ABIGAIL

Abby woke with Roman wrapped around her, his chin resting on the top of her head.

Mmm. She liked waking up this way. She stretched in his arms and smiled when he started purring.

She slipped out of bed and had a long soak, enjoying another one of her bath bombs. And when she stepped back into the bedroom, Roman was still in bed and the sun was getting low in the sky.

She went to the closet to get her new green dress, but when she heard purring, she turned to see Roman’s eyes open, watching her.

She tightened her towel around her chest. “Alpha, I need to start getting ready. Bell is coming over.”

“I’m staying.” He rumbled as his eyes raked over her, lingering on his mark.

“To watch me get my hair curled?”

“Yes,” he said smugly. “I like watching you.”

She blushed. “I won’t deny that I like you watching me. But I’d hoped to present myself to you properly.”

Roman sat up, the purr still coming from his chest. “I liked the way you presented yourself last night. I thought it was quite proper.”

“In my pajamas?”

His eyes glowed. “Yes, in your pajamas.”

She swallowed hard as he got up off the bed. She didn’t need to be linked with him to understand what was going through his head. The predatory look on his face and his liquid gold eyes said it all.

He wasn’t leaving, and she wasn’t about to make him. There was no way she was going to deny him if he was this determined to watch her put on her makeup and do her hair.

A knock sounded on the door, and Roman growled at the interruption.

“Alpha, that’s going to be Bell. I didn’t know you’d want to stay and get ready with me.”

He scowled and stalked off, and she quickly shed the towel and pulled on her robe, leaving just the edge of his mark visible. She laughed when she heard him grumbling to Logan and Rye, then stomping back to the bedroom.

“They’re making me leave,” he growled.

She gave him a sweet smile. “Do you want me to go bite them and tell them no, that you’re staying?”

He let out a loud, deep laugh. “Thank you, Luna, but no.”

“Are you sure, Alpha?”

He grinned down at her. “Well…”

And in that moment it hit Abigail hard—the man standing in front of her had saved her life. Her hand fluttered to her chest as she thought about her second chance at having a mate, a good mate who was kind.

Her rush of emotions flooded through their link, but unable to find the words to express what she was feeling, she kept quiet. She shook her head and blinked, clearing her teary eyes.

ROMAN

Roman could feel everything she was feeling all the way down to his toes. Her gratitude, shyness, excitement, hunger. It was intense and sensitizing, causing his body to tingle.

He cupped her face gently, and as he did, golden sparks fell from their touch. Their glowing eyes quietly held each other’s gaze.

“I know, and you’re welcome.” He kept his purr low and soothing as he watched the tears build in her eyes. “I can wait. You’re okay, and we can take our time.”

She nodded slowly while she held his gaze, smiling through her tears, and then he kissed her with a ferocious passion so powerful, it was physically felt throughout the pack.

A low whistle came from the living room, breaking the moment.

“Maybe I should go.” He gave her a wolfish grin and laughed when she gave him a matching one in return.

“Nudge me if you need me to come bite someone.” She winked.

Roman growled, remembering their private marking, picturing her bare shoulder, the beginnings of the slope of her breast, the black lace bra she wore that he couldn’t get out of his head.

He liked the idea of her biting him on his neck or his hip, maybe smearing a little sauce around… He started rumbling louder as his thoughts raced.

A cough came from the other room, breaking Roman from his not-so-private moment. With lips pursed to conceal his grin, he left Abby, who was a pretty shade of scarlet.

***

Roman had an unmistakable swagger in his step as he approached the meadow with Logan and Rye by his side.

He received claps on the back and heard whistles and cheers as he weaved his way through the throng of well-wishers to the newly erected platform, which had been decorated with flowers from all over the pack lands.

As he stepped up onto the platform, he could see the crowd parting for the Oracle as she made her way toward him, her ornate ceremonial robes swishing as she walked.

Many heads bowed out of respect for her.

Including his own.

The Oracle had been his guiding light after he lost his mate and his first shunned wolf.

She came to him during that first dark year and shared a vision given to her by the Moon Goddess. A vision of a pack where the shunned and rejected found acceptance and love.

A pack of second chances.

He had given her sanctuary, and in return she gave him hope and a purpose, keeping him and many others from succumbing to their grief and walking off into the vast wilderness that surrounded them.

As she climbed the steps, Abby’s parents, who were already seated on the platform, bowed their heads and crossed one arm across their chests. She greeted them with a nod and a smile, and placed her hands on their heads.

“This is a joyous time, Warriors Canaver. And I’m sure you, like the rest of the pack, are curious about the mysterious events of last night, whether you were awake and experienced it or just heard about it after the fact.

“I will be addressing the pack about this after Alpha Roman says a few words.”

The Oracle sat in the empty chair next to Abby’s parents.

Roman watched as his pack settled onto blankets and chairs. Even the pups quieted as he stood on the platform.

He was proud of this pack and what they’d accomplished. How far they’d come. Proud of his gifted mate, and that the Moon Goddess had found them worthy of such a blessing.

He held up his hand and projected his voice out over the quiet crowd.

“Thank you, Pack Luko! I am a proud alpha. Thank you for welcoming Abigail, my second-chance mate, and for supporting us. The pack games and the picnic feast were more than perfect.

“This was completely unexpected—well, maybe not to all of us…” He glanced at the Oracle, and laughter and cheers came from the crowd. “And everything has happened so fast. But we came together, like a family does.

“This is what it means to be a pack! This is what we protect!”

ABIGAIL

The sound of thunderous applause floated through the window, and Abby felt it deep in her soul.

“Are you okay, Luna?” Bell asked as she put the last curl in Abby’s hair.

Abby wiped her eyes. “Yes, thank you. Just getting emotional. I’m scared but excited. I mean, I’m alive! I’m no longer dying, and the alpha…he saved me.”

In the mirror, Abby could see Bell and Mara wiping their own tears of happiness away.

She felt a warmth then a nudge from her alpha.

“Mate.”

Bell and Mara both sighed sweetly.

“I think he’s ready,” Mara said, and held out Abby’s dress.

Abby shook her head and laughed. “He has to learn to shut that off.” Then she stood and took the dress from Mara with a hug.

She held it up to her reflection, overwhelmed with a rush of joy tinged with a tiny bit of fear. There was no question that Roman was ready.

But was she?