Chapter 20 #2
"Ava Sinclair, you are my mate. My wolf recognized you the first moment we met, and every day since has only confirmed what I already knew.
That you're the one I'm meant to spend my life with.
" I meet her eyes, needing her to see how serious I am.
"But this only works if you choose it too.
If you accept the bond knowing what it means. "
"Tell me what it means," she says, her voice steady despite the tears gathering in her eyes. "All of it. The good and the difficult."
"The good is that we'll be bonded for life.
You'll be my partner in everything. My mate and eventually the pack's Luna.
We'll be able to sense each other's emotions, feel when something's wrong even when we're apart.
The bond will strengthen over time, deepen, become something that's as essential as breathing. "
"And the difficult?"
"You'll be a target. Anyone who wants to hurt me will see you as a vulnerability.
Marcus won't be the last wolf who questions my judgment because of our relationship.
" I squeeze her hands. "You'll have responsibilities to the pack whether you want them or not.
And Ava, you'll be tied to this territory in ways that go beyond just living here.
The pack bond, the mate bond, connect you to this land.
Leaving for extended periods becomes harder, more uncomfortable. You'll feel the pull to return."
"Like homesickness?"
"More than that. It's physical, instinctive.
Some mates adjust fine, travel for work or visit family without issue.
Others find it nearly unbearable to be away for more than a few days.
" I watch her process this. "And there's always the risk of discovery.
People who would want to study us, exploit us, use our existence for their own gain.
By accepting this bond, you're accepting that risk too.
Not just for yourself, but for any children we might have. "
"Children would be at risk?"
"If the wrong people found out what we are?
Yes. There are organizations, governments, scientists who would love to get their hands on werewolf genetics.
Being my mate means living with the constant awareness that our secret has to be protected.
Always." I brush my thumb across her knuckles.
"It means being careful about who you trust, what you share, how you present yourself to the outside world.
It means living a double life in some ways. "
She's quiet, and I can see her weighing it all, considering the reality of what I'm asking.
"But we'd protect each other," she says finally. "And any children we have. The whole pack would."
"Yes. With everything we have."
“With everything we have,” she echoes.
"Does that mean it’s a yes?" I hardly dare to hope. "To all of it? To accepting the bond?"
She slides off the couch to kneel with me, our faces level, her hands framing my face.
"Hunter Turner, I love you. I've known it for weeks but I've been afraid to say it, afraid to admit how much you mean to me." Her voice is thick with emotion. "Yes. I accept the bond. I choose you. I choose this life, this pack, this future. All of it."
The relief that washes through me is so intense it's almost painful. "You're sure? Ava, once you accept, once we complete the bond, there's no going back. You need to be absolutely certain."
"I'm certain." She leans forward to kiss me softly. "I've never been more certain of anything in my life."
I kiss her back, pouring everything I feel into it. Love, relief, joy, gratitude. When we finally break apart, we're both breathless.
"How do we complete it?" she asks. "Is there a ceremony or ritual or?—"
"There is a pack ceremony we can do later, to make it official for everyone else. But between us?" I rest my forehead against hers. "We just have to claim each other. Acknowledge the bond consciously, intentionally."
"Then I claim you," she says firmly. "Hunter Turner, Alpha of the Willow Creek pack. You're mine, and I'm yours."
"And I claim you, Ava Sinclair. My mate, my partner, my future." I feel the bond snap into place fully, like a circuit completing. The sensation is overwhelming. Her emotions flood through to me, joy and love and certainty mixed with nervousness and wonder.
"Oh," she breathes. "Is that—can you feel?—?"
"Yes. You're happy. And a little scared. But completely certain." I smile. "Can you feel me?"
She closes her eyes, concentrating. "You're... relieved. Exhausted. In pain from the wounds. And—" Her eyes open, wide and bright. "So much love. Hunter, is it always this intense?"
"At first, yes. You'll learn to filter it, to sense the emotions without being overwhelmed by them. But right now, with the bond so new, it's strong."
