LILY
The familiar scent of pine and earth hit me as soon as we crossed into pack territory. Home. After everything we'd been through, everything we'd survived, we were finally home.
My body sagged with relief I didn't know I'd been holding.
"You okay?" Ace asked, his hand finding mine across the center console.
"Better than okay." I squeezed his fingers. "We're home."
"We are."
But I could hear the exhaustion in his voice. The weight of what he'd had to do back at the Gathering Grounds was still pressing on his shoulders. The image of James's blood-red eyes would probably haunt us both for a long time.
The pack house came into view, warm light spilling from every window. People were gathered on the front steps, and my heart clenched when I recognized the familiar faces.
"Is that...
