Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

C aleb turned sharply away from Rochelle, his chest heaving with the weight of everything that had passed between them. He forced himself to keep moving, each step carrying him farther from her office, from the hope he had carried all these years. His jaw was clenched so tightly that it ached, but it was nothing compared to the ache in his heart, that dull, hollow throb that echoed with every step he took.

Then he heard her voice. It cut through the heavy silence that pressed in around him.

“No,” Rochelle said.

Caleb froze. It wasn't the first time she'd told him no. But this was a command, not a request.

Her voice was firm, resolute in a way that sent a shiver of surprise through him. He turned, just enough to catch a glimpse of her from the corner of his eye. She was standing there, her chin lifted, her eyes bright with defiance, with a determination that was as fierce as any he had ever seen.

“You’re not walking away from me, Caleb. You’re not walking away, and I’m not letting you. If you leave, I’ll follow. We’re bonded, and I’m not running from that anymore.”

He stared at her, searching her face for any sign of hesitation, for any hint that she might still turn away. There was only resolve in her eyes, a stubbornness that mirrored his own. And something else too—something vulnerable, open, like she was offering him a piece of her heart that she had never dared to share before.

He wasn’t sure if he could believe her. He wasn't sure if he could trust that this time, she meant it. After all the years of distance, all the times he had chased after her, could he trust that she would really follow him?

Only one way to find out.

He took the first step. It was tentative. The second step was deliberate. He forced himself to keep walking, to keep moving away from her. He listened for her footsteps, his heart hammering against his ribs, almost afraid to hope. But then he heard it—the soft sound of her heels on the worn carpet trailing behind him.

With every step she took, something inside him loosened, unfurling like a long-tied knot. It was subtle at first, just a hint of warmth spreading through his chest, but it grew stronger, brighter, with each footfall. He felt his lips twitch, the beginnings of a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth as he crossed the threshold of the bank and stepped into the cool morning air.

She was following him.

Caleb kept walking, his steps sure but unhurried, giving her the chance to catch up. His senses were hyper-focused, every part of him attuned to her presence just a few steps behind. The town was wide awake now. Many eyes were watching them, as if sensing a fight brewing.

But all he could focus on was the sound of Rochelle’s footsteps, the way they matched his own, step for step.

As they walked, a familiar voice called out from the side of the street. “Rochelle, just the person I needed to see.”

Caleb glanced over his shoulder, slowing his pace. He watched as Rochelle paused, turning toward an older woman—one of the pack elders, Mrs. Keller, who ran the general store.

“That loan you helped me with for the shop—it’s been a blessing. I wanted to ask if you think I should refinance before winter sets in?”

Rochelle hesitated, glancing back at Caleb. But then she straightened her shoulders, her expression softening as she addressed Mrs. Keller. “Walk with me,” she said, gesturing for the older woman to follow. “I’ll explain it as we go.”

Caleb slowed his pace further, listening as Rochelle spoke, her voice calm and confident as she explained the ins and outs of refinancing, making something complex sound almost simple. Her tone softened when Mrs. Keller expressed her concerns, her patience evident in every word. She had always had a way with people, a knack for making them feel heard and understood.

A few steps later, another pack member—John, a carpenter Caleb had known since childhood—joined their small procession, calling out to Rochelle with a question about a business loan. Caleb heard Rochelle reassure him, promising to help with the paperwork before she left for her new job.

Her new job. She was still going. But… had he mistaken what he'd heard? There was a note of uncertainty in her words. She had hesitated before mentioning her departure. It was as if she wasn’t quite sure she wanted to say goodbye after all.

The group walked through town, a strange parade of mismatched voices and questions, all focused on Rochelle. Caleb slowed his steps further, keeping his mate within arm’s reach but never looking directly at her.

As they neared the edge of the main street, where the town tapered off into the forest, he heard her voice again, lower this time, almost as if she was speaking to herself.

“You can always call me, you know,” she said to the small group that had gathered around her. “Even if I’m not here, I’ll still be available to help.”

"So you're really leaving us?" said Malachi, a bear shifter they'd gone to school with. The big bear was trying to start his own outdoor shop.

"Can you give me and my mate a moment?" said Rochelle.

Caleb slowed his pace again, just enough to let her fall into step beside him. The rest of the town didn't follow, leaving just the two of them. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, watching as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her brows furrowed in thought. She looked up then, meeting his gaze.

“I’m not the only person who needs you, Rochelle.” He gestured toward the town that stretched behind them, toward the buildings bathed in morning light and the familiar streets they had both walked so many times. “This place is your home. It’s our home. It’s your pack, even if you don’t see it that way. You’re the reason this town is thriving, why people have hope and the savings accounts to vouch for that hope. Why the pack has gotten stronger.”

Rochelle’s lips pressed into a tight line as she listened. He saw the resistance in her posture, the way she crossed her arms over her chest, as if bracing herself against his words. He also saw the way her expression softened, a hint of uncertainty slipping through her defenses.

“You’re the reason I’ve grown stronger. You’re the reason I had something to fight for, something to believe in. I rose up the pack ranks because I wanted to protect this place, to protect you. But if you leave, you’re not just leaving me. You’re leaving all of them, all of us, to someone who doesn’t care as much, someone who isn’t half as smart as you.”

She stared at him, her mouth falling open slightly. Caleb thought she might push back, argue with him like she always did. Expect him to let her win, like he always did. But then she let out a breath, her lips curving into a small, wry smile that made his heart lurch.

“Are you trying to flatter me, Caleb Blackwood?” she asked, raising an eyebrow in that way that had always made his wolf sit up and take notice.

He stepped closer, the distance between them shrinking until he could feel the warmth of her body mingling with his own. Her scent—lavender and wild earth mixed with his own musk on her skin—wrapped around him like a familiar embrace. His expression softened, and he shook his head, his voice dropping to a rough whisper.

“I’ve never had to flatter you. You’ve always known your worth. I’m just trying to make you see how much this place needs you. How much I need you.”

She reached up, her fingers brushing against his cheek, a touch so gentle it made his heart stutter. “I know your worth too. I always have.”

He couldn’t stop himself—he reached for her, his hands finding her waist, pulling her against him.

She didn’t resist. Instead, she leaned into him. Her body pressed against his. He felt the warmth of her breath against his lips. And then she kissed him—fierce and desperate, as if she was pouring everything she felt into that single moment.

He kissed her back with equal fervor, his hands cradling her face, his fingers threading through her hair. There was only the taste of her, the softness of her lips, the wild, uncontrollable joy that roared through his veins. It was a kiss that spoke of everything they had fought, everything they had denied, and the promise of everything that could be.

When they finally broke apart, they were both breathing hard. Their foreheads pressed together, their hearts beating in time. Caleb’s chest heaved with the force of his emotions, but he forced himself to find his voice, to ask the question that had been burning inside him since the moment she’d started following him.

“Will you stay?” His voice was rough with hope, with fear, with everything he couldn’t quite say. “Will you stay with us? Will you stay with me?”

Rochelle pulled back slightly, just enough to meet his gaze, and he saw the answer in her eyes before she spoke. But she didn’t give it to him, not fully, not yet. A teasing smile tugged at her lips, even as something fierce and tender shone in her expression.

“I’ll stay…” she said, her voice soft but filled with a challenge, “on one condition.”