THERESA
The SUV rumbled beneath us as we sped away from Alpine Snow Pack. The tension in the car was still thick, even though we’d escaped. None of us were naïve enough to believe we were in the clear yet.
I stared out the window, my thoughts a tangled mess of exhaustion, grief, and the strange, magnetic pull I could feel radiating from beside me.
Nikolai.
He hadn’t let go of my hand since he first reached for it. His grip was firm, grounding, but not demanding. Like he was silently telling me: I’m here. I’ve got you. You’re safe now.
Cutting through the conversations and murmurs, Tyce announced, “Alright, we’re stopping at the hotel and we’ll regroup there while Liam figures out when we can head home.”
Once we parked, everyone scrambled out of the car while Tyce went inside to arran
