Chapter 16
The drive back to town was quiet, both of us processing the night’s events. Milo dozed in the passenger seat, exhausted from the full moon shift and all that had followed. I glanced at him occasionally, marveling at how this small, chaotic being had so thoroughly transformed my once-orderly life.
When we reached my apartment, Milo roused himself enough to climb the stairs, immediately heading for the bedroom where he collapsed onto the mattress with a contented sigh.
“Shifting takes a lot out of you, huh?” I observed, sitting beside him to remove his shoes.
“Mmm,” he agreed drowsily. “Worth it though. You were amazing with everyone.”
“I just followed your coaching,” I said, helping him out of his jacket. “Your father surprised me at the end.”
Milo’s eyes opened slightly. “He’s stubborn but fair. If he sees something worthwhile, he acknowledges it. Eventually.”
“High praise from the wolf patriarch,” I teased gently.
“The highest,” he agreed, tugging me down beside him. “Sleep now? Process later?”
I laughed softly, kicking off my own shoes and settling beside him. “Sleep now. We have all the time in the world to process.”
He curled against me, head tucked under my chin in the position that had become so familiar. Within moments, his breathing deepened into sleep, his body completely relaxed against mine.
As I drifted toward sleep myself, I reflected on the night’s events—the ceremonial acceptance, the primal connection by the stream, Sadie’s blessing of our union.
What had begun with a clumsy wolf shifter knocking over a Wolverine standee had evolved into something profound, something that crossed boundaries I hadn’t known existed.
My last conscious thought before sleep claimed me was simple but certain: this bridge between worlds we were building together was worth every challenge it might bring.