Silas #4
Because the reason my brother is going to be late tomorrow is because I’m going to beat his fucking ass tonight and get his head screwed on straight.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, and nothing will be different between us,” I promise. I brush my thumb across her cheek, and she leans into the touch. “And then tomorrow, or Saturday, or next week, we can talk. When you are ready.”
I’m done hiding from her, hiding our relationship, hiding how much she means to me.
I can’t go back from this now.
“And if I need lots of time?” she whispers.
I don’t hesitate.
“Then you get all the time you need,” I say. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Her eyes search mine, and I know she’s looking for the hidden conditions or the ultimatums.
There’s none.
“And you’ll still be here?”
The question is so small it nearly breaks something inside me.
I lean forward and press a slow kiss to her forehead.
“Little moon,” I murmur. “You’re stuck with me now.”
She beams at me in response, wrapping herself back around me, and I breathe in her scent, strawberry cream and vanilla musk finally soft instead of frightened.
I think this is my favourite blend of it yet.
Soft. Sweet. Delicate.
Comfortable.
She knows she’s safe with me, and, fuck, that’s everything to an alpha like me.
The car eventually turns onto Cassie’s street. She’s still tucked against my side beneath the blanket, and I’m pretending I haven’t noticed the way her breathing changed the second the familiar streets appeared outside the window.
The end of the night has come much too soon.
Jeff pulls up her large driveway and comes to a stop outside her house. For a moment, neither of us moves, but then Cassidy sighs.
“I suppose this is me.”
I snort softly, pressing one more kiss to her forehead. “Unfortunately.”
Her smile is immediate.
I help her gather her things, making sure she doesn’t leave anything behind, then open the door before she can even think about doing it herself.
The cold air hits us both, and Cassidy shivers where she stands.
My hand settles against the small of her back, over all that soft omega warmth, and I hope my body heat helps warm her up as I escort her to the front door.
She rifles through her bag and finally finds her keys at the bottom. She twists them in her fingers, not moving to put them in.
She doesn’t want this to end either.
Cassidy looks at me, then away, before looking back again. She’s practically rocking on her heels, the uncertainty causing her to delay getting inside to the warmth and safety of her home.
My poor little moon is still waiting for the catch. Still waiting for the part where I disappear.
I step forward before she can talk herself into another spiral.
Her breath catches, and I lean down and press a slow kiss against her lips.
When I pull back, her eyes are shining.
“Get yourself inside,” I demand, and she nods without thinking. “And I want you to text me once you’re in your nest.”
She nods again.
I brush my thumb across her cheek one final time before stepping back.
“Lock the door behind you.”
A small smile appears on her face. “Bossy.”
“Damn right.”
That earns a laugh from her, and the sound settles somewhere deep in my chest.
Cassidy unlocks the door and steps inside. It’s strange how wrong it feels to watch her walk away from me now that I’ve claimed her as mine.
“Goodnight, Si.”
My heart does something deeply embarrassing.
“Goodnight, little moon.”
She closes the door, and a second later, I hear the lock engage.
Only then do I turn around.
Only then do I leave.
Because Cassidy Hargrove is home safely behind a locked door, hopefully in the blanket I gave her, carrying the traces of our pack.
And for tonight, that’s enough.
The walk back to the car feels longer than it should. Being without her after having her is going to be fucking unbearable.
I slide into the back seat and close the door. Jeff lowers the partition and doesn’t say a word about the slick and alpha aggression he’s probably smelling.
Good man.
“Where to, sir?”
“Harlan’s, please, Jeff,” I murmur, and he nods.
The engine starts, and I have to look out her window rather than mine so I don’t have to watch her house disappear.
Fucking sap.
For the first time all night, I’m alone with my thoughts, and they’re not the most pleasant.
Because now that I’ve really let myself feel the bond—feel her—I’m angrier than ever at the injustices she’s faced.
I got to see the woman beneath all the fear and self-sacrifice and endless apologies.
The woman who looked at me like I was offering her something precious when all I’d done was tell her I wasn’t going to disappear.
The bar is so fucking low.
My jaw tightens. How many times has she been forced to accept scraps and call it enough?
I’ve spent months standing on the sidelines telling myself restraint was the answer.
That Harlan needed time.
That Isaac would figure it out. That Evander would calm down.
That eventually we’d all get our heads out of our asses and become the pack she deserves.
Eventually.
Eventually.
Eventually.
The word leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Whilst I’ve been focusing on Harlan, waiting for eventually, Cassidy has been paying the price.
Well, not any fucking more.
Evander means well. The idiot would hand her the world tomorrow if he thought she wanted it.
Unfortunately, he’d also bulldoze straight through half her boundaries getting there.
Isaac understands her better than any of us. Sees things most people miss. But understanding isn’t enough if he keeps hiding behind caution.
At some point, his distance has become another excuse.
Then there’s Harlan.
My brother.
My best friend.
The man who has stood beside me through every disaster life has thrown our way. And the reason I’ve spent months lying to myself.
Not because he’s cruel, not even because he doesn’t love her.
But because he’s fucking terrified that he’s going to ruin her.
He’s stuck so deep inside this fear that he can’t see the damage it’s causing anymore.
Every day he stays trapped in place, Cassidy gets hurt. Every day he refuses to move forward, she blames herself.
Every day he chooses fear, she pays the price.
And I’m done allowing that.
I’ve given them all time.
I’ve given them grace.
I’ve given them opportunities to figure their shit out in their own way.
That ends tonight. Cassidy comes first.
The city lights blur beyond the window.
My phone feels heavy in my pocket as I wait for her to message me. She hasn’t yet, and it’s taking everything in me not to tell Jeff to turn around.
Tonight, things are going to change. She won’t realise it, not just yet, but the reckoning is coming.
I’ve reached the point where doing nothing is more selfish than acting.
I understand Harlan’s fear. Isaac’s hesitation. Evander’s desperation.
I understand all of it.
I look out into the darkness and make myself a promise. If I have to drag this pack into functioning myself, then that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Cassie has waited long enough for someone to see her for what she is.
Someone who wants to love her simply because she’s Cassidy.
Someone who gives to her rather than takes from her.
Every single one of these pricks is about to learn exactly why I’m the head alpha of our pack.
Why I’m the one who’s going to force them to face the truth.
They’ll learn. Whether they want to or not.