Kamrynn’s POV
The wind howled in my ears as Lorien’s massive wings beat against the sky, carrying us back to the Obsidian Pack. My body ached with exhaustion, my muscles sore from the battle with Sherelle, but my heart felt… lighter. The weight I had been carrying for so long had finally lifted. Sherelle was gone. The nightmare was over.
I let out a slow breath as the familiar scent of pine and earth filled my senses. Below us, the Obsidian Pack’s territory stretched out like a vast, living tapestry, the Pack House standing proud at the center. And there, right in front of it, was Luna Dowager Marlana.
My heart clenched at the sight of her standing in the open yard, her arms stretched wide as she lifted Astor into the air while Arabella giggled beside her. My babies.
Before Lorien even landed, I was already reaching forward, itching to touch the ground, to get to them.
The moment his claws touched the earth, I didn’t hesitate. I slid off his back, stumbling slightly before steadying myself and running straight for my children.
“Astor! Arabella!”
Marlana turned, her warm smile lighting up as I rushed toward them. My twins squealed at the sound of my voice, their tiny hands reaching for me as I scooped them up, holding them close to my chest. Their little fingers clutched at my torn and dirty clothes, their warmth seeping into me.
“Mama’s back,” I whispered, pressing kisses to their soft cheeks. They cooed in response, nuzzling against me, their innocence and love wrapping around me like a cocoon.
Marlana stepped closer, placing a gentle hand on my back. “Welcome home, dear.”
I turned to her and hugged her with one arm, overwhelmed with relief. “I missed them so much,” I admitted, my voice thick with emotion.
“They missed you too,” Marlana said softly before pulling back to take a better look at me. Her eyes trailed over my tattered clothes, the dirt smeared on my arms, and the scratches on my skin. Concern flickered in her gaze. “You look like you’ve been through hell.”
I let out a small laugh. “Something like that.”
Her expression softened. “Did you accomplish what you set out to do?”
I met her gaze, my chest swelling with triumph. “Sherelle is dead.”
Marlana’s eyes widened for a moment before a satisfied smile spread across her face. “Good,” she said, nodding in approval. “It’s over now.”
I exhaled, finally letting those words sink in. It really was over.
As I cradled my children, pressing soft kisses against their foreheads, Marlana spoke again. “Calvin’s awake, by the way.”
The words sent a ripple through me, breaking through my moment of peace.
I froze for a brief second before forcing myself to nod. “Oh.”
Marlana tilted her head, studying me closely. “You don’t seem eager to see him.”
I bit my lip, trying to sort through the tangled mess of emotions in my chest. “It’s not that I don’t want to see him,” I admitted. “I just… I don’t know what to say to him. After everything I’ve learned… after everything he did to me, I should hate him. And I did. For a long time.”
Marlana remained silent, letting me speak.
“But now?” I continued, my grip on my children tightening. “Now, I understand him in a way I never did before. Sherelle played us all like puppets. She manipulated everything, twisted our lives into something unrecognizable. He was cruel to me, but he was suffering too. He was just as much a victim as I was. But it still doesn’t change what we’ve become, I fear it’ll never be the same.”
Marlana gave me a knowing smile and placed a kiss on my forehead. “You’re overthinking it, Kamrynn.”
I swallowed. “I can’t help it.”
“There’s always room for a fresh start,” she said gently. “You don’t have to make any decisions right now. Just go. See him.”
I hesitated.
“Go,” she encouraged again. “He’s waiting for you.”
I exhaled deeply before nodding. “Okay.”
Reluctantly, I handed Astor and Arabella back to Marlana, lingering just a moment longer to kiss them again.
Then, taking a deep breath, I turned and headed inside.
I made my way through the Pack House, my footsteps slowing the closer I got to Calvin’s door.
But instead of going inside, I stopped.
My fingers twitched at my sides, hesitating just inches from the handle. I suddenly became hyper-aware of how I must look-my clothes were torn, my skin was smudged with dirt, and my hair was a tangled mess. I looked like I had crawled through hell and back.
With a frustrated sigh, I turned on my heel and walked away.
I’d see him after I cleaned up.
***
The warm water swirled around me as I sank deeper into the tub, letting out a slow, exhausted breath.
My muscles ached, the tension from battle still lingering in my body. The scent of lavender and chamomile filled the air, soothing my frayed nerves.
I closed my eyes, resting my head against the edge of the tub. My mind should have been blank, empty-at peace.
