Page 66 of Ranger's Justice

Rush finally speaks. “No mistakes. No loose ends.”

A heavy silence settles over the table as we all absorb what that really means. No one in that estate walks away. And for the first time since this all started, I don’t hesitate. I don’t flinch. I simply nod. Hollister dies. End of story.

The meeting wraps up just before sunset, the tension still hanging thick in the air as the team disperses. The team checks and re-checks their gear, initiating final preparations. We leave the day after tomorrow.

I step outside, needing the cool air, needing to clear my head. Deep oranges and purples paint the sky, and the first sliver of the moon begins to rise over the trees.

I hear him before I see him. Rush steps onto the porch, his presence wrapping around me like a living thing. He says nothing at first, just leans against the railing, watching the horizon.

“You should be resting,” he says finally.

I smile serenely. “I’m not tired. Fact is, I can’t remember when I last felt this good.”

He turns, and for the first time since this whole thing started, I see something different in his eyes. A question. A challenge.

“You’re not scared,” he murmurs, studying me.

It’s not a question, but I answer anyway. “No.”

His gaze sharpens. “Not of the fight. Of this.”

I know exactly what he means. The claiming bite. The bond humming beneath my skin, the tether tying me to him in ways I don’t fully understand.

Rush steps closer, his fingers brushing my wrist, his touch sending a jolt of heat through me. “You can’t possibly understand all of this, and you don’t have to—not now, not all at once.” His voice drops, rough and raw. “You just have to feel it.”

I shiver. “Rush…”

“Come with me.”

He doesn’t wait for my answer, just grips my hand and tugs me toward the woods that surround the house. I follow. The deeper we go into the trees, the more I feel it—the strange pull in my chest, the way the night air feels electric against my skin. Rush stops in a clearing, the rising moon casting long silver streaks through the branches. He turns to face me, his expression unreadable.

“Do you trust me?”

I swallow hard. “Yeah.”

“Then let go.”

I blink. “What?”

His lips twitch. “Just accept the bond and let it permeate every part of your being. Stop fighting what’s already inside you.” He steps closer, gripping my waist. “Stop thinking. Let go.”

My breath hitches as his hands slide up my arms, his warmth sinking into my skin.

“How?” I whisper.

Rush grins, his lips brushing my ear. “I’ll show you.”

And then he moves. One second, he’s standing in front of me, the next—lightning, thunder, color. Mist. That same crackle of energy I’ve seen before, only this time, I feel it. The air thickens, the space around him warping, twisting—until Rush is no longer a man but a massive wolf, his golden eyes locking onto mine.

My heart pounds. Not in fear. In awe.

He’s beautiful.

He pads forward, nudging his massive head against my stomach, his fur soft beneath my fingers. My chest tightens, something deep inside me stirring, clawing its way to the surface.

I gasp, stumbling back, heat blooming in my veins, my vision swimming… and then it hits. I can see her in my mind’s eye—my wolf. A sharp, shattering sensation ripples through me, not painful but all-consuming. The world tilts, colors bleeding together, my body stretching, shifting… and then I’m running.

The trees blur past me; the wind rushing over my fur, my senses sharper, my body lighter. My paws hit the earth in a steady rhythm, the night alive with scents I never noticed before. Rush runs beside me, his massive form moving effortlessly through the darkness, his presence a steady anchor, guiding me, pushing me faster.

---