Page 25 of Pumpkin Patch Pack
“We’ll deal with that if it happens. She typically seems to have her situation under control.” Liam says firmly. “Until then, we give her space.”
I nod, knowing he’s right, hating that he’s right.
Every alpha instinct in me is demanding I march over to her cottage, check that she’s eating properly, that she’s safe, that she knows she has protection if she needs it. The rational part of my brain knows that’s precisely the kind of behavior that would send her running.
The alpha part doesn’t give a damn about rational.
“What’s gotten into me, Liam?” I ask quietly. “I’ve known her for less than a month, and even before I knew she was ours—I want…” I trail off, not entirely sure what I want. Or rather,knowing precisely what I want but not articulating it without sounding like a possessive alphahole.
“You want her to feel safe here,” Liam finishes for me. “You want her to love this place like we do. To stay.”
“Yes.” This simple word encompasses so much more. I want her smile to come more easily. I want to hear her laugh without restraint. I don’t want her to look over her shoulder and flinch at sudden movements.
I want her to beours.
Liam watches me, “We wait,” he says. Show her she can trust us, that we’re not like whatever… or whoever she’s running from,” he finishes on a growl.
“And if she still chooses to leave?”
The question hurts, but I need to hear him say it.
“We… we let her go.” The words sound dragged from him, rough with reluctance. “That’s what respecting her means.”
“I’m not sure I could do that,” I say.
“We don’t have a choice,” Liam answers. “Can’t force her; it’ll only make her run.”
I exhale slowly, knowing he’s right and hating it. I am also grateful for his steady presence and moral compass, which has always been stronger than mine.
“You’re a good man, Liam,” I tell him.
He shrugs, uncomfortable with the praise as always.
We fall into a companionable silence as he finishes with the pony. My mind drifts back to Emma—her pale face, the shadows under her eyes, like when she first arrived. Over the last two weeks, her cheeks have filled in, and there has been a brighter ease in how she conducts herself. I could have sworn she was starting to feel more comfortable here. Something is wrong beyond just failing suppressants. She’s scared, and not just of us discovering her secret.
“What if she’s in some kind of trouble?” I say finally. “More than just hiding her designation.”
Liam nods slowly. “Wondered that, myself. The way she watches the entrance when staff arrive. How she tenses when strangers get too close.”
“She’s running from someone,” I conclude, the protective instinct flaring again. “Someone she’s afraid of.”
“If that’s true,” Liam says carefully, “we need to be even more careful. Give her no reason to run.”
“And if whoever she’s running from comes looking?”
Liam’s expression hardens, a glimpse of the fierce protector beneath his quiet exterior. “Then they’ll have to go through us.”
“Agreed,” I say, feeling slightly better. “I should check the books,” I say, straightening. “Distract myself.”
Liam nods, understanding my need for mundane tasks to occupy my mind. “I’ll be here if you need me.”
As I leave the barn, I glance towards Emma’s cottage. The windows are dark now, curtains drawn. Is she sleeping? Still in pain? The urge to check on her is a physical pull, but I force myself to turn away.
Respect her boundaries,I remind myself.Give her space.
But as I walk back to the main house, her scent still lingers in my memory, and I know—with bone-deep certainty—that no amount of distance or distraction will allow me to forget.
She is our mate, whether she knows it yet or not.
