She looked up at Valrek, who was watching them with an expression she’d never seen before. His golden eyes were bright, almost luminous, and his beast was practically purring beneath his skin.
“Of course. You are my mate.” His voice was rough, reverent. “The mother of my child. My family.”
The words settled around her like a blessing.
Later, there would be complications. Search parties to avoid, legal tangles to navigate, and possibly a father to reconcile with. Later, she would have to figure out how to build a life between two worlds—the sea that called to her blood and the cliffs that had become her home.
But for now, wrapped in Valrek’s arms with Lilani pressed against her chest, she let herself simply be. Let herself be loved. Let herself be free at last.
EPILOGUE
Two weeks later…
Valrek ledthe way through the forest, his feet silent on the carpet of fallen needles, every sense alert for threats. Behind him, Ariella moved with surprising grace for someone more accustomed to water than land—her steps light, her breathing steady, one hand clutching the leather satchel that held the echo-pipe.
Mate.
His beast rumbled happily. Two weeks since the storm. Two weeks since she had chosen them over everything else. And still, every time he looked at her, he felt the same surge of wonder that had nearly brought him to his knees that first night on the beach.
“How much farther?”
Her voice was soft, mindful of the forest around them. A quick study, his mate. His chest swelled with pride.
“Not far.” He paused at a fork in the path, scenting the air. “Korrin said he and Seren will meet us just beyond the ridge.”
“And you trust him?”
The question wasn’t accusatory, just careful. She didn’t trust easily, and after everything she’d been through, he understood why.
“I trust that Seren wants what Korrin says he wants.” He resumed walking, holding a low-hanging branch back for her. “Peace between humans and Vultor.”
He glanced back at her, taking in the way the dappled sunlight played across her pale skin, making the bioluminescent markings on her skin shimmer like hidden stars. “The question is whether Seren will accept us.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then we leave,” he said harshly. “I won’t force you into a pack that doesn’t want you. I won’t?—”
“Valrek.” She put a gentle hand on his arm, her touch sending warmth through his entire body. “I’m not afraid. I’m just asking.”
He took a deep breath, forcing his beast to settle.
“If he doesn’t accept us, we continue as we have been. Alone on the cliffs, together.” He turned to face her fully. “But I want more for you. More for Lilani. A community. A home that isn’t built on isolation.”
Her smile was like the sun breaking through clouds.
“I know.” She rose on her toes to press a kiss to his jaw. “That’s why we’re here.”
They continued up the path in comfortable silence.
The forest grew denser as they climbed, the trees older and taller, their trunks thick with moss and lichen. He caught Korrin’s now familiar scent, along with that of an unknown alpha.
Seren.
He’d heard stories about the pack leader—how he had challenged the previous Alpha when the mad wolf had threatened to restart the old wars, how he had taken a human mate and dared anyone to object, how he was slowly building something new in these mountains. Something that might, if the gods were kind, last.
The trees parted without warning to reveal a small clearing with two Vultor waiting on the rocks at the far side. Korrin immediately rose and came towards them with the loose-limbed grace of a wolf at ease in his territory. His amber eyes swept over them before a smile curved his lips.
“You came.” He clasped Valrek’s forearm in the traditional greeting. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d changed your mind.”
