Chapter 0214

"How do you manage it all? Running a massive pack and a nationwide company. When do you ever have time for yourself, Sebastian?"

I shrug. "Work has always been my life. There was never anything else for me. Just responsibilities, duties, endless tasks. I’ve spent years searching for someone to share it with—someone to stand beside me as a partner, not just a subordinate. I looked everywhere. Across the country, even overseas. And yet, you were right here all along. If only I’d known where to look."

Her fingers curl around mine, warm and reassuring. "You couldn’t have known. Just like I never would’ve guessed you wanted me as a mate, not just a Guardian. Even if I hadn’t been trapped by vampires, I would’ve stayed far from packs. Our paths might never have crossed."

Dinner ends, and I ask if she wants dessert. She declines, unsurprisingly. But she ate more than usual tonight—progress.

Outside, I take her hand, leading her back to the car. Lifting her into the truck, I press a soft kiss to her lips. Her hands cradle my face, holding me there. Then, just like before, her tongue slips between my lips, teasing. I meet her halfway, deepening the kiss until her quiet moan vibrates against my mouth.

Reluctantly, I pull back, brushing my lips against the corner of hers before climbing into the driver’s seat. The drive home is quiet, filled with the playlist I made just for her.

Back at the packhouse, she hesitates. "Did you still want me to cut your hair?"

"I’d love that. Thank you." Anything to keep you close, to feel your touch.

I hand her clothes off to the house omegas for washing, then guide her upstairs to my room. Stepping into the bathroom, I grab scissors and a comb. When I return, she’s studying the space—taking in the dark woods, neutral tones, the absence of personal touches. Only a few framed photos of my parents remain.

She drifts toward them, and I follow.

"That’s my mother."

"She’s beautiful. You have her eyes. And her hair."

I point to another. "My father. I got my build from him. And that’s me as a kid." The photo was taken a year before my mother died. There are no others after.

She picks it up, her thumb tracing over my childhood smile.

I settle behind her, hands resting on her hips. "I’ve paid for a lot of thoughts tonight. Care to share this one?"

She glances over her shoulder, lips curving. "I was just wondering… what it would be like to have a child who looked exactly like you."