11. Miranda

Once we made it back to where we’d stowed our clothes, Ethan and I both shed our animals and dressed. All I had to wear was his oversized shirt, but I didn’t mind. It surrounded me in his scent, which was all my panther wanted. She purred loudly while we walked through the edge of the woods, toward Ethan’s place.

The others were still there, waiting for us like I’d thought they would be. Savannah’s friend from the library, Adara, was there too with her firefighter man, Dusty. They’d gotten the fires out, but the damage had been done. Ethan’s cute sanctuary was burnt to a crisp. Smoke still coiled from the remnants of what used to be his cabin and workshop. I glanced at him. His expression was neutral, but I knew the sight of his home being burned to the ground had to be hard for him. I reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“This is Ethan,” Savannah said, introducing him to Dusty. “It’s his place.”

Dusty stepped forward, his hand outstretched. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get here sooner and save your place.”

Ethan shook his hand. “It’s not your fault,” he said, his jaw tight. “You did what you could, and I appreciate that.”

“Any sign of Lucius?” I asked, curious.

Everyone was here, so I assumed the sneaky snake had gotten away yet again.

Neo shook his head. “He’s gone.”

“Probably hiding out somewhere while he heals those nasty burns you gave him,” Lorenzo said, tossing Ethan a smirk.

Ethan stood taller. “Good.”

Kiera stepped to me, a knowing look in her eyes. “So… you two…” She wiggled her brows.

“Yep, looks like another one bites the dust,” Lorenzo said dramatically.

Daxton slapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, you’re bound to be next. After all, you’re the only tribe member still un-mated.”

“I’m fine being single. Single life is great. I can go to bed whenever I want, eat whatever I want, do whatever I want,” he said, ticking each thing off his fingers. “Y’all are the ones tied down. I’m living the good life.”

“Sure, you are,” Daxton said, slapping him on the back again.

“Did you want to grab anything while we’re here?” I asked Ethan, glancing around at the charred mess.

He gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “I already said all I care about is right here.”

I lifted to the tips of my toes and kissed him.

“Let’s head back home, get some rest, and then regroup tomorrow,” Neo said, and it felt nice to have a plan.

“You can stay in my camper,” I offered, breaking my kiss with Ethan.

He flashed me a smile. “I was hoping you’d say that. My bear can’t stand the thought of being away from you tonight, and neither can I.”

“I know the feeling,” I said, meaning my panther felt the same.

As we walked back to his truck, we passed my bike. It was charred just like everything else. A pang of sadness slid through me at the sight.

“I’m sorry about your bike,” Ethan whispered.

I smiled up at him. “All I care about is right here.”

He brought my knuckles to his lips and placed a tender kiss there, sending butterflies flapping through my core.

“Thank you,” I whispered, my gaze meeting his. “For everything tonight—for saving me and getting me away from Lucius when you did.”

“I should be thanking you. You saved me first,” he said, his voice carrying a sincerity that made my heart skip a beat. “You took your amulet off and gave it to me to keep me from being under his control.”

“You would have done the same for me if you could.”

“A million times over,” he said, his gaze never wavering from mine.

“I love you,” I confessed, the truth of my feelings for him spilling out easier than I’d expected.

He brushed his lips against mine in a featherlight kiss. “I love you, too.”

As we climbed into his truck, I knew we were going to be okay. As individuals. As a couple. And as a tribe. We would get Lucius, and when we did, he would pay dearly for all the damage he’d caused us. And in the meantime, I planned on loving this man like there was no tomorrow and living my life to its fullest because freedom was something to be treasured.

Lucius would never find his way into my head again, or Ethan’s, that was a promise.

Staring out the passenger window of Ethan’s truck, I watched as we drove away from tonight’s nightmare and headed home.

Together.