The room gradually grew cold as the heavy adrenaline left their bodies. Julius lay very still on the small bed, his head resting against the steady, solid beat of Harrison’s chest. The quietness of the safe house wrapped around them like a heavy blanket, a stark contrast to the chaotic gunfire and blinding smoke they had escaped just hours before.

Outside, the sky was changing from a pale yellow to a deep, dark gray as night slowly took over the quiet residential area.

"We got lucky today," Julius whispered into the dark room, his voice barely audible. He stared up at the plain ceiling, his fingers idly rolling the edge of the sheet. "If that tunnel hadn’t been there... if Anna hadn’t reacted so fast..."

Harrison didn’t answer immediately. He kept his large arm draped securely over Julius’s waist, his grip tight and grounding. When he finally spoke, his deep voice rumbled right through his chest, sending a comforting warmth into Julius’s shoulder.

"Luck had nothing to do with it," Harrison said firmly. "Your father built that escape path for a reason. He knew a day like today might come. You remembered it when it mattered most, Julius. That is why we are breathing right now."

Julius let out a soft sigh, turning his head slightly to look at the sharp line of Harrison’s jaw in the dim light. "But the drive is gone, Harrison. Everything we risked our lives for at the cottage... it was completely empty. I feel like I dragged you and the team into a death trap for absolutely nothing."

"It wasn’t for nothing," Harrison countered, turned his dark eyes down to meet Julius’s gaze. His expression was completely serious, devoid of any doubt. "We learned something critical. Arthur Vance didn’t send those men. Those were highly trained professional mercenaries. They move differently, they use military-grade gear, and they operate in complete silence."

"A third party," Julius murmured, a chill settling deep in his stomach.

"Exactly," Harrison said, his large hand moving up to gently cup Julius’s face. His thumb brushed against Julius’s cheek, his touch surprisingly soft despite his massive size. "So stop carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. The puzzle is just getting bigger, but we are going to solve it. Together. Do you understand me?"

Julius looked into Harrison’s burning, possessive eyes and felt a sudden wave of relief. The lingering fear and guilt from the ambush began to fade, replaced by a quiet sense of safety. He nodded weakly, leaning his face into Harrison’s warm palm.

"I understand," Julius whispered.

Harrison leaned down, pressing a slow, lingering kiss against Julius’s forehead before pulling him closer against his broad frame. Locked in that heavy embrace, the sheer exhaustion of the day finally caught up to both of them. Within minutes, their breathing evened, and they drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Hours passed in total silence.

Julius woke up first. The bedroom was completely dark now, except for a tiny sliver of light coming from under the door. He shifted his body, feeling a slight stiffness in his muscles. Beside him, Harrison was still dead to the world, one large arm draped over Julius’s waist in a possessive way.

Julius reached out to the bedside table to check the time. As his fingers wrapped around his phone, the screen suddenly lit up. The bright light made him blink. There was a notification on the screen — a text message from an unknown number.

Julius unlocked the phone, his eyes scanning the words.

I thought you were smart enough alpha?

Find the drive before I do, unless loose everything you hold dear.

Julius stared at the screen in complete disbelief. His breath hitched in his throat, his heart instantly hammering against his ribs all over again. A freezing chill went right down his back. Whoever sent this message knew exactly who they were, what they were looking for, and where they were hiding. The threat was clear.

"Harrison," Julius whispered, his voice trembling as he shook Harrison’s massive shoulder. "Harrison, wake up."

Harrison stirred instantly, his dark eyes snapping open in the dark. He sat quickly, his hand automatically reaching toward the side of the bed where his gun was kept. "What is it? Did you hear something?"

"No," Julius said, his voice tight as he handed the glowing phone over. "Look at this. It just came through."

Harrison grabbed the phone, his face darkening as he read the short text. The muscles in his jaw clenched hard, and a low, angry growl formed deep in his chest. He tossed the sheets aside and stood up, his large frame looking completely tense in the dim light.

"We need to get ready right now," Harrison ordered, his voice deep and serious. "Someone is tracking us. We need to go downstairs and head straight to Daniel."

Julius nodded quickly, his hands shaking a little as he pulled on a clean pair of trousers and a shirt. Harrison threw on his black shirt and boots, his face completely closed off. Within minutes, they were both ready, moving quietly out of the bedroom and down the hallway.

Downstairs in the main medical area of the safe house, the mood was entirely different.

Daniel was sitting up on the edge of a medical bed, his shirt off and a thick white bandage wrapped securely around his injured shoulder. Standing right in front of him was Marcus, who had come down to the safe house this morning after receiving the emergency alert.

Marcus was pacing back and forth, his face bright red with anger as he pointed a finger at Daniel who looked nonchalant about the whole situation.

"You are a complete idiot, Daniel!" Marcus shouted, his voice loud in the quiet room. "You have one job. One job! To protect the area and keep yourself alive. How do you let a bunch of mercenaries catch you completely off guard? You could have died out there!"

Daniel didn’t look upset at all. In fact, a small, amused smile grew on his lips as he watched Marcus pace. He let out a low, rough laugh. "Marcus, look at you. You came all the way down here just to yell at me?"

"I came down here because the boss needed backup!" Marcus snapped, crossing his arms over his chest and turning his face away. "Not because of you. I told you to take more men with you, but no, you thought you knew it all and went ahead with just three men."

"Three fucking men against more than 10 mercenaries. How does that make sense?" Marcus screamed at Daniel.

"Right," Daniel chuckled, leaning back slightly against the pillow, his dark eyes fixed entirely on Marcus. "You still care. You can’t even hide it."

"Nope, never," Marcus sighed loudly, his shoulders going rigid. "I don’t care about you at all. I just don’t want to do your paperwork if you get killed."

"I know your blushing, Marcus," Daniel said softly, the teasing tone in his voice turning a bit warmer. "Your ears always turn red when you lie."

Marcus spun around, completely annoyed. He stepped closer and brought his hand down, slapping Daniel right on his uninjured chest. "I said shut up!"

"Ouch," Daniel grunted, twisting his face in fake pain, though the smile never left his eyes.

Marcus stopped instantly. His anger melted away, replaced by pure worry. He leaned in closer, his hands hovering over Daniel’s shoulders, his voice dropping into a soft, frantic whisper. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you? I forgot about your shoulder."

Because Marcus was leaning down, their faces were suddenly inches apart. The anger between them completely vanished, replaced by a thick, heavy tension.

Daniel didn’t answer with words. He reached up with his good arm, his large fingers grabbing the back of Marcus’s neck firmly. He pulled Marcus down the remaining few inches, planting his lips squarely against Marcus’s mouth in a deep, sudden kiss.

Marcus froze for a fraction of a second, his eyes wide with shock. But then, his shoulders dropped. He completely melted into the touch, his hands moving to grip Daniel’s jacket as he kissed him back, their mouths locking together with years of unsaid feelings.

Up on the stairs, the door creaked open. Harrison came rushing down the steps, his heavy boots echoing loudly as he shouted out, "Daniel, we have a problem—"

Harrison stopped dead in his tracks on the bottom step. Julius came up right behind him, bumping into Harrison’s massive back before peeking around his shoulder.

Both Harrison and Julius stood completely frozen, their eyes wide and their mouths slightly open. In front of them, Daniel and Marcus were still completely locked together, their mouths moving against each other, totally unaware that anyone had just walked into the room.

For a long moment, nobody moved. Julius just stood there, blinking at the two men like his brain had completely stopped working. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Harrison stood beside him like a statue, staring straight ahead, one hand still resting on the door frame.

Harrison and Julius looked at the two men, then slowly looked at each other, completely baffled by what they were seeing.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​