21. Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

B old

The precinct buzzes with activity, but all I can focus on is Jasmine's scent, still clinging to my shirt despite the blood and sweat. They've kept us separated for hours, grilling us about every detail of the confrontation with Scorpion. I don't know why, they have it all on tape.

My side throbs, the wound already beginning to knit itself back together. But it's nothing compared to the ache in my chest, the need to see Jazz, to make sure she's okay, to touch her, smell her, reassure her—and myself.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Martinez leads me to a small conference room where Jasmine waits. The moment our eyes meet, something inside me settles. She's here. She's safe.

"Bold!" She rushes towards me. She can hardly contain her urge to touch the jagged tear of my shirt over my wound. She barely stops herself in time. "Are you alright? They wouldn't let me see you, and I was so worried…"

I catch her hands in mine, marveling at how small and delicate they feel. "I'm fine, Jazz. It takes more than a knife to keep a wolven down."

She lets out a shaky laugh, but I can see the fear lingering in her eyes. Before I can say more, Martinez clears her throat.

"Scorpion's not talking." Her expression is grim. "Without his testimony, we can't tie any of this back to Nature's Edge or Wright."

Jasmine's shoulders slump. "So it was all for nothing?"

"This isn't entirely unexpected," Martinez explains. "You got a look at his face, all those jailhouse tats. He knows his way around an interrogation. It may take some time before he comes around."

"You both should go home and get some well-deserved rest. Bold, I don't know why I'm wasting my breath, but you should go to the ER first."

"I'll take it under advisement," I say, then avoid looking at Jasmine, knowing all I'll see is a censuring expression.

As we leave the precinct, the night air cool against my skin, Jasmine slips her hand into mine. The simple gesture sends sparks racing up my arm.

"Bold," she says softly, her eyes searching mine. "What you did today… Thank you doesn't seem like enough."

I bring our joined hands to my lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles. "You don't need to thank me, Jazz. I'll always protect you. No matter what."

The words hang between us, heavy with unspoken meaning. I can't hold back any longer. "Jazz, I… When I saw Scorpion coming at you, I thought my heart would stop. The idea of losing you…" My voice breaks, thick with emotion.

Jasmine's eyes glisten with unshed tears. "Bold, I…"

"I love you," I blurt out, the words rushing out like a dam breaking. "I'm in love with you, Jasmine. You're brave, and kind, and so incredibly strong. In just these few short days you've become my whole world. I can't imagine my life without you in it."

For a moment, she's silent, and I fear I've overstepped. But then she throws her arms around me, burying her face in my chest, then backing away because of my wound.

"I love you too," she whispers fiercely. "God, Bold, I love you so much. When I saw you bleeding, I thought…" She releases a noise so feral and full of pain it sears to my very core. "I can't lose you. I won't."

Tilting her chin up, I meet her gaze. "You won't lose me, Jazz. I'm yours, for as long as you'll have me."

She rises on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to mine in a kiss that steals my breath. It's soft and sweet and filled with promise. When we part, I rest my forehead against hers in the wolven way, breathing her in.

"We're in this together," Jasmine says, her voice steady and sure. "Whatever comes next, we face it side by side."

I nod, feeling more certain than I ever have before. "Together."