30

Caleb’s POV
Maybe it was the alcohol-or maybe it was the simple fact that my mate was finally in my bed-but I’d slept better than I had in weeks. Even though Lily was still fuming, even though she’d made me throw out every scrap of clothing that carried even a trace of Quinley’s scent, I didn’t care. Even if she barely acknowledged me and fell asleep curled up in Caden’s arms, none of that mattered. She was here.
And now that I’d gotten a taste of this, I knew I wouldn’t let her spend another night apart from us. Tonight, we’d mark her. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind.
Caden kept saying we had a lot to discuss, but the drive home was mostly silent. He was stewing-part nervous, part pissed-and I was too keyed up to risk saying the wrong thing. I knew he wanted the full story about what had happened between Lily and me, but I wasn’t sure how much I’d tell him. There were some things that needed to stay between a mate and her partner. He might not like it, but he’d have to get used to it.
When we first found Lily, Caden was adamant that we couldn’t keep secrets from each other, but I didn’t agree. After all, Lily had plenty of secrets of her own.
Like our interview-it was painfully obvious she hadn’t read it yet. Caden hadn’t caught on, but it was the only explanation for her behavior. If she *had* read it and still treated us this way, then maybe she really was just cold and calculating. But somehow, I didn’t believe that.
Whether the interview was still sitting on her desk or gathering dust somewhere else, it didn’t matter anymore. Tonight, she’d know. And soon, so would the world.
As we approached the packhouse gate, I spotted Liam talking to the guards. I shouldn’t have been surprised-Liam was always on top of things. When we left for college, he’d sworn to keep a watchful eye over everything, especially Violet and Chloe. They still had a few years before they shifted, but we weren’t blind to the attention they got from other males.
We’d unofficially made Liam their bodyguard, and he took that role seriously. If anyone so much as looked at them the wrong way, he’d handle it. That was just how things worked in Blood Moon-we looked out for each other’s siblings. Liam’s sister had been a year ahead of us, and we’d always kept an eye on her. Now that she was mated and settled, it was one less thing for him to worry about.
“There they are!” Liam called out, striding toward the truck with a grin.
Caden and I jumped out, exchanging bro-hugs with everyone around. It felt good to be home. We’d visited plenty during college, but it wasn’t the same as living here. And while I’d miss those carefree days, we had Lily now. It was time to grow up, and both Caden and I were ready.
“What’s the occasion? Not that I mind seeing my Alphas,” Liam teased, hopping into the truck with us.
“Actually, we’re heading to see our dads. You should come too-this affects you,” I said. Caden nodded in agreement.
We hadn’t officially chosen anyone else for ranked positions under us, but Liam was a given. He’d been our friend forever and was one of the best warriors we had. He was the voice of reason when Caden and I butted heads, and there was no one we trusted more. His parents had moved to the city years ago, but Liam never wavered in his loyalty to the pack-or to us.
Still, I wasn’t sure how he’d feel about what we had to say. He’d already put so much on hold for us, staying behind while we went to college. We figured it had a lot to do with keeping an eye on his sister, but we never pressed him about it. Plenty of shifters didn’t care about higher education. If it weren’t for our parents insisting, we might not have gone either. But the business brought in the bulk of the pack’s revenue, so it had been necessary.
“I already mind-linked them. They’re in the office,” Caden said, his tension palpable.
Liam rubbed his face but stayed quiet. I hated keeping things from him, but we hadn’t told him about the mess with Lily yet. This would just be another layer of chaos.
When we entered the packhouse, we stopped to greet a few people cleaning up from breakfast and some guys hanging out in the game area. I checked the clock-two minutes to spare. Punctuality was non-negotiable with Kieran and Ethan Ashford. If you had a meeting with them, you’d better be on time.
We didn’t bother waiting for a response after knocking; the door was open, so we walked in. Caden and I dropped into the chairs in front of the desk while Liam took the couch.
“Up early on a Saturday? No hangovers and no Lilith?” Kieran commented, setting down his paper.
I laughed dryly, glancing at Caden, who gave me a pointed look. This was my conversation to lead.
“No point in dragging it out. This past week with our mate has been… challenging. She’s made us chase her, date her, jump through hoops. The bottom line is, she’s not ready to be Luna. She had her life planned before we came along-she wants a career, a chance to live in the city and make something of herself. And we want her to have that chance. We’re asking for more time.”
Caden chimed in, “Liam, I know you’re ready to move forward, but we have to put her first.”
