Page 14 of His Relentless Mate

A heavy silence settled between them as they continued working, both lost in their own thoughts. The sun was beginning to set by the time they finished, the light casting long shadows across the now-cleaned pub. Annika wiped her hands on her jeans, her heart heavy with the weight of everything that had happened.

“Thank you,” Trace said quietly, breaking the silence. “For helping. For being here.”

Annika nodded; her throat tight with emotion. “You don’t have to thank me, Trace. I’d like to think we’re still friends—that maybe time has given us the grace to see the past differently.”

They stood there for a moment, the air between them charged with unspoken words, with the weight of their shared history. And then, as if unable to resist the pull any longer, Trace reached out, his hand brushing against hers. The simple touch sent a jolt of electricity through her, and she looked up at him, her breath catching at the intensity in his gaze.

“What did I tell you two about a room?” Tricia teased, making Trace’s sister laugh.

But just as quickly as the moment had come, it was overshadowed by the realities of their situation, by the danger that lurked just beyond the edges of their newfound connection.

“I should go,” Annika said, her voice thick with the effort of pulling away. “We’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

Trace nodded, his hand falling back to his side. “Yeah. We’ll catch up later.”

But as she turned to leave, Annika couldn’t shake the feeling that they had missed another opportunity, another chance to bridge the gap between them. The guilt and uncertainty lingered, a constant reminder of the choices they had made, and the consequences they were now living with.

That evening, after the sun had set and the town had settled into the quiet stillness of night, Annika found herself standing outside Trace’s house. She hadn’t planned on coming here, but after the events of the day, she needed to see him, to talk to him. There was too much left unsaid between them, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that time was running out.

She hesitated for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest as she raised her hand to knock on the door. But before she could, the door swung open, and there was Trace, his expression a mix of surprise and something else—something that made her breath catch in her throat.

“Annika,” he said, his voice soft, as if her name was something precious on his lips. “What are you doing here?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I just… I needed to see you.”

Trace stepped aside, gesturing for her to come in. “You’re always welcome here, Annika. I hope you know that.”

She stepped into the warmth of his home, the familiar scent of wood and earth surrounding her as she crossed the threshold. Trace closed the door behind her, and for a moment, they stood there in silence, the weight of their unspoken words filling the space between them.

“I’ve been thinking,” Annika said finally, her voice trembling slightly as she struggled to find the right words. “About everything. About us. About what happened back then.”

Trace’s expression softened, and he took a step closer, his gaze locking onto hers. “Me, too. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, actually.”

There was a pause, and in that moment, Annika felt the distance between them shrinking, the walls they had built around themselves slowly crumbling away. She took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest as she took the plunge.

“Maybe if things had been different,” she began, her voice unsteady, “maybe we could have?—”

But before she could finish, Trace closed the remaining distance between them, his hand cupping her cheek as he leaned in. His lips met hers in a kiss that was both tender and urgent, as if he was trying to convey everything he felt, everything he had never been able to say.

Annika melted into the kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck as she pulled him closer. The heat between them flared to life, burning away the doubts, the guilt, the uncertainty. In that moment, nothing else mattered but the feel of his body against hers, the taste of his lips, the steady beat of his heart beneath her hand.

When they finally pulled apart, both breathless, Trace rested his forehead against hers, his voice husky with emotion. “I never stopped loving you, Annika. Not for a single day. It nearly killed me when you wouldn’t take my calls, and you returned my letters and blocked me on email.”

Tears welled in her eyes at his words, the truth of them sinking deep into her heart. “I’m sorry. I was so young…”

“So was I.”

She nodded. “I know. I never stopped loving you, either, Trace. I tried to move on, but… I never really did.”

They stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, as the night stretched on around them, the outside world forgotten in the face of the love they were rediscovering. But even as the warmth of their connection surrounded her, Annika couldn’t shake the feeling that this moment of peace, of happiness, was fragile—like a bubble that could burst at any moment.

Because there were still so many unanswered questions, so many dangers lurking in the shadows. And while they had found each other again, they were also racing against time to solve the mystery that had brought them back together.

But for now, in this moment, Annika allowed herself to simply be with Trace, to hold onto the love that had never truly left them. And that was enough.

For now.

Chapter Eight

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