Chapter 0101

I press Evelyn against my Porsche, my body humming from our earlier encounter. She must feel the evidence of my desire pressing insistently against her abdomen. No subtlety there.

Her hands find their way around my neck as mine settle on her hips, anchoring her to me. The streetlight casts shadows across her face, highlighting the uncertainty in her eyes.

"Be mine," I murmur against her lips.

Her breath hitches. "What?"

"Exclusively. For the next seven weeks." My thumb traces the curve of her waist. "No other guys. No dates. Just you and me—holding hands between classes, kissing by the lockers, the whole damn fairytale."

I know about her vow to wait for her mate. The irony tastes sweet on my tongue—she's waiting for me without knowing it. Theron growls approval in my mind.

"Can I... think about it?" Her fingers toy with the hair at my nape.

"Take your time." I capture her hand, pressing a kiss to her pulse point. "But understand this—I want Evelyn Sinclair. Not just the Guardian. Not just the warrior. Every stubborn, beautiful inch of you."

A quiet "Okay" escapes her lips.

"Good." I nip her bottom lip. "I'll collect you at seven tomorrow."

When she nods, I seal the promise with a kiss that leaves us both breathless. Already planning to rearrange my morning patrol to accommodate this new routine.

"Sweet dreams, love."

I watch until her front door closes behind her. The drive home is torture—every nerve ending alive with unspent energy. Cold shower. Definitely a cold shower.

Alistair

The creak of the staircase announces Evelyn's return. I track her movement through the house until her bedroom door clicks shut.

"You're brooding," Gregory observes from the armchair. Moonlight glints off the whiskey in his glass.

Tonight had been... nostalgic. Watching our children navigate the same rites of passage we once did. Haven't seen Gregory this relaxed since Ivy's passing.

"Not brooding," I correct. "Considering."

"Considering what?"

I turn toward the darkened hallway. "How Adrian will handle a mate who's also his Guardian. Our bond is unbreakable, but at least you weren't..." I rub my sternum. "If Seraphina had been a Guardian, I'd have gone mad trying to protect her from herself."

Gregory's gaze lifts to the ceiling where Evelyn's footsteps fade. "We don't choose these things. The compulsion to protect our Alpha is written in bone and blood."

"I know." The weight of the Alpha mantle settles familiar across my shoulders. "But their instincts will war against each other. That girl would throw herself in front of a bullet for him, and he'd burn the world down to keep her safe."

The silence stretches between us, filled with the unspoken truth—we might be raising two warriors destined to destroy each other with devotion.