"As long as you walk in this world," he said quietly, "I walk beside you. You are my mate. I will not let you walk away if I do not walk beside you."
My knees nearly buckled. The bond flared bright and hot between us, a surge of warmth that stole my breath.
"You can't," I said, my voice breaking. "You can't just leave. This is your home, Daska, yourpack…"
"You are my home," he said simply.
The tears came before I could stop them. I threw myself into his arms, burying my face against his chest as sobs tore through me. He held me tightly, his hands steady and sure, and I felt the bond wrap around us like a living thing, warm and unbreakable andright.
"I will follow wherever you go," he murmured against my hair. "For as long as I can."
I couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe. I just held onto him and let the tears fall.
Around us, the pack watched in silence. Some smiled. Some looked sad. But no one objected.
When I finally pulled back, my face wet and my chest aching, I looked up at him through blurred vision, hardly daring to believe him. "You would give up everything that matters to you? For me?"
"No," he said softly. "I chose everything that matters the most. Now come, we must leave soon or there will be little time before dark falls again."
The supplies the pack provided were staggering.
Furs thick enough to survive another month of winter. Water skins that had been carefully oiled and sealed. Preserved meat, dried berries, flatbread wrapped in cloth. Travel shelters that folded small but would provide real protection from the elements. Weapons, sharp, well-made, deadly.
Every hearth had contributed and I was overwhelmed by their generosity. Kessa had made sure I had two changes of clothes, and had sobbed as she hugged me goodbye. Sira’s hug had been brief and she hadn’t cried, but she’d touched my hand in a final, subtle goodbye, and I’d had to swallow more tears down at the thought of leaving them both.
I stood in the middle of it all, clutching the carved bear in my hand, and felt the weight of what we were leaving behind. This place had been harsh and strange and terrifying. But it had also beenhome. For a little while, at least.
I turned and looked across the camp, not meaning to exactly, but finding myself automatically searching for Rivik. He was stood talking to Ryke, and as though he sensed my gaze on him, he looked up and our eyes met. I couldn’t explain it, but other than Daska, leaving Rivik was going to be the hardest part. It was stupid, I had barely spent time with the man, and although, yes, I admitted to myself, I found him very attractive, he drove me crazy with the way he just said nothing. And yet, the idea of walking away and never seeing him againhurt.It hurt deeply, and only increased the guilt inside me from that day in his cave. His eyes moved over me and I remembered with disturbing clarity, the way his mouth had felt on mine, the feel of his body hard against me, the way his fingers... heat rushed through me, and I felt myself blush. I turned away, trying to shove thememory aside. I had Daska, and he was more than enough man for me. I loved him. And he loved me.
I walked towards where the team was gathering, looking up at the mountains around us. The late-morning light was different now, brighter and warmer than when we’d arrived. The snow had melted save on the highest peaks and the air carried the faint, tentative warmth of spring.
The world was changing. Moving forward.
And so were we.
Nathan made a sharp, bitter sound as he surveyed the supplies. "So we're collecting strays now?" he muttered, his gaze flicking toward Daska.
I turned on him, my voice cold. "He's not a stray. He's my mate. And if you have a problem with that, you can fuck off."
Nathan's eyes narrowed, but he didn't argue. He just turned away, his jaw tight.
Dev shot me an approving look. Megan said nothing, but I caught the faintest flicker of something like respect in her expression.
Daska's hand found mine, his fingers threading through mine. The bond pulsed warm and steady between us.
Not alone. Never alone.
I squeezed his hand, my chest tight with a mix of fear and hope and love so overwhelming I didn't know how to hold it all.
The packs were loaded. Nathan was days away from getting the scanner to work, but we knew we were heading east. We were ready to go.
CHAPTER 29
RIVIK
Ifound Daska near the fire pit, checking his pack one last time. His movements were methodical, practiced, the habits of a warrior preparing for a long journey. But there was a heaviness to them, a weight that had nothing to do with the supplies he carried.
He looked up when I approached as he'd been expecting me.
