The tool to be used rather than a person to be valued.
But here, surrounded by four wolves who've seen the real me and don't want me any less, I've found something I never expected.
Belonging. A home, even. Not just a place to rest my head, but for my heart.
The irony isn't lost on me that I would find belonging with a pack ofwolvesof all things, the very creatures I've feared since the attack that scarred me.
"You're thinking too much, smart girl," Sean mumbles, his face pressed against my shoulder. "I can practically hear the gears turning."
I laugh softly. "Just processing."
"Process later," Killian rumbles against my back, still in full-on feral mode. "Rest now."
He's right. My body is pleasantly exhausted, muscles aching in ways that remind me of what we've just shared. What we'll be sharing forever, if I'm lucky.
I let my eyes close, surrounded by the warmth and scent of my pack. And as I drift off, I dream of running with them through the forest, uninhibited and free.
But there's something else with us.
Something I can't see or sense other than the heavy feeling of another presence lurking in the shadows, ancient and looming.
Chapter 12
MICAH
When I first open myeyes with a groggy stretch and yawn, I'm disoriented for a moment by the warmth surrounding me from all directions.
Then the memory of the ritual and the bonding last night slams into me and my wolf settles with a satisfied rumble.
We're all still in the makeshift nest, but the arrangement has shifted during the night. What started out as a careful configuration around our mate has devolved into a tangle of limbs that no geometry textbook could name.
Sean has somehow managed to become perpendicular to the rest of us, one leg thrown across Killian's neck and his face mashed into a pillow, snoring like a bear wielding a chainsaw. Rowan has curled protectively around Regina's back, one arm draped over her waist. Killian occupies the position closest to the door, because apparently his pack alpha instincts never fully shut off, even in sleep.
And me? I get to be on my side facing Regina, close enough that her breath tickles my collarbone with each exhale.
She looks different in sleep. Softer. The wariness that usually shadows her features has melted away, and my wolf purrs knowing she feels safe with us. Her glamour is still down, the silvered scars catching the morning light.
They're beautiful.
She'sbeautiful.
And through our newly solidified bond, I can feel her presence like a second heartbeat.
Ours.
Regina's eyes flutter open, that striking blue meeting mine. For a moment, she looks confused, then a slow smile curves her lips.
"Morning," she murmurs, voice rough with sleep.
"Morning, pretty witch." I resist the urge to kiss her with my morning breath. That's a thing, even for bonded mates. Of course,herssmells good. Like mint somehow. Maybe it's magic. "How do you feel?"
She takes a moment to actually consider the question, her brow furrowing slightly in concentration. Through our bond, I sense her taking internal inventory.
"Good," she says finally, sounding almost surprised. "Really good, actually. Like I've been running on empty for years and someone finally filled the tank."
"That's the bond," I explain, keeping my voice low to avoid waking the others. Though judging by Sean's snoring, a bomb wouldn't wake him. "Your magic has a stable source now. Us."
"It's different from the coven bond." She shifts slightly, her hand finding mine between us. The contact sends a pleasant warmth through my entire body. "It feels symbiotic."
