Chapter 4— Home.

Morgan's POV:

My heart was full.

Completely fucking full.

I'd imagined this day so many times that actually living it didn't feel real.

I was home.

Not visiting.

Not counting down the days until another flight.

Not living out of suitcases while wondering how long it would be before I saw Alex again.

Home.

And this time, I was here to stay.

There had been moments over the years when I'd wanted to quit everything and come running back to Crescent Moon. More than once, I'd sat on the edge of my bed staring at a half-packed suitcase, wondering what the hell I was still doing so far away.

But by then, I'd already come too far.

Medicine wasn't simply a degree to me.

It was Mom.

It was the dream she'd planted inside me when I was little.

So I stayed.

I studied.

I cried when I needed to.

And I finished what I'd started.

Now I could finally have both.

My dream.

And my home.

I'd spoken to Usher before buying my ticket, and my new position as one of Crescent Moon's doctors was already waiting for me.

Doctor Morgan Miller.

Goddess, I loved the sound of that.

My friend Rekha had even given me a beautiful white coat before I left India, with DR. MILLER embroidered across the chest.

But I had something even more precious waiting for me at home.

Mom's old coats.

I'd saved them.

And the first time I walked into our Pack clinic wearing one of them...

I wasn't sure whether I'd smile or cry.

Probably both.

"Dude, let me say hello to my girl."

Ryan's complaint pulled me back to the airport.

Heat immediately crept into my cheeks.

My girl.

Goddess.

Dating someone who happened to be one of my brother's closest friends was going to take some getting used to.

Alex reluctantly loosened his hold on me.

Reluctantly being the important word.

I stepped toward Ryan.

Then hesitated.

Ryan and I had never really been affectionate in front of Alex. Actually, I wasn't entirely sure we'd ever kissed in front of him.

One glance at my brother's face convinced me today wasn't the day to start. So instead of kissing Ryan, I wrapped my arms around him.

The second I did, Alex made a dramatic sound behind me.

I laughed.

"Seriously?"

"I waited nine months for that hug, Alex."

"And you got it."

"Wasn't long enough."

Ryan chuckled and tightened his arms around me.

"Ignore him."

"Impossible. I've been trying my whole life."

"Hey," Alex protested.

I smiled against Ryan's chest.

Goddess, I'd missed this.

Them.

The bickering.

The familiarity.

The feeling that I belonged somewhere.

Ryan's embrace tightened. "Welcome home, beautiful," he murmured. "We've been waiting for you."

I pulled back enough to look at him.

Those familiar green eyes were filled with warmth.

"And I've been counting the days."

His thumb brushed gently over my cheek.

For a second, something uncomfortable tugged inside me.

Not because I didn't want his affection.

I did.

But Ryan looked at me with certainty. And I wasn't sure I could return.

He loved me.

I cared deeply about him.

Maybe someday that would be enough to bridge the space between those two things.

I hoped so.

Because Ryan deserved someone who could look at him with the same certainty shining in his eyes. And I wanted to be that person.

I just wasn't there yet.

A violent growl suddenly erupted.

All three of us froze.

Ryan's eyes widened.

Alex immediately looked around.

"What the fuck was that?"

I pressed a hand against my stomach.

"Me."

Silence.

Then Alex burst out laughing.

"You're fucking starving."

"I haven't had a real meal in fourteen hours!"

I'd eaten before boarding the plane and survived the flight on what the airline had the audacity to call a snack. Three crackers and something resembling cheese did not qualify as food.

These airlines seriously needed to get their shit together.

"Good," Alex said. "Allison and Usher are meeting us at Lily's."

My stomach growled again.

This time even louder.

"Waffles."

Ryan laughed. "We could go to Salem Mall instead. Find somewhere nice. We're celebrating your return."

I stared at him.

"Did you not hear the word Lily's?"

"Yes, but—"

"Ryan."

He sighed.

I hooked my arm through his.

"I have been dreaming about Lily's waffles for almost four years. Do not stand between me and carbohydrates right now."

Alex snorted.

"She's serious."

"Very."

Ryan raised both hands in surrender.

"Lily's it is."

"Good boyfriend."

His eyebrow lifted.

"Do I get a reward?"

Alex immediately stepped between us. "No."

I burst out laughing.

"Alexander!"

"What? I'm hungry too. Let's go."

Goddess help me.

This was going to be my life now.

And I fucking loved it.

Alex grabbed one of my bags before I could protest.

Ryan took the other.

I'd traveled surprisingly light considering I was moving home permanently. Most of my luggage consisted of clothes and souvenirs I'd collected for everyone.

Everything else could be shipped later.

When we reached the vehicle, Alex tossed my bag into the back before looking at Ryan. "You're driving."

Ryan frowned. "Why?"

"Because I'm sitting with Morgan."

"So am I."

"No, you're not."

"Alex—"

"Brother outranks boyfriend."

Ryan stared at him.

"That's not a fucking thing."

"It is today."

I covered my mouth to hide my laugh.

Ryan looked at me for support.

Wrong person.

"Sorry."

"Seriously?"

I shrugged.

"I haven't seen him in nine months."

"And you haven't seen me in—"

"Get in the driver's seat, Romeo," Alex interrupted.

Ryan muttered something under his breath.

I didn't catch all of it.

Probably for the best.

Two minutes later, Ryan was behind the wheel while Alex and I sat comfortably in the back like spoiled Uber passengers. I slipped my arm through my brother's and rested my head against his shoulder.

There.

That feeling.

I'd forgotten how much I'd missed it.

Alex had always seemed enormous beside me. His tall frame practically swallowed mine, and when I was little, I'd genuinely believed nothing bad could happen as long as my brother stood between me and whatever scared me.

Thunderstorms.

Nightmares.

Bullies.

