Not one word is spoken during the hour-long drive back to my house. We left after Rion and Ford got into it. Again. Dinner was forgotten. Lealla appeared completely exhausted by the time we left. Ford teleported away when I asked him to. If not, I feared they were going to physically fight.

Rion shuts the car off when we’re in front of my house. Leaning his head back on the seat, he closes his eyes. I don’t look anywhere but at him. He’s only nineteen. One year older than me, yet his priorities are completely different. Mine are high school and getting good grades. Or they were before this. Now it seems I’ve been immersed in his world with his priorities.

So much information was given to me tonight. More than I know what to do with or how to process. There’s no way for me to prevent the pack war. The paranormal world is vast, and I only know a fraction of it. At this point, Lealla’s books aren’t going to tell me enough. I need to keep talking to Rion and Ford, to the other wolves, and any paranormal I meet.

I wish I didn’t have the weight of this on my shoulders. The drive home put everything into perspective. There are a lot of things in our lives we wish we could change. Accidents that happened, deaths that might have been prevented, lies we told, friends we lost, but it’s inevitable. Everything happens for a reason, and I’m not going to fight fate.

I saw it in my dream. I saw the wolves. Sure, I could shut it all out and pretend none of this is real. That I’m not sitting in the car with a cover model, who happens to be my fated shifter mate. Or I can do what I’ve done my whole life and face things head on. I’m not a coward. I stand up and deal with what’s in front of me. And currently that’s an upset wolf shifter.

“Would you talk to me?” I ask softly.

He meets my gaze. “I’m not sure what you’d like me to say.”

“Anything. I hate this silence.”

He sighs. “I won’t force you into my world, Ari. If you want to go back to living your life the way it was before I came along, I won’t stop you. But you will not toy with me. I want a decision made before you leave this car. Either I’ll see you again or I won’t. But what I will not do is let you string me along. I know what’s between us. I feel it in my soul. It could be one-sided, though.”

I reach for his hand, needing to feel our connection. “When I’m with you, the rest of the world falls away. It’s just us and the way you look at me. I’ve never had someone make me feel the way you do.”

“How do I make you feel?”

“Cherished. Protected. Truly alive for the first time in my life.” Every word I say is true. Before Rion, my life was boring, and I was merely going through the motions. I was never as happy as I am with him. That is, if you take away all this pack war stuff.

“And this is a bad thing?”

I shake my head. “No, absolutely not. But you had to know this wasn’t going to be easy for me. It’s hard enough finding out you’re a wolf and that I’m your mate, but to add in this whole pack war thing, it’s a lot for me to take in.”

“You won’t face any of it alone. Nor does anyone expect you to.” He turns to gaze out the windshield. “I didn’t know about the vision before tonight. Lealla didn’t tell me. The first I heard was from Ford last night. It scares me to think of you in the middle of it. It makes me want to kill every single wolf in that pack so you won’t feel an ounce of pain from them. I don’t like your involvement in this any more than you do. Although, I’ve learned in my short life, I can’t beat fate. I can’t manipulate it to do as I ask. If I could, I would have my parents back with me. That wasn’t my destiny, however. If it weren’t for them dying, me going to live with Aries, and him being close to Lealla, I wouldn’t have met you. It’s twisted beyond belief, but it all led me to you.”

“How can you be so sure about us? About me?”

“I already told you. It’s in our touch.”

“There has to be more than that. I can’t base our relationship off a spark when we touch.”

He faces me again, leaning close over the center console of the car. “What about when we kiss?” he whispers.

A shiver works its way up my spine as my lips part. “When you’re this close, I can’t think.” All I can do is focus on his lips and the way his voice floats over my skin like a soft caress.

“Don’t think, Ari. Just feel.”

He closes the distance between us, capturing my lips with his. All those sparks are back; my entire being lights up on the inside at the rightness of us being together. Everything in me screams that Rion is mine, and no one could ever kiss me like he does.

His hand threads into my hair to gently grip the back of my head as we continue to kiss. It’s as if he’s the air I need to breathe. I choke back tears as my emotions pummel me.

Pulling back, I cover my mouth with my hand, trying to fight off the tears. “I’m sorry.”

“What’s wrong? Did I do something?”

“No, you’re perfect. I’m sorry for saying what I did earlier. I was upset and lashing out.” I feel awful for what I said. I was thinking about me and how everything impacts only me. Not how my words affected Rion. We’re a team, he and I, and I need to start thinking of us as one.

“I don’t blame you for being upset. I thought we were doing this together.”

“We are, but you need to understand my side. I’ve never known this life before. The only people I’ve ever depended on are my parents, Paige, and Bray. To have a boyfriend, let alone someone who could be my mate—”

“Is your mate.” I have to resist every urge in my body to roll my eyes at his need to clarify that.

