I cut the thought off hard, even as my chest aches.
She stirs faintly, a soft sound slipping from her throat, and I freeze, heart hammering, waiting to see if she wakes.
She doesn’t.
I exhale slowly through my nose, forcing my body back under control.
She’s sick.
That’s the variable.That’swhat’s wrong. Maybe her body’s fighting something. Maybe her system’s overloaded. Maybe that’s why the bite hasn’t healed properly. Maybe the sickness is preventing the bite from closing.
Not the other way around.
That has to be it.
I stand carefully, chair legs barely whispering against the floor, and step back from the bed like distance might give me clarity instead of making everything worse.
I’ll figure this out.
I just…need space to think.
I close the bedroom door quietly and head downstairs.
Laughter greets me halfway down. Too loud. Too careless. Kai’s voice, unmistakable, followed by Koa’s lower reply.
My jaw clenches.
“Keep it the fuck down,” I hiss over the bannister.
They both look up.
Kai blinks. “Jesus, what crawled up your?—”
“She’s asleep,” I cut in.
“Who? You finally got your dick wet, brother?”
“No, you prick. Lani. She’s sick.”
That wipes the smirk off his face instantly.
Koa straightens. “She’s worse?”
“Bad enough that she’s staying here,” I say flatly. “So unless one of you wants to explain why you’re stomping around like it’s happy hour, I suggest you shut up.”
Silence.
Then, quieter, Kai says, “Does Finn know you stole his girl?”
His girl? I don’t think so!
“I didn’t steal her, but…yes.”
Koa nods slowly. “Okay.”
They back off without arguing, voices dropping immediately.
I exhale, tension still coiled tight in my chest.