~ Chapter Twenty-Four ~

It was quite difficult to leave, which everybody expected. Since Dimitri and I didn't have a very close connection as humans yet, we decided it would be better if we said goodbye to each other as wolves, in our spot over the hill among the flowers, where we cuddled together for a couple of hours. It was strange but rivoting to be like that with Dimitri again after two weeks of being apart. Our wolves silently reassured one another that it wouldn't happen again, that I would be back in no more than two days and I would stay, instead of leaving again. As nice as it was, though, it was short-lived, for soon we were shifting and heading back into the pack so that I could leave. Gina waited for me at the car, which she had kicked Leanne out of so she could talk to me during the long ride home.

Saying goodbye to those in the village was more difficult, however, it was made easier that they already knew of the new arrangement. I was wished the best of luck with my mate, told that if I ever had to leave him again, I could come back and I'd be welcomed, no matter the circumstance. Heidi came to me and told me that Gina had approved of the most recent request I'd made, and that she and her friends were now going to a trusted alpha to live all together. He had a child psychiatrist under his rule, who would help Heidi to become the young woman she was supposed to be, and hopefully could heal the others' traumas, too. Even Jason came to thank me for my hard work, which I didn't expect, though he only shook my hand and nodded at me before leaving.

After just thirty-two hours without my mate, however, it became almost unbearable for my wolf to stay any longer, so I packed my bags into a car, gave Kelsey, Heidi, and Gina a goodbye hug - despite her resistance - and then climbed into a car with Henry, who was supposed to drive it back once he knew I was safely there. I liked having such a long journey alone with Henry; he'd been a friend while I was at the village and was the perfect person to give me a last goodbye.

"There it is," he said, as he stared intently through the window at the opening in the mountains. "How you feeling?"

"Sad," I replied too fast.

"You're not supposed to be sad when you're moving to a new place."

I glanced at him. "I know but I liked life in the village. Now that I'm here, I'm worried it's all going to be shit for me again. No one can change that much in two weeks."

"You know you can come back to us if anything goes wrong," he offered, laying his head on the head rest.

"I don't feel like moving anymore, Henry, but thanks." I gave him a forced smile, and he nodded solemnly.

"Make sure to keep in touch with me. As soon as you're considered one of Alpha Stone's warriors, we won't have the mind-link anymore."

"You made the last two weeks easy, I'm not going to abandon you," I teased in an attempt to lighten my mood.

By now, we were driving through the gap, so I sent a mind-link to Dimitri so we wouldn't get attacked for crossing the border without permission. At the same time, Jessica's big wolf jumped out in front of the car, nodded at us, and then started off toward the pack in a much slower, calmer walk. Henry had yelled out in surprise, clutching the handle above the door, and I started to giggle at him as I carefully put my foot down. He calmed down, completing breathing exercises next to me.

"How is Gina's bodyguard that scared?" I mused aloud to myself.

"Hey, that beta is a *big* wolf. You'd be scared too if you didn't know her fractionally better than I do." His voice was beginning to fade into the background.

"No," I murmured, distracted, "I probably wouldn't..."

Henry's jerky movements in the corner of my eye weren't enough to take my attention away from the light-haired, brown-eyed, sculptured man waiting for me outside of his house. I felt my heart starting to race as my wolf realised what was happening and excitedly pushed at me to get out of the car; I almost forgot that I needed to park it, that I couldn't just run over one of his pack members. For a moment I wondered if there would be any repercussions for that. And then the car engine was turned off, and I was stepping into the cool air hastily. Dimitri had already moved toward me, so by the time I was free, his arms were suddenly around me, his lips tickling my neck, his face in my hair. I responded by curling against his vast chest.

"I'm sorry," his smooth voice whispered into my ear. "I just can't stand being away from you right now. I'm not sure my wolf would forgive me."

I smiled. "Trust me, I understand."

He squeezed me once and let go - after suspiciously inhaling. I pulled my head back to see his face, momentarily stunned by those deep, meaningful eyes. I glanced down at his lips but didn't stay there for long, as I turned back toward the car where Henry had positioned himself in the driver seat, my bag sitting on the hood waiting for me.

"Are you leaving right away?" I asked him, ignoring the hands that lingered on my hips.

"Yeah, I shouldn't leave Gina for too long." He smiled at me. "Remember to keep in touch, Erika. I'll miss you."

"I'll *probably* miss you too." He laughed as I leaned through the car window to give him a short hug, and I then picked up my bag and stepped up close to Dimitri's side. He was watching Henry with a glint in his eye, an air of distaste surrounding him. I chose to ignore it for the time being, and watched Henry reverse out of the pack instead. He waved one last time to me, then he was gone.

"Xanthe's waiting to take your bag," Dimitri muttered into my ear, "but you can take it yourself if you want."

"I'll take it myself." I turned toward the Emporer's Palace and walked up the steps, slow enough that he could follow me. I couldn't imagine what it would be like not to have him near me yet, the bond was still so fresh, so demanding between us. It hadn't felt like this before; I couldn't figure out if our distance was the reason for our need to be with each other, or if this was just how it was going to be now. I hoped the former and that it would fade out soon. We headed into Dimitri's bedroom upstairs, where I dumped my bag carelessly and collapsed onto his bed. It smelt a lot like him, invading my senses with the one scent I wanted to smell right then, until my own tainted it.

I sat up and fixed my t-shirt. "So, what is there to do now?"

He shrugged. "Training's over for the day for everyone but Maeve and a couple try-hards, and I don't have any work to do."

"And they say being an alpha is hard," I teased, muttering to myself. A ghost of a smile flashed across his face. "Well, *you* may not have any work, but Gina and I worked out a little deal. I have to finish some of the assignments she gave me while I was at the village - preferrably soon. I might as well get on with that now, unless you have a better plan?"

"I don't think you should work right now," he admitted. "You just got here."

"Then what else would we do?"

He stared at me silently for a moment, thoughts flashing through his eyes, before he shrugged again and walked over to the window. I watched his back, eyes narrowed, wondering what was going through that head of his. Hopefully nothing that would ruin this for us before it'd really even started.

"I'm going to get to work, then," I decided aloud, reaching down for my bag. He didn't respond, so I took out my things, shuffled backward onto the bed, and leaned against the headboard. As I started to flick through files for a couple of packs that were willing to take on some rogues from the village, Dimitri came to sit down at the bottom of the bed as well, to stare off into space. I ignored him. But after just a couple of seconds, he was taking the pile from my hand, sitting right in front of me, leaning forward.

"I know what I want us to do," he said, glancing down at my lips. I inhaled sharply.

"You do, huh?"

He raised his hand to the side of my face, sending tingles through my skin, and traced across my cheekbone. I leaned into the warmth of his palm, my heart racing, my fingers itching to grab at him, too.

"We can get attached now, right?" he asked.

"Yes." I sounded quiet like a mouse.

"Thank *fuck.*"

His lips crashed against mine.

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