Page 33 of Sacrifice

I can hear the worry threaded through his words, the undercurrent of a protective alpha that sets my nerves on edge. “You didn’t come back to the pack suite. Where are you?”

“Look, Gunnar—” I start, but Rook’s hand slides down my arm and gently takes the phone from my grasp.

“Hey, Gunnar,” Rook interjects. “She’s with me.”

“Is she?” Gunnar’s response is laced with curiosity, but there’s an underlying challenge there—one that doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Yep,” Rook confirms, his thumb tracing idle patterns on the back of my hand. “She’s safe and sound, man. No need to send out a search party.”

“Alright,” Gunnar replies. The sound of his laughter crackles through the speaker, the humor in his voice like a balm to the tension that had started to coil inside me. “I guess you two are having quite the night. Rook as good as they say in Pacific City? I’ve always had my doubts…”

“Who’s been saying things?” I shoot back playfully, feeling Rook’s gaze on me, a silent question in the depth of it.

“Word gets around, Ais,” Gunnar chuckles. “So…?”

“Maybe,” I concede with a smirk, glancing at Rook whose face is an open book of mock indignation and subtle pride. “I’ll keep you guessing.”

“Always the mysterious one,” Gunnar sighs dramatically over the line. “Well…I expect both of you back with us in the morning, okay? Gotta get to some pack business—especially now that you and Rook are official.”

I smile, warmth filling my chest. It’s really coming together now…my pack, my family, my home. “See you in the morning, Gun,” I murmur—then I pause, biting my lip. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Ais,” he says.

I hang up the phone, then I turn back to Rook, settling into his embrace once again.

“Sorry about that,” I murmur, setting the phone face down as if to signal the end of interruptions.

“It’s fine,” Rook says, pulling me back into the crook of his arm. “He cares about you.”

“Sure, he does,” I laugh softly, tracing a pattern over Rook’s chest. “But let’s not dive into the mushy stuff again. Gunnar was teasing about you…so, you think you’re as good as the Pacific City rumors suggest?”

He smirks, a playful glint lighting up his eyes. “Well, considering how you came apart just now, I’d say I’m doing something right.”

“Modesty suits you,” I tease, but my heart flutters at the memory of our passion.

“Modesty?” Rook chuckles, pulling me even closer. “No need for that. When you begged for more, when you screamed my name—that said more than enough.” His voice drops to a whisper, sending a thrilling sensation across my skin. “Better than ‘alright’, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Maybe,” I admit, grinning up at him. His confidence is infectious, and the way he looks at me—like I’m the only thing in this twisted world that matters—sends warmth cascading through me. “You might be onto something.”

“Only ‘might’?” he teases, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

“Okay, maybe a solid definitely.” My laughter fills the room, echoing off the walls, a bright sound in the dimness.

“Definitely,” he echoes back, satisfaction lacing his tone.

“But let’s not make it all about strokes to your ego, Rook. We have more pressing things to think about.”

“Like what?” His voice is gentle now, stripped of its earlier bravado, and it reminds me why I’m here with him—why he matters.

“Like us.” The word feels heavy on my tongue. Us. It’s a dangerous concept, especially for Rook, when I’m already tangled up in so many bonds that sometimes I forget where they begin and end.

His fingers find mine under the sheets, our hands interlocking. “Aisling, wherever this goes… I’m with you. Through the chaos, through the mess. You know that, right?”

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. Trust doesn’t come easily in this world, but with Rook, it feels like second nature. “I do. And I’m not just saying that because of how good you are in bed.”

“Good to know,” he says, laughter warming his words. “But back to us…”

“Right, us.” I take a deep breath, feeling the pull of vulnerability. “We have to be careful. With the Mojave Lab business, with everything. If we’re together, really together, it could change the game.”

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