"Nora is in there," Eli muttered to Jackson as they stepped up the driveway.

"We don't know that." Jackson turned to Eli. "I have half a mind to leave you in the car. I don't know if Matthews is dangerous, and you don't have any bodyguards right now except yours truly." Jackson turned to the young officer. "O'Connell, stay with Eli out here, will you?"

"Of course, Sir."

"Jackson—"

Jackson put a big hand on Eli's shoulder. "I get it, I do. Based on what you've told me, Nora's in the thick of things. If it were me and Avery were the one in there, I guarantee you I'd be through those front doors."

Thank Creator he understood. Eli nodded and took half a step towards the door, halting when Jackson's hand tightened over his shoulder. "But," Jackson continued, "you're an untrained civilian right now on police business. We need to do this right, do it by the book, and if nothing else, I need to keep you safe. So stay here with O'Connell. Make sure no one tries to book it out the front door if you have to. I will call you the moment I find her."

Jackson must've seen the look on Eli's face because he repeated, "the moment I find her, Eli."

Jaw tight, Eli stepped back. "Fine. Fine. Go, Jackson. Hurry."

The wait was agony.

Eli had seen police videos. He'd also heard stories from Jackson about the crazy cases, the straight-out-of-a-Sarian-drama cases, and the insanity that was some of the arrests made.

This...this was not any of those.

The bitter winter wind buried itself into the skin on his face as he paced. He had no choice but to wait it out with officer O'Connell at the end of the driveway. To watch Jackson slam his fist on the front door and announce their presence. And then stare as two additional officers in thick, heavy gear passed them with a long black battering ram between them.

He wasn't sure what strings Jackson had had to pull to get a battering ram here, but Eli was grateful. Maybe he'd had Avery tell the Judge that Nora was in danger. With the reveal of Nora being his mate and their connection, although it wasn't solid, tangible evidence other than what was in his own head, the Sarian government had strong laws in place about mates. Things could be wiggled around, especially when it involved abilities and perceived threats against a Sarian civilian. Because even without a judge's order, if the police force felt that someone was in danger, they could intervene.

Eli watched, heart thundering, as Jackson stepped aside and the officers came forward with the battering ram. It took them numerous tries before the doorframe splintered and the door caved inward.

And then Jackson and his team were inside.

Outside, Eli continued to pace – now that the officers were inside, the night air was quiet. Only the occasional murmur of calls from O'Connell's walkie pierced the air. He tried calling out for Nora a few times in his head, the same way he did before. But this time it wasn't working. Was there something he was missing? Some technique he'd used?

Minutes passed.

If he wasn't waiting, ears peeled, for Jackson to alert them he found Nora, he would have missed it.

A muted thud came from the backyard.

Eli's head snapped up. "Did you hear that?"

O'Connell frowned in the direction the sound had come from. "Stay here."

But Eli was already moving. What if it was Nora?

He stepped over the landscaping and rounded the garage. The backyard was empty – nothing but untouched snow blanketing the grass and outdoor patio seating. Officer O'Connell moved forward, his hand on the weapon at his side, as he checked the back door of the garage. "Locked."

Something moved in his peripheral.

Eli turned his head, spotting a shadow in a window on the second floor.

Nora.

"Nora?" His heart lodged in his throat as he ran across the yard.

Nora was half out the window, seated on the sill with her feet hanging over the side, clutching a rope or sheet of some kind as she stared out at the drop below. The screen of that window lay in the snow, partially busted.

"Nora!" When he called her name, she looked up. He held his hands up in her direction. "Stay there!"

She clutched what looked like a twisted bed sheet and the doorframe as if holding on to it to keep herself up. And while he watched, she swayed forward.

"Nora!" He stood directly under the window, ready for either someone to pull her in or for her to drop. The window was higher up – at this level if she dropped if she would break something.

"Hang on," Eli said. "Jackson's in there, he'll come get you."

Behind him, O'Connell clicked his walkie. "Sir, there's a female, mid-teens, hanging out of a window – second floor, middle room."

Barely a second, then O'Connell's walkie buzzed, "understood."

Something pounded into the door behind Nora. Even through the open window, Eli heard it. Nora jolted, half turned, and lost her grip—

Eli dove forward just as the two of them collided. He grunted as Nora slammed into him, knocking his knees out from under him.

The two of them laid there in the snow, a mess of tangled limbs. Nora was on top of him. With shaky hands, she sat up, wobbling to the side.

