Page 37 of Anders
Gradually, the trembling subsided.Etta’s breathing slowed, her grip on his arms relaxing.When she looked up at him again, her eyes had returned to their normal color, but something in them had changed—a wildness, an awareness that hadn’t been there before.
That was…,she began, then shook her head, seemingly at a loss for words.
Intense,Anders supplied, still holding her close.Your body is purging the suppressants even faster than I expected.
Etta nodded, then surprised him with a small, wondering smile.
What is it?he asked.
I felt her,she whispered.My wolf.Not just as abstract memories or sensations, but as a presence.As part of me.
That’s incredible progress.
Because of the kiss?Etta asked, her cheeks flushing slightly at the mention.
More likely because of what the kiss represents,Anders corrected.Acceptance of your nature, of our connection.The mate bond is accelerating your healing.
She considered this, then asked the question he’d been both hoping for and dreading:What happens now?
It was the right question to ask.The practical question, the one that brought him back to reality—to the surveillance equipment they’d found, to the organization that had used her, to the mark on her neck that might still pose a threat.
Now,Anders said, reluctantly stepping back,we continue your training while investigating who did this to you.The mate bond can wait—your safety comes first.
Disappointment flickered across her face before she nodded.You’re right.There’s too much at stake.
Anders led her back to where they’d left his backpack, kneeling to retrieve a water bottle.As he handed it to her, their fingers brushed, sending another jolt of awareness through him.
This was going to be more difficult than he’d imagined.
Thank you,Etta said after taking a long drink.For being honest with me.
Anders nodded, unable to trust his voice for a moment.When he finally spoke, he kept his tone as professional as possible.We should head back.You need rest—your body is going through significant changes.
As they walked back toward his vehicle, Anders maintained a careful distance.But he couldn’t ignore the way her scent had changed, or how his security-trained mind was already cataloging the differences in her movement patterns—more fluid now, more graceful, her wolf closer to the surface than ever before.
Anders?she asked as they reached his truck.
Yes?
What you said about the mate bond accelerating my healing—does that mean more memories will return?
Probably,he said.Are you ready for that?
Etta took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders.I have to be.Whatever I remember—whatever they did to me—I need to know.
Anders nodded.He knew, with bone-deep certainty, that he would do anything to help her succeed—even if that meant putting his duties as guardian second for once in his life.
As he started the truck and headed back toward town, Anders kept one eye on Etta and one on their surroundings.His security systems would have recorded every change in her behavior over the past days—the erratic moments near windows, the times she’d paced like a caged animal as the full moon approached.
Now those recordings would serve as evidence—proof of what had been done to her, and perhaps clues to who was responsible.
But as Etta dozed beside him, her body exhausted from the chemical changes it was undergoing, Anders found his thoughts drifting less to security protocols and more to the feel of her lips against his, to the way her wolf had reached for his across artificially imposed barriers.
His mate.
After years of putting the pack first, of sublimating his personal desires to his duties as guardian, fate had given him a mate who needed his protection more than anyone ever had.
The irony wasn’t lost on him.
