Page 10 of His Lost Mate

“Get some sleep,” he said gruffly, standing abruptly and moving to the cave entrance.

Phoebe watched him go, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Goodnight, Jonah.”

He didn’t respond, but his heart ached as he settled into his watch, her words echoing in his mind. Maybe this time, he would get it right.

He didn’t know if he could. But he knew he’d die trying.

5

PHOEBE

Phoebe sat cross-legged near the dying embers of the fire, her jacket pulled tightly around her shoulders to ward off the early morning chill. Her ribs ached, her arm throbbed, and her body begged for rest, but her mind refused to comply. Instead, her focus drifted to Jonah, standing just outside the cave’s entrance like a statue carved from the mountain itself.

He hadn’t moved much since he’d taken his position hours ago, his broad shoulders outlined against the faint light of the predawn sky. His head was tilted slightly, listening for sounds that didn’t belong, his posture radiating the kind of calm vigilance that came from years of practice. Phoebe couldn’t tear her eyes away.

There was something in the way he stood—rigid yet unshakable—that fascinated her. She’d seen men in control before, but Jonah’s control wasn’t about appearances. It wasn’t a mask to hide fear or insecurity. It was something deeper, something unyielding. She envied it as much as it unnerved her.

“Are you going to stare all night?” Jonah’s voice broke the quiet, his tone low and steady. He didn’t turn around.

Phoebe flushed, caught off guard. “How did you?—?”

“You’re not exactly subtle,” he interrupted, finally glancing over his shoulder. His eyes locked on hers, pinning her in place. “Something on your mind?”

She hesitated, the weight of his gaze making her pulse quicken. “You’ve been out there for hours. Don’t you ever rest or get cold?”

Jonah smiled faintly, his lips curving just enough to soften his otherwise hard features. “Someone has to keep watch. You’re not exactly in fighting shape.”

Phoebe rolled her eyes, though her chest tightened at the reminder of her injuries. “I didn’t ask for a babysitter.”

“No, you didn’t,” he said, his smile fading as his expression turned serious. “But you got one anyway.”

She bristled at his tone, her pride pricked. “I can take care of myself.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Jonah replied, his voice edged with dry amusement. He turned back toward the forest, his shoulders tensing slightly as he scanned the horizon. “You’re good, I’ll give you that. But you’re not out here by choice. I am.”

Phoebe opened her mouth to argue but stopped herself, her gaze lingering on his back. There it was again, that wall he carried so effortlessly. He wasn’t just keeping her safe—he was keeping her at a distance.

And she hated how much that bothered her.

“Why do you do that?” she asked, her voice softer now.

Jonah glanced at her again, his brow furrowing. “Do what?”

“Shut people out.” She gestured vaguely toward him, frustration creeping into her tone. “You act like the world’s your responsibility, but God forbid anyone gets too close.”

His eyes narrowed, and she thought he might snap back. Instead, he took a slow breath, turning fully to face her. “You’re assuming I have anyone to shut out.”

The quiet way he said it made her stomach twist. She recognized the loneliness in his words, the kind she’d spent years burying beneath her own walls. It was a strange thing, to see her reflection in someone like Jonah—a man so different, so maddeningly self-sufficient. But the connection was there, undeniable and unsettling.

“Maybe you don’t,” she said carefully. “But you’re still doing it to me.”

Jonah’s jaw tightened, his gaze searching hers for something she wasn’t sure she could give. “Why does that matter to you?”

The question caught her off guard, and she hesitated. She didn’t have an answer—or at least not one she wanted to admit. “I don’t know,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. “Maybe because it feels like I’m not the only one carrying around too much.”

For a long moment, Jonah didn’t move. The tension in the air thickened, and Phoebe felt her heart racing as he stepped closer, his broad frame looming over her. Bending down so they were eye level, his intense blue gaze locking onto hers.

“You think you’ve got me figured out?” he asked quietly, his voice a low rumble.

---