This morning went by quickly, and now I’m on a plane heading to Wyoming. I already gave everyone at the vineyard a raise, and they’ll see it reflected on their next paycheck. Brooke agreed to keep watch over everything for when I return. When will that be? I don’t know, but hopefully, soon. I’ve missed Channon Vineyards. Especially with Valentine’s Day being only two days away.
Chase smirks over at me, and I know he heard my inner thought about the infamous day of love.
“Valentine’s Day, huh? Are you a romantic, princess?” he teases.
Evangeline snickers, and when she swivels her chair around to face us, I glare at her. “Don’t humor him.”
She faces her chair forward again, her seat shaking from her silent laughter. “I like the whole private jet thing. The seats are huge, and I can get up whenever I want.”
It’s not like normal flying. The cabin is spacious with two sets of four chairs on either side, both with a table to share. In the back of the plane is a bedroom and a small kitchen area with a refrigerator and sink.
Chase places a hand on my thigh and smiles. “How do you like the plane? Kind of nice to know I can take you anywhere you want to go, right?”
I set my hand over his. “That’s not what I care about, Chase. Although, it will be nice not having to bother with the hassle of a busy airport.”
“That’s the truth,” Evangeline calls out.
Leaning my head back, I close my eyes. I gave Chase a tour of the winery this morning, and I think it surprised a lot of my employees. Their gapes of astonishment were answer enough. They know I’m not one to invite the competition into my domain, and Chase’s wine is our top competitor. They’ll be shocked when they find out Chase and I are together. What will our future as winemakers be? That’s something we have yet to discuss.
“We already know we work together,” Chase says in my mind.
Keeping my eyes closed, I smile and answer him back. “True. It’s just I don’t know what happens to my vineyard. The vision showed us in your study in California. So where does that leave my home in Virginia if I’m living across the country?”
Chase squeezes my thigh, and I open my eyes to see him staring at me. “Channon Vineyards isn’t going anywhere,” he promises me. “We’re going to figure it all out.”
“Are you two doing that mind link stuff?” Evangeline asks, swiveling her chair around to face us. “You were quiet, and then Chase comes out and makes that random comment.”
Chase chuckles, and it makes me smile at her. “I kind of like it.”
Evangeline shakes her head, but then flourishes her hand for us to continue. “Don’t let me stop you.”
Speaking to Chase without others hearing will be an advantage, but I don’t have anything to hide from Evangeline. “I’m nervous about today,” I confess. Placing a hand over my chest, I can feel my pounding heart. Even my stomach feels like it’s bunched into tight knots.
The Royal pack knows we’re coming, and it just so happens that Colin and Kami are the ones picking us up from the airport. Kami made it known on numerous occasions how much she loathes me. We’re meeting Zayne and Amelie at their house, and I have no doubt they’ll have the rest of the Royal pack there. I don’t expect them to forgive me, but I have to say what I need to say.
Chase rubs his hand soothingly over my leg, and Evangeline reaches over for my hands. “You can do this, Kara.”
I clench her hands. “I hope so. All they’ve seen is the cold-hearted bitch side of me.”
Evangeline’s expression saddens. “That’s because it’s where you felt safe. You’ve been through a lot in your life.”
Chase drapes his arm over my shoulders. “I told them you’re my true mate.”
Gasping, I turn to him. I had no idea he’d told them. “What did they say?”
His lips purse, and he shrugs. “Well, they felt a little sorry for me.” A twinge coils in my gut, but then he winks, and the discomfort disappears. “I’m not sorry at all. You know I’ve always had a thing for you.”
Evangeline lets my hands go so I can turn to Chase. “And it was hard to resist.”
Chase nods toward the window. “We’re almost there, princess. There’s no turning back.”
Inhaling slowly, I look out the window to the Rocky Mountains below. “I don’t want to turn back. I’m ready.”
* * *
We land at the private airfield, and off to the side of the runway is Colin and Kami, standing by Kami’s Jeep with their arms crossed. I can already tell Kami’s annoyed by the disgruntled expression on her face.
“She’s not going to do anything to you,” Chase assures me, clearly having listened in on my thoughts.
Once the plane comes to a complete stop, the engines turn off, and Chase stands. I look to Evangeline, and she smiles reassuringly at me. “I guess it’s time to go,” I say to her.
Evangeline bites her lip and casts a side glance at Chase. “I think it might be best that I stay on the plane with James. The Royal pack could see it as a threat with you bringing a witch along. Not that I could do any damage to them, but still. I’ll be there if you need me.”
“She has a point, but it’s up to you,” Chase murmurs.
The last thing I want is to cause more tension. “No. You can stay here. I have to do this alone.”
