“Believe it.” I tilt her chin up, meeting those beautiful mismatched eyes. “You were always meant for this. To lead, to inspire, to show others what real strength looks like.”
Her fingers trace the mating mark on my neck, sending a bolt of arousal straight through me. “We both were. Together.”
As if in response to her words, the pack bonds pulse with renewed strength. Through our mating bond, I feel her satisfaction at the changes already taking root. The pack may still have its doubts, its divisions to heal, but we’ve made a start.
“Come on,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Let’s go home.”
She smiles up at me, love shining in her eyes. “We are home.”
And she’s right. Home isn’t just a place—it’s this connection between us, this shared vision, this chance to build something new together. As we shift and race each other back to our newhome in wolf form, I marvel at how perfectly everything has fallen into place.
The mate I foolishly rejected has become my greatest strength. The pack that once doubted her now looks to her for guidance. And I, a young idiot who once let fear rule my choices, have finally found the courage to be the leader—and mate—I was always meant to be.
Whatever challenges the future holds, we’ll face them together. As true mates should.
As we always should have been.
Chapter 44
Aurora
The afternoon sun streams through the windows of what used to be Alpha Cade’s study as I sort through paperwork detailing the returned exiles. Each name on the list carries its own weight of history and hurt—shifters who were cast out for questioning Cade’s leadership, for showing “weakness,” or simply for standing up for what they believed in. Many of them have skills that would be useful to the pack, if only he could’ve seen that—and many of them are too hurt, bitter, and resentful to be easily integrated back in, although I’m determined to try anyway. I guess I really am that stubborn.
Through our mate bond, I feel Kieran’s quiet support as he works beside me. The bond still feels new and wonderful, a constant warmth in my chest where pain used to live. Every brush of his thoughts against mine sends little shivers of pleasure through me.
“You’re thinking too hard again,” he murmurs, reaching over to squeeze my hand. “I can feel you carrying the weight of every name on that list like it weighs a thousand pounds.”
“Because I know what it’s like,” I admit, running my fingers over Dana’s name near the top. “To feel unwelcome in your ownpack. To be treated like you’re less than everyone else by the very people who are meant to love and support you no matter what.”
His guilt flows through our bond, but I send back reassurance. We’ve moved past that now—what matters is making sure no one else ever feels that way again.
A knock at the door interrupts us. Dana enters, followed by a small group of returned exiles. My heart clenches at the sight of them—some I recognize from my own days on the outskirts, others are faces I only know from Pack Jade’s records.
“The first group is ready to be reassigned quarters,” Dana announces, her eyes sharp as she surveys the room. Although she’s accepted my mating with Kieran, she still watches him like a hawk, ready to defend me at the first sign of trouble. It would be annoying if it weren’t so incredibly loving, and fiercely Dana. “Although there’s been some… tension with the ones who stayed.”
I feel Kieran’s instinct to take charge, but he holds back, letting me handle this as we agreed. We’re equal partners now, and this is an area where my experience will help. The outcasts are more likely to listen to someone like me than someone like him—the son of the alpha who sent them out into the cold.
“Tell me,” I say, motioning for them to sit.
The stories pour out: sideways glances and whispered comments, old grievances bubbling to the surface, pack members who stayed behind treating the returned exiles with suspicion and scorn. It’s painfully familiar—the same treatment I faced for years.
“It’s like they think we’re contaminated,” one of the younger women says bitterly. “Like being exiled made us less somehow.”
“Or they’re ashamed,” another adds. “Ashamed that they didn’t stand up to Cade themselves while we did and suffered for it.”
Through our bond, I feel Kieran’s mix of anger and regret at his father’s actions. Sending him a wave of comfort, I focus on the task at hand.
“Things will change,” I tell them firmly. “But it won’t happen overnight. We all carry scars from the past—those who left and those who stayed. The only way forward is together.”
“Pretty words,” one of the older men says gruffly. “But how do you propose to make that happen?”
A plan forms in my mind. “By showing them what they missed out on. What strength really looks like.” Standing, I continue, “Each of you learned things in exile—new ways of fighting, surviving, thinking. Skills this pack desperately needs.”
Understanding dawns in Dana’s eyes. “Like how you learned MMA when you couldn’t shift. How it made you a better fighter even after you found your wolf.”
“Exactly.” Warmth fills me at her quick grasp of my meaning. “We’re going to integrate those skills into the pack’s training. Show everyone that different doesn’t mean weak—it means having more tools, more perspectives, more ways to protect what matters.”
Through our bond, I feel Kieran’s pride and approval. The exiles look thoughtful, hope beginning to replace bitterness in their expressions.
