Page 21 of Trick Me (Immortal Vices and Virtues: All Hallows’ Eve)

ASH

T he first snow of winter falls as I pace at the castle gates, and my wolf is practically vibrating with anticipation.

Six months of back and forth between the pack home and the city. Six months of my wolf whining every time we had to leave Erynn, of sleeping alone in a bed without her, of my pack giving me endless shit about being a lovesick puppy.

But today, finally, she’s coming home.

“You’re going to wear a groove in the stone,” Rickon observes from where he’s leaning against the gatepost, smirking.

“Shut up.”

“The great Alpha, reduced to a nervous teenager. She’s not due for another ten minutes.”

“Traffic in the city could have been light. ”

Zac, head of my warriors, joins us with a steaming mug of something that smells medicinal. “He’s been up since dawn, preparing her room.”

“Our suite,” I correct. “And I was checking that everything was perfect.”

“You’re pathetic,” Rickon says fondly. “It’s actually endearing.”

I’m about to respond when I hear the hum of a magically powered vehicle navigating our private road in the woods. My wolf surges forward, and I have to physically stop him from spilling out and running to meet her. Ever since he shared her body, he’s been ridiculously enthralled with her.

The car rounds the final bend, and there she is, visible through the window, staring at me with wide eyes. The vehicle stops, and she’s out before I can reach for the door, launching herself into my arms with enough force to knock me back a step.

“Hi,” she says against my chest, and that single word contains everything: I missed you, I’m here, we made it.

“Hi,” I reply, breathing her in. “Welcome home.”

She pulls back to stare at me, and her smile could power the entire castle. “I can’t believe I’m finally here. No more long drives. No more portals eating my paycheck. Just… here.”

“Just here,” I agree, kissing her because I can’t not. “Come on, let’s head into our home. ”

Pack members are already unloading her bags, so many bags—where did they all come from?—while I take her hand and lead her through the gates.

She stops dead two steps inside.

“Every time I see the castle, it still leaves me breathless,” she says. “I can’t believe this is going to be where I live now.”

I try to see it through her eyes. The central keep rises five stories, gray stone that’s weathered eight hundred years of winters.

We’ve modernized it, of course, with magical heating, running water, and electricity powered by a combination of solar panels and spelled generators, but we kept the bones intact.

Towers at each corner, crenellations that once held archers now decorated with the pack’s banners.

The great hall’s stained-glass windows catch the morning light, throwing rainbow patterns across the courtyard.

“We rebuilt it about fifty years ago,” I explain as she gawks. “It was mostly in ruins when my grandfather found it. Took the entire pack working together to restore it.”

“It’s incredible.” She spins in a slow circle, taking in the secondary buildings, the barracks for unmated wolves, the family cottages nestled among the trees, the stables visible in the distance. “How many people live here?”

“About two hundred full-time. More during gatherings.” I slide an arm around her waist as a few more locals notice us. Pack members start drifting closer. “Everyone’s excited to have you move in finally.”

She snorts. “Oh god, how many ghost questions am I going to get?”

“So many. Sven’s already got a list. His grandmother died last year, and he’s convinced she hid money somewhere.”

“He’s probably right. Grandmothers always hide money. It’s like a universal law. Tucked in an envelope, behind an ugly ceramic figurine.”

I laugh, but mostly I just watch how she walks beside me like she’s always belonged here. She makes this place feel less like a fortress and more like a future.

“We’re having a welcoming feast tonight,” I say. “Nothing too formal. Just the pack celebrating that their Alpha is finally moving in with his mate.”

She halts for half a second, then looks up at me through her lashes, a grin pulling at her lips. “You know I love it when you call me that. Mate . Say it again.”

I lean in, lips brushing her ear. “My mate.”

She shivers, eyes a little glassy now. “That still gets me.”

I lead her toward the market square. And fuck, I want to kiss her. Right here, in front of everyone. I want her scent on my mouth, her breath in my lungs.

The square is alive with activity. Vendors shout greetings.

Kids chase each other between carts. Fresh bread, handmade knives, furs, herbs, charms—it’s all here.

Everything we need. We’ve learned to be self-sufficient.

Many of us also want to live like our ancestors did… off the land, supporting one another.

“This place is perfect, and one reason I love coming here,” she murmurs, eyes wide with wonder.

She nudges me with a soft smile. “Well… second reason. You’re the first.” Then she grins.

“Okay, and also because of Mikael. Your bestie hangs around here now and won’t stop spilling stories about your past.”

I groan, already smiling. “Yeah, well, we’re going to have a little chat, the three of us, about what he can and can’t reveal.”

She laughs. “He told me you once tried to impress a girl by setting the training grounds on fire.”