James comes out of the cockpit and opens the plane door, sending a chilly blast of cold air into the plane. I can feel my wolf with Chase being close, but I still can’t handle the snowy weather without freezing to death.
“Hey, don’t forget your coat,” Evangeline shouts, tossing it to me. “We don’t want you dying of hypothermia.”
Goosebumps prickle every inch of my skin. Chase takes the jacket and holds it out so I can slide my arms inside. My teeth chatter as I zip it up. “Thanks.”
Chase drapes his arm around me, giving me his warmth. “And, of course, we had to pick a day where the high is only twenty degrees.”
I laugh. “It’s just my luck.”
James waves when he sees Colin and Kami out in the distance. “Good afternoon, you two,” he shouts. “It’s good to see you again.”
I can hear Colin and Kami’s voices as they shout back their hellos at him.
Stopping at the exit, Chase stares back at me. “Here we go.”
I nod toward the stairs. “I’ll follow you.”
We get off the plane, and Chase holds my hand as we walk the fifty yards it takes to get to Colin and Kami. It was Colin’s grandparents who killed my family all those years ago. He wasn’t even born at that point, so I don’t hold it against him. But, in all honesty, he’s different from the Storm men. He has the platinum blond hair of a royal, but Colin is a jokester. His mate, however, is the serious one. Kami was born a simple gray wolf, but now she’s a royal. She’s a little shorter than me, with light brown hair and an attitude that surpasses mine. I didn’t think it’d ever be possible to find someone more hardcore than myself.
My throat tightens up, and my stomach is a ball of nerves. Finally, I find the courage to meet Kami’s gaze, and with no surprise, her glare is all I see. Chase lets my hand go when we get close, and he extends it to Colin, only they don’t shake, they hug instead. I can still hear Kami’s voice in my head on the night Laila put me under the sleeping spell; it stings to remember her harsh words. At that time, I deserved it.
My eyes meet Kami’s gray ones. “Hello, Kami.”
Her jaw tenses. “Kara.”
It isn’t a hello, but it’s something. Colin pats Chase on the back and grins wide at me. “Shall we go?” Swallowing hard, I nod, and he flourishes a hand toward the Jeep. “Hop in.”
Chase opens the backseat door and slides in after me, taking my hand as soon as he gets settled. His touch helps, but my stomach is still in knots.
“It won’t take long,” Chase reassures me in my mind. “We’ll do what we have to do and leave.”
I want to look at him, but I keep my gaze straight, watching as the world whips by us. Colin has a lead foot, which means we’ll be at Zayne and Amelie’s house soon.
“What if Laila doesn’t take the bracelet off?” I ask, peeking over at him out of the corner of my eye.
He shrugs. “Then we’ll figure it out … together.”
“So, I heard you two were mates,” Kami blurts out, her body turned so she can gape at Chase and me.
Chase grins at me and answers her. “Yep. It’s about damn time it happened.”
When he focuses on her, she smiles, but it’s forced. “As long as you’re happy.”
The air around us turns electric.
“I am,” Chase replies, his voice deep and authoritative like the alpha he is.
Kami straightens in her seat, and she nods, almost as if hearing the truth lessened the tension.
Colin glances back at us. “Congrats, man. It’s about time you stepped over to the dark side. It’s all downhill from here.”
Kami smacks him on the arm. “Keep it up, asswipe.”
They banter back and forth the rest of the ride, and I find it quite amusing. It reminds me of my past interactions with Chase at the different wine competitions. Sarcasm was my way of fighting off the attraction. It was easier to be a snarky bitch than to give in to Chase’s charms.
“The snarky bitch side of you is what made me like you,” Chase says in my mind. “It only made me want you more.”
A smile lights up my face. “Which makes no sense. Although I am truly thankful you never gave up on me.”
He lifts my hand to his lips, kissing it softly. “Never.”
We arrive at Zayne and Amelie’s house a few minutes later, surrounded by a snowy landscape. There are several cars in the driveway, but everyone is outside. Colin pulls up into the driveway, and both he and Kami get out. The cold seeps in, and my hands begin to shake, but it’s also from being nervous.
Chase squeezes my hand … hard. “You’ll be fine. I’m not letting you go.”
I can feel everyone’s eyes on me as we get out of the Jeep. The entire pack isn’t made up of royals, but those are the only ones in attendance. They’re all stronger than me and Chase combined. Chase and I make our way toward them, and when I find the courage to look up, I lock eyes on Amelie and Zayne. Laila and Cedric are beside them while Colin and Kami take up Amelie and Zayne’s other side. Behind them are the pack’s main alphas, Ryker and Bailey, then there’s Zayne’s younger brother, Sebastian, and his mate, Tyla, and then Faith and Tate. Bailey and Faith are Colin’s sisters and part of the Storm family, the strongest of the royal line.
