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“Ridge,”I tried hesitantly, wanting to ask about the change in our relationship. He looked down at me, sensing my uncertainty, and smiled reassuringly.
“Since we’re officially mated, you’re now luna of the Northeast Pack,” he said gently, running his fingers through my hair. “As both a luna and an alpha wolf, not to mention the daughter of the famous Jaxon Hyde, you’ll be very revered among shifters.”
“Really?” I asked. “But I don’t know anything about leading a pack.”
“Neither did I when I first became alpha,” Ridge admitted, his expression softening with affection. “We’ll learn together, and I’ll be by your side every step of the way.”
My heart soared at his words, and I felt immense gratitude for this man—my mate—who had brought so much love and happiness into my life. Where I had once been alone, constantlyon the run and terrified of my inner wolf, I now had a home, a family, and a pack to call my own.
“Thank you.” I kissed him. “For everything.”
“Anything for you, my love.”
As we lay there, wrapped up in each other’s arms, I thought about the future that lay ahead of us and drifted into a doze. Despite being wrapped in the comforting warmth of Ridge’s arms, a nagging sense of anxiety began to creep into my thoughts. I worried about the future, about the hunters trying to “cure” shifters and essentially erase us from existence. I loved Ridge and everything we’d built together, but the thought of losing it all was almost too much to bear.
I focused on the steady rhythm of Ridge’s breathing as he slept peacefully beside me. We would face this threat together, I reminded myself. Our love made us stronger than any hunter could ever be.
The sun had barely begun to rise when I decided to let Ridge sleep a little longer and check on Kyle and Audrey. With no cell reception on the island, I’d have to do it the old-fashioned way—in person.
I pulled on a light sundress, the soft fabric brushing against my skin as I glanced over at Ridge still sleeping peacefully. I couldn’t help but smile tenderly as I leaned in to press a gentle kiss to his forehead before slipping out of our suite.
My bare feet padded softly against the cool tile floor of the hotel hallway, the scent of the sea mingling with that of the lush island foliage. I approached Kyle’s suite, rapping my knuckles lightly against the door. Silence answered me, and a knot of worry twisted in my stomach.
“Kyle?” I said. When there was still no response, I knocked louder, the sound echoing down the empty hall. “Kyle, come on, answer me.”
A million terrible scenarios played through my mind—the hostile witches, the hunters—all of them threats we’d been trying to protect ourselves from. God, what if we’d walked right into a trap?
I tried to calm myself, focusing on my senses. I caught a whiff of Kyle’s scent and realized it led away from his suite. Clinging to the hope that he was safe, I followed the trail, my worry giving way to curiosity as I found myself outside Audrey’s door.
“Idiot,” I said, shaking my head as I chuckled at my own overreaction. I knocked on her door, trying to stifle my amusement.
“Give me a minute,” Kyle said, his voice muffled through the door. When he finally opened it, his hair was tousled, and he looked like he’d just gotten up. He narrowed his eyes at my smug expression. “Don’t you dare say a word.”
“Me?” I feigned innocence, my lips curving into a grin. “I just wanted to know if you and Audrey are, you know, official?”
On cue, Audrey emerged from the suite, fully dressed and ready for the day. She breezed past Kyle, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek as she said, “Come on, my hunter boyfriend, we don’t have all day.”
Kyle’s jaw dropped, and he looked like he was about to protest when Audrey cut him off. “What? You didn’t think I’d let this go on forever without making it official, did you?” She raised an eyebrow, her tone matter-of-fact.
Unable to hold back any longer, I burst into laughter at the stunned expression on my brother’s face. He glared at me, but nothing could hide the happiness in his eyes. “Shut up, Tori,” he said good-naturedly.
“Fine, fine,” I relented, still grinning. “Seriously, congratulations to both of you. Now let’s get moving. We’ve got witches to meet.”
I was still grinning from the exchange between Kyle and Audrey when Audrey’s gaze landed on my neck. The claiming mark Ridge had given me last night wasn’t exactly subtle. She let out an excited squeal and rushed over to me, enveloping me in a tight hug.
“Finally! I was starting to think you two would dance around it forever,” she said, pulling back to get a better look at the faint scar that remained as evidence of our bond. “It’s about damn time, Tori.”
I smiled. “Thanks, Audrey.”
Audrey then tilted her head back to expose her neck, a gesture of respect and submission, and addressed me with a new title. “Congratulations, luna.”
Kyle frowned. “So, what, a bite on the neck is supposed to be romantic?” he asked, sounding skeptical.
“More than just romantic, Kyle,” Audrey said patiently. “In the shifter world, it’s a sign of a deep, unbreakable bond between mates. It means they’re connected for life.”
“Really? Huh.” He mulled this over for a moment before turning to me, a genuine smile lighting up his face. “Well, congratulations, then, sis. Does this mean Ridge is basically my brother-in-law already?”
“It sure does,” Audrey said with a grin. “Welcome to the crazy world of shifters.”