Our dads exchanged looks, but Liam frowned. “If the pack finds out you’ve met your mate and she’s not here… it’s going to be a problem,” he said.
Fuck. He wasn’t wrong.
I let out a quiet sigh, the weight of guilt pressing down hard. Here we were, parading our mate’s existence in front of Liam, who was lonelier than ever. On top of that, we were admitting that she didn’t want this life-didn’t want us or Blood Moon. I hadn’t stopped to think about how that might make him feel, and now it was eating at me. His feelings mattered, a lot more than I’d let myself realize.
“We probably wouldn’t be living here most of the time,” I admitted, my voice low. “She’s thinking she could maybe work remotely or find a compromise, but her job would still be pretty hands-on. So, no… we couldn’t really go public about having found our mate.”
Caden looked at me, surprised. “You’ve talked to her about the details of it?”
“Why is that so strange?” Kieran chimed in, raising a brow.
“Lily’s… private,” I said, shrugging. “But I can tell you this-she’s the most stubborn, determined woman I’ve ever met. Hell, she’d probably sell out her own mother if it meant getting the right story. That confidence of hers? It’s next level.”
Kieran snorted, but Liam’s gaze hardened as he leaned against the edge of the desk, his arms crossed. “So, how exactly is she going to write a story about the Ashford twins finding their mate without naming herself? Everyone will lose their minds trying to figure out who it is. And let’s not forget, how do you plan to go two years without marking her? You’re talking about being by her side every day and not making her truly yours? Sounds like absolute torture.”
I winced as his words hit home. Liam had a way of cutting straight through the bullshit, and as much as it stung, I knew I needed that honesty. I even let him get away with saying things to me that I’d never tolerate from Caden.
Ethan leaned forward, his sharp eyes locking onto mine, silently demanding an answer. I glanced at Caden, but he avoided my gaze. The questions Liam raised weren’t just valid-they were damning.
Spending this past week with Lily had already been a lesson in restraint. The idea of asking for more time meant delaying marking her, and honestly, I hadn’t even considered the logistics of that. The scent alone would be impossible to hide. In Blood Moon, marking wasn’t just a tradition-it was a declaration. Both mates bore the mark, a mutual promise of love and respect.
Ethan’s voice broke through my spiraling thoughts. “You both know I won’t lie to this pack. They’re family. I’m not about to treat them like fools by keeping something this significant from them. If you’re asking for more time, fine. But two years? That’s not feasible.
“Maybe a few months, until the end of the year-that, I can justify. I can tell them I need time to tie up loose ends. But if you start off your leadership by keeping this kind of secret, you’ll lose their trust. And once that’s gone, you can’t get it back. You’ve waited your entire lives for her, and the pack’s been waiting too. If they find out she doesn’t want to be here, it’ll make you look weak. I won’t allow that, and I won’t risk a challenge to your authority.”
His words hit like a gut punch. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. A challenge would be the ultimate humiliation, even if we won. My skin burned with frustration, the heat of it threatening to boil over. What a goddamn mess.
The door burst open, and the scent of sunflowers filled the room. My wolf relaxed immediately, tail wagging at the comforting, familiar smell. I couldn’t help but wonder if Lily’s scent would eventually linger through the halls like this. The thought was oddly soothing, even in the middle of all this chaos.
“Boys! Why didn’t anyone tell me you were here?” Mom’s voice cut through the tension like a knife. “Didn’t someone already run your suits to the house? Do you need anything for tonight? Have you eaten? I made juice. How’s Lily? Is she ready for tonight? Does she need anything?”
Her questions came in rapid-fire succession, giving us no room to respond. Mom had a way of dominating any conversation she entered, completely oblivious to what she might be interrupting.
Our dads exchanged knowing glances before standing, effectively dismissing us. They knew better than to try and keep Mom out of the loop-she’d be fully briefed the second we left.
Caden let out a low growl as Liam stepped in, guiding Mom out of the room with some excuse about landscaping plans. Classic Liam-always knowing the exact right move to diffuse a situation. It was one of the many reasons he’d always have a place by our side.
Once the door shut behind them, our dads turned back to us.
“You’ve got finals this week?” Kieran asked, his tone brisk. “I’ll give you until the end of the week to figure out what she wants to do. But you need to address that interview issue. My guess? It’ll be published by the start of next week.”
With that, he grabbed his phone and walked out, Ethan following close behind.
“Fuck,” I muttered, burying my face in my hands.
*We’ll just mark her and deal with the fallout,* Fang growled, his tone as decisive as ever.