11. Coral

Chapter 11

Coral

T he next morning, Nolan and I head to Thorne’s office early. Very, very early.

I don’t know why, but I’m nervous. I know that Thorne said that I’m part of the pack now, but all I can think about as we walk through the town are the stares of the other shifters. Do they hate me? Do they think that I don’t have any right to be in their pack? What do they?—

“Hey,” Nolan murmurs. “It’s all going to be okay.”

I squeeze his hand, hoping that he’s not wrong.

Being Nolan’s mate feels amazing. There’s this… power that radiates from him like a furnace. It’s like my connection to plants, but it’s so much more. I can feel the wolf inside of him, the sheer animal spirit of it. I can also see things like his wolf does. Smell them. Finally, I know what it feels like to be a shifter.

It’s cool, but I still like the plants better.

When we arrive at the alpha’s office, there are a lot of wolves gathered there, along with some shifters who smell different. Foxes , I realize, when we pull closer. I wonder why they’re here.

Lyra’s in the crowd, and she gives me a little wave. I see Iris, too, and my heart leaps a little. Both of my friends. The crowd isn’t so scary now.

I wave back at them but keep close to Nolan.

Thorne steps out of his office, a small woven satchel at his side, nodding at us. “Nolan. Coral. I hope you slept well after last night.”

“We did,” I respond.

He looks us over. He sighs, and something like guilt crosses his face.

Curiosity feathers through me.

Thorne looks at Nolan and me. “I let you stay on the land, Coral, because when I got to Oakwood and scouted it out, I found you and made a bargain with you. We ended up making an arrangement that benefitted me. You would help the pack, and I would keep you safe. I’m afraid that I wasn’t entirely honest with you about that arrangement.”

I blink.

Thorne sighs and pulls out a sheet of glass from the satchel at his side. It glints and glimmers in the light. It almost looks… fae.

He taps it, and I gasp.

Letters start scrolling across it.

Thorne holds it up. “I received this after Evander and I first came to scout out Oakwood. We found it right before we found your cottage. And by found… it appeared in my truck and scared the hell out of both of us. It names you as a very important faerie and says that for keeping you safe, I would be able to call upon a favor from the faeries. Blank check. Anything I want.”

My heart sinks a little.

“I’m sorry I lied to you and made a bargain with you, even though I would have protected you anyway. The prospect of an open-ended favor from the faeries…”

“I understand,” I whisper. I do.

The missive that he’s holding in his hands is, essentially, permission to ask for anything. No stipulations, no weird requirements. Nothing that would be damaging or dangerous. It’s a favor. Not a bargain.

I don’t even think he knows how rare it is.

“I want to give you the option to leave,” Thorne continues.

Tensing, I step closer to Nolan.

“If you stay with Oakwood, I want it to be because we welcome you. Because you and your fated mate are part of our pack,” Thorne says gently. “Not because I’m holding you here because of this.”

“Thorne,” I say, stopping him. “That’s… what you’re holding… do you know how rare it is?”

He shrugs. “It doesn’t matter. Packs aren’t built on secrets and lies. Packs are built on the people inside them. We trust each other. We keep our word. And that’s more valuable than anything I can take from the fae.”

The pack whispers around us.

I look at Nolan, who presses a kiss to my cheek. “It’s your choice, Coral. Wherever you go, whatever you do, I’ll always be there. I’ll always support you. You’re my mate, and that’s all I need.”

Nolan is perfect. And he wants someone who chooses him instead of him always choosing someone else.

I touch his face, smiling. Turning back to Thorne, I give him a wink. “Keep the favor, Alpha. I’m happy to be part of the pack.”

I’m surprised by the loud cheer that comes from the crowd around us. Lyra runs up to me, hugging me, followed by Amara and her mate, Jasper. Slowly, more wolves come forward, introducing themselves to me one by one.

One by one, I smile and shake their hands, nodding at them. I meet the foxes. I meet the other fated mates.

Iris comes up to hug me, and I sag with relief at seeing someone I know.

“It’s nice to see you out and about,” she says.

I shake my head. “I think this might be too much out and about.”

“Come visit Thorne and me soon. We want to see you. Socially,” she says, giving Nolan a glance.

I laugh. “Socially. I will.”

Iris drifts away, and there are more hands, more people, more names. Soon, I’m actually kind of tired, because it’s a lot of people to meet.

Nolan’s hand tugs on mine. “I think Coral and I are going to head home. We’ll be around, though. Thank you,” he says to Thorne.

Thorne shakes his head. “I’m sorry, Nolan. I had it all wrong.”

“You did. But it’s okay. Life has a way of working out, I guess.”

He rolls his eyes but walks away. Nolan and I get back into his truck, and I wave at the pack as we go.

When we get back home, Nolan walks to my side of the truck. He tugs me down, and I sink into his arms.

“That was a lot,” I murmur.

“I’ll say. My mate is a literal fairy princess.” Nolan nuzzles my ear. Sadness punches through me, and he pulls back. “Sorry. I didn’t mean?—”

“It’s okay. It’s just… I wish I had known earlier.”

“What do you want to do about it?”

I wrinkle my nose. “Whoever sent the favor, I should probably get in contact with them. They’ll know more about my… status.”

“Favor?”

I nod, and Nolan sets me on the couch. He shifts my legs on top of his as he sits, too, and I cuddle into his arms.

“That’s the thing that Thorne has. A favor. You can receive a favor from the fae, or make a bargain. Making a bargain is never a good idea, as most faeries will make them into something that benefits them only. The bargain I made with Thorne is probably the most benign faerie bargain that’s ever been made, and it’s been fulfilled ten times over. But a favor… it’s high praise.”

“So someone paid handsomely for your protection.”

I nod. “I guess they did.”

Nolan kisses the side of my head. “I should thank them.”

“Why?”

“Because without them, I never would have met the faerie princess that I love.”

Love.

I must look startled, because Nolan laughs. “Yes, Coral. I love you.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” I wrap my arms around him and bury my nose in his shoulder. “I love you too.”

His hands pat my hair gently. “I’m glad you’re my mate, Coral.”

“Coraline,” I whisper.

Nolan pauses. “What?”

“My true name. The one that you can use to summon me. The one that you can use to name me and bind me to you. It’s Coraline,” I whisper.

It feels so right for him to hear it.

“I don’t need to bind you, Coraline,” Nolan rumbles.

The use of my true name sends a shiver of arousal through me.

“I love you. I choose you, and all I want is for you to choose me, too.”

Hugging him close, I kiss him. The kiss deepens, and before I’m too far gone, I pull back.

“I love you, Nolan. I choose you. And I’ll always choose you.”

As we sink onto the couch, touching and tasting each other, I see a jasmine vine creeping above our heads.

I grin.

Life with Nolan and the pack is a chance to start over. A chance to begin again.

A chance that I can’t wait to take.