It took days driving through the city, comparing buildings to the picture on his phone. Half the time, Devin didn’t think that they’d actually find it. In those times, it was Leo who bolstered him, telling him that the fact that they still hadn’t heard from Charity, despite the calls and texts, was proof that she was unable to contact him.

“By this time,” he argued, “she would have at least sent a message back to you, saying she wants nothing to do with you.”

It was a logical thought. Still, it made Devin’s stomach churn to think about what might have happened. Her family was furious when they came to confront him about his relationship with her. What if they had done something? It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility . . . 

It also wasn’t outside the realm of possibility that she had lured him in and was planning something with Honor to destroy him. At night, when he lay in the back of the jeep, out near the beach where overnight parking was allowed, those were the thoughts that plagued him. Charity was so beautiful, kind, and she made him feel things nobody had ever made him feel. But what if it was all a lie? He didn’t want to believe it, but each day they spent in the city, the thought got stronger until he was certain that it was going to drive him crazy.

But they finally found it. The little white house with green trim, accentuated by a red door and a glass window to one side. A unique ensemble that was unmistakable. Devin’s heart pounded as she stopped the jeep and looked at the eccentric little house.

Leo, who’d had his eyes closed, opened them and blinked. He glanced around and straightened when he saw the building. He clawed at his hair in a vain attempt to make it lay flat, then turned to his brother with a grin.

“Well, we found it. What are you waiting for? Run over there and see if she’s there.”

Devin swallowed hard. If she didn’t want anything to do with him . . . If she was working with her sister to undo all the work he’d done for the shifters . . . How would be he be able to continue on from that?

Why am I doubting her? Devin closed his eyes and rested his head against the steering wheel. He inhaled, exhaled, and emptied his mind. Then he pulled that fear back to the forefront. What if Charity wasn’t who he thought she was?

He examined the question. First off, he confronted why it was there. He feared she would end up someone he couldn’t trust. It was because of his history. He’d met with so many of the shifters on the island who had gotten involved with someone who turned out to be not who they thought they were. People who had hurt them in the end. Not just humans, but an overwhelming majority of them. So was that why he was afraid? Perhaps it was his fear that he wasn’t good enough.

Now on to the next question: what would he do if it turned out that she was working with Honor to undo his work? What would he do then?

Well. If that was the case, he would put aside his personal feelings and pain. He would confront the situation with the resilience that it demanded and he would take whatever came at him. He’d stand strong and protect his pack the way he always did. They came first. Whatever hurt he suffered, he would deal with it.

It was all he could do.

Leo still stared at him, so Devin opened his door. “Stay here.”

Devin headed toward the house. He saw a face briefly in the window, but it was gone before he could tell if it was Charity. Only seconds later, though, the door burst open. Charity flew down the sidewalk, her face lit up.

“Devin!”

His heart nearly burst at the happiness in her voice. He broke into a run. Charity jumped on him when she reached him, and he grabbed her around the waist. Her legs encircled him and he held her tight as he spun her in circles. His heart was so full of joy seeing her happy to see him that it was all he could do.

“You’re okay.” Her hands tangled in his hair. She pulled back to smile down into his eyes. “You’re okay. I was so worried. I lost my stupid phone and I didn’t have your number memorized and I was so afraid. I thought that we were lost to each other forever. I know that sounds silly, but I thought that Honor might hurt you and me—”

Devin cut her off with a kiss. He was too happy to see her to be worried about Honor and her plots. With his arms around her waist, pulling her in tight against him, he kissed her hard and deep. His eyes closed as he moaned. Just being this close to her set everything inside of him on fire. He hardened as she started to roll her hips against him, though it made it difficult to keep holding her. Their tongues tangled, the two of them kissing each other desperately, passionately.

Leo coughing behind him broke them apart. Both Charity and Devin panted as he lowered her back to her feet. Her hands remained on his chest, foreheads pressed together.

“Wow,” she whispered. “I guess distance does make the heart grow fonder.”

Devin laughed. “Let’s not try it out again. I don’t know if I can get much fonder of you.”

Charity slipped an arm around his waist. “Come inside. We have so much to talk about.”

