Rhett’s mouth crushed against hers like gravity finally gave in. There was no hesitation. No measured calculation. Just raw, commanding heat.
His hand curled at the back of her neck, anchoring her in place, while his other arm slid around her waist, pulling her against the hard line of his body. The kiss burned—not gentle, not careful—but claiming. Like he’d spent every second of resistance storing up this exact moment. And gods help her, she let him. Because the second his lips met hers, everything else disappeared. The aching, the questions, the fear gone in an instant. There was only his mouth on hers, the smell of smoke and pine, the sound of his restrained breathing as if he, too, was stunned by how badly he needed this. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to shove him and remind him that she wasn’t his to command, but when his tongue brushed hers and her spine arched into his body, she realized she wanted something else more. She wanted to feel, to let it happen, to let someone in just for a second. Then a noise split the quiet. A crunch of boots outside the cabin. Fast. Familiar gait. Rhett tore away from her like the world had exploded between them. His chest heaved, eyes wide—not in fear but in realization. “No,” he muttered under his breath, stepping back. “We shouldn’t have—” Mira stood frozen, lips still parted, breath caught in her throat. Her mouth still tingled. Her skin still burned. She wanted to scream, Don’t you dare walk away from that, but the words never made it out. The door burst open before she could decide if she was more furious or hurt. “Tarek,” Rhett growled as the Beta strode into the room. Tarek’s eyes swept over the scene with a soldier’s precision—Mira flushed, Rhett disheveled, tension dripping off the walls. “Well,” Tarek said, arching a brow, “hope I’m not interrupting anything sacred.” Rhett’s voice dropped into Alpha cold. “Why are you here?” “Because the explosion wasn’t an accident,” Tarek said, already moving toward the window. “We’ve picked up fresh scent trails—north ridge. Not ferals. Tracked. Trained. Coordinated.” Mira’s heart dropped. She reached for her weapons belt instinctively. “How close?” Rhett asked. “Too close,” Tarek replied. “Pack’s on the move. I brought transport to the next fallback. We need to get you out. Quietly.” Rhett nodded once, already pulling on his jacket. The distance was immediate. Deliberate. His body language snapped back into place like armor—a full retreat behind duty and discipline. The Alpha mask was back and the man who had just kissed her like she was the only thing holding him together was already gone. They moved fast—no time to linger, no time to speak. Jace joined them silently from the side of the cabin, falling into step behind her and to her left. She felt his presence instantly. Warm. Grounding. He didn’t speak. Didn’t ask. But when her foot slipped slightly on the rocks crossing the dry creek bed, his hand caught her elbow without hesitation—steady, instinctive, familiar. Too familiar. She glanced up at him an what she saw in his eyes wasn’t suspicion. It wasn’t even pain. It was understanding. Like he already knew what had happened between her and Rhett. Like it didn’t surprise him and that was the part that made her chest ache because it somehow, it didn’t surprise her either. They hiked in silence until the trees opened up and the modified all-terrain truck came into view. Tarek tossed gear into the back while Rhett coordinated quietly with the driver and perimeter scouts. Always leading. Always out front. And not once did he look at her. Not once. Mira climbed into the backseat beside Jace. Tarek slid in front, next to the driver. Rhett took the opposite side. The ride back was smooth, the hum of the engine and the crackle of the radio filling the silence between unspoken thoughts. Mira stared straight ahead but every few minutes, her eyes drifted sideways. Past Tarek. Past the gear. To Rhett. Who stared out the window like the forest had answers he needed. When that became too much—too cold, too distant—she turned her gaze to the man beside her. Jace. Warm, steady, and already watching her with quiet, open eyes. Not judging. Not demanding. Just there. For the first time in days, she didn’t feel like she had to flinch from that kind of attention. She just didn’t know what to do with it. As the truck rumbled into the edge of Blackstone territory and the first patrols came into view, Mira leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. She didn’t need to process it now. She couldn’t. Rhett had kissed her like she was his then walked away like she was no one.Jace looked at her like she was everything and hadn’t said a word. Her hands curled into fists on her thighs. Not now. Later, she would unravel the knots twisting in her chest. Later, she would figure out who she was to each of them but right now, the only thing she knew for sure was this: The bond was not done with any of them.
