Page 117 of Wolf's Vow

“Then what?” She moved closer. “Tell me.”

“Call me old-fashioned, but I was kind of hoping we wouldn’t be forcing it. I wanted it to be natural, both of us… Fuck, I don’t know.”

She tilted her head, studying me the way only she could. Like she saw all the layers I didn’t show anyone else. “You think this isn’t natural?”

“No,” I said quickly. “That’s not what I mean.” I exhaled hard, dragging a hand through my hair. “I just—I wanted it tohappenbecause we couldn’t fight it. Not because we decided to push the bond over the edge with a bottle of fucking moon-juice brewed in a cauldron of goddess-knows-what.”

Her lips quirked, but there was no humor in it. Just something sad and soft and sharp. “You think you’re forcing us?”

“I think this is us trying to survive,” I admitted. “I think we’ve been pushed so hard for so long that we don’t know what real is anymore. And I wanted our bond to be theonething that wasn’t strategic. That didn’t come with a war or a price.”

Silence stretched between us.

The vial at her hip glinted in the faint light that filtered through the trees.

Rowen reached for my hand, lacing our fingers together. “You think I don’t want that too?”

I looked at her. Really looked. She was tired. Determined. Radiant with something that made my chest ache.

“I know you do,” I said. “But you’re still willing to drink that. To burn your way into a heat that’ll have your body screaming for mine—and maybe your heart, and I’m not even sure it’s ready.”

Her voice dropped to a whisper. “It is.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t.”

“You say that now,” I said with a bitter laugh. “But if we do this, there’s no going back. The bond willseal. That thread between us becomes a chain, Rowen. One I’ll never be able to break. Even if I lose you. Even if you regret me.”

She stepped closer, her hand rising to cup my jaw. “Wolfe. I’ve never regretted you. Even when I hated you.”

My breath caught. “That’s not reassuring.”

“Then let me say it clearer.” Her eyes locked with mine, fierce and full of the fire I knew lived in her soul. “I’m not doing thisbecause I’m being strategic. I’m doing this because Iwantto choose you—now. On purpose. While I still can.”

The forest held its breath again. Or maybe that was just me. “You sure?” I asked her.

She nodded once. “Are you?”

I swallowed the growl that rose in my throat and kissed her hand. “Then let’s get ready to burn down the fucking world.”

Chapter 27

Rowen

I felt justlike I did when I was a kid waiting for my birthday the next day. Excited about the gifts I’d get but nervous I wouldn’t get therightone.

Wolfe and I worked alongside our pack the whole day, tightening defenses, giving comfort to our fellow pack, sharing glances of anticipation when we could. The wait was becoming unbearable, and I hadn’t even drunk the blasted thing yet.

Brand’s words lingered in my head the whole day, and I couldn’t help but notice the pack that looked between Wolfe and me, and I actually saw the distrust. Not of us, not of our commitment to the pack, but our commitment to each other.

Had I not denied the heat all those weeks ago, this wouldn’t even be an issue now. I tried not to dwell, and there were more who looked at us with trust and faith than there were who didn’t, but still…it irked me that my own stubbornness had caused this.

Axel and Cody relieved Killian and Brand, and Wolfe was called away to deal with a fallout between Stonefang and Blueridge on the western ridge, and I took a moment to breathe. The pack was busy. Each had their role. The betas were taking it in shifts to sleep. The kitchen was running on continual service, so staple trays of food rather than set dinner times.

I looked around. There was nothing for me to do.

The vial I had placed in a drawer in our bedroom earlier called to me. Should I leave? Killian walked past me, on his way to his bed no doubt.