“That may be,” she said around quiet sobs. “But they…left you…to deal with the consequences.” Her words were interrupted by the rapid breaths caused by her tears.

When she began to shiver, he pulled her tighter against him as though his arms would be enough to hold her together. He hated that telling her had caused such hurt in her, but then he knew that was the way of true mates. They felt deeply for one another, and when one hurt, they both hurt. When one rejoiced, they both rejoiced. He knew that even though there would be times when the truth would be hard on her, he would not keep things from her. She was his mate, his equal, his beloved, and she alone deserved to know everything―even his darkest, most painful secrets.

“No one must know, Vasile,” she said suddenly, her voice urgent as she pulled back so she could look up at him, “not even my parents. If the wrong wolves in the pack had that information. . . .” Her words died away as her eyes widened at the understanding of how bad that would be.

“I know, Alina. Only one other knows the truth and he will not speak of it.”

“You are sure?”

He nodded. “Anghel was one of my father’s best friends, regardless of the fact that they were Alphas of separate packs. They respected one another and that respect will continue on past the grave.” He stood then, still holding her in his arms, and began walking back towards her home. It was after dark and past time he got her home. “It is late and you need rest. I have surely taxed you with my sordid family secrets.”

She shook her head against him. “None of us is perfect, Vasile. We all have dark things tucked away that we would rather never see the light of day.”

His wolf perked up at her admission. “And pray tell, Mina, what dark things do you have tucked away?” He dropped his voice suggestively hoping she would hear the teasing in it and the desire to know her even more.

She laughed. “I think I will wait until I bear your marks and your bite before I go digging into my gritty details.”

“There is nothing you could ever tell me that would keep me from you.” He gently set her down at the door of her home and tilted her chin to look up at him. “You are stuck with me Luna mine, forever.”

She smiled and it nearly stopped his heart to know that it was for him and him alone. “In a couple of centuries when you are growling at me in irritation, I will remind you of your words this night, Alpha.” Then to his surprise and utter pleasure she reached up on her toes and pressed a quick kiss to his chin before quickly ducking into the cottage closing the door quietly behind her.

He chuckled at her boldness as he wandered over to his usual place to sleep for the night. He stripped off his clothes, folding them for in the morning, and then phased into his wolf form. He settled down against the side of the cottage and waited.

“Goodnight,Vasile,” her voice brushed against his mind.

His wolf rumbled with satisfaction. “Goodnight, Mina.”

Alina’s eyes fluttered open as she felt something brushing across her lips. She blinked several times to see Vasile’s handsome face come into focus. She could not stop the smile that spread across her face.

“It is time for me to go.”

And just like that the smile from the previous night was gone. His words were like a jagged piece of glass cutting across her chest until her heart was exposed to the harsh elements, no longer protected in the safety of his care. She nodded as she sat up and brushed her hair from her face. Alina knew she should care that he was seeing her in such a state, but she was filled with too much sorrow to care.

He stood to give her room and she followed as she briskly braided her hair down her back and straightened her clothes. She had been so tired the night before that she had not even bothered to change into her sleep clothes.

“Can I walk you out?” she asked him putting on the bravest smile she could muster.

“I would like that,” he answered with his own pain lacing his words.

They walked hand in hand in silence to the edge of the forest where his two warriors had departed only a few days ago, but to Alina it felt like months. For three days she had lived in a bubble surrounded by Vasile. She had foolishly thought that it would not come to an end, yet here she stood about to tell him goodbye. For how long she had no clue. She was afraid to turn and look at him, terrified for him to see the desperation she felt, embarrassed by her neediness.

“I need you even more,” he told her softly as he turned her to face him despite her desire to keep him from seeing her. “You have no need to feel embarrassed, Mina. You can look inside of me and see just how frantic I am to keep you with me. I am fearful that if you see just how strongly my wolf and I feel for you, you will run.”

As she looked up at him she was surprised to see the sheen of wetness in his eyes. The tears never fell, but the anguish of what he felt was clearly there. She needed to be strong for them both because he was not exaggerating. She let go of her own pain long enough to look into her mate and sucked in a breath as she realized just how closely he was to taking her with him, consequences be damned.

“We can do this,” she said with a small smile as she lifted her hand to his cheek allowing their skin to touch. He turned his face into her palm taking a deep breath and then pressing a soft kiss to it. “I am not going anywhere. I will be right here waiting for you in two years. You do what you need to in order to help our pack heal, and when it is time, we will finish this.”

The wicked smile that stretched across his delicious mouth had her heartbeat racing. “We will indeed finish this, beloved, and it will be sooner rather than later.”