Page 98 of Wild Games

"Had help," I point out. “You never gave up on me. Kept the world away when I was at my worst.”

Dean shrugs, but I know I cost him and the pack a lot, even if he’ll never admit that was the reason he kept our borders shut.

He grips my shoulder. "Now you get to help others do the same. Riverside pack needs someone who understands what it's like to be hurting."

We stand quietly for a moment, looking up at the tree that watched us grow up.

"I'm proud of you," Dean says finally. "For fighting through it. For finding Camille. For taking this chance with Kain."

The words catch in my throat. Through the bond, I feel Camille's gentle encouragement from inside.

Dean pulls me into a hug, the kind that cracks ribs and says everything words can't. "Call when you get there. And visit. That's not a request."

"Yes, Alpha."

"And if you need anything..." He doesn't finish, but I understand.

"I know."

We head back to find Camille and Jamie by our car, and Jamie, somehow, producing more containers of food.

"It's a three-hour drive." Camille laughs. "Not a three-day journey."

"You'll be hungry. And who knows what kind of kitchen setup you'll have at first." Jamie pushes another container into her hands. "This one's the roast from tonight. It'll keep."

"Let them go," Dean says, hooking an arm around his mate's waist. "Or they'll never leave."

Final hugs are exchanged. Jamie whispers something to Camille that makes her laugh, and Dean grips my shoulder one more time.

"Drive safe," he says. "The roads get tricky near Riverside."

"We'll be fine."

I start the engine, very aware that this is it. Leaving the place that's been home, safety, prison, and sanctuary, all at once.

"Ready?" I ask Camille as she settles in beside me.

"With you? Always."

We drive slowly through pack lands one last time. Past the clinic where I found purpose again. Past the training grounds where control came back, piece by piece. Past the homes of wolves who gave me a chance when most wouldn't.

At the border, I pause. Behind us, Silver Creek territory spreads, familiar and safe. But ahead, the road leads to uncertainty.

"Second thoughts?" Camille asks gently.

"No." I press the accelerator. "Just saying goodbye."

Miles pass under our wheels. Camille tells me about her conversation with Lynn, sharing gossip and jokes from the evening, her excitement building.

"Jamie thinks we'll need our own cabin," she says. "Something private, away from the main pack buildings."

"Why?"

She gives me a look. "Because newly mated pairs are notoriously loud."

"We're not loud."

"You literally howled last night."