Chapter Twenty-One

Emmy pouted. She’d made it very clear that she was angry with them for leaving her out of the fight while also making her clean up after it. The former nurse slumped in a chair between a couch and a cot, her mate never far away. Aimee lay on her side on the couch, covered by a thick blanket. Across the way, Dom slept on the cot.

His wounds had been extensive. While he was healing, Emmy expressed concerns with his behavior. The gentle and patient man they knew was changing. More than once, Boomer had to catch Dom’s arms and hold him down while he struggled to escape, not caring who was in his way.

Morgan worried for his closest friend. Dom’s road back was going to be difficult. He doubted anyone here truly understood what Dom was going through, the challenges he would face. Perhaps Orion would have an idea.

He stood beside Morgan, watching with his arms over his chest. Morgan was still mad at Orion for letting himself get caught. If Orion had been a bit faster, a bit less bold, then perhaps Callie never would have had to walk into her father’s arms.

Still, thanks to Orion, Morgan never had to kill Richard.

Instead, Morgan had watched Orion and Reid pack Richard into a wooden crate. Richard hadn’t stirred the entire time. Just to be safe, Orion had lifted the dart rifle to a hole in the crate and fired. The drug Richard had brought into this world would keep him unconscious for the beginning of the trip.

Orion’s friend arrived, eyeing the crate with suspicion, though he didn’t ask what was inside. He was grateful he didn’t have to be near the crate after it was loaded on the plane.

Later, Callie asked what happened to her father and Morgan hadn’t been able to hide his smirk. He assured her that her father was safe and sound, although he would be slightly inconvenienced for a week or two. She’d laughed when Morgan showed her the photos. It wasn’t the least of what Richard deserved, but the man would live as long as Callie remained merciful.

Morgan hoped she would be the voice of mercy until the day they died.

Leaving the cabin, he brushed his hand against Callie’s palm. He didn’t grab her, but she followed him outside all the same. The sky above them was dark, but little flakes of snow began to drift down. They delicately crowned Callie before melting into nothing.

“What now?” she asked.

Her arms were wound around her middle. He stepped forward and tugged them free before pulling her into his embrace. Nine years apart made Morgan fear he would never see her again. By a fluke, a miscalculation of trust, Richard had thrust her back into Morgan’s arms.

“Well, we have everything before us,” he whispered into her hair. “As long as we’re still breathing, we have infinite possibilities.”

Callie leaned back in his arms and slyly grinned up at him. “You sound like a nerd.”

“I thought I was being poetic, but I’ll take nerd, too.” Unable to withstand her any longer he caught her lips with his.

Callie tasted like dry wine and the cold, night air. He kissed her like there was nothing standing in their way. Like her father might never come back. Like what they’d done wouldn’t have consequences.

For the time being, they could pretend that life was fine and that there had been no price for their love. Morgan knew their happily ever after would come, sooner or later. There would be a day when the Den didn’t look down on them. Richard would leave behind his daughter. The Den would forget about her transgressions.

Nothing in life was permanent. Their relationship would take hard work and weeks of getting to know one another again, but he saw it for what it was—a whole new adventure. He couldn’t wait to pick her brain over coffee or figure out what her favorite flavors were over dessert.

He knew that no matter what they had to do, the good would always outweigh the bad.

***

Callisto Stone had a lot of regrets. There were things she’d done, that when she looked back, she realized were awful. It wasn’t like she’d hurt anyone other than Morgan, but she’d stood on the sidelines and let others get hurt. She’d been complicit.

Now, even if the world around them was rocky, she knew she was standing on the right side. It could have been Morgan’s arms and the way they felt wrapped around her, but she felt invincible. They were on the side of good. They would do whatever it took to protect those around them.

Callie wasn’t a fool. She knew that everyone wanted her father dead. To find him alive in the shipping crate had been a surprise. The prank was a power-play, one that she approved of. Her father would eventually find his way back to the Den. Hopefully, by then, he knew that he shouldn’t mess with Callie and her new Pack.

That’s what they were, a Pack.

“Have you fixed the hole in the wall yet? I’m tired of sleeping on Boomer’s couch. No offence to your cousin, but he snores, and Emmy is up half the night. I have nightmares of the bathroom light flickering.”

She laid her head on his chest as he laughed. The sound rumbled in her ear, lessening until she could hear the steady beat of his heart beneath.

“I fixed the structural issues and put a board over the hole.”

Callie fisted her hand in his shirt and tugged. “Good enough for me. We can warm each other up if it gets cold.”

Her core tightened, already demanding more of Morgan. Once was never enough. She had time to make up for. She’d thrown away years and was now determined to dredge up every little secret within him in the moments of their post-coital bliss.

Just as they were about to leave, Boomer appeared. He ducked his head in shame, bringing them both to a stop. When he lifted his head, apologetic eyes met Callie’s.

“I was a dick.”

Callie raised a brow. “Yeah. We could tell.”

Despite her sarcasm, Boomer still huffed a laugh. His chest puffed before deflating. Apologizing wasn’t his strongest skill. For a moment, he shuffled between feet, kicking the dirt and gravel beneath him.

“Look. I know I said some mean things, but I want you to know I’m taking them back. Orion told me you tried to sacrifice yourself for him. He doesn’t deserve any of the nice things you did, but I’m thankful anyway.”

“That is one hell of a roundabout apology,” Morgan quipped.

Boomer released a soft snarl. There wasn’t enough anger poured into it to make it anything more than a grumpy sign of affection.

Callie nodded, accepting his apology. Her chest warmed. She might have left behind what she thought was home, but the pack of bears were reminding her what it truly meant to be loved. Every day they surprised her, taught her something new.

It seemed old bears could learn new tricks, after all.

“Thank you,” she said. Her hands were still fisted in Morgan’s shirt. She kept it short and sweet because her need to drag her mate to privacy grew with each passing moment. “Call me if Emmy has any more troubles. Okay?”

“You got it.” He swaggered back toward his small cabin to stand watch over the healing shifters with Emmy.

Left alone, Callie turned a grin up to her mate and wiggled her brows. He let loose a howl worthy of Boomer’s praise and hoisted her into his arms before turning to run through the mountain forest.

Back at the cabin, they peeled back the board placed over the truck-sized hole in the wall. Had they been human, it would have been a safety concern. Instead, it was a quick entrance while they tugged at each other’s clothing. Callie’s lips found the small, soft places along his neck while her knuckles dragged along his ribs.

His shirt fell away, breaking her trail of kisses. Morgan took the chance to grab her chin. He commanded her lips back to his, so he could thoroughly explore her mouth with his tongue. The feeling of him inside her sent a thrill up her spine. She wanted more.

She always wanted more. Callie never tired of him. She certainly never worried that she would. This was what it felt like to find a mate. Her hunger for him throbbed, fed by her overeager beast.