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She grinned. “It was the hardest thing I have ever done, but I had help. You and my family.”

“Oh, good, I’m glad. But it’s over?” Cohen asked.

“It’s over. The spell is back up. Matthew came here with magic. That had to be what you heard just before he showed up, but as soon as the magic was done, it threw him out. He can’t be here. He doesn’t even know where we are. Do you know why?”

Cohen shook his head.

“Because he used magic to come here, he doesn’t know our actual location. But more than that, I made sure to wipe his memory when I was casting the protection spell. The one I put up is much more powerful than the one that was here before.”

He frowned. “As glad as I am to hear that, does that mean we will have more strange things to worry about? The electricity and Wi-Fi?”

She shook her head. “No. It won’t be worse, but it will be the same. I like the outages. It always brings people together, and why would we need Wi-Fi way out here, anyway?”

He grinned. “That’s actually really sweet, love. Now what do we do?”

Alana stood, holding his hand in hers. “Whatever we want. The threat is gone, and the spell is stronger than ever.”

“And the mate sense? Were you able to restore it?”

“I didn’t,” she admitted. “I think it’s a good thing that people come here to heal and fall in love organically.”

“You know, I think you’re onto something. I trust myself a hell of a lot more now that I know that my mind and my wolf’s mind basically want the same thing.” He took her by the waist and kissed her softly. “Let’s get home for some rest. It’s barely nine a.m., but I’m already beat.”

“That’s because you’re bleeding. To bed with you.”

He chuckled, kissing her again. “Sure, love. I’m just not sure that we should have sex right now.”

She rolled her eyes. “You know that’s not what I meant.” She laughed softly. “You need to heal, and I need a nap very badly before we go and tell the elders that our troubles are over.”

Cohen smiled. “Mrs. Francis is going to be so happy we got it all squared away.”

“She may very well be,” Alana agreed. “But let’s be honest. She will be a whole lot more excited that we are together now.”

His smile widened. “Because we’re together.”

It wasn’t a question because it didn’t need to be. They were a couple, and that’s all that mattered.

TWENTY-TWO

ALANA

The moon was high in the sky, and though it was only a half-moon, it was bright white, casting a peaceful light on the town that Alana and Cohen had just saved.

She took a deep breath and let it soothe the edge of her soul and heart. She felt more settled than she had in a very long time.

Alana was complete. Shefeltcomplete. Or at least, as much as she could, given the fact she had a mate that was, as of yet, unmated. She had plans to change that tonight, though.

“Cohen,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist as he took their steaks off the grill. She pressed a kiss to the shoulder that, hours before, had been terribly injured. There was no sign of that injury now. The joys of falling in love with a shifter.

“What’s going on, Alana? You’ve got your planning voice on.”

She giggled. “I do not.”

“You sure do. Do you think I’ve known you this long without picking up on your little quirks? You’ve got a planning voice. You do. I heard it enough back when you were trying to drive me insane to recognize it.”

She pinched his side, and he chuckled, turning to face her. He cupped her face in his palms before kissing her softly. “What are the plans you are trying to make?”

She smiled at him. “You’re not gonna like it. In fact, I think that you might argue with me as vehemently for this as you would for the booth in Moonie’s.”