Page 43 of Saving Meri

She forced herself to breathe, to slow the rush of her pulse. She had done what needed to be done. She had stood her ground. She had taken her shot. And yet, the weight pressing down on her didn’t lift.

Because this wasn’t just about survival anymore. It wasn’t about escaping. It was about what came next.

The sound of boots behind her, deliberate and sure, warned her he was coming only a moment before a warm hand closedaround her wrist, spinning her into a solid chest. She didn’t resist, didn’t fight the way Bear wrapped himself around her, his arms banding tight as if making sure she was still there, still whole.

He smelled like gunpowder and blood and something uniquely him, something grounding. She knew she would remember that scent forever. His hands traced over her arms, her back, checking for wounds even though he already knew she was unharmed.

“It’s done, little one,” he murmured against her temple, voice rough, steady. “You’re safe.”

Safe.

The word sent something sharp and unfamiliar through her chest. She had never felt safe—not truly. Even before they took her, before the nightmare began, she never felt untouchable, never felt safe without anticipating trouble.

Now, there was nothing left to run from. No one left to fight. No threat lurking in the dark, waiting to pull her back into the abyss.

Her fingers curled into his shirt. “I don’t know what that means.”

Bear’s grip tightened, his breath a steady, grounding presence against her hair. “It means you don’t have to look over your shoulder anymore. No more running. No more hiding.”

Her chest squeezed. “Then what am I supposed to do?”

Bear pulled back just enough to tilt her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. “You live.”

A sharp, unsteady breath slipped past her lips. “I don’t know how.”

His eyes softened, but his grip didn’t. “Then I’ll teach you.”

Meri searched his face, trying to find something to hold on to, some way to ground herself in the reality of what came next. Bear had pulled her out of hell, but he had also givenher purpose. Given her something to fight against, something to push against when everything else felt too much.

Without that fight, she wasn’t sure what remained of her. Bear seemed to read her thoughts, because his grip shifted, his fingers sliding around her throat, firm but not restrictive, just enough to remind her who she was. Who she belonged to.

“You’re mine, little one,” he murmured. “You don’t have to figure this out alone.”

Her pulse jumped. The reassurance shouldn’t have settled her, shouldn’t have made her knees weaken. But it did. Because Bear wasn’t just offering safety. He was offering himself. His dominance. Control. Structure. A steady hand to guide her through whatever came next.

Meri swallowed hard. “And if I don’t know what I want?”

Bear’s expression didn’t change, his thumb brushing along the curve of her jaw. “Then you let me decide until you do.”

Her breath caught, her fingers flexing against his chest. Could it really be that simple? Could she really let go of the fear, of the endless loop of fight-or-flight that had ruled her for so long? Could she really let someone else shoulder the burden for a while?

Could she trust him with this—this last, fragile piece of herself that she hadn’t even fully acknowledged until now?

She wasn’t sure, but Bear was.

His grip on her chin tightened slightly, just enough to refocus her. “I’ve got you, little one.”

Her throat went tight. “You always say that.”

“And I always mean it.”

The words settled into something deep inside her, something she hadn’t let herself believe until now. The nightmare was over. But the next chapter? That was something entirely unknown.

11

BEAR

Several Weeks Later

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