Page 81 of Anders
Dr.Weiss nodded his agreement.Of course.And Ms.Thornwood—He hesitated, his expression growing more solemn.—I want you to know that I’m committed to helping find the other shifters being used as assets.What was done to you, to them—it’s an abomination against our kind.When you’re ready to search for them, I’ll help in every way I can.
The offer was more than Etta had dared hope for.One doctor against Chimera’s resources seemed like impossible odds.
But then again, so had her own survival.
Thank you.The words were inadequate for the gift he’d given her—not just her life, but the chance to help others like her.Yet his smile suggested he understood all the things she couldn’t put into language.
Dr.Weiss left them shortly after, mentioning something about checking his equipment and preparing notes.Anders remained, his thumb gently stroking the back of her hand in a soothing rhythm.
You should rest,he said, noticing her struggling to keep her eyes open.Your body needs time to heal.
Etta wanted to protest, to ask more questions about the procedure, about what had happened while she was unconscious, about the plans for finding the other assets.But exhaustion was pulling her under, her enhanced healing working overtime to repair the damage from the surgery.
You’ll stay?she asked, fighting to keep her eyes open just a little longer.
Anders’s expression softened, the guardian giving way to the mate.Wild wolves couldn’t drag me away.
Satisfied, Etta let her eyes close, secure in the knowledge that Anders would be there when she woke.
For the first time in her remembered life, she drifted to sleep without fear—without the constant presence of Chimera’s technology in her mind, without the dread of what they might make her do, without the burden of an identity built on lies.
Free at last.
CHAPTER 19
THE NEXT WEEK, ASAnders’s truck crossed an invisible boundary line reentering Sunburst territory, it shimmered through Etta in a ripple of awareness that traveled up her spine and settled somewhere behind her breastbone.
After spending the morning riding the perimeter with Anders as he removed the last of the Chimera Program’s surveillance equipment, returning to Sunburst land felt…right.
Pack land.
Territory that part of her recognized on an instinctive level, despite having no conscious memory of ever experiencing such a connection before.
You feel it, don’t you?Anders asked.
Etta suspected he didn’t need her confirmation; the mate bond between them transmitted her response clearly enough.Still, Etta nodded.
It’s like…coming home, but to a place I’ve never been before.She turned to look at him, studying the strong profile that had become so dear to her in such a short time.Is that normal?
For shifters, yes.Anders’s hands were relaxed on the steering wheel, but Etta could sense his heightened awareness as they moved deeper into pack territory.Always the guardian, even—perhaps especially—here.We’re connected to the land in ways humans aren’t.Even with your memories suppressed, your wolf recognized this as safe ground.
The irony wasn’t lost on her.She’d spent weeks here as Chimera’s unwitting spy, reporting on the very sanctuary that now called to her at the deepest level, blood and bones.
The pack may not see it that way,she said softly, giving voice to the fear that had been growing as they approached the pack.I betrayed them.Not intentionally, but the end result is the same.
Anders’s jaw tightened, but his voice remained steady.You were a victim, not a traitor.Malcolm and Larissa understand that.The rest of the pack will too.
His certainty was both reassuring and more than a little terrifying.Etta envied his confidence, even as anxiety churned in her stomach.The man beside her was respected by his pack, his judgment trusted.
But he was also emotionally invested in Etta in a way that clouded objectivity—a fact that neither of them could ignore.
And if they don’t?she pressed, needing to hear the contingency plan.Her time as Chimera’s asset might have been unconscious, but the analytical thinking they’d cultivated in her remained.
Anders was silent for a moment, his eyes scanning the road ahead.
Then we leave,he said finally.
The simplicity of his answer stole her breath.Anders Hamilton, whose entire identity was wrapped up in his role as head guardian, would abandon his pack for her.
