Moonbound Mates

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Eventually the excitement began to settle.

Not completely.

Lyra was still asking questions.

Evelyn was still blushing every time Connor's name came up.

And Rowan was rapidly reaching the limit of how much mate-related conversation she could survive in a single evening.

"I need air."

Lyra immediately pointed at her.

"She's escaping."

"I am."

"Traitor."

Rowan grabbed a pillow and threw it.

Lyra dodged.

Mostly.

The pillow hit her shoulder.

"Violence!" Lyra gasped.

"Try me."

Evelyn laughed.

The sound followed Rowan out into the hallway.

For the first time in days, it felt good hearing it.

The door closed behind her.

Silence.

Well.

Relative silence.

Packhouses were never truly quiet.

Voices drifted from distant hallways.

Warriors moved throughout the building.

Doors opened and closed.

The familiar sounds wrapped around Rowan like a blanket.

Home.

Gods.

She was home.

Without really thinking about it, her feet carried her toward the main staircase.

Toward the offices.

Toward where she knew her father would probably be.

Alden Wilder had never been particularly good at sitting still.

Especially when an entire Alpha pack had just arrived unexpectedly.

Rowan smiled to herself.

Then rounded a corner.

And nearly ran directly into him.

Strong hands caught her shoulders immediately.

Steadying her before either of them could stumble.

For a second, neither spoke.

Alden stared.

Rowan stared back.

Then—

"There you are."

The words came out rougher than normal.

As if he'd been holding them in.

Rowan's throat tightened instantly.

"Hi, Dad."

Alden's hands remained on her shoulders.

His gaze swept over her face.

Then her arms.

Then the healing injuries she hadn't managed to hide.

His jaw clenched.

Just slightly.

The same way it always did when he was worried.

"I'm fine."

"You look terrible."

Rowan laughed.

"You sound like Connor."

"That's because Connor has eyes."

"Dad."

"I'm serious."

His gaze lingered on the bandages visible beneath her sleeve.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then, before Rowan could say anything else—

Alden pulled her into a hug.

Not a polite hug.

Not a brief hug.

A father hug.

The kind that squeezed all the air from your lungs.

The kind that said everything words couldn't.

Rowan hugged him back immediately.

For one brief moment, the last several weeks disappeared.

The trial.

The attacks.

The bond.

All of it.

Gone.

Leaving only this.

Home.

Family.

Safety.

Alden finally pulled back.

Not very far.

Just enough to look at her.

"You scared me."

The admission came quietly.

Honestly.

Rowan's chest tightened.

"I know."

"When reports started coming in..."

He shook his head.

"I wanted to come get you myself."

A small smile tugged at her mouth.

"You would've driven Edrin insane."

"I would've succeeded."

"You absolutely would've."

"Damn right."

The answer earned a laugh.

A real one.

Alden smiled immediately.

Like hearing it was worth something.

Maybe it was.

For a moment they simply stood there.

Father and daughter.

Together again.

Then Alden's expression softened.

"I'm glad you're home, Rowan."

The words hit harder than they should have.

Because for weeks, all she'd wanted was exactly that.

Home.

Simple.

Safe.

Familiar.

Rowan swallowed.

Then nodded.

"Me too."

Neither of them noticed the shadow crossing Rowan's expression.

Because despite being home...

Despite standing in the place she'd missed every day since leaving...

Part of her was still looking for someone else.

And that realization followed her all the way to Edrin's office.

By the time Rowan reached Edrin's office, the warmth from seeing her father had faded beneath the weight of reality.

Home or not, there was still a problem waiting for them.

A dangerous one.

Light spilled from beneath the office door.

Voices drifted through the wood.

Rowan lifted a hand and knocked.

"Come in."

She pushed the door open.

Edrin's office looked exactly as she remembered.

Large.

Practical.

Built for work rather than appearances.

A massive map covered most of the central table.

Several reports were already spread across it.

Kael and Jace were already there.

Connor stood near one wall, arms folded across his chest.

Edrin occupied his usual place at the head of the table.

The moment Rowan stepped inside, Kael's eyes found her.

She ignored the way her stomach betrayed her.

Immediately.

Annoyingly.

Edrin gestured toward an empty chair.

"Sit."

Rowan did.

The office door closed behind her.

Silence settled over the room.

Then Edrin spoke.

"Start from the beginning."

Kael nodded.

"The first attacks seemed random."

His voice was steady.

Controlled.

Professional.

"The rogues targeted border patrols initially. Small groups. Isolated incidents."

Jace slid several reports across the table.

"The attacks escalated quickly."

Edrin skimmed the pages.

His expression darkened.

"Casualties?"

"A few injuries."

