Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CARTER
ONE MONTH LATER
“Are you sure about this?” Rose asks softly, standing in front of the closet with a pile of clothes draped over her arm.
She folds each piece with care before lowering it into the cardboard box at her feet.
Her voice is steady, but I hear the tremor beneath it—a flicker of uncertainty she’s trying hard to hide.
“Am I sure about moving halfway across the country to be with the woman I love?” I can’t stop the grin tugging at my lips as I cross the room, sweeping her up by the waist. Her laugh breaks through the heaviness as I spin her in a circle before pressing my mouth to hers in a kiss that leaves no room for doubt.
When I pull back, my voice drops to a growl against her lips.
“I’d travel the world just to be by my mate’s side. ”
We could show her physically, with more than a kiss, if she doubts our intentions.
Her blush deepens, but when I set her back on her feet her breath comes in shaky bursts. “But… what about the pack?”
My chest tightens at the question. I’ve never fully let go of the instinct to provide for them, even though letting my brother step into his rightful place as Alpha was what I wanted—what he deserved.
I force calm into my voice, steady for her sake.
“Connor and Netti have the pack covered. They’re ready.
And it’s not like we’ll be gone forever. ”
I grab the box, tape it shut, and heft it into my arms. “Think about it, Rose. A few weeks to ourselves in a new city? No obligations. Just you and me.”
Her lips curve into a reluctant smile, but shadows pool in her eyes. She adds another box to the stack, hands moving almost mechanically. “It won’t all be fun and games,” she reminds me, tone careful. “We’re going there for another job.”
“Of course.” A chuckle escapes me. “Do you think I could forget the headlines for the Wise Fox Lounge opening? Or the hundreds of calls you got that week?” I glance back over my shoulder as I carry the boxes into the living room.
“You’re amazing, Rose. People see you. They want what only you can give. ”
When I turn, she’s standing in the doorway, arms wrapped tight around herself. A blush paints her cheeks at my words, but her eyes drop, as if she still doesn’t quite believe them.
“What is it, kitten?” I set the box down and close the distance, hooking a finger under her chin to tilt her face up to mine.
She bites her lower lip, worry flickering in her eyes. “I just…” Her fingers toy with the hem of her shirt, twisting it nervously. “Is this what you want? Truly, Carter? To leave your home, the pack—everything—for me?”
You are mine. My mate. My pack.
I brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear, my thumb lingering against her skin. “Is being with you what I want? Rose, it’s the only thing I’ve ever been sure of.”
“I know you want to be with me. I feel it.” She reaches up and touches the place on her neck where the invisible mating mark burns between us.
“Since that night, I can feel you with my magic—every emotion, every pull of your heart. It’s like…
accepting the bond opened something inside me I didn’t even know was there. ”
And goddess, she’s right. That bond is alive, thrumming between us like a second heartbeat. I can feel her doubt, her fear, her fragile hope tangled up with mine. I lean in, pressing my forehead to hers, inhaling her scent, grounding myself in the truth only my wolf knows.
She is my mate. My forever. There’s no world in which I’d choose anything else.
“Then you—more than anyone—know that when I say I will happily follow you anywhere, I mean it.” I press a kiss to her forehead before flicking the tip of her nose. “Plus, I won’t shirk my pack duties. I’ll be wolf-pup babysitter.”
“What—oh, Alexandria!” Rose claps a hand to her forehead. “I’d nearly forgotten I promised her she could intern with me this summer. She’s not a pup—she’ll be graduating. Are Connor and Netti driving her up, or are we—”
I silence her fretting with a tender kiss.
“Don’t worry—I’ve made arrangements for Alexandria to fly out, but not until we’re settled and have had some time to ourselves.
After the whirlwind of the lounge opening and you finishing up training your replacement at the event hall these last few weeks, I figured some one-on-one time to get to know each other without work or pack obligations would be nice. ”
“What would I do without you?” Rose smiles, adds one more box to the stack in the living room, and wipes her hands on her pants. “I think that’s the last of it for the movers. Our suitcases are by the door. Ginger is riding with us in the car.”
“Everything’s taken care of. I already had my important stuff shipped to the new house, and Connor says he’ll keep my place ready anytime we want to visit.”
“I can’t believe we’re moving into a house we’ve never even seen.” She runs a hand along the smooth kitchen countertop, and a smile tugs at my lips as I remember the first time I kissed her in this very room. “I’m going to miss this place. This town.”
“Rose, you were never meant to settle in one place. Plus, we’re just renting, and we’ve seen photos and videos of the house.
It’s close to where you’ll be working, and there’s even a little coffee shop we can walk to.
” I pull her into my arms, and she melts into my embrace, nuzzling my chest. “You’re too good to me. What about you?”
“Well—someone has to be there for any magical mishaps.” I grin, and she chuckles, shaking her head.
“I love you, Carter.”
“I love you too, kitten.” I press a kiss to the top of her head, then scoop up the purring orange ball of fur that had fallen asleep in a warm patch of sunlight filtering through the kitchen window. “It’s time for our next adventure.”