Chapter 29
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
KIER
The courtyard is alive with celebration.
Three other couples managed to complete their claims during the hunt, and the pack is still reveling in the success.
I watch Heath spin his newly claimed mate around while she laughs, her red hair flying.
Near the fountain, another pair sits close together, sharing quiet words and gentle touches.
The third couple has disappeared entirely—probably still working off the heat that drove their claiming.
But there’s one wolf sitting alone by the fire, staring into the flames with the hollow expression of someone who ran but didn’t catch a bride.
My chest tightens in sympathy. With five males and only four females to claim, it was inevitable that someone would miss out.
The claiming hunt is ancient tradition, but it doesn’t guarantee success for everyone.
Some wolves run alone, and some return alone.
“Where’s Levi?” I ask, scanning the courtyard. He ran, but it doesn’t look as if Levi has returned.
“Is he still out there looking for a bride?” Lithia frowns, her gaze searching as well. “Surely he would have heard Ryker’s howl announcing all the brides had been claimed.”
I shrug. “I guess not.” My gaze strays back to the lone wolf slumped at the table.
“He’ll find his mate,” Lithia murmurs, following my gaze. Through our bond, I feel her compassion for the unsuccessful hunter. “Maybe not tonight, but he will.”
I squeeze her hand, marveling again at how perfectly she fits against my side, how right this all feels. After twenty years of wandering, of never belonging anywhere, I’m home. Not just with Shadowmist, but with her. My mate, my anchor, my everything.
“Ready to get some sleep?” I ask, pressing a kiss to her temple. “We’ve had a long night.”
She hums in agreement, leaning into my touch.
We walk through the crowd toward the den, and I catch sight of Rohan and Dane dancing together, locked in a tight embrace.
I glance at Lithia who is smiling as she watches them.
“You’re not worried?” I ask.
“He’s a big wolf. He’ll work it out.”
We’re just walking up the small slope to the den’s entrance when I notice something that makes me pause. There’s movement at the bottom of the courtyard. A figure emerges from the shadow of the stone archway, moving slowly, carefully.
Levi.
But he’s not alone.
He’s supporting a woman—small, pale, and clearly exhausted. Her clothes are torn and dirty, her hair matted, and even from this distance I can see the bruises marking her exposed skin. In her arms, she clutches a bundle of rags.
No, not rags. A baby.
Recognition hits me like a physical blow.
“Prudence.”
The fear-seer from our captivity. The human woman who was forced to torture us, all to protect the child she’s now holding. She looks even smaller than I remember, and as fragile as spun glass, swaying on her feet despite Levi’s support.
“How did they get here?” Lithia breathes beside me, her shock resonating through our bond.
Elena rushes forward from across the courtyard, her healer’s instincts kicking in at the sight of obvious injuries.
“Let me see her,” she calls. “She needs medical attention—”
“No.”
Levi’s voice cuts across the courtyard like a blade. He shifts position, placing himself between Elena and Prudence.
Prudence cowers behind him, one hand gripping his shirt.
“Don’t touch her,” he growls, baring his teeth at Elena.
Elena stops short, confusion flickering across her features. “Levi, she’s injured. I can help—”
“No one touches her!”
The words roar across the courtyard, silencing the festivities. Levi’s yellow eyes are blazing, his stance protective.
“Mine,” he says, his voice rough. “My mate. No one touches her.”
“Levi,” Ryker’s voice carries authority as our Alpha steps forward, but there’s understanding in his tone too. “She needs healing.”
“I’ll heal her,” Levi snarls, baring his teeth at his own Alpha—a display of dominance that would normally earn swift retribution. “I’ll take care of her. Both of them.”
Ryker, Kitara and Elena approach, arguing with Levi as Prudence looks on, cringing behind the giant wolf.
“Come on,” I murmur to Lithia, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Let’s give them some space. Looks like they have a lot to figure out.” I squeeze her ass. “And I can smell your heat coming on.”
She squirms against me, the scent of her arousal blooming. “I thought you were tired and wanted to sleep.”
“Who needs sleep when I’ve got the only dream I’ve ever wanted right here?”
She groans, laughing. “You’re terrible.”
I grip the back of her neck, pressing our foreheads together. “And you’re mine,” I whisper against her lips. “Always.”