Eli sat up too, and gripped her shoulders, then cupped her cheek. "Are you alright?"

Nora looked around, almost as if she'd never seen the backyard before. Then she blinked and seemed to come back into herself. "Eli?"

Her eyes filled with tears. "Eli—" She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on.

Relief popped the balloon expanding against his rib cage. His shoulders sagged and he held her tight in his arms, his cheek pressed against the top of her head. "Thank Creator."

He took in the strands of her caramel color hair and the clumped way they pulled together. Then at her clothes – a wrinkled blue t-shirt and black sweatpants. And as much as he enjoyed her company, he had to admit she had a smell to her. One that appalled him. Because all of it together told him more than enough.

"How long were you locked in that room?" Eli asked, horrified.

Her body trembled as she pulled back and gripped the material of his coat. His hands found her elbows as he stood, pulling her up with him. Once she was on her feet, he yanked his coat off to drape it over her shoulder.

Behind them, Officer O'Connell spoke into his walkie. "Female is here. Safe. Perimeter is quiet."

After a moment, his walkie buzzed, "Matthews is detained."

Nora grabbed Eli's hand and pulled him back towards the house. "Nora—"

"Miss, wait!" Officer O'Connell tried to block her path. "You cannot go in there."

But Nora wasn't listening. She simply sidestepped past Officer O'Connell and dragged Eli behind her as she hurried into the house.

Although unsteady – Eli wasn't quite sure if it was because she'd just fallen out her window or if, and he was really fearing this was the case, it was because she hadn't eaten in four days – Nora led him straight through the bright open foyer and up the stairs, turning down a dim hallway.

Two officers stood in the hallway outside a room with large deep wood double doors. As Nora and Eli appeared, they straightened.

"What are you kids doing in here?"

Eli looked to Nora – his battered, yet determined mate – and waited.

Nora's chin came up. She opened her mouth, only to stop just as Jackson and the other officer pulled a woman into the hallway, her hands cuffed behind her back.

Mallory was in a simple set of dark gray slacks and a white blouse, her brown hair curled in perfect, natural-looking waves. If he'd spotted her on the street, he'd take her as a calm, professional businesswoman.

His newfound ability screamed something entirely different.

Mallory was shrouded in a wash of colors – a dark brown swirling with thin threads of black and just the slightest dash of deep red. It was a mess of colors that, despite not knowing what each color represented, made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

Creator almighty. And Nora had lived with this woman.

Jackson shot Eli a look as he and the other officer led Mallory by the arm down the hall. Mallory stopped in front of Nora.

Eli took a fraction of a step, to put himself in front of her, but Nora's hand around Eli's tightened, stopping him.

"There is a save drive in the desk of the room I was in," Nora said to Jackson. "You'll find all the evidence you need on it."

Mallory's eyes flashed at Nora and her lip curled. "Little bitch."

Eli went to move, but Nora's grip tightened further. Instead of flinching at Mallory's words, Nora's shoulders went back.

"Your father would be disappointed in you—" Mallory started.

Eli could only watch with pride, as Nora moved closer to Mallory. "My father would be horrified to find what you've done. To his company, and to me." Then she looked at Jackson again and swayed on her feet. Eli extracted his hand from Nora's so he could wrap it around her waist. He did not like how unsteady she was. "I don't have any physical evidence, as the paperwork was forged," she told Eli's brother, her voice thin. "But my father did not die of a heart attack. He committed suicide."

Mallory jerked as if to go for Nora, but Jackson and the officer held her solid between them. "If you think for one moment this is the end of things, Nora, you're wrong." A perverse, wild grin appeared on Mallory's face. "I don't play the short game."

Lips pressed thin, Jackson moved, pulling Mallory away. Only when they disappeared did Nora turn to Eli. "Eli—" her voice caught on a sob.

The sound that came out of her throat speared his heart. He wrapped his arms tight around her, clutching her small frame close to his chest. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head as she shook in his arms like a tree branch caught in the wind. "Let's go home, Nora."

❆❆❆

Watching the officer place a hand on Mallory's head as she got into the back of the patrol car was a weird experience for Nora. Even when she'd been out there gathering her evidence and trying to figure out which Dreame executive to give it to, she'd never actually imagined what would happen after she handed everything over. Hadn't predicted what the next steps looked like.

Imagined or not, seeing the officer close the door on her stepmother and pull away from the curb was a surreal experience. One she'd thought would give her happiness.

Joy.

Relief.

