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“Well,” Samara says, “what are we waiting for?” She brushes past us.

I put a hand up to stop her. “You can’t just cross the territory line. You have to wait for proper entry.”

Samara ducks behind Seth and Ocran when heavy footfalls sound from the far side of the field. My dragon stirs at the scent of the bears coming our way, but I tell him to behave.

Tristian and Caleb come through the grass at an easy walk, barefoot in sleeveless shirts and sweatpants. Dirt streaks their arms from a day’s work. Tristian is a wall of a bear with a full black beard dusted in sawdust. He has the unnatural ice-blue eyes that run in his family, bright even in the daylight. Caleb is damn near bigger than his father, with the same stare set in a younger face.

He lights up when he sees us. It takes years off him. We all used to hang tight back at the Academy before he passed on the new university and stayed home to build a cabin instead. Ocran wanted to do the same, but Luna Tami pushed for him to continue his studies. Kane wasn’t about to go against his mate’s wishes.

Caleb jogs across the line to meet us with the ground thumping under his weight. I put a fist to my chest in greeting. He laughs at me.

“Come here, man.” He hauls me into a bear hug that has my sore wing screaming. I pound his back through the pain and get a noseful of pine sap and sweat.

He steps back to bow to Aya and catches sight of my claim mark, then hers. “Ah. Finally. The mate bond is complete. I heard about it, but…”

Aya nods back with her scent gone warm. My dragon preens at hearing our bond said out loud. I’m not much better myself.

From his side of the territory line, Tristian puts a fist to his chest. Seth, Ocran, and I return it. That’s when Caleb spots Samara peeking out from behind her brother and cousin.

He smiles at her. “Hi, Samara.”

She waves back from behind Seth’s arm. I sniff in her direction and catch nothing, not even her lavender. She’s blocking her scent with magic. Seth and Ocran stand downwind of her and don’t bother to wonder why.

Hmmm. Now that’s interesting.

Samara steps around Seth and clears her throat.

“What brings you all here?” Caleb asks.

“Solomon!” She says it too fast and aims it at Tristian instead of his son. “We need to see him about an important matter.”

Tristian sets his hands on his hips. “Now, Samara. While Solomon is technically a prince, I will keep King Amir’s orders. He is to be trained as a bear shifter. Nothing more.”

“I’m not asking for him to show leadership over Wintermoon,” Samara says. “Just for him to be an example. We haven’t quite shown the Mer that we are a peaceful land.” She frowns at me on the last part.

I turn to Tristian with a sigh. “The Mer just so happened to show up at the same time I’m working things out with my clan.”

Tristian chuckles into his beard.

Caleb has planted himself a good arm’s length from Samara. She keeps sneaking looks at him. He never turns her way.

My dragon rumbles low. He doesn’t need Samara’s scent to recognize a male at war with his own animal. Caleb clenches and unclenches his fists at his sides. His bear is pushing toward the witch he won’t face. I know the fight from the inside. I wrote poems through years of it and never fooled anyone either. Caleb is fated to Samara, and Mother Fate help whoever has to explain it to Angie. Judging by how hard Seth and Ocran aren’t reacting, they knew before me and Aya.

This will be fun to watch.

Tristian huffs at the request. Caleb squares up to him. “Give Samara what she wants, Father. We can stay in Solomon’s company.”

Caleb glances at Samara. Her freckles flare blue as she turns her face away. Tristian scowls at his son, who glares back from our side of the line. Solomon has nothing to do with the standoff.

Tristian caves first and throws up his hands. “All right. But it is up to Solomon. You may step across the threshold.”

Caleb quits hiding it. He watches Samara walk past him, and his father grins as she goes. My nosy mate is the last one to catch on. Her surprise jolts through the bond and prickles across my arms. She whips around to stare at Caleb with her mouth hanging open. Seth and Ocran trade a glance over her head.

Caleb notices and snarls at Aya and her cousins. My dragon surges up to answer him. Smoke leaks from my ears. I move in close to her side. “Hey, chill, man,” I warn.

Everyone on Wintermoon knows Caleb’s bear runs wild. It’s part of the reason he keeps to Axel Clan, that and the fact that he and Torin have never been able to stand each other. I’ve been where he is, though.

I take Aya’s hand. My dragon quits bristling at the feel of her. “Well. Let’s go get Solomon.”