d made it three steps onto the sidewalk before I saw them.
Three black SUVs surrounded the building in perfect formation, positioned to block every exit route. Tinted windows hid their occupants but couldn’t disguise their purpose. Professional vehicles with government plates, the kind of transportation that didn’t appear by accident.
My stomach dropped as understanding crashed over me. Damon hadn’t come alone. Hadn’t made some impulsive decision to track down his ex-mate. This was an operation, planned and coordinated, with backup and contingencies and probably surveillance I’d never detected.
He’d brought an extraction team.
