“You sound surprised.”
She laughs softly. “I’m grateful Dane broke your ‘no mates’ pact first. Without that opening, you might never have listened to what was growing between us.”
“What do you mean?”
Her eyebrow arches. “You resisted pretty hard at first. Even after you pushed so hard to bring me in as the pack healer.”
“You knew about that?” Heat creeps up my neck—an unfamiliar sensation. I never get embarrassed.
“Of course I knew.” She traces a finger along my jaw, her smile knowing. “Dane told Nova, and she told me how you and he would go round and round until you eventually wore him down.How you kept pushing until he finally approached me about coming here permanently.” She kisses my cheek softly. “I felt something between us even back then.”
The admission makes my chest tight. “You did?”
“Mmm. Even when you were being stubborn about it.” Her laughter warms something deep inside me.
Eventually, we rise together, moving through the cabin in a dance that feels practiced despite its newness. In the shower, steam curls around us as I work shampoo through her hair—my fingers gentle against her scalp in a way that feels foreign to hands trained for violence. She hums with pleasure, leaning into my touch.
“Turn around,” she murmurs, and then her small hands are on my shoulders, working soap across my back. Her fingers trace the raised edges of old scars with a healer’s knowing touch—not pity, just acknowledgment. Acceptance.
I’ve never let anyone this close. Never wanted to. Now I can’t imagine washing alone again, can’t imagine starting a day without her hands on my skin, her scent mingling with mine in the steam.
Afterward, I watch her get dressed, struck by how natural it feels—her clothes hanging beside mine where Harper and Evie must have arranged them while we were gone, her toothbrush in my bathroom, her scent mingling with mine in every corner of the cabin.
When we’re dressed, I take her hand.
“Ready?” I ask, my thumb brushing over her knuckles.
She nods, a quiet smile lighting her eyes. “Ready.”
Epilogue
Lyanna
Iwatch the silver-blue magic flow through Nyxiana’s hands, her fingers tracing intricate patterns along my old cabin doorframe. Each symbol brightens momentarily before settling into the wood like it’s always belonged there. The runes pulse with protective intent—I can feel them responding to my healing signature.
“Almost there,” she murmurs, face drawn in concentration.
I extend my senses toward the forming portal, guiding the energy with my healing magic. Where her power creates the pathway, mine shapes it, keying the dimensional gateway to my unique magical signature. The connection feels right—like finding a perfect harmony between realms.
Callum watches from the corner of the room, coffee mug in hand, leaning against the wall. His amber eyes track the magic flowing between Nyxiana and me—the guardian in him unable to fully relax even now, but his posture is loose, satisfied. Warmth spreads through my chest. His pride in what I’m building here.
“Now,” Nyxiana whispers, and I channel a final surge of energy.
The doorframe shimmers, air rippling like heat over stone before settling into a translucent barrier. A soft chime rings through the cabin as the portal stabilizes completely.
Nyxiana steps back, exhaustion evident in the slight slump of her shoulders, but satisfaction brightens her violet eyes. “Medical access only, keyed to you alone.”
“It’s perfect,” I breathe, running my fingers along the edge where magic meets wood. The portal responds to my touch, warming slightly in recognition.
I take in the transformed space—my old cabin now a proper healing center. Shelves lined with rare herbs from Gleann na Sidhe, their scents mingling with the familiar pine and earth of Ash Hollow. Dragon-forged instruments from Prince Korren gleam on the workspace, their enchantments humming softly against my senses.
The room balances perfectly between my two worlds—fae healing traditions integrated into pack territory, creating something entirely new. Not a political alliance forged through sacrifice, but a bridge built through choice and skill.
When I glance at Callum, his expression tells me everything—pride and something deeper. Understanding. He sees what I’m building here. Respects it.
Nyxiana checks the small clock on the wall. “First appointment in two hours,” she notes, reviewing the scheduleHarper compiled. “That fae couple from House Morvane seeking follow-up care.”
The morning passes in a steady flow of patients. I slip my fingers beneath Cassie’s jawline first, sensing the magical resonance flowing through her pulse points. Nothing but clean, healthy energy pulses beneath her skin. The contamination that once threaded through her mate bond has completely vanished.
