Bound to the Alpha's Vow

k away

h her, wrapped aroun

bove Boone's shop. Each step protested. Her boots left wat

was cra

t stuttering. Th

the faint trace of blooming lilies from Boone's arran

beside the recliner blinked like it coul

e step in a

e it

ame with a single pi

losure

Red. O

d across the to

tore it into pieces, tossed it onto the floor. Then c

rvival. This w

toward th

nd came

ghi

than b

floorboard creaking under her weight like they might

and skeletal beneath the blanket, her oxy

om

didn'

beside her. Tucked the blanket hi

g," she whispered. "I check

believe it. But sh

eyes flutte

nked. "No, M

t, then dulled again. "He used to

emem

ragged sound that claw

ngry when

kno

loved

"I still do. But not

le

ut warm. "If he still wants yo

tly beside her mother's ar

t he wants. I onl

ruth hit

Out of excuses. Out o

ad given he

was standing on t

it

: The Echo

already in

The Man a

r dusk. Three soft raps.

of the couch, hands folded, staring at the broken p

her

aper bag in one arm and a second one clutched in the crook of his elbo

had in the fridge," he

. He didn't wait for p

ags down, and started unloading: eggs, bread, so

a cracked carton of milk. "It's the

rced a

er, brow furrowin

no

bbed a bowl an

ot a c

tarving yourself doesn

eaning against the doorframe

d turned on the burner. "Becau

oubt

going to

dn't a

r. "You tal

I have

n't lie

owe you t

kened. "You owe

"I'm doing this

ing this f

k. "You don't g

ou break yourself for everyon

h towel and wrung it i

dn't wa

idn't

ened. "He still ge

l owns t

Soup untouched. "You sure he

h's che

into his life, he'll chew you up all over ag

have a

always

ternative is los

r, tall and quiet, snow st

can. But I won't stand by and watch

at the wall. "Yo

ou not to set yourself on fire f

aid n

at her, then turned, op

the stove, coo

didn't

pulled the contract from her

reached f

lights f

si

war