Page 19 of Once You Go Pack
But beneath the desperate self-control, anticipation hummed like electricity through his veins. She was here.
Twenty minutes felt like hours as Cade paced the castle’s grand foyer, adjusting the lighting and smoothing nonexistent wrinkles from his henley. Every few seconds, his enhanced hearing caught the distant approach of footsteps on the stone pathway leading to the castle’s entrance.
Control yourself. She’s here to test this out, not to be overwhelmed by a wolf who can’t manage basic restraint.
Suddenly, the massive oak doors opened with a resonant thud that echoed through the grand foyer. Gerri’s cheerful voice carried through the entrance first, followed by a softer feminine laugh that sent a jolt straight through Cade’s chest.
Then Mila stepped into view, and every thought in his head scattered like leaves in a windstorm.
She’d changed from her Earth business attire into dark jeans that hugged her curves and a cream sweater that skimmed her breasts in ways that made his mouth go dry. A heavy winterjacket hung open over her shoulders, revealing the graceful line of her neck and the way her golden hair caught the warm light from the crystal chandeliers overhead.
His wolf surged with such force that Cade had to lock his muscles to keep from shifting on the spot.
Mine.
“Your castle is absolutely breathtaking,” Mila said, her blue eyes wide as she took in the soaring ceilings and intricate stone carvings that adorned the walls. “I’ve never seen anything like it. The way the moonlight streams through those tall windows, and the crystals embedded in the stone—it’s like something from a fairy tale.”
Her voice carried that same nervous energy he’d noticed at their Earth brunch—the rapid pace of someone trying to fill silence before anxiety could creep in. But beneath it, he caught genuine wonder, and the combination made something in his chest loosen and expand simultaneously.
“And the mountains on the way here,” she continued, gesturing with animated hands, “I couldn’t believe the blue snow. Gerri tried to explain it but seeing it in person is completely different. Does it always shimmer like that? And those auroras—are they visible every night? On Earth, you can only see them in certain places, but here they seem to dance across the entire sky.”
Cade stepped forward, his movement smooth and deliberate despite the chaos in him. Mila’s gaze found his, and that electric shock of recognition passed between them—stronger now, more intense than it had been on Earth.
“They’re most visible during autumn months,” he managed, his voice roughened. “The twin moons create stronger magnetic fields this time of year.”
Her smile brightened, and he felt his composure slip another notch. “Right. The twin moons. I keep forgetting that detail. It’s all so incredible.”
Without thinking, he moved closer, close enough to have her intoxicating scent envelop him completely. His hands reached out instinctively as she began to shrug out of the heavy winter coat.
“Allow me,” he said, his fingers brushing hers as he helped slide the jacket from her shoulders.
The contact was brief, barely a whisper of skin against skin, but it sent heat racing through his veins like wildfire. Her breath caught audibly, and when he looked down at her, he saw her pupils dilate.
She feels it too. The recognition.
“Thank you,” she breathed, her voice softer now, more intimate despite Gerri’s presence just a few feet away.
The jacket felt impossibly light in his hands as he hung it on the ornate coat rack near the entrance, but his wolf was hyperaware of her warmth still clinging to the fabric.
“How was the travel?” he asked, forcing himself to step back to a respectable distance. “The wormhole can be disorienting for first-time users.”
Mila’s face lit up with excitement, chasing away some of the nervous tension. “It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Gerri warned me it might feel strange, but it was actually magical. Like floating through liquid starlight.” She paused, biting her lower lip in a way that made his wolf want to howl. “Is that how it always feels, or was I just lucky?”
“The sensation varies,” he replied. “Some find it unsettling. I’m glad your experience was pleasant.”
Gerri stepped between them with a knowing smile. “Mila’s been such a wonderful sport about all this,” she announced, her tone carrying warm approval. “Not everyone would be braveenough to travel to an alien planet, but our girl here has adventure in her blood.”
Pride flared in Cade’s chest at the compliment to Mila, followed immediately by a possessive surge that made his jaw clench.Our girl.The phrase sat wrong, even coming from Gerri. Mila wasn’t theirs—she was his. The certainty of it pulsed through their fledgling mate bond like a drumbeat.
“I have to admit,” Mila said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear in a gesture that was both nervous and endearing, “I’m still processing everything. Your world is so beautiful, but so different from Earth. I keep expecting to wake up and find out this was all an elaborate dream.”
“You’re not dreaming,” Cade said firmly. The certainty in his tone made her eyes widen slightly, and he forced himself to soften his expression. “Though I understand the feeling. Nova Aurora can be overwhelming for outsiders.”
The fragile mate bond between them hummed with her nervous energy, and he could sense her trying to project confidence while battling uncertainty beneath the surface. Everything in him wanted to step closer, to offer comfort and reassurance, but he held himself back.
Gerri clapped her hands together with satisfaction. “Well, I can see you two are going to get along just fine,” she announced. “Mila, dear, you must be exhausted after such a long day. I should let Cade show you to your room so you can rest.”
She moved toward the entrance with her characteristic efficiency, pausing for just a moment. “You’re going to do wonderfully here,” she murmured to Mila, just loud enough for Cade to hear. “Trust your instincts.”
