Chapter 14
Iarrive at Zane”s house, nestled deep in the Blackwood Pack territory. The trees loom overhead, casting shadows that dance across the gravel driveway. I jumped at the sight of Erik on the porch. I”m still not used to having people around when I get home.
He spots me and strides over, and a genuine smile crosses his face. ”Ava,” he says, his voice warm and welcoming. Before I can respond, he pulls me into a hug, lifting me off the ground. ”Welcome home.”
The words catch me unaware. Home. It”s a concept I haven”t felt a connection to since my father died, but as I stand here, surrounded by the familiar scent of the forest and the comforting presence of an old friend, it feels like I might have finally found it again.
Erik releases me and grabs a box from the back of my truck. ”Let”s get you settled in.”
I follow him into the house carrying the bag that sat next to me in the passenger seat of the truck. My nerves kick into high gear as I take in the living room. It”s rustic and cozy, with a large stone fireplace that dominates one wall. The furniture is worn but well-loved and photos sit on almost all of the flat surfaces around the room. I pause for a moment to study one before recognizing that amongst the photos of the whole Pack are photos of Zane and me from high school and my father and me. A tear slides down my cheek. ”How?”
I”d worried that moving in I”d intrude on his life. Even as my hand absently touches the mark on my shoulder, I fight down the doubt. When I left, I felt like the whole Pack had wanted me gone.
Erik sets the box down in the living room and turns to me, his expression serious. ”I”ll let Zane answer that. He”s not here right now, but he wanted to be.”
”What”s going on?”
”Zach”s struggling. He feels responsible for Aiden. He isn”t, but he thinks if he hadn”t challenged Zane, Aiden wouldn”t have gotten the sample. And without that, maybe Aiden wouldn”t have—” Erik catches my eyes.
I nod. Erik doesn”t need to continue. I can see the guilt etched in his features too. He missed the signs that Aiden had gotten involved in something as nefarious as collecting blood samples from Packmates.
”I tried to step down. As Beta. I don”t deserve it. I missed too much.”
”By that logic, Zane doesn”t deserve to be Alpha either. And I know you don”t believe that for a second.”
”But I should”ve known. Aiden. I should have known that his secretive nature wasn”t normal.”
”How? I talk to criminals all day long. If it were as easy as that to tell when people were hiding something big versus hiding an embarrassing indiscretion—well let”s just say my job would be far less interesting.”
”Do you plan to stay on the police force?”
”Absolutely. The Crimes Involving Supernaturals unit is important. It protects the Packs from blind prejudice and the humans from being harmed by unscrupulous shifters. And I”m uniquely qualified to be there.”
”Does Zane know?”
”Yes, I do,” Zane says from the doorway. ”I won”t say I didn”t try to talk her out of it, but I respect her reasons.” He kisses my cheek as he sets another box next to the one Erik just set down.
”Where did you find these pictures?” I ask as I pick up the one of my dad and me.
”Find? They were never lost.”
”What do you mean?”
”Your father”s home reverted to the Pack once he died. I had all of the items put into storage.”
”Storage?”
”Yes. Until the next of kin was ready to take care of them.”
”The next of kin who didn”t know…”
Erik closed the door behind himself as he walked back to my truck.
”I knew I”d have to tell you one day. I kept it safe…”
I walked up to him and put my hands behind his neck. ”Safe?”
”Until I could face talking to you about it. I—”
I didn”t let him finish that sentence, instead, I pulled him in for a deep, passionate kiss. Our undeniable connection made time stand still. Our lips met, and I could feel our bond”s power surging through my veins. Our tongues dance dispelling any doubts I”ve had about my decision. We”re meant to be together, and this kiss was just the beginning of our second chance at love.
”Thank you,” I whisper against his lips.
As we walk out the door, we find Erik at the tailgate. A hint of a smile reminds me of when he”d cover for us back in school. I felt a blush rise in my cheeks, but Zane just walked around me and grabbed the next box as though nothing happened.
I decided to keep my apartment in Cascade Falls, at least now. I want a place to sleep after a long shift. But I walk over to the bag I carried in myself and pull out the framed photograph. It was the one thing I insisted I had to move myself—my mother and father”s only remaining photograph. I wasn”t sure if I could put it up here. But I knew I couldn”t call it home without it. As I slide it in place on the mantle next to pictures of Zane”s family, our pictures from high school, and our friends. I know it belongs. I know I belong. And as I look at all of the touches Zane”s added to this place, I know this will be our home.
A man clearing his throat makes me turn quickly. Rowan stands at the door. ”May I come in?”
”Yes,” Zane and I say in unison. Erik chuckles behind Rowan.
Rowan hands over a casserole dish. ”My grandfather wanted me to bring you a welcome dish. It was one of my grandmother”s recipes. Grandfather said she used to make it every time a new Packmate moved in.”
”Rowan,” I take the dish carefully, ”thank you.”
”Now you should probably know, that neither my grandfather nor I are nearly as good a cook as my grandmother was. So temper your expectations.”
I set the dish on the table and hug Rowan quickly. ”I am sure it will be perfect for dinner. Thank you. And thank Marc for me.”
When I back up, Zane offers an outstretched hand to Rowan. ”Tell Marc thank you from me too. I know that wasn”t an easy thing for him. It means a lot.”
Rowan nods and walks to the door. ”A visit from the Alpha and his mate. That would mean the world to my grandfather.”
”We will be there tomorrow,” I say with a smile.
Zane walks up behind me and rests his hands on my shoulders. A comforting squeeze in response to my words.
Before the door closes, Erik makes his way to the door. ”I”ll see you both tomorrow,” he says with a smile.
I watch as the door gently clicks shut behind Erik, leaving Zane and me in a momentary bubble of solitude. I can”t help but feel the magnetic pull between us, drawing me closer to the man who has haunted my dreams for so long. With a sense of determination and vulnerability mingling, I wrap my arms around his neck. The feeling of the warmth of his skin against my fingers.
His hands find my waist, holding me gently as if I might disappear at any moment. Our eyes lock, and the intensity in his gaze makes my heart race. I lean in, closing the quiet space between us, and press my lips to his in a fervent kiss. I can”t resist delving deeper, relishing the familiar taste of him which has been absent from my life for far too long. Our tongues mingle and dance, rekindling a passion that smoldered for years, and I feel as if time has fallen away, leaving only us and the raw, primal desire that binds us together. It”s a kiss that promises a future filled with love and adventure, a future that I eagerly embrace as I pull back, my eyes locked with his. The intensity in his gaze makes my heart race, and I know without a doubt that we belong together, we are fated mates destined to navigate the complexities of our past and present, and to forge a new path toward a future filled with love and happiness.
When we finally break apart, I whisper against his lips, ”That”s definitely something I could get used to every day.”