“Yes.”
“And Aedan? The grumpy doctor you knew from home?”
“Also yes. He’s a wolf.”
She absorbed this then nodded slowly.
“The first portal,” she said. “You mentioned that. When did it open?”
I rose to my feet. She didn’t step back this time. Better.
“Seven years ago. No one knows exactly why. Our scholars are still studying it. One day the barrier between our worlds simply... thinned. Opened. Wolves began crossing over, exploring.”
“And now? Are there wolves just... living among humans? Does everyone know?”
“Not everyone. Most humans are still unaware.” I paused, considering how to explain. “Several wolves have found their mates among humans. Like I did. Those wolves have integrated into human society, living quietly, keeping our existence secret from most.”
Her eyes widened. “So there are werewolves walking around and regular people have no idea?”
“Yes. We’re careful. We have to be.”
“Why are you here?” she asked finally. “In Lysmont specifically. What was your mission?”
“The portal connecting your city to Duskmere opened not too long ago. It’s new, unexpected. I was sent to investigate, tounderstand why it appeared, to assess whether it poses a danger.”
“And?”
“And I haven’t found any answers yet.” I held her gaze. “I forgot about the mission the moment I met you.”
She swallowed hard.
“Yes, I was sent here for the portal,” I went on. “But I think... I think maybe the goddess guided me here. Maybe the new portal was just an excuse to put me in the right place at the right time.” I stepped closer. She didn’t retreat. “To put me in front of a bookstore on the day you were signing your novel. To let me find my mate.”
Her eyes were wet.
“The bond,” she said, voice barely a whisper. “What does it actually mean?”
I took a breath. This was the part that mattered most.
“The bond is a connection between souls,” I said. “Ancient, sacred, created by the goddess who made our kind.” I stepped closer, and reached for her, giving her time to pull away. She didn’t. My hand cupped her cheek, thumb brushing away a tear she probably didn’t know she’d shed. “It means you’re my other half. The piece of me I didn’t know was missing until I found you. We’re two halves of one whole, Riley.”
Her breath caught.
“When wolves find their mates, we know.” I was speaking carefully, trying to make her understand. “Instantly. The bond snaps into place and everything changes. The world reorganizes itself around that person. Nothing else matters the same way.”
“Is that why...” Her voice broke. She tried again. “Is that why you stayed? Because of the bond? Is that all I am to you? An obligation? A biological imperative?”
The question hit me like a blow.
“No.” The word came out harsher than intended, and I softened it, leaning closer, holding her gaze with everything I had. “Riley, listen to me. Yes, I followed you because of the bond. Yes, I stalked you...” I grimaced at the word. “...because the bond wouldn’t let me stay away. But the bond doesn’t mean love. Not automatically.”
Her brow furrowed. “What does it mean, then?”
“Possession. Obsession. The need to protect, to claim, to be near.” I was brutally honest because she deserved nothing less. “When I first saw you, I didn’t love you. I wanted you. I needed you. The bond screamed that you were mine and I would have burned down the world to have you.”
She shivered.
“But love?” I shook my head. “Love came later. Love came when I watched you laugh at book club. When I saw you take care of your friends. When you made terrible jokes and ate my awful soup and let me hold you through a nightmare.” My voice dropped, rough with emotion. “The bond made me find you. But falling in love with you... that was all me.”
