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They snuggled for a few minutes, then put their clothes back on in consideration of the cooler wind that continued to blow.

But neither of them seemed willing to go back to the barracks just yet.

They lay on the blanket, fully clothed but snuggled together, under the stars as the ocean whispered nearby.

It was an idyllic night, and Celine was enchanted—and fulfilled—after their quick joining and her mind-blowing climax.

Not to mention the fact that they’d both declared their love for each other. She couldn’t ignore that, but she had to go that one step further. That final clarification that would let her know if this was the forever love she’d searched for all her life.

“I think…” she whispered, her head on his chest as they lay together. “I think you might be my mate.”

Zeke stilled under her. She shifted her head up so she could see his face. His eyes were wide, and it felt like the air between them was suddenly charged. She waited, holding her breath. Then slowly—so slowly—his mouth curved into a smile that stole her breath all over again.

“Good,” he said. “Because I already knew you were mine.”

Happiness filled her wild heart, but she had to make sure.

“Someone explained to you exactly what that means, right?” She felt a bit hesitant as their gazes held.

“Mating is forever. There will never be anyone else for me, Zeke. Only you. It’s a bond deeper than human marriage.

It’s a soul thing. A permanent joining of our lives and our magic.

Once we’re mates, there is no turning back.

” She didn’t know how to make it any clearer, but he wasn’t pulling away. Thanks be to the Mother of All.

“I understand, babe, and I’m in it for the duration. I love you, and I don’t ever want to be parted from you.”

Her heart swelled with emotion as a sort of giddiness filled her veins with champagne bubbles of happiness. This was it. The moment all doubt fled. She lifted up to kiss him, claiming his lips in a kiss of pure joy and deep passion.

She would’ve taken it further, undressing them both again, but for the knowledge that the patrols would be back around any second now, and it really had gotten a lot colder out here in the past half hour.

Maybe they should move this party indoors, but for now, she was content to enjoy this moment under the stars, with the man she would love forever.

Zeke kissed her like a man claiming his future.

If he had anything to say about it, that’s exactly what he was doing.

He wasn’t sure how it was all going to work out with his commitment to the Army and everything that was up in the air right now, but he’d work it out.

Ultimately, he would make it so he and Celine could live happily ever after.

It just might take a little while to bring that about.

When they finally parted, foreheads pressed together, Celine whispered, “So…what now, soldier?”

Zeke sighed as she returned to his side, cuddling into him as they looked up at the stars. “Now? Well, a lot has been happening. Have you heard about us all having to leave this base?”

“Wait. What?” She did a double-take, leaning to the side to meet his gaze. He realized she’d probably been so caught up in her own emotions in the aftermath of the mission that nobody had bothered to tell her about the upheaval coming for them all.

He filled her in on everything he knew and waited to see what she thought.

She wasn’t military, so she could go wherever she wanted.

Pretty much. Zeke figured her grandfather would be able to find her a job wherever he ended up, if that’s what she wanted.

Or, Zeke laid out the alternative that his unit had been given.

It was very likely that they were going to at least start out in Wyoming and get the lay of the land.

Whether or not they went independent—quit the military and become independent contractors—was still an open question, but Zeke figured it would probably happen.

The foreseers in his unit, Rose and Jeeves, hadn’t come right out and said it yet, but they had made some pretty strong hints about the future of the unit lying somewhere outside the confines of Uncle Sam’s military.

Zeke figured they’d all have a long talk about it tonight and make their final decision before they had to leave tomorrow.

Which meant he had to find out what Celine wanted to do.

He didn’t want to go anywhere without her.

Or, at least, without a plan for how they could be together as soon as time and circumstances allowed.

If things had been different, he would have been content to just let things happen naturally and not put her on the spot.

But neither of them had that luxury. The base’s location was now known to the enemy, and they all had to go.

He sat up, and she followed suit as a patrol came into view a few yards away on the sand.

They waved to the two shifter soldiers who went on their way, and Zeke was glad they’d cleaned up and re-dressed.

