Chapter 10 Dustin
Chapter ten
Dustin
I'm not entirely sure how we found ourselves about a mile from the house on our own property, spread out on a thick blanket under the stars while Kade explains in meticulous detail every single horse we have on the ranch.
We haven't left the spot where Solana crawled out of the car in a panic, but that turned out to be okay. Better than okay, actually, because forcing her back into that enclosed space would have been cruel after watching her completely unravel.
After she calmed down enough to breathe normally again, Kade suggested we just stay put for a while. Give her time to adjust to being out of Harmony House without adding more stress by pushing her comfort levels.
He walked back to the truck and pulled out the emergency kit we keep stashed in the back, the one with blankets and water and a first aid kit for when we're working the far pastures and something inevitably goes wrong.
It only took a few minutes for him to lay everything out on the grass before Solana climbed in the middle, Kade moving to lie beside her.
Then he started talking in that low, steady voice of his about the ranch and the horses and everything waiting for her at home.
Solana is listening intently to every word, shifting every now and then to get more comfortable.
She's resting on her stomach now with her eyes closed, her face turned toward Kade as if his voice is a lifeline she's clinging to.
She looks so peaceful lying there, all the tension from earlier completely melted away from her features.
The fear that had her clawing at the car door is gone, replaced by something that almost looks like contentment.
Kade's voice drones on in that perfect tone, the one that finally managed to soothe her anxiety after nothing else worked.
He's telling her about Thunder and how the stallion has a stubborn streak a mile wide but responds beautifully to gentle handling.
About the new mare we bought last month from a breeder in Montana and how she's still settling into the herd dynamics.
About the foal that's due in spring and how Solana will get to help name it if she wants.
Freaking out when she was screaming in the car felt like the appropriate response at the time.
For a few horrible moments, I thought we had done something horribly wrong, that bringing her home was a catastrophic mistake and we were just adding to her trauma.
The panic in her scent had been overwhelming, drowning out everything else until the whole truck reeked of her fear.
But it's fine now. She's calm and safe and breathing easy between us, her scent slowly returning to something sweeter.
My phone buzzes insistently in my pocket and I pull it out, trying not to disturb the peaceful moment. Stefan's name flashes across the screen and I answer quickly, keeping my voice low so I don't disturb Solana. "Hey."
"You get her out okay?" Stefan's voice comes through rough and tired, like he's been awake for days straight. I really need to talk to him about Ashton and not get the general surface answers he always gives me. "No problems with the paperwork or Graves getting suspicious?"
"Yeah, we're safe. Thanks for everything you did to make this happen." My gratitude runs deep because without Stefan sticking his neck out and stealing that invitation, we'd still be trying to figure out how to even get through Harmony's doors.
"Good. Keep me updated on how she's doing." There's genuine concern in his voice, the kind he usually keeps buried under layers of sarcasm and attitude.
"Will do." I end the call and immediately shoot him a text confirming we're all fine and settled for the night, then pull up my messages to send another one to our main ranch hand.
I need to make sure the horses are taken care of because I'm definitely not going to make it back in time for evening feeding.
He responds with a thumbs up emoji and a message saying everything is handled. A small snore breaks through the quiet night air, causing me to look up and chuckle at the sound. God, she’s beautiful like this.
Glancing over at Kade, about to make a joke, I freeze because I've never seen that kind of wonder on his face.
He looks mesmerized as he stares down at our Omega, his expression holding a vulnerability he rarely allows.
The hard edges he usually maintains have dissolved.
He looks at her like she's the most precious thing in the world, like he would burn down everything to keep her safe.
The same way he looks at me.
He reaches for one of the extra blankets and pulls it over her, tucking it around her shoulders.
His hand lingers on her back, resting there as if he needs the contact to confirm she's real.
Then he just watches her sleep, his focus narrowed down to this one Omega and the rise and fall of her breathing.
"We should probably get home," I say quietly, though I don't really want to move. "Get her into an actual bed instead of sleeping on the ground."
Kade shakes his head without looking away from Solana. "No. We're staying right here for as long as it takes. She needs this. She needs to know we're not going anywhere, that we're not going to force her into situations that she’s not ready for."
A smile spreads across my face because I'd been slightly worried that Kade wouldn't be as affected by Solana as I was. That maybe the connection I felt was one-sided, that I was projecting my own feelings onto the situation.
But it's clear now that something has already changed for him. Kade has included Solana in his protective bubble, extending the same fierce devotion he shows me to her. Watching him look at her makes my chest feel full.
Lying back down beside Solana, I'm careful to leave a little space between us.
We haven't discussed boundaries yet or what kind of contact she's okay with.
Aside from the few kisses we shared, the last thing I want is for her to wake up feeling trapped.
But knowing she's protected between us is everything.
Kade on one side, me on the other, both of us watching over her while she sleeps.
This is what pack is supposed to feel like.
Pulling up my phone again, I navigate to the camera monitoring app.
We have cameras covering all the main access points to the ranch, the barn, the paddocks, the driveway, and the perimeter of the main buildings.
For the kind of business we deal in, aside from the horses, we need protection running around the clock.
The monitors are already on when I open the app. Kade must have activated them, probably the moment we pulled away from Harmony House, making sure we have eyes on everything. The paranoia that usually feels excessive suddenly seems justified with Solana here. I don’t want any surprises.
Tomorrow morning, everything is going to change.
We'll wake up with an Omega in our pack, someone who needs us in ways that go beyond what Kade and I provide for each other.
Someone who's been broken down by a system designed to control her and will need patience and support as she learns to trust again.
The responsibility feels enormous and terrifying but also right.
Hell, everything has already changed just in the few hours since we walked out of Harmony House with her.
The way Kade looks at her, the way my chest feels tight every time I see fear flash across her face, the way our scents have already started mingling together.
We brought her here to save her but I'm starting to think maybe she's saving us, too.
Solana shifts in her sleep, a small sound escaping her throat as she burrows deeper into the blanket. My hand moves to her back, resting there beside Kade's. She settles immediately at the contact, her breathing evening out as if our touch reassures her that she's safe.
Kade finally looks away from Solana to meet my eyes. "Thank you," he says quietly. "For finding her. For not letting her go."
"I couldn't," I admit. "The moment I caught her scent, I knew.
And then when I saw her, when she smiled at me despite being terrified, I knew I'd do whatever it took to bring her home.
" Some part of me worries that Kade will be disappointed that my focus has shifted from him to her but I shove that down to deal with later.
"We're going to have to be careful," Kade warns, though his hand never leaves Solana's back. "Harmony House will be looking for any excuse to take her back. We need to make sure everything is perfect."
"It will be," I say with more confidence than I feel. "We'll make sure she's happy and healthy. They won't have any grounds to remove her."
"And if they try anyway, they'll have to go through me first."
The protective growl underlying his words makes me smile because this is the Kade I know and love. The one who will fight for what's his, who doesn't back down when something matters. Solana matters now. She's ours and we're going to make sure no one takes her away.
"Get some sleep," Kade says, his hand moving from Solana's back to squeeze my shoulder. "I'll keep watch for a while."
"You sure?" I ask, though my eyes are already getting heavy.
"I'm sure. I want to make sure she stays calm. Besides, I don't think I could sleep right now if I tried." His gaze returns to Solana, that wonder creeping back into his expression. "Still can't believe she's real. That we actually got her out of there."
"Believe it," I murmur, my eyes drifting closed.
The last thing I'm aware of before sleep claims me is Solana curling up against my chest like she belongs there.