Chapter 11
ELEVEN
Knox
I’ve faced worse than this. I’ve been through combat and injury, losing everything I thought my life would be.
None of that compares to the quiet, suffocating fear sitting in my chest right now. Because this? This is Daisy.
She hasn’t answered me yet. The bathroom is filled with steam, the mirror fogged over, droplets of water clinging to her skin as I wrap the towel around her shoulders. My hands aren’t as steady as I want them to be.
She doesn’t miss it. Of course she doesn’t. My mate sees everything.
“You’re nervous,” she says softly.
I huff out a quiet breath, trying to play it off. “I’m not.”
She lifts an eyebrow,
“Okay, I am,” I admit, dragging a hand through my damp hair. “A little.”
That’s an understatement. My bear paces inside me, restless, anxious, waiting. Because everything comes down to this moment.
She’s free now. No more running. No more fear. No more chains holding her in place.
Which means she could leave.
The thought claws through me, sharp and brutal.
I don’t think she will. I don’t want to believe she will, but I’ve learned the hard way that wanting something doesn’t make it certain.
“I meant what I said,” I add quietly, my voice rougher than I intended. “You don’t have to stay here. You can go back. Get your life—”
“Knox.”
My name cuts through the spiral instantly, and I look up. She’s watching me, really watching me, and something in her expression makes my chest tight.
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” she says, her eyes soft and certain.
My breath catches. “What?”
She steps closer, resting her hands on my chest over my heart. “I’m not leaving,” she says slowly and clearly, as if she needs me to understand every word. “I don’t want my old life. There’s nothing there for me anymore.”
My heart pounds as hope flickers bright and dangerous inside me. “Daisy…”
“I want this,” she continues, her voice trembling slightly. “I want you. I want us.”
I grip her hips, grounding myself in her, in reality. “You’re sure?” I ask, unable to stop myself. “Because if you stay… if you choose me… that’s it for me. There’s no going back. You’re mine, Daisy. Forever.”
Her lips curve in a soft, beautiful smile. “I know,” she whispers. “And I choose you anyway.”
Something inside me breaks, or maybe it finally settles and locks into place the way it was always meant to.
“You have no idea what you’re doing to me,” I murmur, pulling her closer.
She smiles, sliding her arms around my neck.
“Then show me.”
That’s all it takes. I kiss her hard, like I’ve been holding back for too damn long… because I have.
My bear surges forward, his low growl rumbling in my chest as I lift her effortlessly and carry her from the bathroom to the bedroom.
She laughs softly against my mouth, her fingers threading through my hair, holding me close. “I love you,” she breathes.
The words hit me like a punch to the chest in the best way.
“I love you too,” I answer instantly, no hesitation, no doubt, because it’s the easiest truth I’ve ever spoken.
I lay her down gently, my hands roaming over her, memorizing every inch of her, reminding myself that she’s real. She’s here. She chose me.
Her fingers trace over my shoulders, chest, and scars. Her touch holds no hesitation, no fear. Only trust, only love, and that undoes me more than anything else.
I press my forehead to hers, breathing her in. “My mate.”
“Your mate,” she agrees softly.
The bond between us hums, warm and steady, wrapping around us like something alive.
Unbreakable.
I kiss her again, slower this time, deeper. I savor her, savor this moment. There’s no rush now. We have forever.
Her body relaxes into mine as I pull her over me. I press a kiss to her hair and hold her tighter. She sighs, completely relaxed, completely safe, completely mine.
“Knox?” she murmurs huskily.
My cock grinds against her as she moves her hips. “Yeah, little one?”
“I need you,” she moans.
My chest tightens, emotion thick in my throat. “You have me. I’m yours. All yours.”
She smiles against my chest, gripping my shoulders as she angles her hips and sinks down on my length. We both hold our breath.
As she takes me an inch at a time, I realize something.
For the first time since I came back to Night Grove Falls, I’m not alone.
I have her, I have a home, I have a future. And I’ll spend every damn day making sure she never doubts that she belongs here.
With me.
Forever.