32. Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Two

C ourage

The drive back to the hotel is a blur, my mind still reeling. Candy is silent in the passenger seat, her gaze distant, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

I reach over, covering her fingers with my own. "Hey," I murmur, giving a gentle squeeze. "You with me?"

She blinks, turning to face me with a shaky exhale. "Yeah. I just… I can't believe it's really over."

"Believe it, love. Those bastards are going away for a long time. They can't hurt you, or anyone else, ever again."

A tear slips down her cheek, catching on her lip. "My mind knows that. Even if they release whatever shit they've recorded, I can handle it. But my body? It still hasn't received the message to stand down."

Rage flashes through me, threatening to shift me into warrior form again. That she's had to live with this fear, constantly looking over her shoulder, for so long… it kills me. It makes me want to go back to that park and tear Raskins and Blackwell limb from fucking limb.

But that's not what she needs from me right now. She needs my strength, my steadiness, my unwavering belief in her and in us. I take a deep breath and slowly exhale, forcing the adrenaline-induced fire that preceded the shift to dissipate in my body.

I pull into the hotel lot, cutting the engine and turning to face her fully. Fury heads to the hotel, giving us privacy. Cupping her face in my hands, I brush my thumbs gently over her cheekbones, catching the tears that fall.

"You beat them, babe," I remind her fiercely. "You stood your ground. You faced them down. On your own. Fury and I were in the background, but the hard part? You did that by yourself."

She takes a shuddering breath, leaning into my touch. "I couldn't have done it without you," she murmurs. "You and Fury… knowing you had my back, that you were there, ready to catch me if I fell… it meant everything."

"And I always will be," I vow, my voice rough with conviction. "No matter what, Candy. I will always be there to fight for you, to believe in you."

"What happens now?" A note of uncertainty threads through her words.

"Now," I say, smiling. "Now, we go upstairs, and we hold each other. And in the morning, we face whatever comes. Together. As a team. As partners."

As mates , I say to myself, still unsure if she'll accept me as that.