Page 10 of Posing for the Artist Wolf

I raised an eyebrow, channeling my inner Claire-doesn’t-take-shit energy. “And I say it’s not. Give it here.”

For a moment, I thought he’d refuse. Then his shoulders sagged, and he pushed to his feet, closing the distance between us. He stood for a moment, as if reconsidering, before sinking down on the couch beside me.

I reached for him, taking his hand and drawing it into my lap. I cradled it between my hands, thumbs pressing into his palm. I was dimly aware of Kai’s breath, fast and shallow. The warmth of his arm against mine, the heat of his body bleeding through the layers of clothing.

But I stayed focused on my task. I worked my thumbs into his skin, kneading carefully and loosening the tightness in his wrist and forearm. A groan escaped him, and he closed his eyes.

“There?” I asked softly, kneading harder. Fucking hell, what that noise did to me.

He nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I’ve been drawing too much.”

“I’ll say.” I raised an eyebrow and teased, “Something catch your eye?”

He cracked an eye open, one corner of his mouth twitching up. “Something like that.”

I fell silent again, working until his hand relaxed. So close, I could see the faint scars crisscrossing his hand. They were harder to spot on his palm, but still there. Still stiff. Still painful.

“What happened here?” I asked, tracing one of the marks. “I know you said it’s old…”

Kai tensed. I looked up, catching the guilt and agitation warring in his eyes. He tried to pull away, but I held firm.

He swallowed hard, his gaze dropping to our joined hands. For a split second, I could have sworn his eyes flashed an unnatural, vivid green. I blinked, startled, but when I looked again, they were their usual warm brown and filled with so much regret.

“I fucked up,” he finally said, his voice low and raw. “Made some stupid choices. Got into some trouble. This...” He flexed his hand in mine. “This was the least of what I deserved.”

The pain and implication in his voice tore at my heart. Someone did this to him? It wasn’t some tragic accident? I gentled my touch, my thumbs making soothing circles on his skin. “No one deserves this, Kai.”

“You wouldn’t say that if you knew I nearly got my sister hurt and the sacrifices she’s had to make because of my mistakes.” He met my eyes for a swift second before squeezing his lids closed. “I deserve every bit of the pain.”

I felt a pang in my chest, recognizing the self-loathing in Kai’s voice. It was all too familiar—I’d heard it countless times from my brother during his brief periods of sobriety. But Derek had always chosen to run from his mistakes, spiraling further into addiction.

Kai was here. Dealing with his sister’s rescue mishaps, sure, but here. Not running.

“We all make mistakes,” I told him, my hands stilling on his. “What matters is what we do after.”

He met my gaze, his eyes searching mine. “I don’t know how to make it up to her,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

The raw determination in his voice struck a chord within me. It was everything I’d ever wanted to hear from Derek, everything I’d hoped for and never received. Not after my things went missing. Not after he took off with Grandpa’s credit card. Hours and hour spent in darkness and terror went entirely unacknowledged.

Softly, I said, “You’re here. That’s admirable.”

His eyes snapped to mine, searching. “Is it? Or is it selfish? Maybe I should just leave, let her have a fresh start without my baggage weighing her down.”

“Running away isn’t the answer. Trust me, I know.” I shook my head to clear the memories of Derek and his dealer’s demands. “Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is stay and face your mistakes.”

Kai’s hand tightened around mine. “Even if it might hurt the people you care about?”

“Especially then,” I said. “It’s easy to run. It’s hard to face the consequences of your actions. To put in the work to be better and make amends.”

He nodded slowly, his thumb tracing circles on the back of my hand. The touch sent shivers up my arm.

“Thank you,” he murmured. Our eyes locked, and the sheer intensity of emotion staring back surprised me. His hand tightened on mine, almost possessive. “Probably not what you had in mind for your evening.”

The note of laughter in his voice sent butterflies winging through my stomach. I shook my head, smiling. “What’s the point of being snowed in if not to share unexpected confessions?”

He grinned, eyes glittering. “So, it wasn’t my shining personality and sparkling conversation?”

“I was instantly drawn to the warmth of your jacket,” I deadpanned, gesturing at the garment piled on the floor. “You clearly had the superior outerwear for an impromptu visit.”

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