They went into the house, where Hope Gatiss stood looking wary. Devin couldn’t even feel annoyed by her. Let her think what she wanted to think. It didn’t matter. He had his Charity back, and that was all that mattered. He kept his hand in hers, making sure that contact wasn’t broken. Introductions were made, and then Charity tugged him into a bedroom.

His first instinct was to lay her on the bed and rip off all their clothes, but he repressed it. As much as he wanted to kiss every inch of her skin to make sure she was truly unharmed, they needed to talk.

They sat on the bed, hands twined with one another.

“You just disappeared. All I had was one message where I heard you telling Hope to leave me a message.”

Charity wrinkled her nose. “She threw my phone out the window.”

Devin’s brows rose.

“That’s not important. The thing is, Hope came to me in a panic. She was terrified because . . . ” Charity’s eyes widened. “Wait. You don’t know. How could you know, we haven’t been able to talk. But you don’t know!”

Devin had to laugh. “Know what?”

A smile blossomed over Charity’s face. “That I’m pregnant. And you’re my baby daddy.”

Devin’s eyes widened. His breath caught in his throat. Pregnant? Warmth spread through his chest and he caught her tight in his arms. He kissed her, laughed, and kissed her again. A baby. Their child, growing inside of her. He couldn’t believe it. It was too good to be true. He pulled her tight against him again and kissed her neck.

But as he did so, a frown crossed his face. Why would Hope be panicked over Charity’s pregnancy? More importantly, why would Charity tell her before telling him? There was more going on here. He pulled back and gave her a quizzical look.

Apparently, that was enough for her to know what he was asking. She trailed her hands down his chest. “I don’t know how Honor found out, but she did. Hope saw her buying a gun.”

The blood in his veins turned to ice.

“These past few days, I’ve been terrified that she bought it for you, not me.”

Devin made a strangled noise in her throat. Of course, she’d be more worried about him than about herself. So, what if her sister had bought a gun and her other sister immediately ran to her, clearly afraid for her safety. It was obviously him that she needed to be worried about. He shook his head, bemused by her thoughts.

“Don’t shake your head at me.” Charity playfully pushed his shoulder. “I knew I was okay. I didn’t know if Honor had come after you, though. If anything had happened to you—”

“She did approach me,” he said. He shivered as he remembered her cold, dead eyes. “She said she was worried about you. That she didn’t try to hurt me or Leo only means that she is after you.”

Charity swallowed hard, fear rising in her eyes. Devin almost wished he hadn’t said anything. But when had not someone about the potential danger they were in protected them in any way? No, it was best to share everything so both of them knew exactly what they were up against. He wrapped his arms around her.

“I will protect you, Charity. No matter what. You don’t have to be afraid. I’m here now. I’m here.”

He kissed her, then curled his fingers under the hem of her shirt. He tugged it up so he could see her stomach. He kissed her navel before laying her back. Using both his hands and his eyes, he studied her form. Was there a slight roundness to her stomach that hadn’t been there before? He couldn’t quite tell. With a smile, he kissed her navel again, this time sweeping his tongue across the top of her pants. She reacted just the way he had hoped, arching her back towards him.

“How far along are you?”

“Two months.”

Devin thought a moment, then nodded. “So it was probably that night on the beach with the orcas singing.”

“Yeah. That’s what I thought, too.” She smiled. “I was a little nervous about telling you. Excited, but nervous. I’m glad that I finally was able to, though. Seeing your smile . . . that was the best feeling in the world.”

Devin laughed softly. “You think so, do you? I think hearing you say you are pregnant was the best feeling in the world. Or, you know what else might be the best feeling in the world?”

“What?”

He took in a deep breath and said it in a rush before he lost his nerve. “I love you.”

Charity’s eyes widened. Her smile was so big that he thought it might burst. She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him down, kissing him passionately. In response he wormed his hands between her shirt and her body and pulled it up; their kiss broke just long enough for him to take the shirt off. When he started on her bra, he moved to her neck.

“I can beat that,” she gasped, body moving with his to allow him the best access. “I love you, too.”

She was right. Hearing her say those words was the best feeling in the world.