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“That Silas is your mate.”

The words made my stomach flip.

I clenched my jaw. “I never said?—”

“Oh, please.” Kendra flopped onto the bed beside me, tossing her braid over her shoulder. “He looked at you like you’re his fucking queen. And knowing wolves, he’s probably out there right now making sure no other wolf so much as breathes in your direction.”

I scowled. “He’s just protective.”

She laughed. “Protective because you’re his mate.”

“He said I was.” I sighed.

Kendra’s grin turned downright smug. “Oh? He said it, huh? And what did you say?”

I hesitated, because the truth was I had felt it. I had known it, deep down in my bones, the second he first touched me. Then he had claimed me in every way so Ireallyknew the truth of it. But admitting it out loud? That was something else entirely.

After a long moment, I sighed again. “I don’t know if I’m ready to say it.”

Kendra softened, nudging my shoulder with hers. “You don’t have to. Not yet.”

I glanced at her. “You’re really happy? With Rowan?”

Her expression changed, and for the first time since she had walked in, I saw it: the way her eyes glowed with a deep, settled satisfaction and her shoulders eased when she said his name. The way her fingers brushed unconsciously over the mark on her neck.

“I’ve never been so happy,” she said simply. “I’ve never felt more like myself than I do with him.” She turned toward me fully. “We wanted to find you, Lia. We were waiting for winter to pass so we could go back for you and Mariah.”

I sucked in a breath. “You were coming for us?”

She nodded. “We were coming for the both of you and now that we found you, we’ll go to find her too. We just have to figure out how.”

The knot of worry in my chest unraveled. I wasn’t alone in this anymore.

Kendra smiled at me, then stood, stretching. “I’ll introduce you to Rowan. He’s here in the camp somewhere, probably also keeping an eye on your mate.” She waggled her eyebrows at me. “You know, making sure he doesn’t do something too Alpha.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t even know what that means.”

She laughed. “You will.” And with that, the world suddenly didn’t feel quite so heavy.

“Come on now. Let me introduce you to my mate,” she offered. Picking up my pants off the floor, I pulled them on and slipped on a pair of socks as well as my boots, before tugging a sweater that I found over my head.

“You ready?” she asked, as I adjusted the hem of the sweater, finding it to be unexpectedly soft and warm.

“How can I get ready to meet your wolf?” I wondered.

Kendra rolled her eyes. “Rowan is not just some wolf. You’ll see soon enough.”

I let out a slow breath and followed her out of the cabin, the crisp mountain air biting at my skin as we stepped outside. The camp was quieter now, but the tension from the battle still lingered in the atmosphere.

Kendra led me along winding paths between tents and wooden structures until we reached a clearing. At the center stood a man. Even without being told, I knew it was Rowan, Kendra’s mate.

He stood tall, arms crossed over his chest, his blue eyes locked onto me with the intelligence of someone who didn’t miss a thing. His presence was commanding. He radiated the kind of dominance that didn’t need to be spoken, just felt.

His gaze shifted to Kendra, and for a split second, his entire body softened.

Kendra smiled. “Rowan, meet Lia. Lia, meet the overgrown mutt I’m stuck with for life.”

His lips twitched with the beginnings of a smirk, but his eyes never left mine.