“You can start next week,” Brick said.
Solan gave her shoulder a squeeze.Mira and Jade smiled at her, and Leo cracked a joke about not pissing her off because she could throw fire at people with pretty good accuracy.
“You’re one of us now,” Solan whispered in her ear.“My family is yours.”
She thought her heart might burst.What she’d been searching for since she’d been left behind at sixteen was right in front of her.Family, belonging, friendship.
And it was all because of Solan, her sweet, sexy wolf.
Later that evening, they walked to the alphas’ home because Adam had called a mandatory pack-wide meeting in the yard behind the house.She and Solan had taken the day off, and after spending time at Leo’s, they’d returned to their own house, tumbled in the sheets, and then pillow-talked about the future.
About half-wolf, half-witch babies.About building a home and family.
About both of them finally getting what they’d lost.
They made their way to the backyard of the alphas’ home and found Brick and Jade near the front, so they stood with them.Mira and Leo joined them, and they all waited as Adam and Cinder stood on the back deck and watched over everyone.
After a few minutes, Adam raised his hand, and the quiet murmuring settled.
“I think we’re all here, so we can get started.First, I wanted to thank the security team for their amazing work over the last few days.As most of you know, we faced Brent Foley and Victor Hawthorne, working together once more, and dealt with another attack on the dealership, a near-catastrophe with a rigged house, and the abduction of one of our own.”His gaze landed on Kaeli and Solan.“If it weren’t for Solan leading the security team in Brick’s absence, and Kaeli’s masterful use of her magics to send the shifter-poacher into the great beyond along with his people, we might still be under siege.I can report with all confidence that Brent Foley is no longer in the state of Ohio.”
The pack cheered loudly.
When the noise eased, Adam said, “Life can go back to the way it was before.We’ll open all the roads into town and ease the restrictions.While we still need to watch each other’s backs and hunt in pairs on the full moons, we can rest easy knowing that the evil that came against us time and again has been defeated, and we are still standing.Thorn Hollow Pack forever!”He lifted his head and howled, and the pack joined in.
As Solan howled next to her, Kaeli grinned and whooped a cheer.
“Have a good night, everyone,” Cinder called out when the last of the howls had stopped echoing in the woods.
Solan led Kaeli through the pack and introduced her to people.She met the owners of the town deli, which boasted the best sandwiches around, who promised her one of their special mile-high ham-and-cheese sandwiches whenever she came by.And she met Mira’s mom and sister, who Dove had mentioned.
As she and Solan walked toward the house to speak with Cinder and Adam, Kaeli said, “Wow.Mira’s mom has two mates.”
Solan snorted.“You get one, female.”
She laughed.“One is all I need.”
“Damn straight.”
After speaking with Adam and Cinder, they made their way home.Kaeli truly felt the kinship of the pack and what it meant to be mated to a wolf.
They kicked off their shoes and settled on the couch.
“Nightling,” he said, taking her hand.“Would you like to join with me officially as my mate and become a member of the pack?”
She felt breathless.As her heart leaped in joy, she said, “Yes!”No hesitation, no doubt, just freedom to be with the male her heart and body craved.
“We can plan it for this weekend, or we can wait a little longer if you’d like.There’s no rush.”
“How about Saturday?”she said after checking the weather app and finding clear skies and mild temperatures for after sunset.
“Perfect.”
He told her what to expect, from hanging out with the females ahead of time, to Solan preparing the bonfire and Adam presiding over the joining ceremony.
“We’re already mated,” he said, brushing his fingers over the marks on her neck, which made her shiver.“But this cements it with the pack.You’ll be a member and under Adam and Cinder’s authority.Then he’ll call for a shift and hunt, and the pack will go for a nice run in the territory.”
“I’ll get to see you shift!”