She felt some semblance of relief, even through her hunger and exhaustion, but all of it was eclipsed by this overwhelming sense of loss.

She'd never been close with Mallory, even when her father was alive. And yet, somehow, the grief still burrowed its way past her ribs. Not for what she'd lost. But rather, grief for something she'd never had.

"Nora."

Eli rubbed at her arms covered by his jacket, building warmth for her. Further behind Eli, Jackson talked with the other two officers and shook their hands before they each got into their separate cars.

Jackson put a hand on Eli's shoulder. "You both ready to go?"

Nora nodded, exhaustion heavy on her shoulders, her eyelids, her head. She wanted nothing more than a shower, a meal, and then sleep. In that order.

Eli opened the back door of Jackson's sleek sedan and helped her in before getting in himself.

The car remained quiet as Jackson pulled them onto the highway.

I don't play the short game. Mallory's words haunted her as Jackson maneuvered them through the streets of her neighborhood.

What had she meant by "short game?"

Eli pressed his shoulder into hers. "I can hear your worry from here."

Nora's hands flew to her head. She stared at him, wide-eyed.

Eli laughed. "Not literally."

She narrowed her eyes at him. His response was to wrap an arm around her and pull her closer to his side. Even with the seatbelt pressing firmly into her hip, she found herself settling against him.

Her eyelids drooped. She was so tired...

Conversations floated above her head like little bubbles. Stuck between fully asleep and awake, Nora caught a few pieces, the bubbles popping around her.

"...suicide. Need to find the autopsy..."

A warm, gentle hand removed her glasses and curled her hair behind one ear. "...even matter?"

"...prosecute regardless...lose their license..."

"...if that's what she wants."

Then, whether it was because of the warm car, or the man sitting next to her, she tumbled into a deeper sleep.

It could have been hours, could have been minutes, but eventually, something gentle prodded her shoulder. "Nora."

"I'll carry her."

"No – I want to make sure she's okay with being moved first." A pause, then, "Nora? Nora, love."

She groaned, reaching out for her glasses automatically, only to find leather, then a warm hand. "Eli?"

"Hey," Eli smiled down at her. Even without her glasses, she could see the softness in his eyes. The way he looked at her...well, it made something warm curl in her stomach. "We're home. Can you walk or would you like me to carry you?"

She tried her best to brush off the tendrils of sleep wrapping her limbs. She barely covered a yawn with the back of her hand. "Have you seen my glasses?"

He held them out to her, then helped her from the car. "You okay?"

She nodded at him. "Yes. Sorry – I'm so tired."

Behind Eli's shoulder, Jackson said, "Starvation will do that to you."

Somewhere in the distance of her mind was a hot pit of anger at the way she'd been treated, but she was too tired to travel past the exhaustion to find it. "I'm sorry for bothering—"

"Don't even finish that sentence," Eli warned. His arm found her waist. "Let's get you inside."

They'd barely hit the entrance to the palace when Lizzie found them. She swooped in and gathered Nora into a hug. "Oh, thank Creator." Lizzie pulled back and put a hand to Nora's cheek, then Eli's. "I'm glad you guys are okay."

"What about me?" Jackson muttered.

Lizzie waved him off. "You'd be fine in the middle of an avalanche. Go find Avery if you want someone to baby you."

Jackson chuckled.

"I have a room ready for you," Lizzie told Nora. "Let's get you settled."

Lizzie led the way, Eli and Nora trailing behind her as she maneuvered through the palace. Everything passed in a blur for Nora. She fought to keep her eyes open.

Just one night, she told herself. Tonight, recover. Tomorrow, consider what's next.

Lizzie eventually came to a door and stopped. "I put you a few rooms down from Eli. I hope that's okay." She opened the tall set of finished wooden doors in front of her.

Beige marble flooring covered the expansive room. If it could even be considered a room. Lizzie and Eli stepped in, Nora trailing at Eli's side. Gold plated ivy accent pieces hung beautifully on the olive-green walls. Right at the entry was a small sitting section with a green suede formal couch, and plush throw pillows. Further behind on the left through a wide-open doorway, a small set of steps led up to a large queen-sized bed.

Nora could only imagine the celebrities or important diplomatic guests that had stared in this room.

And this was for her? She was neither famous nor a diplomatic guest. "Lizzie..."

Lizzie turned to Nora and, spotting something in her expression, said, "don't even, Nora. This is pretty moderate – I had to convince myself not to go bigger."

"I..." It's just one night, she reminded herself. "Thank you, Lizzie. It's wonderful."

