Aaron blurted, “Okay, Mal, now will you tell us what the heck is going on with you?”
“First you let him eat.” April jabbed a finger at Aaron. “My wolf was distressed and hurt and starving two days ago, and he still needs to catch up on calories.”
Aaron blinked, then slowly smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”
Malachi growled his appreciation and gave himself full permission to devour the food in front of him. Then, while the others finished eating, he told Aaron and Ember about the battle with his inner wolf, the encouragement from April to trust others when he couldn’t trust himself.
“And you did it again,” Ember said, blurting the words and stealing his punch line. Not that he minded. The surge of emotion in her scent held pure relief. For him. “You changed form without the full moon.”
“Yes.”
“So you’re healed now? No permanent damage?”
Gratitude struck him anew, as it had the morning he awoke without a single twinge in his body—and with a level of strength unfamiliar to him. He nodded, all his words absorbed into his thankfulness.
“And…and April saw you. Your wolf form.”
This time when he nodded, Ember’s scent shifted to one of regret with a hint of embarrassment. His mate, ever perceptive, looked between them. “Um, Ember?”
Ember ducked eye contact but only for a moment. Her gaze was steady when she looked back up. “So…the thing I sort of mentioned that wasworsethan showing up on Aaron’s porch without an invitation from the alpha…”
“Yes?”
“I went out to the paddock. By myself, on foot. And I saw the pack under the full moon. All of them. I mean, I didn’t recognize all of them, just Quinn and Aaron…and Malachi.”
Malachi braced for the burning in his gut that always accompanied the hurt of his mate, but April was only confused.
“But isn’t that a major violation against the pack, against their privacy?”
“Major. Yeah.” Ember bit her lip. Both her palms rubbed circles over her belly, though she seemed unaware of the action.
Aaron rumbled low in his chest. If the sound had been directed at April, Malachi would have been on his feet, snarling at his beta. But this wasn’t so much a growl as an offer of comfort to Aaron’s own mate. Ember looked up, but her attention stayed on April.
“The pack’s forgiven me, but I owe you an apology too. You must have thought no other human had ever seen him in that form.”
“I did,” April said quietly. Her posture and words weren’t stiff, yet confusion and uncertainty still cloaked her scent. She looked down at her hands for a long moment, then back up again. “WhycanI see you in that form, Malachi? Shouldn’t that be wrong too?”
Before he could open his mouth to answer, his wolf’s thoughts filled his mind, as always more insistent impressions than words. This time they came so fast, he had to sort through them.Ember forgiven—moonbound secret—but alphabound is not secret—I show my mate!
Ember gasped, and Aaron gave a startled yip.
“Mal.” Aaron gripped the edge of the table with one hand. “I didn’t think you couldgetany stronger.”
He didn’t have to ask for clarification this time. The shining of his eyes seemed to happen anytime his wolf spoke up in his mind. “It’s the result of our united will, mine and my wolf’s. When I allowed myself to change form this time, it created peace in my mind I haven’t known since I began changing. The battle inside me ended.”
“Have you tested your physical strength?” Aaron said. “Because your mental strength is like…here in the room, when you do that. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
“I haven’t tested it, but I feel the increased power in my body.”
“Trevor’s going to lose his mind.” Aaron grinned.
“To answer your question, April… My wolf is very clear, first of all, that Ember is wholly forgiven.”
“Oh.” Ember’s gray eyes glossed for a moment. “Thanks. Right now, telling April, I feel like garbage all over again.”
“Please don’t,” Malachi said. “Leave the past in the past.”
“Okay, Mal.”
