41

“This was your last chance to prove that you could keep that promise, and you failed.” Tears burned my eyes, but for the first time since I’d found out I was pregnant, I kept them from falling. “I don’t want your apologies, Night. I need to see action. You are never to lie to me for the sake of my ‘protection’ or at the expense of my autonomy. Do you understand?”

Night moved from the chair down to his knees in front of me. He lowered his head, and his answering “yes” was a whisper, a promise that only he, I, and our wolves knew.

It was awful having to say all those things and mean them, and I couldn’t bear seeing him like this even a second more. It took effort, but I went to him and pressed my lips to his forehead. When he looked up at me, I kissed him.

The kiss was gentle, and I tasted sweet relief on his tongue. I could have stayed there kissing him forever, but he pulled away.

“There’s something else,” he said. “When we leave here, we’re taking Oakley’s daughter with us.”

I blinke