Zayne stands protectively by Amelie, whose belly is slightly swollen with the child she carries inside. We walk up to everyone, and they greet Chase with smiles and warm expressions.
“At least they don’t hate you,” I utter in his mind. “You know, having a true mate as the enemy and all.”
“They’re my friends, Kara.”
“Hopefully, your friends are understanding. I’m not above begging at this moment. I want the bracelet off.”
Chase slides his arm around my waist, clutching me tight. “I have faith in you. I know what’s in your heart.”
I scan the group, and it’s clear they don’t want me here. Out of all the humiliation I’ve been through, this is the worst.
“Let me go, Chase.”
Chase releases his hold, and I slowly amble toward Zayne and Amelie, but I turn to Laila. She has bright red hair she inherited from her fae mother, but she has the stark blue eyes of a royal arctic. Out of all the wolves in the world, she is the only one who is half-fae.
Laila steps forward and rakes her eyes over me, her lips tilting up into a smile. “You look different.” The way she says different sounds like she meant it in a good way, but I can’t be sure.
I slide my jacket sleeve up and stare down at the bracelet. “I have to say, this has definitely been a scary adventure. I wouldn’t have survived it without Chase. It’s terrifying not being able to defend yourself.” Nobody says anything, and I didn’t expect them to. Inhaling a breath of courage, I let it out slow as I lift my eyes to Zayne. There was a time when he was my lover and friend, but it feels like a lifetime ago. That part of me is in the past. “I’m sorry for what my family did all those years ago,” I say to him. “I know you didn’t believe me then, but I’m telling you now … I never wanted the power. I never wanted to be a part of the war. It devastated me to lose my family. Being alone all those years left me bitter, but I know it’s not an excuse for my actions. I should’ve done things differently, and if I had the choice, I’d go back and change them.”
The hardness to Zayne’s jaw slowly eases, and I’m not surprised when he doesn’t reply.
My heart begins to race when I focus on Amelie, her stony gray gaze boring into mine. I take a step closer, and she doesn’t waver. She’s so much stronger now, and it makes me smile. “Royalty suits you, Amelie.”
She offers up a small smile, but it fades.
“If there’s anyone I need to apologize to, it’s you,” I murmur. “I’m so sorry for what I did. I know you may never forgive me, and that’s okay; I completely understand. You don’t ever have to see me again after this day. Just know I plan to spend every waking moment of my life making myself better, someone worthy of a true mate and even a friend. If it takes a couple of centuries, I’m hoping one day you’ll see me in a better light.”
Tears fill my eyes as the weight I’ve carried on my soul is finally gone. Placing a hand on my chest, I rub the spot over my heart, loving how free I feel.
Laila steps forward, and I wipe away my tears.
“I understand if I have to wear the bracelet longer, but I just want to know if it’s possible for it to come off. I will do anything to make it so.”
Grinning, Laila nods at my wrist. “You already did. Look.”
The bracelet heats against my skin, and I gasp as a bright light surrounds my entire body. I bring a hand over to touch it, but the bracelet breaks in half and falls to the ground before I make contact. The intensity of it makes me fall to my knees. Then, in one big rush, my wolf returns, and so does my strength. I can hear every single sound around me. When I look up into the sky, I can spot a hawk hundreds of feet high, stalking its prey. And the smells … I’ve missed the scent of the earth. But what I’ve really wanted to indulge in is sensing my mate. I can feel Chase’s need and protectiveness.
I turn to him and jump in his arms, loving the way our bond ignites through every fiber of my being. “I did it,” I cry, breathing him in deep.
Chase holds me tight. “I knew you could.”
“This feels amazing,” I say into his mind.
From behind, I can sense Amelie approach. She places a hand on my arm, and Chase lets me go so I can face her, but he keeps hold of my hand.
“It may take time, but I know one day things will be better between us.” Amelie smiles over at Chase before continuing, “You’re one lucky woman to have Chase as a mate. The Great Luna had a reason for pairing you two up together. I trust her judgment.”
“Thank you, Amelie,” I reply, trying my best not to break down. There hasn’t been a time in my life where I’ve felt this happy.
Amelie pats my arm and then rests her hand on her baby bump as she takes her place by Zayne’s side.
Chase grabs me around the waist and swings me around in his arms, both of us laughing and not caring that everyone’s watching. He sets me down and cups my cheeks. “Now that you’re free, what do you want to do?”
Lifting on my toes, I press my lips to his. “I want to go home. To California.”
Chase’s brows furrow. “Are you sure?”
I nod. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”