Lucas took a slow breath, letting Kai’s words settle in. Now we live. It sounded so simple, yet after everything they had been through, it felt almost foreign. The weight of survival had pressed down on them for so long—running, fighting, bleeding—was it really over?
Kai squeezed Lucas’s hand, his warmth grounding him. “We can figure it out together,” Kai murmured. “No more running. No more hiding.”
Lucas nodded, but doubt still gnawed at the edges of his mind. The enemy was gone—for now—but the scars remained, both seen and unseen. He glanced around their surroundings, the quiet forest stretching endlessly ahead. The cabin in the distance promised safety, yet Lucas knew that peace was never guaranteed.
“What if they come back?” Lucas asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Kai’s expression hardened, the fierce Alpha beneath his gentle smile surfacing. “Then we fight. But until then… we build something real.” He pulled Lucas closer, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “A home.”
A home.
The thought made Lucas’s chest ache, but it was a longing ache, one that whispered of hope.
He looked up at Kai, eyes searching. “Together?”
Kai nodded. “Always.”
For the first time in what felt like forever, Lucas let himself believe it. Maybe—just maybe—this was the beginning of something more than just survival.
This was the start of living.
The cabin was small but sturdy, tucked away in the dense embrace of the forest. It wasn’t much—weathered wood, a stone chimney, a single window reflecting the early morning light—but it was shelter. A place they could call their own.
Lucas hesitated on the porch, fingers trailing over the worn railing. The idea of staying in one place felt strange after so much time spent running. But beside him, Kai radiated quiet certainty, his hand steady on Lucas’s back.
“We’ll fix it up,” Kai said. “Make it ours.”
Lucas swallowed, nodding. He wasn’t used to thinking about the future beyond the next escape. But now…
Kai nudged the door open, and they stepped inside. Dust floated in the light that streamed through the cracks in the shutters. The air smelled of wood and earth, the fireplace long cold. A table stood in the center of the single room, a faded quilt draped over a narrow bed against the far wall. It was simple. Safe.
Home.
Lucas exhaled slowly. “It’s… nice.”
Kai grinned. “That’s the closest thing to a compliment I’ve heard from you all week.”
Lucas shot him a look but didn’t argue. He walked to the fireplace, brushing away cobwebs. “We’ll need supplies. Firewood. Food.”
Kai stretched, already glancing toward the door. “I’ll take care of it. You should rest.”
Lucas frowned. “I can help—”
Kai turned to him, eyes warm but firm. “You need to rest.”
Lucas opened his mouth to argue, but the exhaustion in his bones betrayed him. He hated feeling weak. Hated feeling like a burden. But Kai wasn’t treating him like one. He was just… taking care of him.
Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Fine. But don’t be long.”
Kai smirked. “You’ll miss me?”
Lucas rolled his eyes, but his chest warmed.
Kai grabbed a knife from his belt and headed for the door. “I won’t be long. Lock the door behind me.”
Lucas watched him go, the warmth fading into a quiet unease. Even now, even here, the fear of losing Kai still clung to him like a shadow.
He stepped to the door and slid the lock into place.
For the first time in a long time, he was waiting for someone to come back, instead of chasing after them.
And that, more than anything, felt like a step toward something new.
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