Chapter 22
Victor stared at Chloe wrapped in quilts, backlit by the morning sun streaming through the hole in the roof and a soft contented smile on her face, and his entire worldview shifted.
She’d said he never lost control, even though he knew he had. He’d transformed completely into Hyde—eight feet of raw power and inhuman strength. The thing his father had warned him about. The monster that would destroy everything he loved.
Except he hadn’t.
His hands were steady as he reached for her. No trembling. No fear. Just the bone-deep certainty that he would never—could never—hurt her. And with that certainty, the memories began to return.
“I remember,” he said slowly. “All of it.”
She tilted her head, waiting.
“Every moment.” He pulled her closer, needing the contact. “I was there. Conscious. Not watching from some dark corner but… present. Making choices.”
“What choices?”
“To fix the roof. To keep you warm. To—” His throat tightened. “To hold you all night instead of running into the storm.”
Understanding dawned in her eyes. “You thought transformation meant losing yourself completely.”
“My father lost himself. At the end.” He cradled her face. “He said that Hyde took over and he woke to destruction.”
“But that’s not what happened to you.”
“No.” The word came out fierce and certain. “Hyde and I—we were together. United. Both of us focused on the same thing.”
“Me.”
“You.” He kissed her forehead. Her cheeks. The tip of her nose. “On keeping you safe and warm and protected.”
She placed her palm over his heart. “What changed?”
Victor knew the answer immediately. Had known it since that first appointment, when Hyde had growled protectively at the thought of her alone in that cabin.
“You,” he said. “You’re my anchor.”
“Victor—”
“No. Listen.” He needed her to understand. “My father tried to suppress Hyde. Fought him constantly. Treated him like a disease to be cured.”
“And you did the same.”
“Yes. The drugs. The exercise. Everything designed to push Hyde down and lock him away.” His jaw tightened. “But last night, when the branch crashed through and Hyde manifested—I didn’t fight it.”
Her eyes widened slightly.
“I let him come,” he continued. “Because I knew—we both knew—that he could protect you better than I could in human form.”
“A guardian,” she breathed. “Your great-grandfather called the Hyde a guardian.”
“Yes.” He’d read that journal cover to cover and studied every entry, but he finally understood what it meant. “Not a monster. Not a curse. A protector.”
“And I’m what you’re protecting.”
“You’re more than that.” His hands slid to her shoulders, her arms, mapping her through the quilts. “You’re the reason Hyde doesn’t need to fight for control. Because we both want the same thing.”
“Which is?”
“You. Safe. Happy. Loved.”
Her breath hitched. “Victor…”
“I love you.” The words came easily now. No hesitation. “Both parts of me. Human and Hyde. We love you.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks. “I love you too. All of you.”
He kissed her, slow and deep and full of everything he’d been too afraid to say before. She melted into it, her hands coming up to thread through his hair and pull him closer despite the awkward cocoon of blankets.
When they broke apart they were both breathing hard.
“The blankets need to go,” he said.
“Bossy.”
“Practical.” He started unwrapping her. “You’re overheating and I need to feel you.”
She laughed. “Still bossy.”
But she helped, wriggling free of the layers until she was bare in the morning light.
His breath caught. Beautiful. She was so beautiful it hurt to look at her. Her curves softened by pregnancy, her skin glowing in the sunlight, and her eyes bright with love and trust.
For him. For Hyde. For both of them.
“Come here,” she said, reaching for him.
He went willingly, gathering her close, skin to skin with no barriers between them. He could feel his body responding, and he could feel Hyde stirring, but he wasn’t threatening or trying to take over. He was just… present. Aware. Wanting.
“Is this okay?” he asked. “After last night—”
“Last night was perfect.” She kissed his jaw, his throat, the tiny kisses sending heat ricocheting through his system. “You were perfect.”
“I could transform again.”
“I know.” She looked up at him with absolute trust. “And I’m not afraid.”
He kissed her with desperate intensity, pouring everything into it, all the fear and shame and self-loathing he’d carried for years, and she took it, accepted it, and transformed it into something beautiful.
He tried to be slow and careful this time, but she was having none of it.
“More,” she demanded, her nails raking down his back. “Victor, please—”
He gave her what she needed. What they both needed. Let himself get lost in the feel of her. The sounds she made. The way she said his name like a prayer.
Hyde rose closer to the surface, and he could feel the familiar prickle of transformation starting. Skin warming. Muscles shifting.
But it didn’t feel like losing control. It felt like becoming more of himself.
“Yes,” Chloe breathed. She touched his face as it started to change. “Both of you. I want both of you.”
Permission. Acceptance. Love.
He let the transformation wash over him. Felt his body shift and grow. Felt Hyde’s strength merge with his own. But his mind stayed clear. Present. Aware of every sound she made. Every movement. Every gasp.
They moved together. Human and Hyde and something in between. All of it Victor. All of it whole.
When she came apart in his arms, he followed, the pleasure so intense it bordered on pain. He felt the transformation reverse and Hyde settle back down, satisfied and content. Protected our mate, Hyde purred. Kept her safe. Loved.
Yes, he thought back. We did.
He collapsed beside her, careful not to crush her, his heart hammering, and his body trembling with aftershocks.
“You stayed,” she said, her voice awed. “The whole time. I could see you both.”
“We’re not separate.” He pulled her close. “Not anymore. Maybe we never were.”
“Your father—”
“My father was alone.” He kissed her temple. “Fighting Hyde instead of working with him. No anchor. No reason to unite.”
“And you have me.”
“I have you.” He rolled to face her fully. “My anchor. My reason. My love.”
She gave him a radiant smile. “So what now?”
He looked around the cabin. Really looked. The temporary patch around the hole in the roof wouldn’t last. Snow had blown in and melted, leaving puddles on the floor. The branch was still wedged in the damaged section, bark scattered everywhere.
Cold drafts leaked through gaps in Hyde’s makeshift repairs. The fire was dying. And Chloe—his pregnant, precious Chloe—had spent the night in a compromised structure that could have collapsed on her at any moment.
No. Absolutely not.
“You’re moving in with me,” he said. It wasn’t a question.
She blinked. “What?”
“This cabin isn’t safe.” He sat up, already cataloging what needed to happen. “The roof needs professional repair. The structure needs to be inspected. And you shouldn’t be out here alone, especially this close to your due date.”
“Victor—”
“My house is warm. Secure. In town.” He looked at her seriously. “And I can’t—I won’t—spend another night wondering if you’re safe out here.”
“That’s very sweet but—”
“It’s not sweet. It’s a necessity.” He touched her belly, and felt the baby kick against his palm. “You’re both too important.”
Her expression softened. “You’re serious.”
“Completely.” He’d never been more serious about anything in his life. “Move in with me. Let me take care of you. Both of you.”
“And if I say no?”
“Then I’ll camp on your doorstep until you change your mind.” He managed a small smile. “Or possibly carry you to my house myself.”
“Bossy and possessive.”
“Protective.” He kissed her. “There’s a difference.”
She laughed. “Fine. I’ll move in.”