Chapter 21 – ROWAN #2
"Trust me, that story requires more alcohol than we currently have in the house," I say, selecting another dumpling. "But I'd be happy to share the security footage sometime. I've got an arrangement with the campus tech guy."
"You wouldn't dare," Killian growls, though there's no real heat behind it. His hand remains gentle on Regina's waist, thumb rubbing against the fabric of her—Sean’s—bathrobe.
"Try me," I challenge with a smirk. "I've got a whole folder labeled 'Killian's Greatest Hits.' Perfect blackmail material."
"I've never understood that phrase," Sean muses. "'Blackmail.' It's not like the mail is in black envelopes. And nobody uses actual mail for blackmail anyway. It's all digital now."
“What, are you a fucking scholar now? Remind me to never let you fuck again, for all our sakes,” Micah snorts, earning a barking laugh from Sean. “The point is Rowan has enough dirt on Killian to bury him alive. We don't use that to our advantage often enough.”
"Just remember it goes both ways," Killian adds pointedly. "We've all got our secrets, and if you want to keep it that way, the witch never sees that video."
The atmosphere shifts subtly at the word “secrets.” Regina tenses almost imperceptibly on Killian's lap, and we all turn to look at her.
"Speaking of secrets," she says, setting down her fork carefully and tucking her hair behind her ear on the unscarred side. She isn’t wearing her glamour, but she’s still managing to keep her hair like a curtain over her scars.
"We should probably talk about what happens next.
With... this." She gestures vaguely between herself and the four of us.
The pack goes utterly still, the kind of preternatural stillness that reminds me we're something other than human.
Even Sean stops mid-chew, his eyes widening slightly.
None of us expected her to broach this subject so directly, not yet.
Not when she's been so careful to maintain that this arrangement is temporary.
Fuck, I’m terrified.
"What do you want to happen next?" Killian asks, his voice carefully neutral, though I can feel his tension through our pack bond.
Regina takes a deep breath, her fingers toying with the edge of her bathrobe sleeve.
"I've been thinking about what you said.
About being your... mate. About needing a Bonded to graduate.
" She glances around at each of us, her gaze steady despite the vulnerability of the moment.
"If you really want me, I'm willing to bond with you. With the pack."
The words hang in the air, monumental in their simplicity. She's willing. After everything—the fear, the hesitation, the trauma she's endured at the hands of those who should have protected her—she's actually willing to try with us.
" If we want you?" Sean breaks the silence with an incredulous laugh. "Is that even a question?"
"What he means," Micah jumps in, "is that, yes, we absolutely want you. As our Bonded, our mate, everything."
I study her face, reading the complex emotions playing across it. Relief at our affirmation. Lingering doubt about her worth, her place. A guarded hope she's afraid to fully embrace.
"Regina," I say, choosing my words with care. "You're not just fulfilling a requirement for us. You're not just a magical battery or a convenient solution to our problems. You're our mate . That means something—something profound—to all of us."
Killian's arms tighten around her waist. "We want you. Not just what you can do for us, but you. All of you."
She swallows audibly, but the tension in her body eases in response to his tightening hold. I don't even think she's realized it yet. That she responds to us, just like we respond to her. That we need each other.
But she's open to trying. To exploring this.
"Okay," she says, her voice small but steady. “Then… yes. I want to bond with your pack. I’m not ready to be your mate yet, but your Bonded, yes.”
Sean leaps from his chair with a whoop loud enough to rattle the windows, knocking over a half-empty container of pad thai in his excitement. " YES ! Our mate said yes! Holy shit, this calls for champagne! Do we have champagne? Tequila?"
“Your Bonded, ” Regina reminds him, but there’s no heat in it at all. She’s grinning, too. “I didn’t say yes to being your mate just yet.”
“But we’re closer,” Sean says enthusiastically, grinning wider than ever, all teeth and fang.
"Calm down," Killian growls, though his own excitement is palpable in the way he holds Regina, like she might disappear if he loosens his grip. "You're going to scare her off before we even get started."
"When?" Micah asks, ignoring the chaos Sean is creating as he rummages through cabinets in search of celebratory alcohol like a bear hunting for honey. "When should we do the Bonding? There's preparations, rituals?—"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," I interject, noting the overwhelmed look creeping into Regina's eyes. "We've got time to sort out the details. The important thing is the decision's been made. The rest can wait until she's ready."
Regina shoots me a grateful look, relief evident in the softening of her shoulders. "Tomorrow," she agrees. "I need to... process. Research. Make sure I understand what I'm getting into."
"Of course," Killian says immediately. "Whatever you need."
"What I need right now is probably some rest," she admits, stifling a yawn. The events of the day—the shopping trip, her collapse, the... activities that followed, and now this huge decision—have clearly taken their toll. "It's been kind of an intense day."
"No shit," Sean says, returning triumphantly with a bottle of questionable-looking liquor. "Finding out you're about to be bonded to four smoking hot alpha wolves? That's a lot."
"Ever the humble one," I mutter, earning a smirk from Regina. "You should definitely get some rest," I continue, rising to help clear the table.
Regina slips off Killian's lap, though his hands linger at her waist, reluctant to release her completely. She stretches, the oversized bathrobe parting along the side to reveal a sliver of pale skin at her hip that immediately draws all eyes in the room.
"I'll walk you up," I offer, collecting her plate along with mine.
She nods, waiting until I've set the dishes in the sink before following me toward the stairs. Behind us, I can hear Killian giving orders about cleaning up and Sean's continued excited babbling about celebration plans.
We climb the stairs in companionable silence, my wolf hyperaware of her presence beside me.
Her scent has changed subtly since this morning, notes of the pack mingling with her natural fragrance of wild magic and ancient forest. It's enough to make a man drunk off the scent alone, this olfactory evidence of her acceptance of us.
Of me .
At her door, she hesitates, one hand on the knob. "About what you said earlier," she begins, a blush creeping up her neck. Gods, she’s adorable. "About, um, making up for what you missed..."
Oh fuck . She's been thinking about it, then.
"I meant what I said," I manage to tell her, keeping my voice low enough that the others won't hear from downstairs. “I want you more than anything, Regina. But if it’s all too much right now… well.” I tuck a damp strand of hair behind her ear on the scarred side, careful to keep my touch gentle. She actually lets me, even though she subtly tilts her face away. “If you’re going to be our Bonded, we have time.”
I flash her a grin that I hope makes up for me sounding like the words are being dragged out of me with fish hooks.
She hesitates, then nods. “Thank you,” she murmurs. "For the food. For the space. For... understanding."
"Always," I promise, meaning it more deeply than I can express.
She rises on her tiptoes, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek. It's a chaste gesture, almost innocent compared to what she shared with the others earlier. But it melts something inside me, this small, voluntary affection freely given.
"Good night, Rowan," she murmurs, slipping into her room before I can respond.
I stand there a moment longer, my hand rising unconsciously to touch the tingling spot where her lips met my skin.
If I died right now, I’d die the happiest wolf on earth.