Page 64 of Kade

"If saving my life multiple times is support, you did far more than that." She rises on her toes, face inches from mine. "And since you're officially cleared for physical activity..."

"Is that a medical opinion?"

"A consultative recommendation." Her eyes are dark, pupils wide. "I think we should test your range of motion. Thoroughly."

I look down at her. My little bird. My ferocious wolf. The woman who looked death in the face and threw iron dust in its eyes.

I kiss her then. Deep and slow and without a shadow of fear. It tastes of coffee and sea salt and a future that belongs entirely to us.

When we break apart, she rests her forehead against my chest.

"I love you," she whispers.

"I love you too."

I wait for the old instinct—the one that always located the nearest exit before the words were even finished. Three years of it. I wait.

It doesn't come.

"Let's go inside," she says, tugging on my hoodie strings. "It's cold out here."

"Lead the way."

We walk back into the house, leaving the storm outside. The glass door slides shut, locking with a solid, secure click.

I don't check the perimeter. I don't look for exits.

For the first time in my life, I'm not planning an escape. I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.