“I was fifteen,” I says, dragging a hand down my face. “And it was controlled fire.” I pause, then gestures ahead to change the topic. “We’ve got schools, a medical center, a forge, and even decided to build a library.”

She tilts her head, looking absolutely adorable.

“And you’re the only natural medium in this pack. We’re going to need more books on ghosts,” I explain.

“Gods, you’re so romantic,” she deadpans. “Build me a library, Daddy.”

Heat flares low in my spine. I step in closer, until our bodies are almost touching. “Careful. You can’t say shit like that and expect me to behave. ”

“Oh, is that so?” Her voice drops half an octave. “I just expect you to wait until I say when.”

Fuck. Me.

She pulls back with a dangerous smirk, then strolls over to a flower stall. The old woman running it brightens immediately and starts peppering her with questions about a deceased brother who still won’t leave the damn attic. I stay where I am, watching her work.

She tilts her head when listening to spirits. Softens her voice when delivering messages. Smiles with that wicked, knowing curve that says she sees things no one else can.

And for all the power humming beneath her skin, she is gentle.

Perfect here.

Perfect everywhere.

Just… perfect.

I catch her eyes across the stall, and she holds my gaze like she’s tethered to it. Something invisible hums between us. Not just the soul merge. Not just the magic. But something deeper. Wilder.

She mouths, You’re staring.

I mouth back, I can’t help it.

She lifts a flower to her nose, sniffing it dramatically.

I raise a brow.

She smirks .

I’m already moving and heading outside until she’s ready.

“You’re acting strange,” Rickon notes, appearing at my elbow.

“Mind your own business,” I tease.

“You’re completely whipped.”

“Absolutely.”

He laughs, shaking his head. “Never thought I’d see the day. The great Alpha Ash, brought low by a woman who talks to ghosts.”

“She brought me back to life,” I say simply. “She woke something in me I thought I’d lost—the desire for a future.”

“That’s beautiful. Also nauseating. But mostly beautiful.”

Erynn returns before I can fire back, her cheeks flushed from the cold, a bouquet of frost-kissed winter roses cradled in her arms.

“The flower vendor insisted,” she says, eyes sparkling as she presses her face into the blooms. “They even smell like snow.”

She spins slowly, taking in the square again, where children dart between booths and old warriors haggle over honey and steel.

“I love it here already. It’s so alive. The city was loud, but I still felt… alone. This feels like community.”

“It is,” I say, sliding an arm around her waist. She fits there like she’s always belonged. “You’re part of it now. The pack’s been prepping for weeks. There’s even a committee dedicated to making sure you feel welcome.”

“You’re kidding?”

“Led by Meri. She’s eight. Very serious. Everyone has had to rehearse the welcome song.”

“There’s a song?”

“Always. We sing about everything. Victory, heartbreak, eating.”

She laughs, and it lights something in my chest that still feels new. Familiar but electric.

“Show me our room?” she asks, and that little our sends my wolf into a purring frenzy.

“Suite,” I correct, lacing our fingers together. “And gladly.”

We pass through the great hall, where feast prep is already underway. Tables being arranged. Evergreens strung along the walls. The mouthwatering scent of roasted elk in the air.

The east tower suite is ready—bedroom, study, sitting area, a renovated bathroom with a soaking tub large enough to host negotiations. I watch her step into the room like she’s arriving in a dream.

“This is bigger than my place,” she murmurs, spinning slowly.

“Speaking of… Is Mr. Whiskers coming too?”

“Probably already here, scaring your warriors and rearranging furniture. ”

I draw her close, breathing her in. Just us. No distance. No schedules. No portals.

“I missed you,” I murmur. “Every single day. My wolf lost his damn mind trying to get back to you.”

“Just your wolf?” she teases, voice low.

“Me too. All of me.”

I drown in those apple-green eyes. “I know six months isn’t long, and we’re still figuring all this out. But, Erynn, having you here?—”

She kisses me. Fierce and certain.

“I love you too,” she whispers. “Now stop being sentimental and show me that bathtub you said you installed. I want to freshen up and start anew.”

“You smell delicious.” Already, I’m leading her into the bathroom.

She walks the space like she’s staking a claim.

Not just the wolf settling. Not just the magic balancing.

It’s home.

She’s home.

We are.

She circles back and wraps her arms around me, pressing her forehead to mine.

“We did it,” she says softly.

“We did,” I echo.

“No more goodbyes. No more watching you disappear through a portal. No more nights alone.”

“Never again. ”

Outside, the snow falls. Inside, we start a new life.

Tonight, she’s celebrated.

Tomorrow, we build.

But this moment, right now?

My mate is here.

My wolf is calm.

And the impossible thing we’ve become?

It’s exactly what I never knew I needed.