“No.” He lifts his head, meeting my gaze for the first time since we left the building. “They wouldn’t.”
His sincerity catches me off guard. There’s no manipulation in his expression, no calculation, only raw gratitude and something deeper that makes my chest tighten uncomfortably.
“I knew you’d come,” he whispers.
His simple faith wraps around me, warm and dangerous. Trust, freely given from someone who has every reason to be wary. It’s been so long since anyone looked at me that way.
I grip the steering wheel, knuckles whitening. This wasn’t supposed to happen. After Auren, I promised myself I’d never let anyone depend on me like this again. Wouldn’t take responsibility for another person’s well-being.
Wouldn’t risk my heart on someone who might use it against me.
Yet here I am, with a young Alpha looking at me like I’m his salvation, and the worst part is how much I want to be worthy of that look.
I clear my throat. “Don’t make a habit of relying on me.”
“Not planning to,” he whispers, but the way he stares at me gives away the lie, and I don’t have it in me to correct him again.
Chapter Eight
Jared
The doctor braces my cheekbone with a gloved thumb and smooths the last strip into place, aligning the bridge he reset a few minutes earlier.
The adhesive burns my irritated skin while the splint cools and sets under his hands. As he anchors the splint and gives a final press, the edges of the room bleach out with a burst of pain before the outlines swim back into focus.
While he trims the excess tape with a quick snip of the scissors and checks the alignment, I blink until the tear film clears and the chill across the bridge settles.
“Hands off the splint. No nose-blowing,” he says, tightening the strap. “Mouth open if yousneeze. Ice on and off. Sleep propped up. Afrin only for bleeding, no more than three days.”
“Yes, sir.” The anesthetic’s wearing off, and pain throbs with every pulse beat.
He sets a small clinic-dispensed starter pack on the tray. “Here are two doses of pain medication for tonight. I’ve sent the full prescription to Pinecrest Pharmacy.”
“Thank you.” I ease off the exam table and grab my goody bag before heading out the door.
Emily waits in the hallway, arms crossed over her chest, feet planted shoulder-width apart as she leans against the wall. When I emerge from the exam room, she straightens, her gray eyes scanning my face.
“Not broken,” I mutter, lifting the bag of pills. “Just a bad bruise. Gotta keep the tape on for a week.”
Her chin dips in acknowledgment. “I called Kyle while you were in there.”
My stomach drops through the floor. “How mad is he?”
“He’s furious about the situation.” Emily turns toward the exit, expecting me to follow. “Says that couple should have used scent blockers if they were going hiking during her pre-Heat.”
Emily had said the same at the security office,and it helps ease some of the guilt for not acting faster.
I hurry to catch up, wincing as the movement jars my face. The clinic doors slide open, and the evening air hits my skin, cooler now as twilight settles over Pinecrest. Street lamps flicker on, one by one, casting long shadows across the sidewalk.
“Did you tell him about the boat?” I ask, the shame of it burning hotter than the pain in my face.
“He says insurance will cover the scratches.” She slips her hands into her pockets. “Boats can be fixed.”
Easier than reputations, I imagine.
We walk in silence for half a block, Emily’s strides purposeful while mine drag and shuffle. Kyle took me in after my mother’s pack decided I was too much trouble. A defective Alpha they couldn’t mate off to strengthen alliances. When I arrived with only a backpack to my name, he had a job for me and made sure I had a place to sleep.
And how did I repay him? By almost getting arrested and damaging his employer’s boat.