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Micah cracks first with a snort. Gabriel chuckles behind him. By the time Kane is laughing, Levi is grinning at me like this is the best day of his life. Then they’re all howling. Their laughter rolls through the clearing while I kneel here with blood on my tongue and smoke in my throat. Humiliating doesn’t begin to cover it.

They shut up fast when Jacob growls. He puts a heavy, warm hand on the back of my neck. My dragon bristles at a wolf touching us there. I come up off my knee quick so no one gets the idea to make me do it again. Credit to him, he held up his end without any theatrics.

Angie shouts from her porch. “It’s not enough! He’s still on my shit⁠—”

Seth clamps a hand over her mouth and hauls her backward through the door by the waist. She’s still kicking and pointing at me when it slams shut.

Jacob glances at his cabin and sighs. When he faces me again, his scent has sharpened. “I’ll speak to Angie. For now, keep your distance.” He makes me wait for the rest. “But you are forgiven.”

He turns to the pack. They reek of resentment, but they bow. Micah goes first, then Gabriel with a grimace, then Kane. Levi takes the longest, and I won’t pretend I don’t love watching him get there.

Jacob quits frowning and lifts his fist to his chest. He dips his chin to me. “All is well, young alpha. Thank you for respecting the pack.”

I answer in kind and straighten up. Micah, Gabriel, and Kane stay at Levi’s side with their scents still running hot. I’ve got Jacob’s forgiveness. Earning theirs is going to take work I’m willing to do.

Aya steps out of the cabin with her duffel bags slung across her back. Nia keeps an arm wrapped tight around her daughter’s waist. They’re red-eyed and wet-cheeked. Their grief reaches me thick with the salt of their tears. My dragon lunges toward our mate. I lock my knees to keep from going to her.

Levi groans and glances at his brothers. At their nod, he leaves them and crosses the clearing. I brace for a threat or an insult, but there’s no fight left in him when he stops in front of me. “This is where we work together. Our women need us right now.”

I follow him to the porch steps without arguing. Aya comes down with Nia still at her side. Tears stream down her face, and her lip trembles. She struggles to hitch the bags higher on her shoulders. I take them from her as soon as she reaches the bottom and throw them over mine before I step out of the way. This is her father’s moment. I’m not stupid enough to get in the middle of it.

When Levi wraps his daughter in his arms, she breaks down in big ugly sobs. She twists her fingers in his shirt and buries herself against him. Her legs buckle. Her father is the only thing keeping her on her feet. Every heave of her shoulders yanks at my gut through the mate bond.

I want to drop to my knees and give her anything that will make this stop. My dragon keeps throwing himself at the surface to fix it. It takes everything I’ve got to stay in my skin. But she has to go through this. If I rush her, I’ll only make it worse.

Levi rubs slow circles on her back. “It’s all right, Aya, baby.” I can smell the strain on him under his steady voice. “It’s going to be fine. You aren’t lost to me forever.”

He eases her away and studies her face. The smile he gives her is one I’ve never been on the right side of. “My fierce little wolf.” He rests his hand on her neck. “You are going to make a wonderful luna for Ash Clan.”

Her eyes go wide with her scent jumping bright and sharp. “Daddy?”

He laughs under his breath. “Did you really believe I would let you leave the pack without my blessing?”

She cries harder, and my dragon forces my wings out. When I step toward her, Kane plants a hand on my chest and shoves me back. “Let him say goodbye to his daughter.”

I glare at him with smoke curling out of my nostrils and stay where I am. Technically, I could take her and go. But I came here for peace between pack and clan. There’s enough tension without me adding to it. I’ve put her through more than I ever wanted to. I pull my wings in and give her room to grieve, even if it kills me.

I think about Torin and what he said when I asked how Nala handled leaving Zohar Pride. She cried from their border to the front door of House of Boker. He never tried to fix it or rush her. She needed the time to mourn. Now she’s happy with him and the pup-cubs.

I couldn’t picture it back then, but I get it now. I’m standing here useless with my hands at my sides while my mate falls apart in front of me.

“My beautiful little pup,” Levi says. He pulls her close again and tucks her under his chin. “I look forward to being a grandfather.”

I wasn’t expecting that from a wolf who hates my guts. My dragon gets ideas about hatchlings. That’s the last thing I need. All of a sudden I find the porch rail very interesting. When I drag my eyes back up, Levi is waiting. “Take care of my baby.”

I’m nodding while he’s still saying it. “I live for Aya. And I will die for her.” I press my fist to my chest and bow to him.

Nia has climbed the steps again by the time I straighten. She crumples at the sight of her daughter and covers her mouth. She runs inside with the screen door banging shut.

Levi stiffens and looks from the cabin to Aya. He cups her cheeks and presses a long kiss to her forehead.

“I love you, baby,” he tells her.

He releases her and goes up the steps after Nia without looking back. Aya stands where he left her and doesn’t move. Her scent goes flat. My dragon keens low. I’d take another round with Levi’s wolf over seeing her like this. Kane grabs her elbow and steers her to me.

“I can’t.” She won’t budge. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”

“You can, Aya,” he insists. “It is the way. You have to go to your mate.”