Chapter 6

Kade POV:

I held her hand, my lips still tingling from the contact with her soft skin. Her scent was all around me, a heady perfume of wildflowers and rain that was quickly becoming my favorite scent in the world. I could feel the bond between us, a fragile, shimmering thread that was slowly starting to strengthen.

She was still wary, her beautiful brown eyes filled with a mixture of fear and a longing she was trying desperately to hide. But she wasn't pulling away. She was letting me touch her, letting me in, even if it was just a little. It was a start.

*She is starting to trust us,* Ares said, his voice filled with a hopeful pride. *We must not fail her.*

I wouldn't. I would do whatever it took to earn her trust, to make her see that I was not the man she thought I was.

I released her hand, not wanting to push her too far, too fast. I stood up and walked over to the large window that overlooked the city. The sun was high in the sky, a golden orb in a sea of blue.

"What are you thinking?" I asked, my back still to her.

I heard her shift in the chair. "I'm thinking that this is insane," she said, her voice a little stronger now. "I'm thinking that I should be running for the hills right now."

I turned to face her, a small smile on my lips. "But you're not."

"No," she admitted, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "I'm not."

"Good," I said, my smile widening. "Because I'm not letting you go."

Her blush deepened, and she looked away, her gaze falling on the fireplace. "What happens now?"

It was a good question. I hadn't really thought that far ahead. I had been so focused on finding my mate, on the initial shock and joy of it, that I hadn't considered the practicalities.

She was the daughter of an Alpha, a member of the Silver Ridge Pack. I was the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack. Our territories were hundreds of miles apart.

"Now," I said, walking back over to her, "we get to know each other."

She looked up at me, a skeptical expression on her face. "And how are we supposed to do that? Are you planning on moving to Silver Ridge?"

The thought was absurd. I couldn't leave my pack. It was my responsibility, my life.

"No," I said. "I was thinking you could come back with me to Blood Moon."

Her eyes widened in alarm. "What? No! I can't just leave my pack, my home."

"It's not your home anymore, Debra," I said gently. "Not really. Your father has a new mate, a new Luna. You are not wanted there."

The truth of my words was harsh, and I saw the pain they caused her in the way she flinched. But it was the truth. She was an outsider in her own pack, a painful reminder of a past her father was trying to erase.

"I have Vicky," she said, her voice a defiant whisper. "She's my family."

"Vicky can come with you," I said immediately. "I will give her a place of honor in my pack. She will be well taken care of, I promise you."

She stared at me, her mind clearly working through the possibilities. I could see the appeal of my offer in her eyes. A new start, a place where she would be wanted, where she would be the Luna.

But there was also fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of me, fear of the bond.

"I don't know," she said, shaking her head. "It's too much, too fast."

"I know," I said, my voice soft. "But we don't have a choice, Debra. We are mates. Our place is with each other."

I knelt down in front of her again, taking her hands in mine. "Just give me a chance. Come to Blood Moon for a week. See what you think. If you still want to leave after that, I won't stop you."

It was a lie, of course. I would never let her go. But it was a lie she needed to hear.

She looked at me, her brown eyes searching my face, looking for any sign of deception. I met her gaze without flinching, my expression open and honest.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she let out a long, slow breath and gave a small, hesitant nod.

"Okay," she whispered. "One week."

A wave of triumph, so powerful it was almost dizzying, washed over me. Ares howled in my mind, a joyous, triumphant sound. She had agreed. She was coming home with me.

"Thank you," I said, my voice thick with emotion. I lifted her hand to my lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, a silent promise of all the things I couldn't yet say.

The bond between us flared, a warm, golden light that filled the room. I could feel her emotions, her fear and apprehension, but also a tiny, fragile flicker of hope.

It was enough. For now.

I would take her to my home, to my pack. I would show her what it meant to be a Luna, to be cherished, to be loved.

And by the end of the week, she would be mine.