Kael's jaw tightened.

"Several deaths."

Silence followed.

Heavy.

Uncomfortable.

No pack escaped loss forever.

But that didn't make it easier.

"The largest attack occurred three nights ago," Jace continued.

"Numbers?"

"We estimate at least fifty rogues."

Connor swore quietly.

Edrin looked up sharply.

"Fifty?"

"At minimum."

The office fell silent.

Because fifty wasn't a raiding party.

It wasn't desperation.

It wasn't coincidence.

It was organization.

And organized rogues were dangerous.

Very dangerous.

Edrin folded his arms.

"Do we know who's leading them?"

"No."

"Motive?"

"No."

Connor frowned.

"They've been targeting Rowan and Evelyn since the trial started."

"Yes," Kael said.

"But we still don't know why."

Edrin looked toward Jace.

"Any demands?"

"No."

"Messages?"

"No."

Connor's frown deepened.

"So we have a large, organized rogue force hunting two women for reasons we don't understand."

"That's about the size of it," Jace said.

Silence settled over the room.

Nobody liked that answer.

Nobody liked the lack of answers even more.

Finally Rowan spoke.

"The why doesn't matter right now."

Every eye turned toward her.

Rowan leaned forward.

One finger resting against the map.

"What matters is what happens next."

Edrin nodded once.

"Go on."

"They knew exactly where Evelyn and I were at Silver Moon, we have to assume they can track us here too.”

A pause.

"They attacked Silver Moon."

Rowan's jaw tightened.

"If they were willing to attack the strongest pack in the kingdom..."

Her gaze lifted.

Meeting Edrin's directly.

"They're willing to attack Cedar Ridge."

Nobody argued.

Because nobody could.

Connor folded his arms tighter.

"You think they'll come here?"

"I think they'd be stupid not to."

The answer earned several grim expressions.

Rowan continued.

"If their objective is Evelyn and me, they know exactly where we are now."

Jace looked down at the map.

Thinking.

Calculating.

"I agree."

Kael nodded slowly.

"So do I."

The room fell silent again.

This time not because of uncertainty.

Because of acceptance.

The danger wasn't gone.

It had simply moved.

Edrin pushed away from the table.

"Then we prepare for an attack."

Nobody argued.

Connor nodded immediately.

Jace agreed.

Kael agreed.

The decision was unanimous.

Extra patrols.

Double border watches.

Emergency evacuation routes.

Shelter assignments.

Every precaution Cedar Ridge could manage.

Then Edrin's gaze settled on Rowan.

"And until we know why they're targeting you and Evelyn..."

Rowan immediately knew she wasn't going to like whatever came next.

"You do not leave pack territory without an escort."

Rowan stared.

"No."

Edrin stared back.

"That wasn't a request."

Connor looked suspiciously entertained.

Jace wisely remained silent.

Kael did not appear nearly as sympathetic as he should have.

Rowan crossed her arms.

"I've been fighting rogues since I was sixteen."

"And now you're being hunted by an organized force large enough to threaten an Alpha pack."

"I can handle myself."

"I'm aware."

Edrin's expression didn't change.

"You're still taking an escort."

The argument died before it really began.

Mostly because Rowan knew she wasn't winning it.

Still didn't mean she had to like it.

"Fine."

"Good."

"It wasn't good."

"It was."

"It really wasn't."

Connor made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

Rowan considered throwing something at him.

The meeting continued.

Plans were made.

Assignments were given.

Warriors were mobilized.

But one thought lingered in the back of Rowan's mind the entire time.

She'd felt safe when she crossed Cedar Ridge's gates.

Safe because she was finally home.

Now she knew better.

Because if the rogues truly intended to keep coming—

Home was next.

The meeting finally ended well after sunset.

By the time everyone filtered out of Edrin's office, Rowan was already heading toward the training grounds.

Connor had been immediately claimed by several Cedar Ridge warriors.

And Jace had vanished the second someone mentioned reports.

Which left Kael walking alone through the packhouse.

For approximately thirty seconds.

"Kael."

He stopped.

Turned.

Evelyn stood at the end of the hallway.

For a moment neither spoke.

Then she took a breath.

"We need to talk."

Kael's stomach tightened immediately.

Because there was only one conversation he could imagine her wanting to have.

The conversation neither of them had quite known how to start.

He nodded once.

"Okay."

Evelyn glanced around the hallway.

"Somewhere private."

Without another word, he followed her.

───

A few minutes later they found themselves outside.

The evening air was cool.

The territory quiet.

Most pack members were still occupied with settling Silver Moon's displaced wolves into temporary housing.

For once, nobody interrupted them.

Nobody watched.

Nobody listened.

