Jace sat in the backseat, quiet but alert. His eyes didn’t leave the road ahead, like he was memorizing every turn, every landmark—like he was making sure this wasn’t a dream that would vanish if he blinked too long. Fifteen, but already carrying more than most grown men. He didn’t trust easily. Not promises. Not places. Not people.
But he trusted Kat. And he was trying to trust me.
Koda, on the other hand, was full of bounce. “Daddy Wolf,” he said, kicking his little boots against the seat. “Do the clubhouse got snacks? Like the cheesy ones?” I chuckled. “We’ll find out soon, little man.”
Jace didn’t smile, but his shoulders eased just a little. He was watching. Measuring. Protecting.
Kat just smiled, her hand resting on my thigh like she’d finally exhaled.
She wasn’t mad anymore. No
