Page 27

CAELAN

With my hand wrapped tightly around Livia’s, I led us through the forest and back toward our pack. My gaze flickered to her every so often. I still couldn’t believe why or how she had survived that attack by herself.

Not only survived but defeated them all by draining their blood.

I had never seen anything like it on this land, and I wanted to find out more. She was right; I should’ve let her stay with those witches before they were killed so she would learn a bit more about her powers.

But I was fucking terrified of losing her, because if I did leave her there and she died alongside the witches… then my mark wouldn’t be on her neck right now. I reached up and grazed the mark on my neck.

And she wouldn’t have bitten me either.

My lips curled into a small smile, and we continued through the quiet woods, spotting some chipmunks running across our path every so often. I didn’t think she realized it yet, but her teeth had extended into small canines when she marked me.

She did have a wolf, and she was finally about to come out and play with me.

“Are you sure you want to be mates with me?” she asked quietly, breaking the silence.

I furrowed my brows, anger rising inside me. “What do you mean? Of course I want to be mates with you. Don’t say that again.”

“But…” she started, keeping her head down and her gaze on the dirt path. She tried to pull her hand out of mine, but I kept a tight grip on it. “But you said that you didn’t. There were so many times you didn’t want me.”

“I’ve always wanted you,” I said, running the pad of my thumb across her knuckles. “But… It’s been hard. I have a lot of pressure on me. I didn’t want that to be transferred to you. I didn’t want anyone–from inside or outside our pack–to hurt you because you can’t shift.”

“But–”

“It was my stupid way of trying to protect you, and I… wish I would’ve just believed in you from the start,” I said, the guilt slamming into me in waves.

“When I first met you, and you tried to shift during pack training and couldn’t…

my wolf… he wouldn’t let me put you in any sort of danger.

I thought the best course of action was to keep you at a distance. ”

She stayed quiet for a long time, and I wished I could’ve erased the months I’d spent pushing her away. Using her. It wasn’t right. That’s not who I was, or at least, not who I wanted to be anymore.

I was never ashamed of her, but I knew how much someone could hurt her.

“It’s okay,” she said softly. “It’s okay if you don’t want me.”

“Stop saying that,” I growled. “I want you. I love you.”

“But…”

“There are no buts.”

“There are, though,” she whispered, pausing on the path. “There’s so much we don’t know. About me, about these powers. And…” She lowered her voice, wrapping her arms around herself. “And I’m scared.”

“We’ll figure it out together,” I said, drawing her closer, one hand in her hair, her head on my chest. “I swear we will. I don’t care how long it takes. I’ll find someone to help you. Or I’ll help you myself.”

“But… what if you can’t?”

“I will.” I grabbed her hand and continued walking, the forest becoming familiar. “Come on. We’re almost home.”

Nerves bubbled up inside my stomach, something I had only started experiencing since she’d made it to this pack several months ago. She always made me nervous, in a good way, because I had to be the best I could for her.

But now… I wondered if my best wasn’t good enough.

She was stronger than me, but she didn’t know how to control it or use it, which meant that we were bound to have more enemies looking to take her, to dissect her, to use her for their benefit, especially once someone stumbled upon the Whispering Pines Pack drained.

Once we reached the end of our journey and I spotted our property in this distance, Livia pulled her hair over her mark to cover it. A pang of hurt struck me in the chest, and I tucked her hair behind her shoulder again to show it off.

“I don’t know if I want Dad to see,” she whispered. “I don’t know what he’ll say.”

“It doesn’t matter what he says. You’re mine. And I’m not going to hide you. Not anymore.”

“But… I’m weak,” she said.

“You’re not weak, and you know it.”

“But what will everyone think?”

“I don’t care what they think. You’re mine.”

I didn’t care how many times I had to say it. I’d say it again and again and again. She was mine. And she was going to act like it. I wasn’t hiding her any longer, and she wasn’t going to hide me.

She was my mate. And I was proud of her.