RAYNA POV
I didn't realize how small Mistwood felt until I walked through it wearing Rowan's shirt.
Not because it was revealing it wasn't.
But because it was his.
The fabric hung loose on me, sleeves too long, collar slipping slightly off my shoulder. Every step I took, I felt eyes on me. Curious. Watchful. Whispering.
I hated it.
And yet… I didn't give it back.
Asha noticed immediately.
Her eyes widened the moment she saw me and then she grinned wide and mischievous.
"Oh," she said, drawing out the word. "So this is how it is now?"
I flushed. "It's just a shirt."
"Mhm," she hummed. "Sure."
We were interrupted by Mira and Jax passing by. Jax nearly tripped when he saw me.
"Is that-?"
"Yep," Mira cut in, smirking. "That's the Alpha's shirt."
I groaned inwardly.
So much for subtle.
Rowan appeared moments later, completely unfazed. His eyes softened when they landed on me, and I felt that strange pull in my chest again warm and steady.
"Ready?" he asked quietly.
"For what?"
"For training," he said. "Real control this time."
ROWAN POV
She was trying to act calm.
But her wolf was buzzing just under the surface alert, aware, reacting to every sound, every scent, every glance sent her way.
The pack noticed too.
They always do.
I led her to the clearing reserved for beginners the same place pups learned how to breathe through their first shifts. I stepped behind her, close enough that she could feel me without feeling cornered.
"Close your eyes," I said.
She hesitated.
Then obeyed.
"Focus on your breathing," I continued. "You don't force your wolf. You listen to her."
"She doesn't listen to me," Rayna muttered.
I smiled faintly. "She does. She just doesn't trust you yet."
Her shoulders relaxed as I spoke, my voice grounding her. Her breathing steadied. The air around us softened.
"That's it," I murmured. "Good."
She leaned back slightly not touching me, but close enough that the bond hummed warmly between us.
And gods help me I loved that she trusted me enough to do that.
RAYNA POV
Later, Elara found me by the stream.
She sat beside me, quiet for once.
"So," she said eventually. "You okay?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I just… didn't expect what you told me."
She sighed. "About Rowan?"
I nodded again.
She skipped a stone across the water. "We met as kids. Before everything went to hell. My family passed through Mistwood a lot trade, scouting. Rowan and I were friends first."
"Friends?" I repeated.
"At first," she said. "Then we met again years later. Older. Lonelier. It wasn't planned. It just… happened."
I studied her face. There was no longing there. No regret. Just honesty.
"It didn't mean anything?" I asked softly.
"It meant something then," she said gently. "But not now. Not like what you and him have."
I let out a slow breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.
"He looks at you like you're home," she added. "Trust me. That's new."
ROWAN POV
I watched them from a distance.
Elara talking softly. Rayna listening.
Something ugly stirred in my chest not anger, not jealousy exactly but a sharp awareness of what I could lose if I wasn't careful.
When Rayna returned to me, she didn't say anything. She just stepped close.
I tilted my head. "Everything okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I just… needed clarity."
I reached out, brushing my thumb over her knuckles. "You have it?"
She looked up at me, eyes steady. "I do."
Relief hit me harder than I expected.
That night, I found her again after the pack had settled. She was sitting on the steps outside the house, knees tucked to her chest.
"You didn't give the shirt back," I said lightly.
She glanced down at it. "Didn't feel like it."
I sat beside her. "You know what they'll say."
She smirked. "Let them."
I laughed quietly, then sobered.
"They'll talk," I said. "But they'll also watch. And when they see how you protect this pack… how you belong here…"
I reached for her hand.
"They'll follow you."
She leaned into me not rushing, not running. Just resting.
And in that moment, with the moon quiet overhead and the pack finally at peace, I knew something deep and unshakable had already changed.
She wasn't just staying.
She was becoming part of us.