~ RONAN ~

I’ve barely arrived at the pack house when Mom’s voice booms through my mind link.

"Please don’t tell me you did something impulsive again. I just found out you’ve been gone from the pack for hours, and I’m scared you did something. I can’t afford to lose you, Ronan."

Nikolai pulls the car into the garage, killing the engine before turning back. The drive home has been awfully quiet, and from the constant looks Roselle has been flashing me, I know she has questions... or something. But maybe she’s too terrified to ask.

Does she think I killed him? I would’ve fucking killed him and crowned another Alpha for Westbrook... but I’d given her my word, and I have to uphold it.

I hold out my hands to her, now free of blood, nudging her to take them. Her hazel eyes meet mine, and I bring her hand to my lips, pressing a soft kiss against her knuckles before gently pulling her into my arms and kissing her forehead.

I know she’s still shaken from having to return to the place that gave her nightmares, and I know Elias is going to chop my head off if anything happens to her... but this needed to be done. She needs to see that Warren no longer has any power over her. She needs to know that she’s safe now.

I walk around to the other side of the car and open the door for her, helping her out.

"I know you can hear me, Ronan. I need answers..." Mom’s voice echoes through our mind link.

Honestly, I’m too exhausted to have this conversation. My body aches from the physical exertion of torturing Warren. Kael is satisfied but exhausted. All I want right now is to take Roselle upstairs, help her freshen up, maybe have dinner with her, and tuck her into bed. I want to hold her while she sleeps. I want to make sure she knows that I’m still here, that I’m still hers, that nothing has changed between us. I don’t want any more drama.

"We can have that discussion another time, Mom. I need to rest."

"Oh, hell no. These past few days, I can feel my heart racing more and more, and Elias keeps telling me I need to stop worrying if I want my blood pressure under control. But you’re not helping, Ronan. You’re not. Remember, we have someone standing by, waiting to take over this pack if you falter. I..."

Oh, here we go again.

At first, I have zero intention of saying anything to her, but now... I have to make it sink in. She needs to stop worrying. As much as I don’t want her health issues getting any worse, she has to understand that I’m no longer five years old.

"Mom, I’m fine. There’s nothing wrong. I’m good," I say, leading Roselle into the room.

"You’re not. I can’t stop thinking ever since that girl wrapped you around her finger. All you’ve been making are bad decisions. I don’t know what you’ve done this time, but whatever it is, it can’t be good. You need to find a new bride..."

The way she says it makes it sound so simple. As if I’ll magically find a new bride, the curse will break, and everything will fall back into place.

If only it were that easy.

"That’s not how it works, and we both know that. Maybe we’ll have this discussion another time. But you need to learn to accept Roselle. She’s actually a sweet girl, and I know you’re going to like her."

I say, finally cutting off the mind link before she has the chance to say anything else.

I guide Roselle to the living room and settle onto the couch, pulling her down beside me. She collapses against my chest with a small sigh, her body heavy with exhaustion and emotional trauma. I wrap my arms around her, one hand stroking her hair gently, the other resting on her lower back.

"Are you fine?" I ask softly, my lips pressing against the top of her head. "Are you okay?"

She nods against my chest, her body relaxing incrementally at my touch. For a long moment, we stay like that without saying a word as I listen to the steady rhythm of my heartbeat and the sound of her breathing gradually evening out as she begins to relax.

But eventually, her hands come up, and she begins to sign, her movements careful and deliberate.

’You took time there, she signs, her hazel eyes searching mine. What were you discussing? With Warren?’

Okay, I’m grateful she’s finally opening up to me, even though I know she wants me to reassure her that I didn’t kill Warren.

"Business," I answer simply, knowing full well it’s an unsatisfying response. But I want her to push a little more.

She frowns, clearly unconvinced.

What business? she signs, tilting her head to look up at me.

I take her hand and bring it to my lips, pressing a gentle kiss against her palm before answering.

"I talked, and Warren listened," I say, giving her only half the answer.

"And as a result of our conversation, you’re going to own fifty percent of Westbrook."

Her eyes widen in shock, and her hands tremble ever so slightly.

Fifty percent? she signs, the numbers clear and precise. Of Westbrook?

"Fifty percent," I confirm, watching as the reality of it begins to sink in. "You’re going to be a co-ruler of your pack. Warren keeps his position as Alpha, but you hold half the power. Half the authority, and half the territory’s resources."

It’s not the complete reclamation of her birthright that she deserves, but it’s justice in a form that won’t destabilize the pack or bring down the wrath of the Council.

The tension in her shoulders finally eases. I tilt her chin up with two fingers and capture her lips in a slow, deep kiss, pouring every ounce of reassurance and hunger I feel into it. Her mouth parts for me so sweetly, a soft sound vibrating against my tongue. My hand slides down her back, pulling her closer until she’s practically straddling my lap.

But I force myself to pull back before it goes further. My forehead rests against hers, breathing ragged.

"Enough for tonight," I murmur, voice low and rough. "You need to shower and wash this day off you. Then we’ll have dinner. You barely ate earlier."

Roselle nods, her cheeks flushed, lips still glistening from our kiss. I stand first, helping her up, then lead her toward the bedroom suite.

Inside the attached bathroom, I quickly lay out everything she’ll need, fresh towels, unscented body wash, a soft robe, and clean clothes I’d already set aside earlier. I even adjust the shower temperature to warm, testing the spray with my hand before stepping back.

"Take your time. I’ll be right out here."

She gives me a small, grateful smile and disappears into the bathroom, the door clicking shut behind her. I wait for a moment, staring at the wood grain, every instinct wanting to follow her in. Instead, I force myself to move to the bedroom, sinking onto the edge of the bed and running a hand through my hair. Kael is quiet but restless beneath my skin, still riding the high from earlier.

Five minutes later, a sharp shriek cuts through the quiet.

My heart slams against my ribs. Adrenaline surges through me like wildfire. I’m on my feet and crashing through the bathroom door in a heartbeat, shoulder slamming into the frame as I burst inside.

"Roselle!"

The sight that greets me stops me dead.

She’s naked, completely, gloriously bare, water streaming down her curves. The spray had suddenly turned freezing cold; icy rivulets race over her breasts, her stomach, the flare of her hips. One foot slips on the wet tile, and she grabs for the shower wall to steady herself, a startled gasp escaping her lips. Her hazel eyes fly wide open when she sees me standing there, chest heaving, fists clenched like I’m ready to fight whatever threat made her scream.

For a second, neither of us moves. My gaze drags over her involuntarily, water-beaded skin glowing under the bathroom lights, the way her nipples have tightened from the shock of the cold, the soft tremble in her thighs as she regains her balance. Kael surges forward with a possessive growl that I barely choke down. She’s mine. Every inch of her.

"Shit— the water—" I rasp, stepping forward without thinking. My hand reaches past her to twist the faucet, forcing the temperature back to warm. Steam begins to rise again around us.

"Are you hurt? Did you slip?"

She’s breathing fast, one arm instinctively crossing over her chest while the other stays braced on the tile. But she doesn’t look away from me. The room falls silent. After everything that happened today, neither of us knows what to say, but the feelings between us are impossible to ignore.