He sat on the blanket, facing her, talking quietly about the options.

When he finished, he waited to hear what she thought.

“I’ve heard about the Wraiths,” Celine said slowly as she seemed to think over everything he had just told her.

“They are said to have great integrity, and superior skills. Mostly, I’ve heard about them from my grandfather.

I think he trained a lot of those guys. I’ve also heard that they have gained a great deal of protective magic over their territory in recent years.

There have been rumors about the rebirth of some serious earth elementals, dryads and the like, and even fey,” she told him, her expression speculative.

“Is that good?” he asked, still not completely familiar with the other magical races.

“It’s extremely powerful,” she said, meeting his gaze.

“And if they’re in the Wraiths’ territory, then they are aligned with the Light, which means they are unequivocally the good guys.

I’m intrigued enough to want to know more, and if you have an invitation to check out their territory and hospitality—and that invitation extends to me—then I’d want to go there and see what it’s all about. ”

“Even if it’s landlocked?” he asked, wanting to make sure she would be comfortable in the location. It was getting colder by the minute, so he stood and helped her to her feet. She grabbed the blanket and folded it as they talked.

“There must be water around there somewhere. Mountains often have lakes, I think.” She grinned, teasing him a little bit, he thought.

“It’s not the ocean, though,” he reminded her, feeling skeptical. “I want to be sure you’ll be happy there.”

She stepped closer, the folded blanket between them as she put one hand over his heart, gazing up into his eyes. “As long as I’m with you, that’s where I’m happiest. The rest, we can figure out as we go along.”

She reached up and kissed him, sealing her words with the magic of their bond. He felt something click home inside him and wondered if that was their magic meshing, never to be parted. It certainly felt that way, and he couldn’t be happier about it.

“So, you’ll come with me if we end up in Wyoming? I’d say there’s a ninety-five percent chance that we’ll go there for at least a short visit while the brass figures out what to do with us,” he told her.

“I can think of no place I’d rather be,” she replied immediately, reaching up on her tiptoes to place a quick kiss on his jaw.

She drew back, smiling in a way that made his breath catch. She’d gone from somber and sad all the time to this joyful being that loved him and made him feel happy with each breath she took. How did he get so damned lucky?

She laughed again, the sound echoing over the lapping of the nearby waves as they stood together—two souls who had found light in the darkness. She was it for him, and he vowed he would do everything in his power to make her happy like this for the rest of their lives.

*

A short while later, Celine walked into the unit’s building on Zeke’s arm, neither of them even trying to hide her presence. He was her mate, and in the eyes of her people, they were a couple now that could never be separated. The human men of Zeke’s unit would figure it out sooner or later.

He walked her up to his room, greeting some of his friends along the way, but nobody objected to her presence.

They were all polite and greeted her gently.

Celine felt her excitement grow. The other guys seemed to be accepting her presence without question, which was awesome.

She hadn’t really expected it, but it was a tremendous gift to her wild side to be accepted as Zeke’s girlfriend by his comrades.

They’d learn soon enough that she was his mate and their relationship was permanent.

He led her into his room and closed the door behind her.

Celine stood just inside, the door clicking softly shut behind her.

Outside, the halls were quiet. Everyone was processing the aftermath of the tumultuous day in their own way.

Some patched wounds, others packed gear.

But her only thought—her only need —was her mate. Zeke.

He went to the window, his shoulders tensing.

He stared out at the darkened shoreline below, his muscles coiled tight.

He’d stopped to chat briefly with his commander when they’d entered the building, and she’d been sidetracked by one of the wives who’d stopped to see how she was holding up.

Zeke had been a bit tense after that, but he hadn’t said anything until they were alone. Until now.

“The plans are confirmed,” he said quietly. “We leave tomorrow. We’re going to Wyoming, at least for a while. The Wraiths are ready to receive us.”

She moved toward him, unhurried but sure. “Do you have a choice? I mean, you don’t sound too thrilled about it. Are you going?”