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All I feel is safe.

And loved.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Conall

I feel her inside me.

So does my wolf.

My mate. She finally belongs to me. For the rest of our lives, our souls will be connected.

All my life, I never thought I would have a mate. My wolf and I are solitary creatures. Too dominant to bow before another alpha, but too anti-social to lead a pack. Neither of us wants the responsibility or the sheer number of people that would surround us on a daily basis. That’s why I left the Lycan lands in the east.

It was impossible to live as a lone wolf there. There was always another alpha who felt challenged by my existence. Or a pack that needed a stronger, honorable alpha to seek me out as a challenger.

Now, I have everything I need. My mate and a small pack of my own.

It’s strange how my wolf accepted the woodsman into our pack. Yes, he grew up in my parents’ pack. I wouldn’t have called us friends, but he was friendly with everyone. Always smiling. Always charming.

I suppose my wolf sees what I do—our mate cares for him. It’s clear in the way she looks at him. The way she responds to his proximity and his touch.

There’s also the way he helped me court her. The way he guided her to us, encouraged her to consider us. It’s clear he considers us family, which made it much easier to accept.

Even now, a few days after I bit her, I’m still obsessed with my sweet, passionate mate. I can barely stand to be apart from her.

When she told me she needed to forage in the forest today, I opened my mouth to offer to go with her, but Hunter nudged me with his knee. I still don’t understand why he stopped me, but I’m glad I followed his lead.

My mate is smiling as she wanders through the trees, looking at plants and flowers. I want to walk next to her. Ask her what each of them does. How she knows what will be useful. I want to understand how her mind works. How she thinks.

While I can feel her inside me, her emotions, her very heartbeat, I’m eager to learn more. I want to know everything about my mate. I want to understand her. To love her.

I want her to be the happiest she’s ever been with me. She deserves it.

I want her to understand how much I love her and what I would do to please her.

“Stalking your mate?” the woodsman asks.

I scented him several minutes ago but ignored his presence in favor of my mate. I can’t do it now.

“You made it clear I shouldn’t offer to come with her.”

He steps up beside me, leaning against a tree. “She’s used to doing things on her own. And she’s always been so adamant she would never marry. I feared you would overwhelm her. I shouldn’t have interfered. My apologies.”

Hunter’s expression is pensive as he watches her in silence.

“You know her better than I,” I reply. “I would be a fool to ignore your advice.”

“She looks happy.”

I glance over at him. He sounds pleased, but his expression is worried. For once, I think I know why.

“She loves you,” I say. “I can feel it every time she looks at you.”

He turns toward me. “What do you mean?”

“Her emotions. Every time she looks at you, I feel her love for you.”