Page 121 of Stroke of Shadows

Thea straightened herself, even if distrust floated around her in waves. “Harper?”

Sythe simply nodded.

Thea closed her eyes, lips trembling. Her brows pinched in concentration, and on a long exhale she disappeared with a pop.

“Jax,” Riley growled. “Shift.”

Jax snarled, but the man appeared in a burst of white light. “What the fuck happened?” He dragged a hand down his face, the touch lingering on the scar on his upper lip.

“Your beast came out to play,” Axel laughed.

“What?” Jax frowned. “Again?”

Riley patted him on the back. “Sy needs a plug.”

Jax turned, brows pulled together as he tried to remember what happened when he was the beast. It was a side effect of shifting too often, the beast overpowering while the man’s mind slept. It was unusual to shift more than once a month, the beast more feral if called upon too often. Jax had shifted twice in just a few days.

“I can wait,” Sythe said, wiping the blood from his stomach. “I’m heading straight to the hospital.”

He needed to go to his mate and make sure no one ever hurt her again.

Chapter 42

Harper

TWO MONTHS LATER

“Where are you taking me?” she asked, unable to hide her smile.

“Patience, darling.” Sythe smirked, and she melted at his dimple. His hand gripped hers over the console as he drove, only releasing to change gears.

They’d already been to a new gallery opening as well as lunch, which made it their tenth official date. He’d explained he wanted to court her properly, as if she wasn’t already in love with him. How could she not be?

Harper didn’t remember arriving at the hospital or the emergency surgery. She found out through whispers from the nurses that Lucifer had almost destroyed the hospital in his panic, and that was before Sythe showed up ready to rip everyone’s head off for not answering his questions.

Both Sythe and Lucy had been banned from entering London Hope’s premises, as well as three of his other brothers who’d also made a fuss. She was never left alone, someone always there to keep her company in her recovery. It was an unusual way to meet Sythe’s family, but between Axel’s teasing, Xander teaching her poker, and Sam’s innocent flirting, she knew why Sythe had chosen them. Harper was still wary about a few of his brothers, especially Kace and Jax, but he’d assured her they were big softies beneath their hard exterior. Way, way beneath.

“You’re making me nervous,” she said, looking around her surroundings. It wasn’t somewhere she was familiar with, the late afternoon glow making everything seem calm and lazy.

“Nervous, huh?” He wiggled his eyebrows, stopping at a red light. “Darling, if you need me to pull over and help you relax, all you have to do is ask.”

Harper laughed, and Sythe glowed at the sound. She scratched along his stubbled jaw, pulling his head down for a quick kiss. Intimacy was coming slowly to her, but she was learning.

“Careful, or we may not get to our next destination.”

“Empty promises, Mr Edwards.” Harper pulled back, smiling up at the man who’d given her everything. There’d been no pressure when she’d been released from the hospital after a few weeks. No disappointment or resentment. Nothing but support for every decision she made.

He didn’t argue when she said she couldn’t move in with him, explaining that she needed her space. He simply helped her choose a place to rent and then filled it with over a thousand red roses. He didn’t complain when she angrily cried during her rehab. He helped her through it until her body had repaired and she’d regained her strength. He didn’t belittle her when she mourned Wyatt, knowing that her emotions were complicated. There were good memories, even if they were mostly tarnished by the bad.

He hadn’t brought up their mating once, even though she felt the delicious warmth in her chest. She wasn’t sure what he was waiting for, but she was grateful that he gave her time to figure out what she wanted. What she needed.

Her whole life had been planned. Every meeting. Everything she ate. Even everything she wore. Becoming independent and making her own decisions was important, but also terrifying. She worried she’d change from one cage to another, seeking comfort in what she knew. But Sythe was there, guiding her as much as she allowed. For that, she was grateful, because for the first time since she could remember, she wasn’t truly alone.

“Come on, it’s just around the corner.” He pulled back into the traffic. “Maybe next time I’ll let you drive.”

Harper pursed her lips. “Maybe not.”

Sythe snorted. “Don’t worry, I’m an excellent teacher. The last time was just a hiccup.”

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