Chapter 104

Lucas’s POV

The location for Ms. Sage’s cottage blinks across the screen. My men lean in as I chart the roads we’ll take to get there.

“We’ll go on the back highway since we don’t know if, or when the Domain will retaliate,” I tell them, drawing my finger down the rarely used highway. Usually, we travel in wolf form, but with Harper unable to shift, taking a vehicle will be the best and safest option.

Ronan, one of the warriors, turns to me, pointing at an end to the old highway, “What about here? Will we run from here in?”

“Yes. Ms. Sage’s cottage is deep within the Deadmoon Forest—”

“Deadmoon?” A tired voice questions, and we all turn to see Harper sitting up. She’d been invested in the book she’s reading on the couch in my office, so I didn’t think she would pay attention.

I was wrong.

“Deadmoon Forest is where the witch’s cottage is. It’s called Deadmoon because the trees create a thick canopy that blocks out the light,” I explain. Her face pales, so I smile to try and ease her worry.

She still stares, her eyes pools of worry as she walks over and looks at the map. “And we have to go on foot through here?”

I nod, “The trees are too dense to travel by vehicle, but don’t worry. My men and I will protect you.”

Her finger lands on the wrong part of the map, so I gently redirect it. The spark from our bond flares as my hand wraps around hers, and I notice Harper ever so slightly lets her hand rest in mine.

I lean in and my chest touches her back. “I’ll make sure you get through unharmed.”

It’s a promise and a reassurance, and as I continue to explain how the trip will go, Harper relaxes. I go over our routes, introduce each of my men to Harper—though, she should be familiar with them since they’re the men who went to the Domain with us— and list out the supplies we’ll need.

“We shouldn’t be gone for more than a day, so we’ll only need two meals each,” I tell them. “We’ll leave in the morning, right after breakfast, and we should be to the Deadmoon Forest around noon. From there, we’ll only have an hour-long trek through the forest.”

Harper’s body is fully leaning back into me now, and when I peer down at her, she’s blinking slowly.

“That’s it for today. You’re dismissed to prepare for the trip,” I tell my men. All four of them bow respectfully before saying goodbye to Harper. The fact that they took the time to acknowledge her kindly gives me hope that the rest of the pack will also accept her.

Right now, the pack’s view of Harper is much like the elders’ opinions. Negative.

“Bye, guys,” Harper calls and waves at each of them.

Once they’ve left, I sit back in my chair slowly. Harper’s body moves with mine, and I can’t tell if she realizes she’s leaning on me. She seems to be partially asleep with her droopy eyes and lazy movements, and while I would love her to sleep on me, there are a few things on my mind.

I don’t think bombarding her with all of them would be good, so I settle on the one that’s been on my mind the most recently and brace myself.

“I marked you over a year ago,” I murmur. The silence in the room coats us like a blanket, and I feel if I speak too loudly, it’ll ruin the calm quiet.

“You did,” she whispers back.

“How did you hide it?”

“I met a witch that put an invisibility spell on it. It’s still there, but…” she reaches up and touches the crook of her neck. It’s smooth and unmarked, but I know that’s where it would be. I remember my teeth there. Harper’s voice gets more quiet, almost inaudible as she continues, “It’s still there. I can feel it sometimes.”

Her head falls back to my shoulder, the moment turning more intimate when her eyes move to mine. She’s searching for something, the haze of uncertainty filling her gaze.

“Like now?” I ask, feeling the mate bond between us. It fluctuates. When she’s near, I feel it. When she’s away from me, it becomes dull. Is this what happens when a bond isn’t sealed? No one waits this long before sealing a mate bond after they’ve been marked, so I haven’t heard anything like this.

Harper nods, “Hiding it did nothing to stop the pain, though.”

“What pain? Do you feel it now?” I turn her around, cup her face in my hands, and search her eyes for any hint of pain. She hadn’t said anything, but I also hadn’t given her much a chance before now.

“No, since I came back to the pack, I haven’t felt it as much. Then, it just stopped hurting after a while,” she answers. Her cheeks become pink, and she looks down. “I think it was… we were close to each other a lot, so I think that helped get rid of the symptoms I was feeling. Of course, I didn’t realize it was because of you.”

Her voice grows quiet again as she says the last part, and something tugs at the back of my mind.

“Do you think our strained mate bond is why my wolf was growing weak?” I wonder out loud. “I noticed a difference in his strength after you returned as well. I thought it was your healing abilities, but…”

She stiffens, and I wish I could make this easier. It’s a conversation we should have been able to have long before this. If it weren’t for the lies and deceit that was right beneath my nose, we could’ve avoided all this trouble.

Sighing, I lower my hands from Harper’s face. I let them rest lightly on her thighs, giving her a chance to move them if she wishes.

“I think you’re right,” she mutters, looking down at my hands. I leave them palms up and watch with interest and awe as she laces her fingers through mine. I don’t dare move, or even breathe, as she lifts one hand and studies it.

The tingles crawl beneath my skin, from my fingers to my palms, and then into my arm. It’s a soft, warm feeling that only comes from the touch of your mate. How had I missed this before?

“Do you regret marking me that night?”

I almost miss the words, but they lock into my mind and dig deep.

“I don’t regret it. You. The only thing I regret is letting my anger and confusion blind me when I Logan lied,” I tell her immediately.

“Do you regret it?” I ask, even though her answer could easily destroy me.

Harper hesitates and slowly lowers our hands back to her thigh. She down at our hands. They’re still woven together, but something flickers in her eyes and her head tilts slightly to the side. She removes her hand from mine, tucking it into her chest while still staring at my hand abandoned on her thigh.

I wish she wouldn’t.

I wish she would hold tighter.

“You don’t have to answer if you’re not ready,” I tell her, tipping her chin back up. “I will wait.”

The way her eyes flicker with uncertainty, and the way her teeth sink into her bottom lip tell me she’s still upset. The tension between us can’t be solved with words.

There’s a hesitation to further solidify our mate bond on her part, but there’s also longing. I’ve seen it in her eyes and felt it in the small touches she allows; both during our mission to the Domain and when we’re together in my apartment.

However long it takes, I’ll be here waiting for her to make her decision.