Page 35 of Pledge Of A Bobcat

Time.

Something Aunt Maribel recently told me about the ritual popped into my head.

“You have two weeks,” I said.

“Excuse me?” Sienna snapped her gaze to me and arched a brow.

My cheeks heated. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so curt. It’s something Aunt Maribel mentioned to me recently. She said the ritual needs to be done when the moon is in its releasing phase.”

“When is that?” Astrid asked.

“In two weeks,” I explained. “And it’ll last for another two weeks after that. So, we have a bit of a window.”

Sienna leaned back in her chair and sipped her beer. “Perfect. That gives me enough time to come up with a plan.”

There was a collective nod around the table, and I could feel a sense of relief settle over everyone. Tonight had been productive. There was a timeline, and a tiny plan starting to take shape.

As I finished the glass of water I’d switched to drinking after my second beer, I pulled out my cell to make sure I hadn’t missed any calls or texts from Aunt Maribel. I hadn’t.

“Ready?” Ellis asked, taking that as a sign I was ready to call it a night.

“Are you?” I countered, not wanting to be the one to cut the night of fun with friends off.

“Yeah, I think I am,” he said.

We said goodnight to everyone and then exited the bar, stepping out into the cool night air. The sky was clear, and the stars were bright overhead. The quiet out here felt like a gentle break from the buzzing energy inside. Ellis turned to me once we reached his truck.

“Today was perfect,” he said. “Everything about it. Making pancakes with Serenity, spending time together, you meeting my friends, watching you light up on that stage.”

“It really was,” I agreed, holding his stare.

He took my hand, his thumb brushing gently over my fingers. “I’m all in.”

A warmth settled deep inside me as I whispered, “Me too.”

His smile was soft and sure, and then he leaned in, his lips meeting mine in a kiss that felt like a promise.

EPILOGUE - RACHEL

I blinked a few times, my eyes taking a minute to fully commit to remaining open. As they adjusted to the morning sunlight filling the room, I focused on Ellis still asleep beside me. He looked so peaceful. His hair was slightly messy, and his lips were parted as he breathed slowly. A smile tugged at my lips while I lay there, watching him sleep.

Two weeks ago, I never could have imagined feeling this content, like everything had finally fallen into place. But now, here I was—happy.

I slipped out of bed, trying not to wake him, and tiptoed out of the room. As I made my way down the hallway, I couldn’t help but notice the boxes scattered around. Some were half-open, revealing Ellis’s books, a few framed photos, and some vinyl records. He’d been moving his stuff in bit by bit, and every new thing that found a spot in the cottage made it feel more like he belonged here too, like he’d been here all along.

Serenity had adjusted to having him around like it was the most natural thing in the world. The other night, I’d found her curled up on the couch with him, fast asleep, and Ellis was quietly reading a storybook she’d picked out, even though she’dbeen out cold for a good twenty minutes. It was little moments like that—the easy way he fit into our lives—that made my heart swell.

I made my way to the kitchen, already thinking about breakfast, and wasn’t surprised when Serenity’s footsteps sounded coming down the hall. She entered the kitchen behind me, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

“Morning, sweetheart,” I said, holding my arms out for her to give me a hug. “What do you want for breakfast?”

“Pancakes,” she said sleepily.

I kissed her on the crown of her head. “Pancakes, huh?”

Ever since she’d made them with Ellis, pancakes had become her obsession, but only because she wanted to be the one to flip them.

“Yep!” She untangled herself from me and went to the drawer for the spatula.

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