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.

but there was something else too-something I couldn't quite

the moment. Carlos's face remained impassive, but

we stood in silence, the night stretching out between us. And in that silence, I realized something had changed between us.

that neither of us

Carlos's eyes hadn't left my mind. It followed

and I walked 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, something new

wasn't just the alcohol; it was Carlos-his calm, steady demeanor, his quiet strength. Something had shifted between us, and it left

the car, he unlocked the door and gestured for me to get in. I slid into the passenger seat, trying to ignore the

car to the

the warmth of the alcohol buzzing in my veins, making me more aware of everything-his scent, the way his fingers tightened on the steering wheel, the way the muscles in his arms

rumbled to life, and we pulled out of the parking lot. The silence stretched between us, heavy and loaded. I glanced at Carlos, studying the

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

whispered, my voice barely audible