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‘Forever.’

Their pace quickened and sensation rose, magic prickling in the air around them, lifting them off the bed as they drove each other to completion.

Crying out, they shouted their joy to the sky, falling, falling …

To land in the tall thick grass of his hill and complete their mating in their world and take those inexorable steps along the thread of fate they’d chosen.

Ivy wasworried when they returned to the pack that their mating would horrify everyone. Paul had not been meant for her, but Fate had other ideas. She also wasn’t certain which timeline everyone else would remember. How had their meddling with time and fate changed the world around them?

She shouldn’t have worried. Nobody remembered what had occurred that day. Nobody remembered her illness. Time had returned to normal and the only ones with any memory of the change Paul had tried to make, were her and her mate.

Although, Iris and Abby looked at her in a way that made her think maybe they had a clue. They said nothing though, other than to give their approval to the mating that had occurred unexpectedly.

They were led to the Dance for the formal acceptance. The stones stood sentinel around them, holding the weight of ancient power—having been brought here by the McVale Coven when they’d first arrived from Europe to claim this beautiful piece of land in the Peninsula near Red Hill, and make it their own. That power hummed around them, stroking over their skin, giving its own blessing to a union that the Fates had decreed, while they waited for the words of blessing and acceptance from their Alpha and their Coven Leader.

David McVale stared at them solemnly and Ivy trembled. Was her Alpha going to deny them a place in the pack as mates? It was unheard of for an Alpha to reject a mating, but she knew he had such plans for Paul and the strength Mariella would have brought to their pack. She wished she could tell him about Skye and River, but she and Paul had discussed it after completing their private mating, before heading back, hand in hand, to their families. They could not tell anyone else what lay ahead because the pack would try to stop it from happening and it couldn’t be stopped. Couldn’t be changed in any significant way. They also couldn’t have their future children feel anything but the love and support of their pack—if the pack were worried about their future, they wouldn’t be able to hide that worry from the children. It would affect everything, and they could not allow that to happen.

Skye and River must remember how much they were loved and feel the strength of connection and support if they were to get through what was ahead.

So, nobody could know how she and Paul would birth the future for their pack. And if David refused to welcome them as mates, then they would just have to live on the outskirts of the pack until the twins were born and they could show everyone the blessing their union brought.

She firmed herself against her Alpha’s rejection, steeling herself for the hurt it would bring.

Then he smiled and held out his hands.

She took a breath for the first time since stepping into the circle and took his hand.

He placed Paul’s hand over hers then encased them in both of his.

‘Paul and Ivy have come to us today, once separate, now one. Bonded as mates, heart and body, soul and mind, they are one. I accept their bonding into Pack McVale. May the strength of their mating strengthen our pack. From now and for all time.’

‘From now and for all time,’ the pack intoned.

‘You are bonded before the Goddess and you are bonded before the pack. Let love fill your life and laughter fill your ears. May your arguments be short and your loving endless.’ A few younger Were tittered at this part of the ceremony as they always did and there were the usual shushings and laughter. Ivy darted a glance to Paul and saw him sharing her smile. All nervousness was gone.

‘May your love be eternal.’

‘And may you find your eternal love,’ the pack intoned, touching brow, lip and heart.

David beamed, lifting their hands. ‘Ivy and Paul. Paul and Ivy. May you always be one.’

‘One!" the pack shouted, their jubilation lifting on the air.

Paul grabbed Ivy up into a fierce hug, then met her seeking lips with his own. The heat of his kiss shot through her, making her tingle and fly up and up and up, but she wasn’t lost, wasn’t alone.

The pack drew them apart and into the celebration that seemed had been waiting for them. She danced with her mate then with her parents—they couldn’t stop beaming at her, telling her that they’d always known she was the one to calm and settle Paul and make him happy. She danced with Stellan and Luke and Jackson. They teased her and she laughed, not even caring when Luke wondered when Poison Ivy had turned into Hot Ivy as Paul whisked her away from his mate, unable to stay away and keep his hands, and lips, off her. Which was fine with her.

She danced with Siobhan and Chloe, then laughed with everyone through Siobhan’s speech, followed by Luke’s as Paul’s best man. Then Iris spoke followed by her parents and Stellan—she had no idea her brother had so many lovely things to say about her.

Then she danced with Paul again, her body plastered against his, moving as one.

The celebration raged around them, but every part of her was focused on one thing—Paul. Her wolf lolled inside her, blissful and content. But she suddenly needed to be alone with her mate.

One glance in his eyes had him nodding and taking her hand. They walked away from the circle and towards the cottage that would temporarily be theirs until a larger one had been built—the Pack Warlock must have the ability to entertain his pack, so a small cottage would not do.

But for now, it was perfect in every way.

Someone must have been in there earlier setting it up for the newly-mated couple. There was champagne chilling in a bucket on the table, and flowers everywhere. They walked upstairs and into the bedroom, which had been turned into the perfect lovers’ bower—the king-sized bed covered with rose petals and plush pillows, gauzy curtains at the windows fluttering in the breeze coming up from the sea and everything done in her favourite colours—those she saw when she looked into Paul’s brilliant blue eyes with their flecks of silver and green.