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“Welcome back to Winter,” Corrine smiled brilliantly at Caleb and Galen.

They each thanked her.

Wyatt stood beside her without a word. He looked up at Caleb but could not maintain eye contact for long.

Caleb found himself forcing a smile.

‘Ashleigh was right. He looks tired,’ he thought. He couldn’t help but wonder if there was something else going on.

He thought about suggesting to Bell a few tests that she might run or offering to send some equipment. But he caught himself.

‘He wouldn’t accept it anyway,” he smiled.

Caleb told himself he only felt hurt for Ashleigh’s sake.

“The official ceremony isn’t for two days,” Corrine continued. “But because of your bond with Ashleigh, we decided to ask you to join us for the Goddess’ blessing at the full moon.”

“Thank you for the honor,” Caleb replied.

Corrine looked at Ashleigh with a nod. Caleb looked up at Ashleigh with a question.

“There is another reason we asked you here early,” Ashleigh said, biting her lip nervously.

“Oh?” Caleb smiled, wondering what she was up to.

“We thought it would be a good time to announce our bond.”

Caleb was stunned.

“What?” he asked.

“You’ve already told your pack, and mine has known since the fae attack,” Ashleigh said. “I’m not asking that you make me your Luna, only that we officially announce to the other packs that we are mates.”

Caleb wasn’t unhappy but surprised by her initiative. After hiding from their bond for so long, she wanted to shout it out._.

Then he realized something else.

“You want to use the declaration of peace as time to figure out how to avoid a war from our bond.”

Ashleigh smiled.

Caleb didn’t care about the etiquette or rudeness of his actions.

He grabbed her hand, pulling her roughly towards him, so she fell into his lap. Although she let out a yelp of surprise, he smiled and kissed her vigorously.

Wyatt cleared his throat and turned away. Corrine stifled her laugh and covered her smile with her hand.

“Oh, come on!” Axel growled.

Ashleigh pulled away with quickened breaths and a fire in her eyes that made Caleb want to try again. Ashleigh put her hand on his chest to stop him.

“Down, boy…” she whispered with a wicked smirk.

He gave her a half-grin full of want.

Axel let out a growl that no one could pretend not to hear.

“Oh, relax. It’s not the first PDA you’ve ever seen,” Bell sighed dramatically at Axel.

“I didn’t want to watch the two of you either!” Axel growled back.

Bell’s eyes widened, and her face flushed.

“I meant your parents…” she said quietly, looking anywhere but towards Corrine and Wyatt.

Wyatt clenched his jaw and took a deep breath through his nose, pushing it back out through his mouth.

Corrine could not hold back her laugh.

“Ashleigh, dear, get up before your brother completely loses control,” Corrine said.

Ashleigh laughed and got off Caleb’s lap, much to his displeasure.

Corrine then turned to Galen.

“Beta Galen,” she smiled.

Galen immediately stood up straighter and got visibly nervous.

“Yes, Luna Corrine,” he replied.

“I hope you won’t mind a little change in your itinerary,” Corrine smiled playfully. “Because Ashleigh and Caleb will be announcing their bond. We thought it best that Ashleigh attends the actual ceremony at Caleb’s side.”

Galen looked at Caleb. The ceremony was only open to the Alpha and one guest, generally their Beta.

Meaning that Caleb would be alone with the other Alphas and their allies. The same alphas that he and Caleb suspected of forging reports and possibly orchestrating the attacks themselves.

“Luna Corrine, with all due respect, I can’t just leave my Alpha–” Galen began to reply.

“Ashleigh protected me against her brother far better than you did….” Caleb interrupted.

Ashleigh tried to cover her giggle with a cough, and Axel growled again.

Galen raised an eyebrow at Caleb with pursed lips.

Caleb smiled back.

‘Oh, I see, so you get a girlfriend, and now you just toss me aside?’ Galen said through their neural link.

‘She’s cuter than you,’ Caleb replied.

