Page 47 of The Pack

She was our mate. She might not realize it yet, but we weren’t ever going to let her go.

I leaned down, tucking Tobias’s cloak more securely around her shoulders. She let out a soft sigh, her body relaxing again, and I felt a warmth spread through me that had nothing to do with the fire.

This was what it meant to be part of a pack. To protect, to care, to make sure no one was left behind.

Magnus caught my eye and gave me a small nod. We didn’t need words to understand each other. He felt it too—the way Zara had changed everything, how she’d slipped into our world and made it hers without even trying.

I wasn’t naive enough to think things would be easy from here on out. Zara’s brother was still out there, and Dublin was crawling with ferals and far worse. But for the first time in years, I felt like we were moving toward something instead of just simply surviving.

Like for the first time in our lives, we’d found our purpose.

The first light of dawn crept through the trees, threading golden beams over the clearing. I stretched, the cool air biting at my skin, but the warmth of Zara’s body at my side kept the worst of it at bay.

She was still curled up between Magnus and me, her breaths soft and steady. Tobias’s cloak was draped over her. She looked peaceful, but even asleep, there was a quiet strength in her that made my chest tighten.

Magnus stirred, his eyes blinking open. He caught my gaze and nodded, his movements careful as he sat up, brushing a stray strand of hair from Zara’s face.

“She slept well,” he murmured, his voice low enough not to wake her.

I nodded. “Probably the first time she’s felt safe in a while.”

Magnus gave a faint smile, his gaze lingering on her for a moment, before he stood, stretched, and stepped away to check the map he’d left by the fire.

I turned back to Zara, planning to follow Magnus’s lead, but the moment I turned my eyes on her, I realized she was awake.

Her dark eyes blinked up at me, soft and unfocused with sleep, but there was something else there too. Something that made my pulse quicken and my cock harden in my jeans.

“Morning,” I said, keeping my voice light.

She stretched, the cloak slipping slightly to reveal her shoulder. “Morning,” she murmured, her voice husky from sleep.

There was a hint of a smile on her lips, and when her dark blue eyes met mine, it lingered. Heat curled low in my stomach, and I shifted slightly, trying to ignore the way her scent had deepened, sweeter and warmer than a few minutes ago.

“Did you sleep well?” I asked quietly.

Her smile widened, and she propped herself up on one elbow, her face closer to mine. “Better than I expected,” she said, her tone teasing. “It’s not every day I get to sleep between two hot-blooded wolves.”

I chuckled, though my heart was racing. “We aim to please.”

Zara stared at my lips, and the air between us seemed to shift. Before I could say anything, she leaned in, her lips brushing mine in a kiss that was soft, but deliberate.

For a moment, I froze, caught off guard by the suddenness of it, but then I responded, cupping her face with one hand as I deepened the kiss. Her warmth, her softness, was overwhelming, and I had to remind myself to pull back before I lost myself completely.

When I did, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright.

“I—” I started, but Magnus’s voice cut through the moment.

“Should I come back later?”

I turned to find him standing by the fire, his eyes glinting with amusement.

Zara laughed softly, and to my surprise, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she shifted closer, her arm brushing against mine as she glanced up at Magnus.

“You could always join us,” she said, her tone light, but with an edge of something bolder.

He stepped closer, his hand smoothing over her cheek as he leaned down. His lips met hers in a kiss that was gentle, but lingering, his thumb tracing slow circles against her jaw.

I watched, heat curling low in my stomach again, but there was no jealousy. Just an overwhelming sense of rightness, of belonging, and I focused on that.

---