Chapter 258 258 The Homecoming and the Heat They Couldn’t Hide

Chapter 258 258 The Homecoming and the Heat They Couldn’t Hide
The drive to Ceenas was long and boring for Joseph, and every mile felt longer than the one before it. He sat in the passenger seat beside Adam, staring out of the window, but his mind was not on the road, not on Ceenas, not even fully on Ashley and the madness she had thrown herself into. His mind kept going back to Victoria. To her body beneath his. To the way she had looked at him like she was afraid to believe him, and yet gave herself to him anyway. To the way she had slept in his arms like she belonged there. He was eager to get back home already, and that alone made him feel restless because they had not even arrived where they were going yet.
He wondered if he should have asked her to come with him, but he dismissed the thought quickly. He did not know what was waiting for them in Ceenas. He did not know what sort of mood Sebastien would be in, or if they would be walking into a trap. He did not want Victoria anywhere near danger again so soon after what had happened at the warehouse. He could still see her bleeding. He could still feel her limp body in his arms. The thought made his chest tighten. No. Leaving her behind had been the right thing to do, even if every part of him wanted her close.
Adam stared at him for most of the drive, studying him like Joseph was some puzzle he had already solved but wanted to hear confirmed. Joseph noticed but ignored him for as long as he could. Adam always had a way of sitting quietly until the silence became annoying.
“What’s with you and Vicky?” Adam finally asked.
Joseph turned his head and looked at him. Adam kept his eyes on the road like the question had been casual, but Joseph knew better.
“What’s with Vicky?” Joseph asked.
Adam chuckled.
“We are friends, you know. You can tell me. I trained her for a bit, so I know her scent, and you reek of her,” Adam said.
Rex growled before Joseph could even control him. The thought of Adam training Victoria, touching her, standing close enough to know her scent that well, rubbed his wolf the wrong way immediately. It was foolish because Adam was his friend and had done nothing wrong, but Rex did not care about reason when it came to Victoria.
“Well, that is all the response I needed,” Adam said, laughing under his breath.
Joseph looked away, but he could not stop the faint smile that tried to rise on his face. There was no point denying it. Not when Adam had already caught the scent and Rex had already betrayed him.
“Everyone seems to be pairing up these days. You and Vicky, Brian and Leah…” Adam said.
Joseph looked at him sharply, a little surprised.
“Brian and Leah?” he asked.
“Yep,” Adam said, nodding while still watching the road. “Those two are in love. Haven’t you noticed that Brian is always at the hospital? He refuses to take shifts in watching Leah. Coming home yesterday was difficult for him. I had to force him.”
Joseph wanted to laugh because now that Adam said it, it made sense. He had been too occupied with his own mess to notice clearly, but Brian had been unusually attached to Leah’s recovery. He had been around her too much for it to be only duty.
“Hopefully Malcolm doesn’t object,” Joseph said.
Adam laughed too, and the air inside the truck became lighter for a moment.
“So, is she the one?” Adam asked.
This time, his voice was serious. Joseph knew why. Adam had seen enough of him with Ashley to understand what a wrong fit looked like. Ashley had wanted him hard, but something between them had always felt forced, like she was trying to push herself into a place that would never shape itself around her. Ending it had been painful, but healthy. For both of them.
“Yes, Adam,” Joseph said, and his voice softened despite himself. “She is perfect for me in every way. Not desperate, not spoilt, brave, strong, gentle, funny, I can go on…”
He thought of Victoria hiding her crush so well, especially while he was still with Ashley. He respected her for that. She never once tried to make herself a problem. Never once made him uncomfortable. Never once forced her feelings into the room. She had stood back, carried her heart quietly, and only when she thought he wanted Leah did she try to bury it completely. It made him want to protect her more.
“The signs were there,” Adam said.
Joseph turned back to him.
“She stared at you for too long, always looked forward to working with you, and suddenly, she did not want to be around you. Throughout training, she avoided you. Who would have guessed that something was brewing between you two? I am happy for you,” Adam said.
Joseph thanked him, and after that, he could not stop smiling. Talking about Victoria had put something warm in his chest that refused to leave. For the first time, he understood Ethan better. He understood why his brother always wanted to be with Meadow, away from people, noise, chaos and responsibility. Joseph wanted that now. He wanted a place with Victoria where nobody needed him, where no one was bleeding, where no pack was falling apart, where they could just exist. Once this whole thing was over, he promised himself he would find a getaway like Ethan’s cabin. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere that would belong only to them.
Meanwhile, Amber and Leah were getting ready to go home. Ethan, Meadow and Victoria had gone to the hospital to celebrate Amber’s discharge, and the atmosphere in the VIP ward was joyful even though everyone carried worry beneath their smiles. Victoria had not yet told Meadow about what happened between her and Joseph, but Ethan and Meadow suspected it because she smelled of him. It was all over her, wrapped around her like a secret that was not trying hard enough to stay hidden.
Ethan teased Meadow about it through their mind link, and Victoria noticed how Meadow kept staring at her and smiling. Her cheeks heated every time her friend looked at her that way. She suspected they knew, but she refused to confirm anything until Joseph returned. Saying it out loud while he was away felt too fragile. Too new. Almost like she would jinx it if she gave it a name before he came back to her.
Cynthia knew Amber was coming home, and she could not wait to put the woman in her place. In her head, this was the moment she had been waiting for. Amber would return weak, tired, and dependent. Cynthia would stand before her, strong and dressed in borrowed power, and make the old Luna understand that things had changed. She could not wait to tell Amber who the real Luna was now, as if repeating the title enough would make it true. So she waited with Sean, the beta she was sleeping with, and some warriors nearby, just in case Amber tried to step out of line.
Cynthia’s wolf had been silent for a while. Medley had pulled away little by little, tired of fighting with a human who refused to listen. The disconnect between them had grown stronger. Medley disagreed with Cynthia’s behaviour and believed the unknown Alpha was using them. She believed they would be the real losers when the agreement finally showed its teeth. But Cynthia would not hear it. She had hurt her wolf too many times by blaming her weakness and failures on Medley. So Medley had started to recede, feeling useless and tired of being punished for the things Cynthia chose.