Evaline:

I let out a deep sigh as the last useless email vanished from my inbox.

Two hundred.

Two hundred meaningless, annoying, space-wasting emails.

Gone.

Finally.

My thumb hovered over the refresh icon out of habit... another one of those little routines I had built for myself over the year. I liked things organized. I liked things clean, sorted, labelled, in their place. Chaos unsettled me, and after everything that had happened in past forty or so days, I was barely starting to breathe through - my life had been one chaotic pile.

A few days ago, I had finally cleaned up my gallery. Today it was the mailbox's turn.

I was about to put my phone away when a new mail notification slid across the top of the screen.

I frowned.

Probably another shopping app. Or that one site that kept pretending I abandoned my cart even though I didn't add anything in the first place.

But when I saw the sender's name, I froze.

Orion Brown

Beta of Alpha Ezekiel – Midnight Moon Pack.

My eyebrows shot up.

What?

Curious now, I tapped the mail open.

And then blinked.

And read it again.

And again.

Beta Orion was writing on Alpha Ezekiel's behalf - apparently the Alpha had been impressed by my performance during my internship at the Council, and also by how I handled myself during my first year at Silver Moon Pack.

I felt a flicker of heat in my cheeks.

Of all the things I expected… this wasn't one of them.

The mail went on about how Alpha Ezekiel had assembled a temporary team to digitally record and preserve ancient texts, records, cases, and histories - a project involving mostly students and interns under two senior supervisors. And he wanted to offer me a place on that team for the remaining days of my holidays.

My breath caught.

One month of diving into ancient texts?

One month of learning things that weren't even available to most academies?

One month of knowledge that could… honestly help me understand so much about pack histories, laws, ancient practices, and so many other things?

It was tempting. Extremely tempting.

And I liked Alpha Ezekiel. I didn't know Beta Orion well, but Alpha Ezekiel… yes, I remembered him clearly.

I had met him several times - both during my Council internship and at gatherings I attended only because of River.

He was a middle-aged man with warm eyes, a calm presence, and a surprisingly friendly temperament for an Alpha. During our brief encounters, he had always spoken to me with respect, genuine interest, and patience. There was something reassuring about him.

Still…

I had been looking forward to spending the rest of my holidays with my son and my mates. We'd finally settled into a peaceful rhythm after everything that had happened. After Draven. After the pain. After the mark that finally, beautifully, blessedly tied me to Kieran.

Five days.

It had only been five days since he marked me... five days of warmth, tenderness, and a bond that now hummed under my skin like a melody only we could hear.

I exhaled slowly, running my thumb along the phone's edge.

I wanted the job.

I wanted the learning.

But I also wanted my family.

So I decided to talk to my mates at dinner. Hear them out. They always respected my choices, but still... this was our time together.

I closed the mail and switched to the group chat.

Mallory, Selene, and Ria were blowing up the chats again.

Mallory:

Girls' time after forever. Eva, don't even think of saying no.

Ria:

Yeah, you are coming even if we have to drag you.

Selene:

We won't need to drag her. She wants a break from being smothered by four overgrown wolves.

I snorted.

I typed back quickly -

I'm in. Just need to let my mates know.

The teasing arrived in three seconds.

Mallory:

Awwww, "let my mates know" - look at you, queen of permission slips.

Ria:

Should we get you a bell so they can summon you?

Before I could reply, Selene swooped in like a hawk.

Selene:

Mallory, weren't you the one who said the exact same thing yesterday when I suggested this idea? "I'll check with Jasper first"?

I laughed so loudly I startled myself.

The next two minutes were filled with Mallory's sputtering attempts to defend herself and Ria sending laughing emojis that could probably fill my entire screen.

When the chat quieted down, I set my phone aside and leaned back.

The room was quiet.

Soft.

Calm.

But then... a familiar presence brushed against my senses.

Warm.

Strong.

Impossible to mistake.

Kieran.

I sensed him even before I heard the soft knock.

"Come in," I called, already smiling.

The door opened.

And there he was.

My mate.

My Alpha.

My undoing and my sanctuary wrapped into one impossibly perfect being.

Five days after he marked me and I still felt that soft, glowing rush in my chest every time I looked at him. The bond pulsed gently, a rhythmic whisper of him - his emotions, his warmth, his contentment - blending with mine.

He stepped inside, making his way to me.

"Come on, love. It's time for training."

I pouted but stood up, closing the remaining distance between us. He immediately pulled me in his arms, and the next thing I knew, his lips were on mine.

His mouth captured mine - slow at first, exploring, coaxing, deepening. His hand cupped the back of my head, the other drifting from my waist to lower, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us.

I melted into him.

I opened my mouth to him, and he responded instantly. His lips moved with deliberate, confident passion against mine. His tongue brushed mine in a slow stroke that sent heat pooling low in my stomach.

I clutched his shirt, pulling him closer.

He groaned softly into the kiss, the sound vibrating against my lips and sending a warm rush through the bond.

When he finally pulled back, I was breathless.

He smiled softly, brushing a strand of my hair away from my face. He then reached out for my hand and entangled our fingers together, walking toward the door... and I followed him silently.