Chapter Fourteen #3
The scent of his unease reaches me, sour and growing stronger by the second.
“You really should just let us go,” she continues smoothly, her words light but laced with venom. “Because the moment my pack finds you, they’ll slit your throat without hesitation.”
I can almost hear the smirk in her voice, and I can see that fire blazing in her wild blue eyes, even from here.
The guard growls a curse, shifting his weight as if considering his options, but Fallon only laughs louder, boldly mocking him.
“Oh, did that upset you? Poor baby.” There’s a cruel, amused lilt to her voice that has my blood rushing hot.
“Do you really think I’m lying? My pack will come, and you’ll pray for mercy when they do. But you won’t get it.”
That’s it.
That’s my fucking cue.
Kingston’s sharp gaze snaps to mine, already knowing I’ve reached my limit. He gives me a single, short nod.
Soundless as a shadow, I move.
The guard doesn’t even register my presence until my blade is at his throat.
He tries to suck in a breath, but it’s already too late. With a swift, brutal drag, I open his jugular, and warm blood sprays in a sharp arc, splattering across the room. His body hits the ground in a wet heap.
And then I see her.
Fallon stands in the center of the filthy space, the smear of fresh blood painting her pale skin and tattered clothes. Her blue hair is tangled and wild, but those bright eyes—those fierce, alive eyes—lock onto mine.
Shock flickers across her face for a split second, but then, she laughs.
Not just any laugh—triumphant. Wild. Victorious.
She looks at the dead guard crumpled at my feet and smirks, breathless and defiant. “Told you so.”
My last shred of restraint shatters.
In two strides, I reach her, yanking her into my arms, crushing her against me. My body trembles, my mind fraying at the edges as I inhale her scent—honeyed peaches, thick and intoxicating, cutting through the stench of this place. She’s real. She’s breathing. She’s here.
I cup the back of her head, tilting her face up to mine before claiming her mouth in a bruising, desperate kiss. A choked sound escapes her, and then she’s kissing me back just as fiercely, her fingers fisting in my blood-soaked shirt, pulling me closer instead of pushing me away.
She tastes like fire and salvation.
Her nails scrape against my scalp, making me growl into her mouth. I don’t care that we’re standing in a room full of hostages. I don’t care that there’s blood on the floor, that my hands are still stained red. All I care about is her.
Her body presses against mine, warm and solid, proof that she’s alive, and for the first time in days, I fucking breathe.
Footsteps storm into the room, but I barely register them, my focus locked on the woman in my arms. The woman who is my entire fucking world.
She exhales a shaky breath, tilting her forehead against mine, fingers tracing absently along my jawline. “I missed you, V.”
My throat tightens painfully. She has no fucking idea.
I press a kiss to her temple, murmuring hoarsely, “Never again. Never leaving my sight.”
Movement in my periphery finally drags my attention back to the others.
Kingston. Romano. Jace.
They don’t hesitate.
In an instant, they’re surrounding her, wrapping her in fierce, desperate embraces.
Romano murmurs rapid, sweet reassurances against her hair, his usual brightness tinged with raw relief.
Jace takes her hands, pressing reverent kisses to her bruised knuckles like he’s silently making a promise.
Kingston cups her face, his lips brushing across her forehead, his usual restraint cracked wide open, emotions laid bare.
She laughs softly, swallowed up by them, us, and everything.
Violet stands frozen, her wide eyes bouncing between Fallon and the four of us as if she’s witnessing something sacred. Then, before anyone can react, three more figures enter the room.
Fox, Dare, and Jex.
They pause mid-step, their postures stiffening slightly as their gazes land on Violet. Her stunned expression mirrors theirs.
I don’t have time to think about it because Jex moves instinctively, positioning himself slightly in front of her, his body language screaming protectiveness.
I arch a brow. Interesting.
Fox, ever efficient, shakes off the moment and starts ushering the terrified omegas toward the exit, his sharp, commanding voice cutting through the chaos. Dare quickly follows suit, his usual smirk replaced by quiet determination as he guides the trembling group into motion.
Jex lingers, his broad frame towering near Violet. His voice is gruff but gentle when he asks, “You okay?”
Violet blinks at him, clearly rattled, but slowly, she nods. Then, quieter, she murmurs, “I am now.”
I’ll unpack that later.
Right now, Fallon is turning back to me.
Her fingers graze my cheek, smudging away the blood staining my skin. Her gaze flickers over my face, searching, reassuring herself that I’m okay, too.
A slow smirk curves her lips. “Nice entrance.”
I lean in, letting my lips ghost over hers, the rawness between us still burning hot.
“Only for you, Princess.”