Xavier's POV
The morning started like any other. I woke with Thelma wrapped in my arms, her dark hair spilled across my chest, her breathing soft and even. Six months of being formally mated, and I still couldn't believe my luck. After everything she'd been through, all the betrayal and pain, she'd chosen to trust me. To love me.
I brushed a strand of hair from her face, careful not to wake her. She'd been up late last night, going over territory expansion plans with her beta. The Silvermoon Pack was growing faster than anyone had anticipated. Wolves from displaced packs, those who'd lost their homes to Marcus's schemes, were flocking to join her. They saw in Thelma what I'd seen from the beginning: a leader worth following.
My wolf stirred contentedly inside me. Our mate, it rumbled wi
