I watched Lena take a step away from me, her arms crossed over her chest, her chin lifted in defiance. She was stubborn—so damn stubborn—and every time she tried to put distance between us, the bond pulled taut, tightening like a leash on both our souls.
"I'm not going back in there," she said, glaring at the bedroom door as if it had personally wronged her.
I sighed, rubbing a hand over my jaw. "Lena."
"No." Her voice was sharp, final. "I'll sleep anywhere else—on the floor, on a couch, in a different room—hell, I'll take the closet. But I am not sharing a bed with you again."
She was trying so hard to fight this. To fight me.
I took a step forward. She took a step back. A little dance neither of us could win.
I didn't have the patience for this.
Before she could react, I closed the space between us in a single stride, grabbing her waist and hoisting her up over my shoulder.
"What the—Dominic!" she screeched, her fists pounding at my back as I turned toward the bedroom. "Put me down!"
"Nope." I tightened my grip, one arm wrapped firmly around the backs of her thighs. My hand spanned the length of them, fingers pressing into the soft, warm skin there.
Lena squirmed, wiggling and twisting, but all it did was make her press against me in ways that tested every ounce of my restraint.
"God, you're impossible!" she huffed, her breath warm against my lower back.
"And you're ridiculous if you think I'm letting you sleep anywhere else," I said, smirking as I strode into the room.
She kicked her feet, but I was stronger, faster. I reached the bed and, with absolutely no finesse, dropped her onto the mattress. She bounced once, hair flying around her face as she landed on her back.
Her furious glare pinned me in place. "You absolute—"
I leaned down, bracing my hands on either side of her head, caging her in before she could finish whatever insult she was about to throw at me.
Her lips parted, breath stuttering, her body still and tense beneath me.
"Stop running," I murmured. "You can't escape me, Lena. You know that. I will find you—no matter where you go."
She swallowed, her throat bobbing. Her gaze flickered between my eyes and my mouth, and I knew. I knew she felt it just as much as I did. The war inside her was written all over her face.
I pushed away from the bed before I did something reckless, turning toward the adjoining bathroom. "You need a bath."
"I need a way out," she muttered.
I ignored that, twisting the faucets and letting the tub fill with steaming water. The scent of lavender and something sweet filled the space as I added a few drops of oil from the small bottles on the counter. When I turned back to her, she was sitting on the edge of the bed, arms still crossed, watching me cautiously.
"I'm not getting in there with you standing over me like some creep," she said.
I chuckled. "I'll turn around."
She still didn't move.
I sighed, walking over and crouching in front of her, brushing my knuckles along her knee. "I'll take care of you, Lena. Just let me."
Something in her gaze softened for a fraction of a second before she tore it away. "Fine. Just—turn around."
I did as she asked, listening to the rustle of fabric as she undressed and slipped into the bath.
Only when I heard the quiet splash of water did I turn back, walking over and kneeling beside the tub. Lena tensed slightly, watching me with wary eyes as I reached for a comb.
"Your hair's a mess," I said simply, running my fingers through the damp strands before carefully untangling them with the comb.
She exhaled, slowly, her shoulders dipping beneath the water.
Neither of us spoke as I worked through the knots in her hair, my fingers brushing against her scalp. I could feel her relaxing despite herself, and something about that made my chest tighten.
She wanted to fight this, but some part of her knew—just like I did—that this was inevitable.
"You're different like this," she murmured, breaking the silence.
"Like what?"
"Like… you actually care."
I paused, comb hovering over her hair, then set it down.
I cupped her chin, tilting her face toward me. "I do care, Lena."
She looked away, her lips pressing into a thin line. "You don't even know me."
I stared at her for a long moment, the weight of her words settling deep. I could have argued. Could have told her that knowing her wasn't just about facts and memories—it was about the way she fit against me, the way my world shifted every time she was near. But I didn't. Because she wasn't ready to hear it.
Instead, I let my fingers brush over her cheek, a silent promise lingering between us. "Try to relax."
She nodded, still avoiding my gaze, and I left her to finish her bath in peace.
I moved back into the bedroom, grabbing a pair of sweats and tugging them on just as a knock sounded at the door.
"Lucas?" I called out.
He pushed open the door. "Thank god," he muttered after a wary glance around the room. "I was afraid you'd be naked in here."
I sighed. "What is it?"
"There's a breach on the Southern border. I sent out Team One but thought you'd want to come see it all for yourself."
With one glance back at the door to the bathroom, I nodded. "I'll be there in five minutes, send Evan back to guard Lena."
A breach was serious, especially considering I'd just found my mate. Even more so because the said mate kept trying to run away. I pushed open the bathroom door, dropped to my knees in front of her, leveled my gaze with hers, and pleaded, "Stay."
Lena blinked at me for a long moment before breathing a near silent, "Okay."
I dropped my head to the cool edge of the tub. "Thanks." Pushing back, I rolled out the lingering stress in my shoulders before saying, "Evan will be here soon to look after you."
"To keep me from running?"
My eyes met hers again. "No, to keep you safe. He'll take you wherever you want to go inside the estate."
"But not outside of it." She said, not a question.
"You're not leaving this estate without me, Lena. And you won't make it outside of the territory without me. So, please, please, stop trying."
Her brow furrowed, but she only said, "Okay."
I left her to the bath, passing Evan in the hall. He saluted me good-naturedly, and I shoved by, ready to tear apart whoever was stupid enough to come into my territory uninvited.