“Whatever. It’s a lot. And to expect me to take it all in, and embrace it in a week’s time, is a bit much to ask. Then to throw the whole pack war on me, I’m buckling under the pressure.”

“Nothing you do will be alone. Besides,” he smiles that smile that has me turning to goo, “you have enough bite in you for ten wolves.”

“Let’s see where that gets us when I’m running from wolves, if this pack war actually happens.”

Rion turns serious. “You’ll have the entire Avynwood Pack behind you, as well as others, from the sound of it.”

“Like Ford?”

He growls. “We don’t need to speak his name.”

“You two are obviously friends. I don’t want to come between that.”

“Friends isn’t the right term.” I wonder what they really are. How long have they known each other? They obviously aren’t new friends.

“No matter, I don’t want to ruin your relationship with him.”

“You will always come first, Ari.”

I turn to hide my blush. I still can’t grasp the enormity of the feelings he has for me or put into words what I feel for him. There is one thing I know for certain, I don’t want to let him go. Good or bad. Pack war or not. I want Rion in my life.

“I should probably get inside.”

“I’m going to park the Jag a few blocks away and be back to watch over your house. Since you had a premonition, I’m worried about something coming to fruition sooner than the pack war.”

“I wish you were the one who could watch my dreams instead of Ford.”

“So do I. If only wolves had that ability.”

“Why do vampires?” I love getting these little tidbits of information.

“They can willingly transfer powers from one to the other. It’s what makes them a strong race. Some keep the power to themselves and never share it. Those are the dangerous ones. They want to rule over everyone. But there are others who give their gifts freely to other paranormals to help them.”

“Couldn’t Ford share his dream walking ability with you?”

“Technically, he could try, but I’m not sure if it would work. Dream walking is a skill that takes time to hone. You have to be able to seek out the dreamer, know how to invade their dream. It’s very complicated.” Interesting. This is all going in the manual I’m mentally putting together about each paranormal race. I can’t write any of it down for fear of someone finding it, but I have a pretty good memory. “Plus, I don’t want that vampire’s fangs anywhere near my skin.” Do all wolves feel that way about vampires? Not wanting them to bite them, even if it means they could gain new powers? More questions for another day.

“Let’s hope I don’t have any more premonitions.”

Rion brushes his lips over mine. “I’ll be right outside all night if you need me.”

“When will you sleep?” I ask breathily as the remnants of our connection from the kiss slowly fade.

“I’ll sleep. Don’t worry about me.”

He kisses me again. This time, every part of my being wants to climb over the console and hold him against me. I want his warmth and his protection. I’m afraid… very afraid. I don’t want this pack war to happen. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. Why can’t I just have this relationship with Rion and explore it? Have fun while getting to know each other? No, instead I have to worry about impending doom and how I’m smack dab in the middle of it. Me. Ordinary Ariane is somehow going to fight wolves. Uh huh. Sure.

Rion walks me to the door and kisses me once more. I can’t seem to get enough of him. I also didn’t know it was possible for a relationship to go from zero to a hundred so quickly. Maybe that’s what happens when you date a wolf shifter who calls you his mate and determines there will never be anyone else for him.

Inside, I listen to the throatiness of his Jag as it drives down my street. Before I climb into bed, I take a peek out my bedroom window. There, in the dense trees behind my house, a pair of emerald green eyes stands out amongst the darkness. Those eyes will be watching over my house all night, keeping me safe. There’s something very comforting about it. Now, if only I knew Ford would be there in my dreams to look after me. I’d love not to have another premonition. If I do, I hope he can rescue me from any threat. I’m not ready to die tonight.

I'm back in the clearing. Oh, no. This can't be good. This stupid clearing and the stupid moon above. This time it's a bright white. No ash moon. What does that even mean? Is the pack war going to take place on another ash moon? How many of those moons are there in a year? Or is the moon simply here to illuminate what’s going to happen in my premonition? To give me a light to watch what’s going to unfold? Again, I have more questions than answers.

Glancing around, I scan the tree line surrounding me for any wolves. At first, I hear nothing, but then… Then there is a low growl. Slowly, four wolves step forward. Their heads low, ears back, and teeth bared. I don't stop to evaluate the situation. Instead, I take off in the opposite direction. Maybe if I run, it will give Ford time to find me in my dream. Not that I think I can outrun wolves, but you never know.

My feet are bare again. Sticks on the forest floor slice into them as I run. I don't stop. I can't stop. Not when there is a wolf so close behind me I can hear his breathing.

All of a sudden, a flash of black charges in from the side. A wolf races by me, rushing toward one of the wolves chasing me. I hear a loud yip and keep moving. Three wolves left. I wonder if that was Rion who took the wolf out. There's no time to stop and figure it out.

Another wolf closes in. This time, it gets a hold on the long shirt I'm wearing and tugs. I falter in my steps but am able to keep myself upright. Before I can spin around and try to free myself, a burning pain in my left thigh has me faltering again. I've been bitten.