Lizzie beamed. "I've asked the kitchen to bring up a bowl of soup for you. Something easy like broth. There's a bathroom back there on the right. Fully stocked with toiletries and towels."

Eli led Nora to the sitting area and settled her in. "Thank you, Lizzie."

His sister nodded; her head slightly tilted. Something worked over her expression as her gaze traveled over Eli. "You're in good hands, Nora."

And then the future queen of Sarias left.

Eli pulled the covers back on the bed. "Do you want food first? Or maybe a shower? Or—"

Nora's hand settled quietly on Eli's wrist. "Thank you for saving me, Eli," her voice was husky with emotion. "Without you, I imagine I'd be trapped in that box of a room a lot longer."

Eli's large hand covered hers. "You'd have found your way out eventually."

"Calvary doesn't just arrive by itself," she pointed out. "Thank you."

Her mate—her mate—opened his mouth, then hesitated. "What you said about your father..." he trailed off.

She tried to curl her lips, but they were too heavy. "It's true. He...he had a rough time after my mother died, and he..." She stopped herself. "Mallory bribed the medical examiner to forge the records so that the kingdom thought he had a heart attack."

Eli pulled her forward, right into his arms. As his smell—a wash of sharp cologne and gentle fabric softener—cascaded over her, she found her muscles relaxing. Despite what she'd just told him about her father, she found herself settling. Eli was warm...comforting.

Safe.

Nora wanted to drown in the feeling. She buried her nose at his collarbone and, throat scratchy, said, "I beat myself up about it for a long time, Eli."

His arms tightened.

"I'm tired of thinking it was somehow my fault," she continued quietly. "That I wasn't enough to keep him here. Even after he was gone, I spent a long time trying to be everything for a lot of people. As if that would make up for not being enough for him. But...I need to move on. And all I can do is move forward until the guilt isn't as heavy." Until the sting of her father's memory turned to a dull ache.

"I can tell you a million different ways that you are enough," Eli said, his breath fanning over her neck. "But I'd rather show you."

He pulled back, his hands slowly finding her neck, under her ear. His fingers traced fire along her hairline as he edged closer.

Nora's breath caught. He was so close, his eyes hooded, their lips only an inch away and he stopped. Waited. For her to take that last step.

Heart thundering, Nora closed her eyes and closed the distance between them.

Eli's lips were soft. Nora drank in the feeling as their lips met once. Twice. Three times. Her body pressed tight to his frame as the two of them molded together. With the heat licking up her torso, she imagined it really might weld them together.

She made herself step back, even as her lips tingled, wanting more. "I should shower," she said, breathless.

As much as she loved kissing Eli Leonger – and Creator did she ever – she'd feel a lot better once she was clean.

Eli grinned at her. "If you heard the thought that went through my head, you'd be beyond red right now."

Her cheeks heated regardless. Her finger playfully stabbed in his direction. "You're lucky I haven't figured this whole ability out yet."

As she turned and made her way to the bathroom, Eli called out, "I have plenty of ideas on how we can test it."

Oh, Creator.

He left her on her own, though as she pulled her clothes off to hop into the gray tiled shower, she knew he was still outside. Still close. She heard the muted knock of someone at the main bedroom door, then the deep murmur of Eli speaking with someone.

By the time she finished up and slid on the purple silk robe the staff had left for her in the bathroom, the outer room was silent. Stepping out of the steam-filled bathroom, she spotted Eli alone sitting on the bed. He had his phone close to his face as he read something.

As she stepped out, Eli glanced up, his face pale.

That look. Her stomach dropped through the floor under her. "What?" She approached the bed. "Eli, what?"

Lips thin, Eli warily showed her a post on his phone. One she recognized as a Musetunes message board post.

Felicity's.

"I didn't want everyone to find out like this. I can't keep you all in the dark anymore and this lying is eating me away inside. I am so, so sorry, but I have to tell you all...my stepsister has been writing my songs. For those of you who don't know her, she's a monster. She threatened to ruin everything my mother worked so hard to achieve if I didn't sing her songs. She wanted to be famous, and she was using me to do it. Creator, I'm so weak, I let her. I couldn't let her take my mother's career away. I just wanted my family to be happy—"

Nora gripped Eli's phone in tight fingers. She couldn't read any more of the message board post. Or the numerous sympathetic, supportive comments underneath it.

Despite the hot shower, chills worked over her entire body. Hands clammy, Nora remembered Mallory's words.

I don't play the short game.