Page 80 of Rogue’s Reckoning

"Ezra, please," Willow whimpers, her hips rocking against mine. "I need you."

I enter her slowly, savoring every sensation. Willow gasps, her nails digging into my back. For a moment, we're both still, overwhelmed by the intensity of our connection.

Then I begin to move, setting a slow, deep rhythm. Willow matches me thrust for thrust, her legs wrapping around my waist to pull me closer.

"God, Willow," I groan, burying my face in her neck. "You feel so good."

She responds with a breathy moan, her hands roaming over my back and shoulders. I can feel her getting close, her inner muscles starting to flutter around me.

I pick up the pace, driving into her harder and faster. Willow cries out, her back arching off the bed. "Ezra, I'm going to?—"

"Let go, Little Flower," I urge her. "Come for me."

With a final cry, Willow shatters beneath me, her release triggering my own. I groan her name as I come, holding her tight against me.

As we lay there afterward, tangled in the sheets and each other, I feel a sense of peace wash over me. This is where I belong. With Willow in my arms, our daughter safe and sound.

"I love you," I murmur, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Willow looks up at me, her eyes shining. "I love you too, Ezra," she whispers. "I never stopped."

As we drift off to sleep, I can't help but feel like everything is finally falling into place. The danger is past, and we have our whole lives ahead of us.

But even as I hold Willow close, that nagging feeling of unease returns. Something tells me this isn't over yet. Not by a long shot.

TWENTY-SIX

WILLOW

The warm afternoon sun beats down as I watch Wren playing in the clubhouse yard. She's running around, her laughter ringing out across the lot. It's a sound that never fails to warm my heart.

As I sit on a nearby bench watching her, my mind drifts to last night. On Ezra's return, he was a little bruised but relatively okay. I think of the way he looked at me, his eyes full of love and desire, and remember how his hands felt on my skin. God, he made me feel so alive.

A blush creeps up my cheeks at the memory. It had been so long since I'd been with anyone. But it felt right. Like coming home after years of wandering.

"Mama, look!" Wren calls out, drawing my attention. She's made a daisy chain, and she’s holding it up proudly for me to see.

"It's beautiful, Little Bird," I call back with a smile.

As Wren returns to her play, I can't help but admire how much has changed in such a short time. Just a few weeks ago, the thought of being back here, of letting Ezra back into our lives, would have terrified me. Now, it feels like the most natural thing in the world.

The club is in Church now, discussing what happened last night and planning their next moves. Part of me wishes I could be in there with them, to know exactly what's going on. But another part is grateful for this moment of peace, watching our daughter play without a care in the world.

Still, I can't shake the feeling that this isn't over. Ezra said Lochlann is dead, that the Shadow Hawks are finished. So why do I still feel on edge?

Maybe it's just old habits die hard. After years of looking over my shoulder, of being ready to run at a moment's notice, it's hard to believe we're truly safe.

Or maybe... maybe it's something else. A sixth sense telling me there's still danger lurking just out of sight.

I shake my head, trying to dispel these dark thoughts. We're safe now. Ezra promised me that. And after everything, I choose to believe him.

As I watch Wren play, her face alight with joy, I make a silent vow. Whatever comes next, whatever challenges we might face, we'll face them together. As a family.

Because that's what we are now. A family. Ezra, Wren, and me. It might not be conventional, and it certainly isn't perfect. But it's ours.

And I'll be damned if I let anyone take it away from us again.

My heart stops as I see the black sedan pull into the lot. There's nothing particularly remarkable about it, but something sets off alarm bells in my head. A chill runs down my spine as the car comes to a stop.

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