Page 105 of In Control

“No, Esra, I’m fine.”

Relief floods through my body.

Relief.

Goddamn relief.

How did I get so lucky?

How did I get so lucky a second time?

I cradle her close. I kiss her temple and her cheeks. I whisper her name. I tell her how sorry I am. I tell her what a fool I’ve been. I tell her I’ve been in love with her all along.

Then my eyes drift shut and I float away.

25

Esra

I wakein a room so white and gleaming, I lift my arm to shield my eyes, wires tugging under my skin when I do.

Is this …?

I blink.

“Esra?”

I turn my head and find Sophia and Gabe crammed together on a chair, their faces anxious.

“Where am I?”

“The hospital, Alpha,” Gabe says, reaching towards me and brushing hair from my face. “They had to stitch up a stab wound. Seems you and I now have matching scars.”

“A little bit extreme,” Sophia says, smiling, and I feel her fingers coiled around mine. “Couldn’t you have gotten matching tattoos like every normal couple?”

“You should know by now, we are anything but normal.” Gabe bumps her shoulder with his. “How do you feel, big guy?”

“Fuck knows,” I croak, my throat parched. I assume I should feel like shit. But maybe it’s whatever drugs they’ve pumped into me, or maybe it’s the sight of Gabe and Sophia sitting there beside me, but I feel light-headed and fucking giddy.

“Where are the others?”

“Talking to the authorities. You know Roman does have his uses. They were ready to haul your arse off to the lock-up, but there’s nothing like a sweet-talking lawyer to save the day.”

“Am I under arrest?” I frown.

Gabe leans forward and strokes his fingers over the crease in my brow. “No, Alpha. You’re not. They have the whole story now.”

But I realise I don’t.

I peer at Sophia. There’s blood smeared across her cheek and her hair is a tangle around her face. “What happened?” I ask her, squeezing her hand.

“The poor thing’s already had to repeat the horror story countless times already today, Es.”

“It’s fine,” Soph says, blue eyes not leaving mine. “He was there in my apartment when I got home. He took me by surprise. I woke up in his mansion with him rambling some deluded shit about us being together.”

“They think he gassed or drugged her or something,” Gabe adds.

I growl and Sophia smiles.

---