Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 42128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 211(@200wpm)___ 169(@250wpm)___ 140(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 211(@200wpm)___ 169(@250wpm)___ 140(@300wpm)
By the time I got back to the compound, exhaustion settled heavily over my shoulders. Delaney waited for me, looking stronger now, her presence immediately grounding me again.
“Did you find anything?” she asked softly, her eyes cautiously curious.
“Yeah.” I was mindful of how much to share. “Your memory was spot-on. Magnus staged everything precisely, just as you described.”
Her breath trembled, but she nodded, steadying herself. “Do you think it’ll help?”
“It already has.” I stepped closer and placed my hand along the curve of her jaw. “It’s clear to me now that Magnus’s obsession is about completion. Every step and detail was about fulfilling something he’s been trying to achieve.”
She shivered beneath my touch, her eyes locked on mine. “When I escaped, I stopped him from completing it.”
“Exactly,” I murmured.
Her eyes widened in realization. “You think he’ll try to get to me?”
My jaw tightened. I didn’t want to tell her that I was sure he’d already tried. So I chose my words carefully. “Maybe. But it doesn’t matter. He can’t reach you here.”
She sank into me, her breathing steadying again, and her body soft against mine. My arms tightened around her, the fierce need to protect her burning in my gut.
Magnus Kinghorn might be meticulous, careful, and organized. But I’d spent my career hunting predators. And with the Redline Kings at my back, he’d never faced anything like us before.
9
DELANEY
Another meeting wrapped up in the office Soren shared with Shifter with a low murmur of conversation as the brothers gathered their notes. I sat beside Soren, my hands clasped tightly in my lap to hide the slight tremble in my fingers. Although I’d spoken only about the historical and symbolic aspects, it still left me emotionally raw. But I expected I’d quickly get past the feeling like I had each of the other times Soren had asked for my expertise in a particular area.
Soren turned toward me, his eyes steady on my face. “You did good.”
The pride in his voice helped me to manage a small smile. “I just didn’t want to miss anything important. If my knowledge can actually help…”
“It does.” He squeezed my hand. “More than you know.”
Jax gave me a respectful nod as he closed his laptop. “Appreciate you walking us through all that, Delaney. The Victorian ritual shit is creepy as hell, but it paints a clearer picture.”
One of the other brothers grunted in agreement before they began filing out. Soren stayed seated beside me until the room emptied, his hand resting possessively on the back of my chair.
When we were finally alone, I let out a shaky breath. “Thank you for including me again. I like being useful instead of just the girl everyone has to protect.”
Soren’s expression softened, and he reached over to brush a strand of hair behind my ear. “You’re not just a victim to me, Delaney. Never have been.”
The intensity in his eyes made something deep inside me shift. I realized I wasn’t just grateful or clinging to the safety he offered. I was genuinely falling for Soren.
That knowledge stayed with me over the next few days as I settled further into the rhythm of the compound.
One afternoon, I helped in the kitchen while a couple of the brothers wandered in and out. Soren appeared behind me, his hand settling on my hip as he reached around me for a chocolate chip cookie I’d just baked.
“You good?” he murmured against my ear.
I nodded, my cheeks warming at the casual touch. He didn’t move away, staying close while the others talked around us.
That evening after dinner, he pulled me onto his lap on one of the big leather couches in the common room. His arm stayed wrapped around my waist as he listened to the brothers talk about a big race next month. I noticed how they asked him for input, even when he barely spoke.
During a lull in the conversation, his fingers traced slow circles on my stomach. “You’re fitting in here.”
“Everyone’s been so welcoming, it’s hard not to.”
He brushed a kiss against my temple. “Good.”
The attraction between us kept building. Stolen kisses in hallways, his hands under my shirt when we were alone, him making me fall apart with his fingers and mouth more than once. He always stopped short of taking me fully, no matter how desperate I got.
There were still hard moments. A certain scent in the hallway made my pulse spike one afternoon. Another time, being alone too long in his room brought back flashes of stone walls and incense. But Soren always seemed to sense it. He’d appear, pull me into his chest, and ground me until the panic eased. And I slept better when I was cuddled against him, his solid body chasing away the nightmares.
This evening, the kitchen was filled with noise as a group of us gathered for dinner. The long table was covered with platters of grilled meat, roasted vegetables, fresh bread, and bowls of salad. Laughter and overlapping conversations filled the air while people passed dishes around family-style.