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Forever.

And we stay wrapped up in each for a while, forgetting the world beyond this little clearing.

We are all tangled limbs and deep breaths, our bodies pressed against the forest floor, skin still tingling from everything we’ve just shared. Moss cushions my back, pine needles tickle my calves, and Rowan’s arm is heavy and warm where it’s draped across my waist.

His head rests against my shoulder, face turned toward my neck like he’s afraid I might vanish if he lets go. His thumb draws lazy circles on my stomach, and I think—or rather, I know with absolute certainty—that I’ve never felt so content in my life.

The bond is quiet now. Not slumbering, but steady. It feels like a second heartbeat, low and constant as it thrums between us. My wolf hums in satisfaction, stretching inside me like she’s been asleep for a decade and finally has room to breathe again.

“I missed this,” Rowan murmurs, brushing his lips just below my collarbone.

I smile. “Sex?”

He huffs a laugh. “Well, yes. But I meant…this. You. The way it feels to just be near you. A decade is a long time, and I only had one night to cling onto in my memories.”

I don’t say anything for a minute. I just let my fingers comb through his thick hair, catching on a little leaf and flicking it away.

“I used to wonder if you ever thought about me,” I admit.

“Every day,” he replies without hesitation.

My throat tightens. “Even after you rejected the bond?”

He lifts his head, and the look in his eyes is so raw that it almost hurts to meet it with my own gaze. “Especially then.”

I press my hand to his cheek. He turns into it like he needs the contact as much as he needs air.

Eventually, though, reality creeps back in. We can’t stay out here forever, even if I’d like to.

“We should clean up before we go back,” I say, though I don’t bother moving just yet.

Rowan groans softly and flops onto his back beside me, armsspread like he’s trying to become one with the earth. “I forgot what it feels like to be blissfully sore. Worn out in a good way.”

I roll onto my side, propping my head up on my hand. “Careful, your age is showing. You’re approaching your thirties at a rapid pace, gorgeous.”

He shoots me a wicked grin, then grabs my hand and kisses the back of it. “Just wait until I show you what I can still do when I’m properly rested.”

“I already know what you can do.”

“That wasn’t even the start of it.”

Heat blooms in my cheeks, and I swat at his shoulder. “Down, Alpha.”

We eventually manage to get dressed again, but the process is slow and lazy thanks to the fact that we keep pausing to kiss or laugh or just breathe each other in. Eventually, we begin making our way back toward the heart of the territory, tracing the curve of the river with fingers laced and shoulders bumping.

The last rays of evening light have now faded, the bluish-golden glow of almost-night through the branches. Everything feels touched by magic.

Or maybe that’s just what the world feels like when the Mating bond is whole.

As we reach the footbridge that crosses back toward the main grounds, my phone buzzes.

I fish it out and swipe to unlock the screen. It’s a text from Zahra.

All’s well, Lina. Henry stepped down officially this morning. His nephew has already moved into the main house. He already mentioned he wants to meet with you and Rowan. Also…he made me a Beta. Long live the Whiteroses, forever friends of the Greenbriars.

I stop walking and read it again just to make sure I didn’t imagine it.

Rowan glances over. “What is it?”