The Pact Of Five

I LOVE YOU

THE PACT OF FIVE

CHAPTER 17: I LOVE YOU

Moonlight spills through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my bedroom, painting silver stripes across the dark wood floor and the rumpled sheets of my bed. The air is thick with the scent of jasmine and vanilla from my diffusers, mixed with something else—something *masculine.* Whiskey and sunlight. *Cole.*

I freeze in the doorway, my bare feet pressing into the plush rug. The bed is a mess of tangled sheets and pillows, and there, in the center of it all, is Cole. His golden hair is messy, his green eyes *wide* and *watchful* in the dim light. He’s shirtless, his chest bare, the sheets pooled around his waist. The sight of him—*in my bed*—sends a jolt of heat straight to my core.

His voice is soft, rough with sleep. "Took you long enough."

I swallow hard, my heart *hammering.* "What are you *doing* in my bed, Cole?"

He doesn’t smile. Doesn’t *joke.* His expression is *serious*, his gaze *intense.* "Waiting for you."

I take a step back, my voice shaking. "You can’t just—"

His hand lifts, patting the space beside him. "Come here, Lena."

I *should* turn around. Should *walk away.* Should *scream* for Daniel. But I don’t. I just stand there, my body *trembling,* my mind *racing.*

Because the truth is, I *want* to.

I take a step forward, then another, my bare feet silent on the rug. The closer I get, the more I can *smell* him—whiskey and sunlight and *Cole.* It’s intoxicating. Dangerous.

I stop at the edge of the bed, my hands gripping the wooden post. "This is a *bad* idea."

His smirk is *sad.* "When has that ever *stopped* us?"

I close my eyes, my voice a whisper. "*Cole...*"

His fingers brush my wrist, his touch *gentle*, *hesitant.* "I *need* to talk to you."

I open my eyes, my gaze locking onto his. And that’s when I see it—the *pain* in his eyes. The *fear.* The *love.*

I take a deep breath, then climb onto the bed, the sheets cool against my skin. I’m wearing one of my silk nightgowns, the fabric thin and sheer, and I can *feel* his eyes on me, *burning* into me.

He doesn’t *touch* me. Not yet. He just *watches* me, his voice a dark whisper. "I *broke* the pact, Lena."

I swallow hard. "*I know.*"

His jaw *clenches.* "I *kissed* you. And I *regret* it."

My heart *stops.* The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I pull back, my voice shaking. "*What?*"

His hand lifts, his fingers brushing my cheek, his thumb *catching* a tear I didn’t even realize had fallen. His touch is *tender*, but his voice is *raw.* "I *regret* that it was just a *kiss.*"

My breath *catches.* The words hang between us, heavy with *truth*, with *desire.* With *love.*

I close my eyes, my voice a whisper. "*Cole...*"

His fingers slide to my nape, pulling me closer, his breath hot against my ear. "I *love* you, Lena."

My breath *hitches.* The words are a *bomb*, a *revelation*, a *promise.* And the way he says it—like it’s the only truth that matters, like it’s the only thing he’s ever been *sure* of—makes my *world* tilt.

I pull back, my eyes searching his. "*Cole...*"

His other hand slides to my waist, his grip *firm*, grounding. "I’ve *loved* you for *years,* Lena. And every day, it gets *harder* to hide."

I swallow hard, my voice breaking. "*Why didn’t you say anything?*"

His jaw *clenches.* "Because of the *pact.* Because of *them.*" His voice drops to a whisper. "Because I was *scared.*"

I close my eyes, my voice a whisper. "*Of what?*"

His lips brush my forehead, his voice a dark caress. "Of *losing* you. Of *losing* them. Of *breaking* everything."

I open my eyes, my heart *hammering.* And that’s when I see it—the *tears* in his eyes. The *fear.* The *love.*

I take a shaky breath, my fingers tracing his jaw. "*Cole...* I—"

His fingers *tighten* on my waist, his voice a growl. "You don’t have to *say* it, Lena. I *know.*"

I shake my head, my voice a whisper. "*How?*"

His smirk is *sad.* "Because I *see* you, Lena. The *real* you. The girl who *laughs* with Micah and *fights* with Jax and *aches* for Knox and *trusts* Zane." His voice drops to a whisper. "The girl who *loves* me."

I close my eyes, my voice breaking. "*I do.*"

His lips crash onto mine, *soft* and *sweet,* and I *melt* into him, my hands flying to his chest, my body *arching* into his. His tongue sweeps into my mouth, *tasting* me, *claiming* me, and *f**k,* it’s *everything* I’ve ever *wanted* and *more.*

His hands slide up my back, his fingers *tangling* in my hair, and I *whimper,* my body *aching* for *more.* But then he pulls back, his breath hot against my lips, his voice a dark promise.

"I *love* you, Lena," he murmurs. "And I’m *not* letting you go."

And then—

*Click.*

The sound of my bedroom door *opening.*

We *freeze.*

Cole doesn’t move away. Not at first. He just *watches* me, his eyes *dark* with love, his voice a *promise.* "They can *wait.*"

I shake my head, my voice a whisper. "*Cole, please.*"

His jaw *clenches,* but he finally pulls back, his body *trembling* with restraint.

And when I look past him, there they are—**Knox, Jax, Zane, and Micah**, all standing in the doorway, their expressions a mix of *rage* and *hunger* and *betrayal.*

Knox’s voice is a *whip-crack.* "*Get out of her bed, Cole.*"

Cole’s grip on me *tightens* for a second, his jaw *clenching.* But then he lets go, his voice steady, his eyes never leaving mine. "I *love* you, Lena."

And then he’s *gone,* striding past the others like he doesn’t have a *care* in the world.

Leaving me sitting there, my heart *pounding,* my lips *tingling,* my mind *screaming* at me to *run.*

Because the *worst* part?

I *love* him too.

And I don’t know if that’s *enough.*