Because now isn’t the time.
She and Hollis had time. She tore open the blister pack and poured the small blue pill into her hand. It lay there, so blue and bold it made her skin crawl. Her wolf growled. She was not happy. As far as she was concerned, this was wrong.
This wasn’t her world. She believed in magic and fate and destiny. This, taking this, went against everything she believed in.
The thump of her heart was audible. A light sweat broke out on her upper lip. The longer she stared at it, the more certain she became that this was the right choice. She tossed it into the toilet before she could change her mind.
With a flush, the water swirled and the pill disappeared.
She shoved the wrapping into the box, tossed it into the trash, and stared at her reflection.
Her wolf was happy.
She sucked in a deep, cleansing breath and leaned heavily against the counter, relief seeping into her bones and spirit.
Hollis would be, too—if the impossible happened—she had to believe that. No regrets. No going back. It was done. If it was meant to be, it was right.
She turned on the shower, waited for the water to warm, then stood under the jets until her tension eased. It would be a good day. As would all the days that followed. She’d been given a chance to truly live again, thanks to Hollis. Being his mate gave her purpose beyond Cyrus and the Others.
This was a new beginning. A mate.
And a pack. That realization had her wiping soap from her eyes. A pack. She’d been connected to them before, irrationally protective of Finn’s mate and children. Now she understood. Her wolf had known—they were her pack, they had always been her pack. And watching over them was what pack members did: take care of one another.
Dante would have a shit fit. She could imagine his face—and it made her burst out laughing.
Finn’s pack was strong in a way they had yet to realize. If only they could see themselves as they were. Strong, proud, warriors. Protectors. Defenders. Not the monsters they believed themselves to be. If they could own th
eir power and find pride in it, nothing could stop them. Or defeat them.
She climbed out of the shower to find Hollis leaning against the doorway.
“Something funny?” he asked, his gaze sweeping her from head to toe.
The smile on his face filled her with joy. And guilt. Dammit. Her gaze darted to the trash and the empty box. Unless she told him, he’d never know what she’d done. He’d made his position clear and she’d agreed. How could she explain why she’d thrown it away?
Thankfully, he was far too distracted by her nearly naked state. His gaze was nothing short of predatory. Her wolf approved.
“Good shower?” His words were gruff and deep. Delicious.
She nodded, running the towel over her short hair before dropping it on the ground. Her arms slid around his waist as she pressed her still wet body against his perfectly pressed and starched slacks and shirt. “You could have joined me.”
“I’m dressed.” He growled, staring down at her. “A requirement for leaving the hotel room.” His gaze settled on her lips.
“We’re leaving?” she asked, stretching.
“I’m rethinking.” His nostrils flared.
She loved the power she had over him. Loved the hunger he had for her. “No. The sooner you get your work done, the sooner I can have your full, undivided attention.”
He cleared his throat but didn’t argue. Instead, he sat on the edge of the bed and watched her dress. She played with him, making a production of sliding on her lacy G-string and matching bra—something she’d never have worn before now. But the look on his face was reward enough for her discomfort.
Until she found herself standing around his cold lab, growing more on edge with each passing moment. Since he was working on something other than the vaccine, she set aside her reservations and watched him work. He was proud of what he did here, and he should be. She’d read the framed articles that lined the halls of his building. RPR did cutting-edge research that led to truly groundbreakin g discoveries and vaccines he distributed globally. Hollis wasn’t just important to the pack, he was important to so many. She didn’t know how to feel about that. She respected him, admired him—but she wasn’t ready to share him.
Hollis was bent over his files, his tousled curls falling onto his forehead. How had this man become so important to her?
Some questions didn’t have answers, they just were.
The longer Hollis pored over his papers and numbers, the harder it was to ignore the hum in the air. The vault. Whatever was inside called to her. There were answers there, if she was brave enough to confront them.