Chapter 17
Mason
One Month Later
Morning light slipped through the thin curtains in pale gold stripes, warming the bed and the tangle of blankets around us.
I woke slowly, aware first of the weight pressed against my chest, then the steady rhythm of breathing beneath my ear.
Levi’s arm was wrapped loosely around my waist, fingers curled into the hem of my shirt like he’d fallen asleep holding on.
I lay still for a moment, letting myself take it the quiet. The warmth. The way nothing inside me felt like it was bracing for impact.
A month ago, I hadn’t believed this kind of morning was possible.
Levi shifted, his nose brushing the side of my neck. His breath was warm against my skin, and a faint shiver ran through me before I could stop it.
“You’re awake,” he murmured, voice rough with sleep.
“Mm.” I tilted my head back slightly. “You drool.”
He huffed softly. “Liar.”
“You absolutely drool.”
He lifted his head just enough to glare at me, though the effect was ruined by the pillow crease across his cheek. “You’re lucky you’re my mate.”
The word still did something to me. A quiet, grounding pull that settled deep in my chest. I reached up, brushing my fingers through his hair, letting my hand linger at the nape of his neck. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” His expression softened. “Otherwise I’d have kicked you out of my cabin weeks ago.”
I snorted. “You mean you wouldn’t let me move in.”
“You showed up with a duffel bag and Kai,” he pointed out. “That’s basically moving in.”
“Temporary,” I said automatically, though we both knew that hadn’t been true for a while now.
His gaze flicked over my face, warm and steady. “You still planning to leave?”
I shook my head. “No.”
Something eased in his shoulders. He leaned in, brushing his mouth against mine in a slow, unhurried kiss. But when I shifted closer, his hand slid to my hip, pulling me in.
The kiss deepened, his thumb brushing absentmindedly over my side beneath my shirt.
My pulse picked up. I angled my head, letting myself sink into it, into him. His fingers traced along my ribs, slow and deliberate, and I sucked in a breath.
“You’re going to be the death of me,” I murmured against his mouth.
He smiled faintly. “Pretty sure we already survived that part.”
I huffed a quiet laugh, but it faded when he kissed me again, deeper this time. His weight shifted as he rolled partially over me, close enough that heat pooled low in my stomach.
My hand slid down his back, feeling the warmth of his skin through the thin fabric.
He pressed a lingering kiss just below my jaw, then another at my throat. My head tipped back instinctively, breath catching.
The bedroom door creaked. We froze.
“I swear,” Kai’s voice said flatly from the doorway, “if I walk in one more time—”
Levi groaned and buried his face in my shoulder.
I turned my head. Kai stood there with his arms crossed, hair sticking up in every direction, looking deeply unimpressed. “It’s morning,” he added, like that explained everything.
“It is,” I agreed.
“You’re doing that again.”
“We were just—”
He made a dramatic gagging noise. “I’m moving in with Nico and Tony.”
Levi snorted into my shoulder.
I shot him a look, then focused back on Kai. “You’re not moving in with anyone.”
“They said I could,” Kai countered immediately. “They have a bigger room. And Tony makes pancakes.”
“We make French toasts,” I said. “And Tony and Nico don’t make pancakes. They buy them.”
Levi finally lifted his head. “I can make pancakes.”
Kai narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Whatever. Are you going to keep doing that?” He waved vaguely between us.
Levi blinked. “Doing what?”
“Being gross.”
“That’s subjective,” Levi said.
Kai sighed. “I just want breakfast without witnessing… mating rituals.”
I choked on a laugh. Levi looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him.
“Go brush your teeth,” I told Kai. “We’ll be out in ten minutes.”
He hesitated. “Five.”
“Deal.”
He nodded, satisfied, and disappeared down the hall.
Levi dropped his forehead to my shoulder. “Mating rituals.”
“You’re never living that down,” I said.
He groaned.
I nudged him gently. “Come on. Pancakes.”
“You’re lucky I like him.”
“You love him.”
“…Yeah.”
We got up reluctantly, the easy warmth between us lingering as we dressed. The cabin smelled faintly of coffee from the automatic timer Levi had set the night before.
Kai was already at the table when we came out, pretending not to watch us too closely.
I flipped pancakes while Levi poured juice. It was domestic in a way that still felt surreal. The kind of routine I’d never had growing up, and definitely not during the chaos of the past year.
Kai took a bite, then nodded. “Okay. These are acceptable.”
“High praise,” Levi murmured.
We ate in comfortable quiet. When Kai finished, he grabbed his plate and carried it to the sink without being asked.
He’d settled into the cabin faster than I had, claiming the smaller bedroom and filling it with books, drawings, and a ridiculous number of video games Nico had given him.
After he disappeared back down the hall, I leaned against the counter beside Levi.
“He’s happy,” I said quietly.
“Yeah.” Levi bumped his shoulder against mine. “You did good.”
The words landed heavier than he probably intended. I stared at the coffee mug in my hands.
“I’m still working on the rest,” I admitted.
He didn’t ask what I meant. He already knew.
The packless community had taken longer. Some of them had heard the rumors that I’d worked with the anti-shifter group, that I’d helped Daniel.
It didn’t matter that I’d been trying to protect Kai, or that I’d turned against them in the end. Trust didn’t come back overnight.
But I showed up. Ran supply drops. Answered calls when no one had.
And slowly, things shifted.
Especially after Rowan vouched for me.
The deer shifter had been wary at first, eyes always tracking my movements, ready to bolt. I couldn’t blame him. When we’d pulled him from that cage, he’d looked half-starved and terrified.
Later, when Daniel demanded updates, I’d told him Rowan hadn’t survived the extraction, hoping it would stop him from coming after Rowan.
And now, he’d become one of the quiet bridges between me and the others. He didn’t say much, but his presence beside me during volunteer shifts spoke louder than words.
Levi nudged me again. “You’re thinking too hard.”
“Just… taking it in.”
He followed my gaze out the window. “You ready for tonight?”
My chest tightened, but in a good way. “Yeah.”
Last year, I’d watched Pecan Pines’ Summer Festival from a distance. Told myself that it wasn’t for people like me.
Tonight, I’d be there. With Levi and Kai. With a future that didn’t feel like it would crumble the second I touched it.
Kai reappeared, backpack slung over one shoulder. “Are we still going later?”
“Yep,” I said.
He nodded, trying to look casual. “Good.”
Levi smirked. “You excited?”
“No.”
“You’re definitely excited.”
Kai rolled his eyes. “I just want the fried dough.”
“Sure,” Levi said.
Kai hesitated, then glanced between us. “Are you going to… you know… be normal there?”
“Normal?” I echoed.
“Less gross.”
Levi leaned over and kissed my cheek deliberately.
Kai groaned and covered his face. “I’m bringing headphones.”
I laughed, and for the first time in a long while, it came easily.
And tonight, under the festival lights, with Levi at my side and Kai rolling his eyes at us, I’d finally step into the life I’d always wanted, not alone, but with the family I’d fought to keep.
THE END
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