Gideon's POV
"Vera likes that name," she whispered, her voice still raspy from crying as she pulled the oversized collar of my shirt closer to her chin.
At the exact same moment, Kane and I aligned, our thoughts fusing together as we tested the name on our tongues. "Vera."
"We like that name, too," I murmured, unable to stop myself from wrapping my arms around her once more. I pulled her back against my chest and just held her—holding her for what felt like forever and only a second all at once, anchored by the simple, miraculous reality that she was here in my arms and she wasn't running.
"Are you... still wanting to have dinner?" her quiet voice broke through the silence, muffled slightly against my chest.
I loosened my grip just enough to tilt my head down and look into her hazel
