She doesn’t speak—just clings to me.Her sobs are soundless, shaking her whole frame.
Behind us, Scarlet sags against the doorframe, catching her breath.She may be bruised and dirty, but she looks fine, and I feel a wave of relief.
I pull back just enough to look Harlow over.Her shirt is ripped, and there’s a bruise forming on her wrist.Her eyes are wide and unfocused.I’ve seen this look before in war.In trauma.
I want tokillwhoever did this to her.
“What happened?”I ask Scarlet, my voice like gravel.
But before she can answer, another voice cuts through the tension like a blade.
“What the fuck, Mateo?”Kyson.He storms into the room, eyes blazing.“You sent Scarlet into the forest while the sun was up?Alone?”
“I didn’t have a choice!”I snap, turning to face him with Harlow still in my arms.“Harlow was in danger.I felt it.I couldn’t get to her...”
“So you threw Scarlet into the fire instead?”Kyson snarls, stepping forward, trying to intimidate me.“What if she hadn’t come back?”
“She did come back,” Scarlet says hoarsely from behind me.
Kyson spins toward her.“You could’ve been killed!”
“But I wasn’t,” she counters.
“That’s not the goddamn point!”He throws his hands in the air, clearly at his wits’ end with both of us.
“Enough!”I bark, my voice cracking through the room.“You think I don’t know how dangerous it was?You think I didn’t weigh every option I had before asking your consort for help.Do you know what I was feeling while she was out there, alone and scared, with the bond pulling at my fucking soul like a noose?”
Kyson’s jaw clenches.“We have rules, Mateo.Protocols.”
“Fuck your protocols.”My voice lowers, deadly calm.“She’s mine.My consort.You can’t tell me you wouldn’t have done the same if it were Scarlet out there.”
Silence settles like ash.That sure shut him up.
Scarlet straightens and looks between us.“I’d do it again,” she says quietly.“She would’ve been taken.Or worse.”
Kyson scrubs a hand through his hair, visibly trying to rein in his fury.He turns to me, eyes dark.“Get her inside.But know, this isn’t over.”
He storms away.I don’t spare him a glance.My focus is Harlow.I carry her into the front room and settle her gently onto the plush bench just inside the entryway.She’s still pale and still trembling, but her eyes are a little clearer now.
Her fingers curl into my sleeve.“Where ...where am I?”
“You’re safe,” I say.“You’re at our compound.”She tenses instantly.
I see the realization hit her.The confusion turns cold.“You brought me somewhere.”
“You were in danger,” I say, kneeling in front of her, holding her gaze.“Scarlet brought you to safety.”
“But this ...this feels like...”She swallows.“Like I’m not allowed to leave.”
I inhale slowly, steadying myself.“This place is secure, yes.But you arenota prisoner.”She doesn’t look convinced.“And out there ...it’s not safe.You’ve seen that now.”
Her voice is faint.“What if I want to go?”The question shreds something inside me.
“Then I’ll follow you,” I answer honestly.“I’ll protect you from the shadows if I have to.But if you stay here, if you let me protect you, then I can keep you alive.And maybe ...maybe we can figure this out together.”
Her gaze drops.She looks lost.Fractured.But she doesn’t say no.So I stay right where I am, ready to hold her or let her go.Whatever she needs.
Because she’s mine and I’ll burn down the fucking world if it means keeping her safe.