“I understand your concern, Galen,” Corrine continued. “But Ashleigh is our very best fighter. I am confident she will be able to keep Caleb out of any danger.”

Galen still didn’t like the idea.

“And I know you will be worried. So, we’ve arranged for someone to keep you entertained,” Corrine said with a bright smile. “I’m sure that whatever Bell has planned for you will keep your mind occupied.”

“Whatever Bell has….” Galen repeated quietly.

He turned and looked at Bell, who gave him a sly smile and a wink. Galen couldn’t help the goofy grin that came across his face.

“I think you’re right, Luna Corrine,” Galen smiled.

‘So you get a girlfriend, and now you just toss me aside….’ Caleb laughed through their neural link.

Wyatt and Corrine excused themselves to go home after some polite conversation and a few more jokes.

Axel stuck around long enough for a few more grumbles and growls. But before long, he said there was something he needed to look into. Ashleigh had tried to find out what it was, but all he could say was that it was a feeling he had.

Bell also had to leave as she had patients that she needed to check in on, but Galen was happy to walk her to the hospital.

Which left Ashleigh and Caleb alone together.

Ashleigh sat in his lap, he placed his arms around her waist, and she put hers around his neck. This position had become both familiar and comfortable to them already.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she said.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he smiled, hugging her a little tighter and drawing a gentle laugh from her lips.

“Seriously,” she said, catching his eyes. “I wasn’t sure we would ever be able to be here like this.”

“I know,” he said, touching his palm to her cheek. “I wasn’t either.”

Ashleigh kissed him sweetly.

“Ashleigh,” he whispered.

“Hmm?” she replied, still giving him light soft kisses.

“Thank you,” he said.

Ashleigh pulled back and looked at him.

His grey eyes looked up at her with such warmth and love that it almost took her breath away.

“Thank you for choosing me,” he whispered.

She felt the heat of the tears welling in her eyes before she saw them. Ashleigh swallowed and smiled at Caleb.

“Thank you for waiting for me,” she whispered back.

He smiled and ran his thumbs under her eyes to wipe away the tears.

“I love you,” they both said together.

They laughed before they came together and sealed their shared affirmation with a kiss.

***

Ashleigh felt as though she were floating. There was a hum in the air around her, something she didn’t quite recognize, and yet somehow, it also felt familiar.

She opened her eyes. All around her was a dark blue haze, and in the distance, every way she turned, a bright light.

“Hello?” she called out.

There was no reply. Not even an echo.

Ashleigh tried to take a step forward, but she couldn’t move.

Before she could panic, or react in any natural way, the haze before her began to clear. A small window appeared. Ashleigh was surprised to find that she could step forward.

The view from the window was downward. There were two women in a room below her.

One had pale skin and long black hair. The lower half of which laid loosely at her back, the upper half was done with braids and two buns layered together, one smaller than the other.

The other woman wore a pale blue dress. She had honey blonde hair pulled back in a loose braid.

Ashleigh gasped as she recognized herself.

“Do you know who my true mate is?” the Ashleigh in the room below asked.

Lian nodded her head.

“Who is it?”

Ashleigh’s perspective changed. She was no longer above, but instead, she stood behind Lian.

“The Alpha of Summer,” Lian replied calmly.

Ashleigh watched the relief that passed over her own eyes as she heard that Caleb was her mate. It made her smile.

“Your bond with Caleb is special,” Lian continued. “Unlike any other in existence.”

But Ashleigh didn’t remember this.

“What does that mean?” the Ashleigh of the past asked.

“Your connection is stronger, purer. You are both des….” Lian’s words drifted into silence.

Lian slowly turned in her chair until she locked eyes with the Ashleigh witnessing this moment.

“It is not time yet for you to remember.”

Lian’s words crashed the world around Ashleigh. She was back in the dark blue haze for just a moment until the bright light grew blinding.

Ashleigh woke in her bed with a gasp.