We arrived at Bertoli’s pizza just as the sun was setting. Of course, it was only about two o’clock in the afternoon, but that’s Alaska in the wintertime.

After we shared a pizza, half vegetarian for me and half meat lover for him, Aidan got a call on his cellphone. He silenced the call, but when the ringer buzzed again, he picked it up on the third ring.

“I’m so sorry,” he mouthed to me apologetically. “It’s my brother, Jameson.”

I nodded. Of course, he needed to talk to his brother.

As Aidan listened intently, his face grew increasingly serious. When their brief conversation ended, Aidan slammed the phone down on top of the table.

“Fucking unbelievable.”

“What?” My eyes widened.

“Jameson says that Dominic is demanding that I step down as alpha. Seems like being mated to a human wasn’t what he envisioned for pack leadership.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, I mean, he mentioned that when we were at the High Council meeting, but I didn’t think he would follow through with it. I thought he was using that threat as leverage, so I’d make you drop the Chase Reynolds case.”

“That’s bullshit,” I steamed. “Look, you don’t have to claim me as your mate, especially when it’s going to cost you so much. I’ll stay with you no matter what.”

Aidan grimaced. “That’s not how it works. The mating oath is irreversible. I can’t undo what I did. Besides, I wouldn’t want to.”

“So, what are you going to do?”

Aidan started to answer, but he stopped himself when the waiter arrived at our table with the check. I eyed it for a moment, wondering if I should pay for my half. Before I got the chance, Aidan slid a fifty-dollar bill on top of the folded receipt.

“Keep the change,” he muttered under his breath. The waiter’s eyes widened and he slipped away quietly.

“Thanks for lunch,” I smiled.

“You’re most welcome,” he said as he slid his hand around the small of my back.

I leaned back into him, enjoying the strong and secure feeling of his touch. After a moment, I had the courage to say what was on my mind.

“You know, as much as I hate to admit it, I understand where Dominic is coming from?”

“You do?” He shot me an incredulous look.

“I do. It’s a conflict of interest. Dominic knows that if I’m your mate, I’ll be your priority, not the pack. You can’t just uproot your whole life to watch over me. You should go back to them and show them that you’re not going to be pushed out of the way like this. Show Dominic I’m not a liability.”

“Don’t tell me what to do. I know exactly where my priorities lie.” The fierce masculinity of his voice startled me.

“I’ll be fine,” I said softly. I caught his gaze and couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by his intense, steely-blue eyes. “I know you have to take care of your stuff. It’s okay.”

“I don’t like leaving you alone. Not even for a little while.”

“I know you don’t like it. But it’s just for the night. Then you can come back and be attached to me all day tomorrow,” I teased.

Aidan shook his head. “It doesn’t make any sense. Dominic could’ve had someone challenge me at the High Council meeting. But him doing this now…it doesn’t sit right. Why didn’t he tell me himself?”

“It’s a sneaky way of taking away your power. First, he tells you to make me drop the Reynolds case. But he probably knew I wouldn’t drop it so easily.”

“He was right about that.”

“So, he made sure that if I didn’t listen to you, he could have someone else scare me into dropping the case. If someone else becomes your pack’s alpha, it’ll make you an outcast. That puts Dominic in a good position, since it’s obvious he doesn’t want Chase to go free for some reason.”

Aidan narrowed his eyes at me. “You’re pretty smart for a human.”

I laughed. “Thanks, I think. Look, I think this circles back to the case somehow. Maybe Chase knows something that Dominic doesn’t want let out.” I shook my head. “I don’t know. It’s just a theory.”

“Yeah, and a damn good theory.”

“Did Jameson say anything else?”

Aidan hesitated. “Nope. Well, only that if I fight Dominic, I’ll die. So, that option’s out. I’m not much use to you dead, am I?”

“Don’t even joke about that.”

I slouched back in the red leather restaurant booth and rubbed my stomach, now overly full from too much pizza. The delicious smell of baking dough wafted through the restaurant, giving the whole place a homey, warm ambience. It was easy to forget it was below freezing outdoors.

“I know the shifter way is to physically fight. That’s how you display dominance, or whatever. But think like a human for a minute, okay?” I tapped my fingers along the edge of the table. “I know we can think of a way around this if we just give it a little time. If we play our cards right, Dominic will show his hand, and he’ll lead us to the real murderer. Don’t you think?”

“I think you dream of fairytales,” he laughed. “I’ve never been very patient, but I’ll try to hold myself back this time. Besides, we have the ceremony to get ready for, assuming you agree to it. I was thinking we’d do it this weekend.”

“Ceremony?” I looked at him blankly.

“Yes, the mating ritual. It’s just a formality, really, but I think you’ll like it.”

“Excuse me?” I jerked back. “I haven’t even officially said yes to being your mate yet. I didn’t think there would be a ceremony.” I felt suddenly dizzy.

“Of course, we have a ceremony. It’s like a wedding, and it’s also like a baptism. It’ll be when you cross over to our side.”

I shook my head. “Your side? Do you mean…”

“Become a shifter,” he said slowly. “It’s how you begin your transformation process.”

“I didn’t know it would happen so quickly. I mean…I want to be with you. It’s just so fast, Aidan.”

“Of course, I get it. I just thought…” Aidan’s eyes fell and his body deflated.

“It’s not that I don’t want to. I do want this…eventually. This is a huge decision for me. Up until a few months ago, I’d never even met a shifter. And now I’m about to be mated to one for eternity. It’s a lot to handle.” I wiped my palms against my jacket to dry them.

“I thought you were excited,” he said, crestfallen.

“I guess I don’t really understand the process. What exactly is involved in this mating ceremony, anyway?”

“I can’t tell you what’s involved. Only the ones inside the temple during the ceremony know exactly what happens. Each mating ceremony is different, just like each couple is different. It’s up to the high priest or priestess to decide, since the magic of each union is special.”

“Do I have to have sex with you in front of everyone?”

Aidan almost spit out his drink. “Oh goodness, I hope not.”

“But you must have heard from someone? Surely you know something about what the ceremony’s like.”

“I don’t know,” he said quietly. “The sealing ceremonies are secret. Only the high priest and the mated couple will ever know what happens in there.”

“Not even your family?”

“Nope. Nobody.” He eyed me. “But so far, everyone who’s been sealed by the high priest has come out alive, so I don’t think you have much to worry about.”

“Well, that’s good to know,” I gulped.

Aidan scanned the weather alerts on his phone and saw that a bad storm was set to blow in tonight. He had to hurry to get back to Black Oak before the roads became impassable. We both agreed that he needed to be back on his turf to diffuse the alpha situation. It didn’t look good for him to be far away from the pack when tensions were so high, and Dominic was looking for Aidan’s replacement. If Aidan was challenged as alpha and lost, it would mean banishment from the pack. All on account of me. I didn’t want that.

“Why don’t I go with you to Black Oak tonight?” I wrapped my fingers around Aidan’s muscular forearm and leaned into his strong frame.

“I’d love that. But I thought you said you had work to do?”

“Well, I can interview more shifters to see if they know anything about the case. Maybe talk to some of Chase’s friends and family to see what they know. I feel like maybe they’ll take me more seriously since you claimed me as mate. I mean, maybe they’ll trust me more.”

“That’s not a bad idea. Besides, I don’t want to leave you when a storm’s blowing in. You could lose power. Or worse.”

“Well, that settles it then,” I smiled.