We stay there on the floor for a while, just holding each other, feeling the bond settle into place. The fire crackles beside us, casting dancing shadows across the walls.
Finally, Ava pulls back slightly. "You need to rest. Those wounds need time to heal, and you're exhausted."
"I'm fine."
"I can literally feel your exhaustion through the bond now. Don't try to lie." She stands and pulls me up with her. "Come on. Bed."
"Ava—"
"Not arguing about this. You just fought a major challenge and completed a mate bond. You need rest." She tugs me toward the bedroom. "I'll stay with you. We can talk more in the morning."
I let her lead me to the bedroom, too tired to argue and honestly just wanting her close. We shed our clothes—hers carefully folded, mine dropped wherever—and climb into bed.
She curls against my uninjured side, her head on my chest, one hand resting over my heart.
"I can feel your heartbeat," she murmurs. "Through the bond. It's comforting."
"Good." I run my fingers through her hair. "Ava?"
"Mm?"
"Thank you. For choosing this. For choosing me."
"Thank you for being patient. For letting me figure it out on my own instead of pushing." She tilts her head to look at me. "And for fighting for us tonight. For proving to Marcus and everyone else that we're worth fighting for."
"Always." I kiss the top of her head. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow we figure out what comes next."
I wake to sunlight streaming through the window and Ava tracing the scars on my chest with gentle fingers.
"Good morning," I murmur, my voice rough with sleep.
"Morning. How do you feel?"
I take stock. The wounds from last night are already mostly healed, just pink lines where deep cuts used to be. The exhaustion is gone, replaced by a bone-deep contentment I haven't felt in years.
"Good. Really good." I catch her hand and bring it to my lips. "How are you? Any regrets about last night?"
"About accepting the mate bond? Not even a little." She shifts to look at me properly. "Though I do have questions. A lot of questions."
"Fire away."
"What exactly does being Luna mean? What will the pack expect from me?"
I pull her more fully against me, considering.
"Honestly? That's partially up to you. Traditionally, the Luna is the Alpha's partner in leadership.
She handles disputes between pack members, oversees social functions, acts as a mediator and counselor.
But Ava, you're not a traditional Luna. You're human, you have your own career, your own life.
We can define the role however makes sense for us. "
"But there will be expectations."
"Yes. The pack will look to you for guidance, for support.
You'll be expected to attend important gatherings, to be present for ceremonies and celebrations.
And people will come to you with problems, looking for help or intervention.
" I brush her hair back from her face. "But we can set boundaries.
You don't have to sacrifice your research or your independence. We'll find a balance."
"What about Clemson? My position there?"
"What do you want to do about it?"
She's quiet for a moment. "I love my work.
I love the research. But I also can't imagine leaving Willow Creek now.
Not with everything happening with EnvironTech, not with the pack, and definitely not with you.
" She bites her lip. "Maybe I could arrange something remote?
Continue my research here, collaborate with Clemson from a distance? "
"That could work. Your advisor seems supportive. And honestly, what you're doing here—the EnvironTech investigation, the environmental recovery work—that's valuable research in its own right."
"True." She smiles slightly. "I could probably write three papers just on the contamination patterns and recovery process."
"There's my scientist." I kiss her forehead. "We'll figure it out. One step at a time."
"Speaking of steps, what happens now? You mentioned a pack celebration?"
"Probably. The pack will want to formally recognize our bond, welcome you as Luna. It's tradition and usually involves a ceremony, a feast, the whole pack gathered to witness and celebrate."
"That sounds terrifying."
"It's actually not bad. More like a really big family party where you're the guest of honor." I grin at her expression. "It won’t be all that different from the barbecue at my brother’s place."
"Do we have to tell them right away?"
"Not immediately. But word will spread fast. The pack can sense these things, especially the elders.
Better to control the narrative than let rumors fly.
" I reluctantly disentangle myself from her and sit up.
"Besides, I need to check in with the pack anyway.
Make sure Marcus and his faction are settling down, that there's no lingering tension. "
"What will happen to Marcus? And Garrett?"