His Knees, His Pleas, But Our Son's in Peace

Chapter 37

We both turned to see Carlos standing a few feet away, his trench coat billowing

slightly in the breeze. His presence was like a force of nature, powerful and

undeniable. He didn't move, but the look in his eyes was enough to freeze Nathan in place.

Carlos didn't respond to him. His eyes remained locked on mine, and in that moment, something shifted. There was a connection, something deep and

unspoken, that passed between us. My wolf stirred inside me, agitated and

restless, as if sensing something in Carlos that I hadn't noticed before. His wolf, too, seemed to respond, though neither of us said a word.

Carlos stepped forward, his hand outstretched toward me. Without thinking, I took it, his grip firm but steady. He didn't need to pull me away; I followed him instinctively, leaving Nathan behind as Carlos led me away from the bench and back toward the street. The bodyguards appeared from the shadows, moving in to block Nathan's path as he tried to follow. "Doris, wait!" Nathan's voice cracked with desperation, but I didn't look back.

between us was palpable, but there was something else too-something I couldn't

impassive, but there was a flicker of something

For a moment, we stood in

neither

hadn't left my mind. It

in silence toward the parking lot, the night air cool against my flushed skin. There was a lingering tension between us, something that hadn't been there before,

in a way that made my heart race. It wasn't just the alcohol; it was Carlos-his calm, steady demeanor, his quiet strength. Something had shifted between us,

in. I slid into the passenger seat, trying to ignore the way my pulse quickened as he closed

car

I could feel the warmth of the alcohol buzzing in my veins, making me more aware of everything-his scent,

pulled out of the parking lot. The silence stretched between us, heavy and loaded. I glanced at Carlos, studying the hard line

expected him to pull away, to reestablish that boundary he always seemed to keep. But he didn't. His muscles tensed beneath my fingers, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he let out a slow, controlled breath, his grip on the

my voice barely audible over the