~ JOHN-PAUL ~ Stunned, he turned back to face the road, uncertain what to say. She had no clue, of course. But her simple statement—the conviction behind it—had touched his heart in a way he hadn’t felt in… well, ever. Was she blinded by the mate bond? Was that what was happening here? There had been a time, early on, when he and Hannah had found joy in each other. Though it hadn’t lasted. He’d been grateful that he got her out of that f*cked up family she was in, too. At least, until he got her killed. “Thank you,” he said suddenly and even though he didn’t look at her, from the corner of his eye he caught her smile, and it made him want to smile. Sh*t. The intimacy of the bond… That’s what it was. They were real mates even if they weren’t going to complete the bond. They would b