Silence stretched between them.

Then Evelyn laughed.

Just once.

Nervously.

Kael frowned.

"Evelyn?"

She looked up.

And for the first time, he realized she seemed almost... excited.

Which was confusing.

And slightly alarming.

"Evelyn."

That only made her laugh again.

"Oh Goddess."

Now he was concerned.

"What?"

She rubbed both hands over her face.

Then looked at him.

Directly.

"I found my mate."

Silence.

Complete silence.

Kael stared.

Certain he had heard her incorrectly.

"You what?"

A smile escaped before she could stop it.

"I found my mate."

For several seconds he simply looked at her.

Trying to process the words.

Trying to understand what she'd just said.

Then—

Shock hit.

Actual shock.

The kind that rarely reached his face.

"Who?"

The question came immediately.

Evelyn laughed softly.

Still looking vaguely overwhelmed.

"Connor."

Kael blinked.

Once.

Twice.

"Connor?"

Evelyn nodded.

"The warrior from Cedar Ridge."

For another moment he simply stared.

Then a short laugh escaped him.

Disbelieving.

Not mocking.

Just surprised.

Of all the possibilities he'd considered over the last few days...

That had not been one of them.

At all.

Evelyn smiled.

Then the smile softened.

Something more thoughtful replacing it.

For a moment neither spoke.

Then Kael asked the question that mattered.

"How do you feel about it?"

The answer came immediately.

Honestly.

"A little excited."

A small laugh escaped her.

As though she couldn't quite believe she was admitting it.

Kael remained silent.

Listening.

Evelyn looked toward the darkening trees beyond the packhouse.

"He seems kind."

A pause.

"And strong."

Another pause.

"And when I looked at him..."

She shook her head slowly.

"I don't know."

The smile returned.

Small.

Wondering.

"I just wanted to keep looking."

Kael understood.

Gods.

He understood.

For a moment neither spoke.

Then Evelyn's expression changed.

The amusement fading.

Something more vulnerable taking its place.

"These last few weeks have been horrible."

Kael's chest tightened.

"Evelyn—"

"No."

She shook her head.

Not angry.

Just determined.

"Let me finish."

He nodded immediately.

Evelyn folded her arms.

Looking down briefly before meeting his eyes again.

"For weeks I've been asking myself why this was happening."

Her voice softened.

"Why you couldn't just choose me."

The words landed heavily between them.

Not because they were cruel.

Because they were true.

"I knew you cared about me."

A pause.

"I knew you loved me."

Another.

"But part of me kept wondering why that wasn't enough."

Kael looked away.

Unable to argue.

Unable to defend himself.

Because he had wondered the same thing.

Then Evelyn smiled.

A sad smile.

But not a bitter one.

"Now I know."

Silence.

The evening breeze stirred the trees around them.

Neither moved.

Neither looked away.

"I met Connor hours ago."

A quiet laugh escaped her.

"I've spoken to him for maybe five minutes."

Her smile widened slightly.

"And somehow I already want to know what his favorite food is."

A reluctant smile tugged at Kael's mouth.

Evelyn noticed immediately.

"Don't laugh."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"A little."

She rolled her eyes.

Then her expression softened once more.

"When I saw him..."

Her voice dropped.

Quiet.

Honest.

"For the first time, I understood."

Kael's throat tightened.

Because he knew exactly what she meant.

The bond.

The pull.

The certainty.

Evelyn took a slow breath.

Then spoke again.

"I think we were meant to love each other."

The words hung gently between them.

Not painful.

Not angry.

Just true.

Kael looked at her.

She smiled sadly.

"But I think we'd be fools if we didn't realize we were meant to spend our lives with them."

Silence.

Complete silence.

"I don't even know him yet."

Her eyes drifted toward the distant lights of the packhouse.

Toward somewhere Connor probably was.

"I talked to him for five minutes."

A small laugh escaped her.

Disbelieving.

Wondering.

"But everything in me already knows I can't imagine a life where he isn't in it."

Kael closed his eyes briefly.

Because he understood that too.

More than he wanted to.

When he opened them again, Evelyn was smiling.

Warm.

Gentle.

Forgiving.

"I'm sorry."

Kael blinked.

"For what?"

"For making you carry this alone."

The words hit harder than any accusation ever could.

Evelyn looked away briefly.

Toward the stars beginning to appear overhead.

"I thought you were choosing between two women."

A faint smile touched her lips.

"I didn't realize you were fighting the Moon Goddess herself."

For a moment neither spoke.

Then Kael laughed.

Quietly.

Genuinely.

The first real laugh he'd managed in days.

And somehow...

It felt like the beginning of one chapter ending.

And another finally beginning.