Page 53 of Rescued

The hum of the tires on the asphalt fills the cab, a steady rhythm that doesn’t quite match the tension crackling between us. Mika’s been quiet for a while now, staring out the windshield like he’s trying to seethrough the miles ahead. I can’t push him—not when I know the weight he’s carrying—but damn, I want to.

“Mika,” I say softly, my hand resting on his thigh. His head turns just a fraction, those dark eyes darting toward me.Talk to me,I think, half wishing he could hear the thought.

He sighs, his shoulders dropping like I’ve pulled some invisible string. “You want to know about Zane, don’t you?”

I nod, keeping my gaze steady on him. “Only if you want to tell me.”

For a moment, he just watches the road. Then, like a dam breaking, the words start spilling out. “Zane wasn’t a bad alpha. That’s what makes this so fucking complicated. He wasn’t cruel or vindictive. He didn’t go out of his way to hurt me. But when the pack found out I was gay, he didn’t stop them, either.”

My stomach twists at the way his voice breaks on the last word. “What did he do?”

“He called me to his cabin,” Mika says, the words tense, clipped. “He told me the pack needed stability, and I wasn’t worth the risk. That he couldn’t have my…my ‘lifestyle’ causing division.”

“Bastard,” I mutter before I can stop myself.

Mika shakes his head, a bitter laugh escaping him. “It wasn’t that simple. He thought he was protecting the pack. Sacrificing me for the greater good. He even had the nerve to say it wasn’t personal.”

“Not personal?” My voice rises, anger sparking in my chest. “It sounds personal as hell to me.”

He glances at me, his lips twitching into something that’s not quite a smile. “Yeah, it sure felt that way.”

Silence stretches between us for a moment, heavy with unspoken words. I tighten my grip on his leg, my fingers brushing against the worn fabric of his jeans. “Mika, you didn’t deserve that. None of it.”

“I know that now,” he says quietly. “But back then? I let him convince me I wasn’t worth fighting for.”

Something in his tone cracks me open. I ask him to pull the truck off onto the shoulder, and as the wheels crunch against gravel I turn to him. “You listen to me, Mika Blackwell. You are worth fighting for. Zane was wrong—dead wrong—and so was anyone else who couldn’t see that.”

His gaze locks on mine, and for a moment, I see something shift in his expression. Like he’s letting the words sink in, maybe even believing them.

“I’ve got you now,” I add, my voice steady, even as my chest feels too heavy. “And I’m not letting you go.”

He leans into my touch, “Thank you, Gabe,” he murmurs.

“Don’t thank me,” I say, brushing my thumb along his jaw. “I know you’re tense, love, but it’ll be okay,” I say, trying to reassure him.My words hang in the air for a beat, and I rethink them. “Well, it’s not like your pack can kill us or anything. Right?” A ripple of unease hits me as I realize I probably should’ve asked that before we started this trip.

Mika barks out a laugh, the sound sharp and short. His hand squeezes mine. “No, no, they wouldn’t do something like that, most likely,” he says, though his tone carries a hint of something darker. “I suppose there’s always a chance Zane might try to kick my ass.”

I snap my head toward him, wide-eyed. “What the hell do you mean, ‘most likely’?” My voice rises in pitch as my stomach flips. “I don’t want to hear a ‘most likely’ in a sentence like that!”Damn it, this really was a stupid idea.

Mika lifts my hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to my knuckles. “Relax, babe,” he murmurs. “I only meant that if there were a fight for the alpha position, I’m pretty sure Zane would lose.” He cuts me off with a sharp look before I can launch into another panic-fueled rant.“There won’t be a fight, Gabe. A challenge for leadership only happens when both parties want to be in charge. I don’t want that. Never have. Most likely, we’ll just get some disgusted stares and rude comments.”

He grins, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why he looks like he’s actually enjoying the thought of getting harassed.What the hell?

“Um, why does that idea make you look happy? That’s just bent, dude.” I narrow my eyes at him, but I admit I prefer the grin to the anxious, sad look he was wearing earlier.

“It’s not that I’m looking forward to it,” he says, his grin stretching wider. “I don’t want you subjected to any of it, trust me. But if something does happen, I know you’re going to unwind on their asses, and that is a sight I would dearly love to see.”

The low heat in his voice sends sparks straight to my groin, and I shift in my seat, trying to ignore the way my body reacts.Damn it, we’re a couple of horndogs—or is it a horndog and a hornwolf? I snort quietly. That doesn’t sound right at all. Maybe I’ll workshop it later.

“So, let me get this straight,” I say, trying to focus on his words rather than the simmering heat between us. “You like the idea of me getting harassed, losing my temper, and probably getting my ass kicked in the process?” I arch a brow, giving him my best skeptical look.

Mika’s laughter fills the cab, low and rich. “No one’s going to kick your ass, Gabriel,” he says, his voice dropping an octave. “Not while I’m here. But watching you go all fiery on someone would be…hot.”

The way he says it makes my stomach flip again, but this time it’s from something entirely different. My lips twitch into a reluctant smile. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

He hums, his hand stroking mine gently. “And you’re mine. So, yeah, I know.”

I stare at him for a long moment, feeling something deep and unshakable settle in my chest. He’s mine too, no question about it.

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