But instead, an old memory surfaced.
***
I was fourteen. Calvin was sixteen.
It had been a month since I’d shifted for the first time, and I was still trying to adjust to the overwhelming instincts, the heightened senses, the constant presence of Aryna in my mind.
Calvin, being the reckless idiot he was, decided that the best way to “get me out of my head” was an adventure.
“We’re going exploring,” he had announced that afternoon, practically dragging me out of the Pack House before I could argue. “It’ll be fun, Kam! No overthinking, no training, just running free.”
And somehow, I had let him talk me into it.
We had shifted into our wolves, racing through the dense woods of Obsidian territory. Calvin led the way, his silver wolf sprinting ahead effortlessly while I, still new to my form, struggled to keep up.
We ran for hours.
Too far, way too far.
The forest became unfamiliar. The trees grew denser, their shadows stretching like dark fingers across the earth.
But Calvin never slowed down.
I should have questioned it. I should have insisted we turn back.
But I trusted him.
Then the storm rolled in.
Dark clouds swallowed the sky. The wind howled, rustling the trees with an eerie whisper. Thunder rumbled in the distance, growing closer with every second.
Rain crashed down in sheets, soaking our fur in an instant.
“We need to find shelter!” I called through our mind-link, my voice barely reaching him through the storm.
Calvin turned his head, then abruptly changed direction, leading us toward a massive, hollowed-out tree at the base of a hill.
The space was narrow, barely big enough for the both of us.
But it was dry.
Calvin shifted first, crouching inside the cramped space, his wet hair clinging to his forehead. I followed, shifting back into my human form and squeezing into the tiny opening beside him.
The moment I did, I regretted it.
We were too close.
Our bodies were pressed together, the heat of his bare skin searing against mine. My breath hitched as I suddenly became very aware that neither of us had clothes.
He exhaled deeply. “Damn, that was close.”
I swallowed hard, trying to focus on anything other than the fact that Calvin Kane was naked beside me in a tiny, enclosed space.
The storm raged on outside, the rain pounding against the tree like a relentless drumbeat.
I shifted uncomfortably, but Calvin’s arm suddenly wrapped around my waist, pulling me even closer.
“Don’t move,” he murmured. “I like it when you’re near.”
My entire body locked up.
Calvin’s lips brushed against my ear as he whispered, “You’re so warm, Kam.”
I stopped breathing.
Oh, Moon Goddess.
I knew my face was as red as a tomato, but I refused to turn and look at him.
And then-
I felt it.
Something hard pressed against my hip.
Oh. My. Goddess.
I panicked.
Before I could stop myself, I yelped, shoving at his chest. “Calvin, what the hell is-”
But in my flustered attempt to push him away, my face tilted-
And our lips brushed.
It was barely a kiss. Just a light, accidental graze of skin.
But it was enough.
Enough to make my stomach twist into knots. Enough to make my heart pound. Enough to send a wildfire racing through my veins.
I froze, my lips tingling.
Calvin stiffened too.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
And then-
He smirked.
A lazy, knowing, cocky smirk.
“Was that your first kiss?” His voice was too amused, his eyes filled with too much mischief.
I wanted the earth to swallow me whole.
I shoved him away, smacking his chest with as much force as I could. “That didn’t count!”
“Didn’t it?” He tilted his head. “Seemed like a kiss to me.”
“It wasn’t!” I insisted, mortified.
Calvin chuckled, then casually stretched his arms behind his head. “Well, if it makes you feel better, I don’t mind giving you a real first kiss.”
I gasped, slapping a hand over my burning face. “Stop talking!”
His laughter filled the tiny space, deep and unrestrained.
The storm outside continued, but inside that tree, with the sound of his stupid, beautiful laugh surrounding me, the world felt warm.
***
I jolted upright in the tub, my heart racing.
Why was I remembering this now?
I pressed a hand against my chest, feeling the rapid thumping beneath my palm.
I had buried that memory long ago, too embarrassed to ever think about it again.
And yet, here it was, surfacing like a ghost from the past.
I let out a slow breath, sinking back into the warm water, staring at the ceiling.
Could we ever be like that again?
Calvin and I.
Not the enemies we became.
Not the strangers we were now.
But the best friends we used to be. The ones who could run through the woods, tease each other, laugh together.
Was that even possible anymore?
I swallowed hard.
I didn’t know.
But a part of me desperately wanted to find out.