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His answer was immediate as he turned to face her. “Only if you are. I told Hal I wouldn’t leave you, no matter what. He wasn’t happy, but he gave me time to sort things out with you. If you want to stay with your grandfather, Hal said he’d try to arrange things so I could go wherever he’s going.”

The raw need and honesty in his eyes stole her breath. He was always so strong, so steady, but right now, he looked uncertain. Of what, she wasn’t sure. Maybe their love? Her commitment to them as a couple?

He was human. He probably needed reassurance. He didn’t have the wild instincts that solidified the mating bond, but he’d become confident in it—in her —in time.

Celine reached for him, threading her fingers through his. “Then, I guess we’re going to Wyoming. I need to be wherever you are. Gramps doesn’t need me, and now that I’ve found my mate, I don’t need anybody but you, Zeke. Gramps knows that. All shifters do. Mates are everything. Mates are forever.”

His relief was visible. He released his held breath, and weight seemed to drop off his shoulders. He tugged her closer, pulling her into his arms.

“Then I guess we’re going to Wyoming. I asked, and there’s a lake on the mountain, not too far from the little settlement they’ve constructed. It’s freshwater, though. Is that a problem?”

“That is so sweet of you to find out,” she cooed, putting one hand on his chest, over his strong heart. “Freshwater isn’t a problem for me. It’ll be a nice change, and I’ll be the oddity among the shifters on the mountain. It’ll be fun.”

She smiled, already anticipating the games she might play with the other shifters.

Her seal was nothing if not playful. It already anticipated finding new friends among the larger shifter group.

They’d have to move fast to pack up and leave tomorrow, but there were still hours left before their world changed again.

And right now, she wanted something only he could give her.

She rose onto her toes, her mouth brushing his in a kiss that started soft and deepened with every heartbeat. Zeke responded immediately, his arms locking around her as if anchoring himself to her warmth, her strength.

Their clothes came off in quick, fumbling movements, driven by adrenaline and something more fragile beneath it— need . The need to feel alive. The need to feel connected. The need to remember who they were when the world wasn’t watching.

They fell onto his bed in a tangle of limbs and desire, mouths seeking, hands claiming.

Zeke moved over her with reverence and heat, kissing a path down her throat to the hollow between her breasts, then back up to her lips, murmuring her name like a vow.

He undressed her, and then, she turned the tables, rolling so that she was over him, her hands discarding the fabric that covered him as quickly and efficiently as she could manage.

When they were both bare, she lowered herself against him, rubbing her wet slit against his hard cock.

Her breathing hitched as he groaned low in his throat, and she felt the rumble against her palms as they rubbed over his chest. She couldn’t wait.

She lifted up, positioning him at her entrance, then sank down.

It was pure bliss. And, after the initial moment of entry and stillness that washed over her as she enjoyed the feel of him, they began to move. Their pace wasn’t slow. It was urgent. Desperate. A reminder that they were still here, still fighting, still together.

She met him thrust for thrust, holding his gaze through every shudder and gasp, every whispered word. She didn’t look away when her pleasure built to the breaking point, and he didn’t either when he followed her over the edge.

They lay tangled together afterward, skin damp, hearts pounding, their breaths syncing slowly into something calmer. Zeke rolled to his side and brushed a damp lock of hair from her cheek.

“I meant what I said before,” he whispered. “About trying to follow your grandfather. I don’t really care where we go, as long as we’re together.”

She cupped his face, running her thumb over the rough line of his jaw.

“I don’t care either. But if you’re going to Wyoming, I’m going too.

I think it’s more important that you stick with your unit right now.

They’re your family, and you’ve all been through some pretty major changes.

I’ve seen how you all are together. They need you, and you need them while you figure out all the new things in your lives and careers.

You need to stick with them, and I need to stick with you. ”

His smile was soft and tired, but real. “That’s all I needed to hear. You’re the best, Celine. Thanks for understanding.”

“No sweat, big guy,” she replied, tiredness coming over her.

It had been a really big day. Celine snuggled into his chest, her leg draped over his. She let the steady rhythm of his heartbeat lull her toward sleep, even as the weight of the day still loomed.

Tomorrow would probably be chaos as they all had to pack up and move. But tonight? What remained of tonight was theirs. And she wouldn’t trade that for anything.

*

The faint glow of early morning slipped through the slats in the blinds, casting soft golden lines across the bed.

Celine blinked awake slowly, her body still wrapped in the heat of Zeke’s.

One of his arms lay heavy around her waist, his chest pressed firmly against her back.

He was still asleep, his breath steady and warm against the nape of her neck.

For a long moment, she didn’t move. She wanted to memorize the quiet comfort of being skin-to-skin in a world that felt anything but safe.

The room was still, but just outside, she could hear movement. Boots on gravel. Distant engines rumbling. The unit was already beginning the evacuation process. She swallowed against the sudden lump in her throat. They were really leaving.

Everything that had been familiar for the past few months—Plum Island’s hidden magic, the camaraderie of the other shifters, being with her grandfather, the sharp salt air—was about to become memory. It had never been permanent, not really. But she’d started to let herself believe it could be.

Zeke stirred behind her.

“You’re tense,” he murmured, still half-asleep.

“I’m thinking,” she whispered.

His arm tightened around her. “You’re not changing your mind, are you?”

She turned to face him, brushing her fingers through his sleep-mussed hair. “Never. I’m coming with you.”

Relief softened his features, and he leaned in to kiss her slow and tender, a quiet thank you she felt all the way to her toes.

“Good,” he said. “Because I’m sure Hal already warned the Wraiths that I’m bringing trouble with me.” He grinned at her, his teasing clear.

She smiled. “As long as I’m your kind of trouble.”

“You’re the only kind I want.”

They lay there a few minutes longer, not speaking, just listening to the day wake up around them. But time was slipping past, and duty would come knocking soon. Zeke kissed her one last time before sitting up and reaching for his pants.

“I’ll go help with gear checks. Hal wants everyone ready by this afternoon. Can you have your stuff ready by then?”

Celine stood and stretched, grabbing her clothes from the edge of the bed. “I’ll head back to my room and pack up. It won’t take long. I can be ready on time. I also need to check in with Gramps and say goodbye to my friends.”

Zeke crossed the room and pulled her into his arms once more, bare feet on the cold tile, his forehead resting against hers.

“I’m so glad you’re coming with me. We’ll build something new in Wyoming,” he said softly. “Different, maybe. But stronger.”

She nodded. “Together.”

He smiled, kissed her again, and they pulled apart reluctantly, the day finally calling them forward. As she stepped into the hallway, the rising sun lit the corridor in soft gold. The island felt quieter now—its secrets packed up, its magic tucked away. But her future?

It was walking just ahead of her, military boots laced tight, heart wide open.

And she was ready to follow it— him —into whatever came next.