Page 51 of Rescue Me

I grin up at him, my heart swelling in my chest. “You love it.”

He doesn’t argue, just squeezes my hand and rests his head against the back of the seat. For a while, we sit like that, the car humming softly around us, the world outside a blur. But it’s not enough. I can’t get close enough.

By the time we’re halfway home, I’ve shifted into his lap, my knees bracketing his thighs as I cling to him like a lifeline. His hands settle on my hips, steadying me, and I press my forehead to his, our breaths mingling in the small space between us.

“I missed you,” I whisper, my voice trembling with the weight of everything I’m feeling. “I missed you so much, Reid. I love you.”

His eyes widen and for a moment, he just stares at me like he’s trying to figure out if he heard me right. “You love me?” he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I do,” I say, my hands cupping his face. “I’ve loved you since before we even met. I smelled you, Reid. Sandalwood and almond. I’ve smelled you in my dreams, in my waking moments, long before you were here. You’ve always been mine.”

His lips part and then he smiles—a real, honest smile that lights up his entire face as he leans forward to press a kiss to my forehead. “I like the sound of that,” he says softly. “I really like the sound of that.”

I beam, my heart pounding in my chest, and I press another kiss to his lips, this one softer, slower. He sighs into the embrace, his hands tightening on my hips, and for a moment, everything else fades away.

When we finally pull back, his eyes are filled with happiness as he brushes a stray curl out of my face. “Give me time,” he says. “I’m falling in love with you, Ethan. I am. I just need a little more time to catch up.”

I nod, my throat tight with emotion. “Take all the time you need,” I whisper. “I’ll wait. As long as it takes.”

“Thank you,” he says, his forehead resting against mine. “For being patient. For being... you.”

The car slows as Zana pulls into the driveway, and I feel a pang of disappointment that the ride is over. But as I look into Reid’s eyes and see the flicker of hope and happiness that wasn’t there before, I know we’re exactly where we’re meant to be. Together.

Chapter thirty-one

JACKSON

The beer in my hand is lukewarm, the condensation long gone, but I keep drinking it anyway. Not because I want to, but because if I don’t, I might pick up the bottle and hurl it across the room. The house is too quiet. Not the kind of peaceful silence that soothes after a long day, but the kind that grates, buzzing in my ears like static.

Lyle’s upstairs with Hailey, trying to calm her down for the third time today. She’s been inconsolable since Reid left, sobbing about betrayal and abandonment, about how “she gave everything” and Reid just threw it back in her face. But what about what we gave? What about what I built? Reid didn’t just leave; he’s going to tear apart everything I’ve worked for, everything I’ve sacrificed to keep this pack intact.

I slam the bottle down on the table, the sound cutting through the silence. How dare he? How fuckingdarehe?

We took him in when no one else would. We gave him purpose, a place. And this is how he repays us? Walking out the door like he’s too good for us?

The thought makes my blood boil, my nails digging into the wood of the kitchen table. He is just a Beta. ABeta.He was supposed to know his place, to follow orders, to do what he was told. It wasn’t complicated. He wasn’t asked to run the world, just to keep the wheels turning in this house.

And Hailey—our Omega—needed him. She needed someone to clean up her messes, to anticipate her needs. That’s the whole damn reason we brought him in. Hailey was...is...a handful. She’s emotional, sensitive, hard to manage sometimes. But she’sours.She’s our responsibility and Reid knew that when he signed the contract. He knew what he was getting into.

Except he didn’t, did he? Because Reid never signed it.

The realization settles over me like a lead blanket, heavier with each passing second. I rub my temples, trying to drown out the memory of his smug face in this very room.

My jaw clenches, and I shove the thought away. It doesn’t matter now. What matters is that Reid is gone, Hailey is a wreck, and the pack is falling apart because ofhim.So what if Hailey bent the truth a little to get what she wanted? She’s our Omega. She’s allowed to take what she needs, what she wants, what shedesires.

Reid didn’t understand that. He never did.

And now, thanks to his dramatics, we’re under a microscope. No one will truly be able to prove what happened in this house, I’ve made sure of it but we’ll have to go through the entire damn process again to find another pack Beta that will bend to our will.

I snatch the beer off the table and take another swig, grimacing at the taste. He’ll get comfortable, I tell myself. Too comfortable. Reid’s always been too soft, too trusting. He thinks he’s safe now, but he’s wrong. He’ll slip up and when he does, I’ll be waiting. Because this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs pulls me out of my thoughts and I look up to see Lyle standing in the doorway. His face is tight, his shoulders tense. “She’s asleep,” he says quietly, like that’s supposed to mean something to me. He sinks into the chair across from me. His elbows hit the table, and he leans forward, hands clasped together so tightly his knuckles turn white.

I don’t respond, just glare at him until he shifts uncomfortably. “Look,” he starts, running a hand through his hair. “This isn’t ideal, but we can spin this. We always do.”

“Spin this?” I bark out a bitter laugh, the sound harsh even to my own ears. “Reid torched us, Lyle. He didn’t just leave—he burned everything on his way out.” He hasn’t yet but there will be some damage control to deal with. Everyone will ask what’s going on as we start searching for a new Beta. The allegations will get out but we’ll nip in the bud.

Lyle flinches but doesn’t argue. Instead, he just stands there, staring at me like he expects me to have all the answers. Like I’m supposed to fix this mess.

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