We stared at each other across her desk. The tension between protection and independence. Between love and respect. It was a balance we had been struggling with since we mated.
"Owen, I love that you want to protect me. But I need you to also respect that I am capable of protecting myself. That I survived a war and multiple tortures and a soul sacrifice. I am not fragile."
"I know you are not fragile. But you are precious. To me. To this coalition. To every supernatural being who needs a Healer Alpha. Losing you would be devastating in ways I cannot fully express."
Mary stood up and walked around the desk to where I sat. She cupped my face in her hands and looked into my eyes.
"You are not going to lose me. Not to dark magic users. Not to Covenant remnants. Not to anything. I am too st
