After taking his mate all night, Coveney should have had a hard time moving. The first thing he saw when he woke up, though, was his mark, right on her breast, and he just had to kiss it.

There was a long, elegant symbol drawn on her skin now, like a perfectly healed tattoo, which had appeared overnight. It was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen, proving that they had been shaped by nature, destined to belong to each other. He wished he had a mirror to see his on his back where she’d claimed him.

She moaned, so he then had to kiss her lips, too. And, somehow, he found his dick pushing inside her wet folds from the side. Turned out, he could move just fine.

He could also move fine in the shower.

What he did have a hard time doing, though, was talking. But that conversation couldn’t wait.

“So, how did Knox’s idea go?”

The words practically strangled him on the way out. He saw it now, there was never any choice. He would have to go with her when she left, and if she chose to stay away, there was nothing he could do about it.

“Surprisingly well, so far. Most of the Alphas agreed to talk to me. When your tiger barged in yesterday, we were actually arguing about whether it could be done via Skype. Rain’s idea. I think it would probably suit everyone - there are a lot of flocks of eagles, and it might take months to manage to get us all in one place. But a group conversation online - that could be done tomorrow.”

He lifted a brow, incredulous. “So, you wouldn’t need to go anywhere?”

“Well, if they are going to attack Dale for me, I probably should be there, I think. But, let’s face it, even if each Alpha only brings two people with them, that’s practically two hundred eagles. The Enforcers who rose against my family? There are only a dozen of them. The Dale flock doesn’t even have fifty members. With their backing, it’s just a formality.”

“And then what?”

She frowned.

“It’s you and me, now. I need to know what you want. If you’d like to go back to Dale…”

“I already said I didn’t. I meant it.”

He thought she had at the time. “There’re an awful lot of people who seem to see you as their Alpha.”

Coveney was strong, powerful, loyal, and smart, but he was no Alpha. Not a born Alpha, in any case.

Ava…

When he’d first seen her, she’d taken an arrow to save what she, on some basic level, must have understood was hers. Before, unbeknownst to him, she’d intervened to help his entire pride. She was shy, and her confidence level needed a boost, but those issues didn’t cloud the rest. He saw it plainly - just like Aisling, she was born to rule.

He intended to show her, and tell her everything she was until she saw it, too. But it might mean they’d have to leave the pride he loved for good.

She just snorted.

“You think I want power.”

Not really; she didn’t want it. That didn’t mean that it didn’t belong to her.

“Listen to me. My parents begged me to start diplomatic trips. That means going all over the world to show my face and remind the other flocks that the Dales are stronger than them. I tagged along when I was a child, and I freaking hated it. It’s not that I can’t do it. I genuinely can’t stand it. Will I get them to help today? Yes. Totally. Because, if I don’t, those Enforcers will carry on sending hunters after me and my brother. But once that’s done, I’m walking away.”

He pulled her to him and buried his head in her hair, inhaling her scent as she added, “I may have come to this particular pride because I thought you could help, but I wanted to stay from the start. I still do. It’s peaceful here. I love the lake, and the townsfolk who somehow seem fine with you. I like the kids and your weird, intense Alphas. And, more to the point, this is my mate’s pride. This is where you belong. So, of course we’re staying here.”

He breathed out, all the while thinking he was utterly fucked. Someday, soon, he was going to love her so damn much he wouldn’t ever be able to live without her.

If he was entirely honest, although it made zero sense, given the fact that they’d met one day ago, he probably already did. Fate had sucker punched him in the teeth and there was nothing he could do.