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But forever was a lie tonight, because my brain wouldn’t stop. Not even with her curled into my side like she belonged there. Not even with peace in my arms.

Lucien’s words came back like poison in the bloodstream.

As soon as possible. Lucien probably expected us to be mated already, and I had no idea how to even broach the subject with Maggie. We were supposed to have more time. I was supposed to have come up with a plan.

Her lips parted slightly as she started to drift off, and her fingers dug into my skin as I shifted slightly beneath her.

Maggie didn’t know what that bite meant. What it would bind her to. What kind of magic lived in blood and teeth and instinct. I wouldn’t force her into it. Not for politics. Not to stay in the pack. Not even to keep her.

She deserved to choose, even if that choice cost me everything. Because I wanted her. Not a claim. Not a bond. Her. And if the price of letting her be free was losing her… then I’d pay it.

I kissed the top of her head, then whispered, “You mean too much to me to mess this up.”

She didn’t stir. She slept, safe in my arms, unaware of the storm inside me.

I stayed awake long into the night, heartbeat loud with dread and devotion. Would I ever be strong enough to let her go if she asked me to?

Maggie slept like she hadn’t slept for days.

She had one arm splayed across my chest, her cheek pressed into the dip between my collarbone and shoulder. The scent of her still lingered on my fingertips.

I didn’t want to move. I didn’t want to think.

For once, I wasn’t performing or planning my next move. I just existed. With her. It was everything I hadn’t known I needed.

Her breathing was slow and even, and the easy rhythm of it calmed my own chaos. I traced small circles on her back, anchoring myself in her warmth. This was it. This was what I’d been chasing without realizing.

No expectations. No threats. No pack meetings. No Lucien.

Just Maggie.

Of course, that’s when the first buzz shattered the silence.

Then a second.

My phone glowed like a curse in the dark, and I grabbed it off the nightstand.

Lucien. Of course.

I stared at his name, hoping it would go away. It didn’t. What if it was important? What if something had happened? Pack security. Territory breach. Politics. Shit I couldn’t ignore.

I sighed and answered. “Yeah?” I whispered.

Lucien’s voice was calm. Too calm. Crisp, like he was sipping tea and smiling at a chessboard I hadn’t realized I was standing on.

“Have you bonded with Maggie yet?”

I froze. My eyes snapped down to Maggie. Her hand rested over my heart, fingers twitching slightly in her sleep.

“I… no,” I said, trying to keep my voice low. “Not yet.”

“Oh, good,” he said. “That makes things easier.”

My stomach dropped.

“I’ve decided to host a pack bonding ceremony for all the unbonded pairs, instead of letting the two of you bond early on your own,” he went on. “Public, of course. A celebration of future unity, morale, and strength.”

I sat up slightly, tension crawling into my shoulders.