Monsters under the bed.

Alex could defeat all of them.

At least in my childhood mind.

I smiled.

Maybe part of me still believed it.

He glanced down. "What?"

"Nothing."

"You're smiling."

"Am I not allowed?"

"You're allowed. It's suspicious, though."

I squeezed his arm. "I missed you, asshole."

His expression softened.

Then he kissed the top of my head. "Missed you too, Princess."

Ryan looked at us through the rearview mirror. "You two realize I'm still here, right?"

"Nope," Alex and I answered simultaneously.

We looked at each other.

Then burst out laughing.

Ryan shook his head. "This is going to be a long fucking day."

I turned toward the window as we pulled away from the airport.

And then I saw it.

The Eastern Kingdom passing outside the glass.

Familiar roads.

Familiar trees.

Familiar land.

My land.

Kira stirred warmly inside me. "We're really back."

I rested my head against Alex's shoulder. "Yeah."

For once, neither of us had anything sarcastic to add.

I watched the world I'd missed for one eternity pass outside my window.

And breathed.

I wasn't leaving again.

Not tomorrow.

Not next month.

Not when another semester started.

There was no return ticket waiting inside my suitcase.

This time...

I was simply going home.

The ride to Lily's gave Alex and Ryan plenty of time to catch me up on almost four years' worth of Crescent Moon gossip.

And Goddess...

I'd missed some shit.

School had consumed so much of my life that whenever I called home, I didn't want to waste precious time discussing who was sleeping with whom, who'd gotten into a fight, or which she-wolf had been caught sneaking out of whose house.

Our calls were about us.

How Alex was doing.

How Usher was handling being Alpha.

How my studies were going.

Whether I was eating.

Whether I was sleeping.

Whether I was crashing my books.

Whether I was going out with someone.

That last question usually came from Alex.

Repeatedly.

With threats attached. And of course, this was before Ryan showed up.

So apparently, I'd missed enough Pack drama to fill an entire fucking television series.

"Wait. Wait. Wait." I sat up straighter. "Back up."

Alex grinned.

Ryan glanced at me through the rear-view mirror.

"What?"

I stared at my brother.

"You're telling me Henry's fated mate is Dawn?"

Alex's grin widened.

"Yep."

"Shut the fuck up."

"Nope."

My mouth dropped open.

"Dawn?"

"The one and only."

I slapped a hand over my mouth.

"Holy shit."

Kira immediately perked up. "Oh, this is good."

"You remember her?"

"How could I forget?"

Exactly.

"That poor man," I whispered.

Alex laughed. "That's what everyone said."

I couldn't believe it.

Dawn had been one of the biggest pains in my ass growing up. She came from an extremely wealthy family and apparently decided somewhere along the way that having money entitled her to treat anyone without privileges like shit.

Henry had been one of her favorite targets.

His family wasn't wealthy.

They weren't poor, either, but compared to Dawn's family, almost everyone looked broke.

She never let him forget it.

His clothes.

His house.

His parents' jobs.

Anything she could use to humiliate him, she did.

And Henry?

He rarely defended himself.

That used to drive me fucking crazy.

I'd watched him walk away from her insults more times than I could count.

"How the hell did that happen?" I asked. "She was horrible to him."

"Apparently, the moment they recognized each other, Dawn nearly had a nervous breakdown," Alex said.

I blinked.

"No."

"Oh, yes."

Ryan laughed from the driver's seat.

"She ran."

"She ran?"

"Straight out of the building."

I burst out laughing.

I couldn't help it.

"Karma," Kira said smugly.

"Behave."

"I am behaving."

"You're enjoying this."

"Very much."

So was I.

Maybe a little too much.

"What did Henry do?"

"Went after her," Alex answered.

"Of course he did."

Fated-mate bond.

Naturally.

"But he forgave her?"

"Eventually."

I sank back against the seat.

"Damn."

That part wasn't quite as funny.

Dawn had hurt him. Repeatedly. And now the Moon Goddess had bound them together for life.

I stared out the window for a moment.

Goddess-given mates were supposed to be perfect for one another.

Not perfect people.

But perfect for each other.

Maybe Dawn had changed.

I hoped she had.

For Henry's sake.

"They have a pup now," Alex added casually.

My head whipped around so fast I nearly hurt my neck.

"They have a what?"

"A pup."

"Already?"

Alex laughed.

"You've been gone almost four years, Morgan. People didn't freeze in place when you left."

"Apparently not!"

Goddess.

I really had missed everything.

"Is the baby cute?"

"Very."

"Boy or girl?"

"Girl."

My heart immediately melted.

"Ohhh."

Ryan snorted.

"What?"

"You went from calling the mother evil to melting over her baby in less than thirty seconds."

"The pup didn't do anything."

"Fair."

I smiled.

Then Ryan added, "Still, with Dawn's history, Henry must've had some questions about whether—"

I straightened.

"Don't."

He stopped.

Alex's eyes immediately shifted toward me.

Ryan glanced at me through the mirror.

"Don't what?"

"Finish that sentence."

His eyebrows drew together.

"I was joking."

"At her expense."

"It's Dawn."

"And?"

His expression changed.

Good.

He knew me well enough to recognize that tone.

"She treated you like shit, Morgan."

"She did."

"And your friends."

"Yeah. She did."

"So why are you defending her?"

"I'm not."

I folded my arms.

"I'm defending the principle."

Alex leaned back against the seat, looking far too entertained.

Traitor.

I pointed toward the driver's seat.

"You dated her."

Ryan nearly choked.

"What?"

"Oh, don't give me that shit. I have eyes."

Alex made a suspicious coughing noise that sounded remarkably like a laugh.

"I didn't date Dawn."

"Really?"

"No."

"So all those times I saw the two of you kissing, you were what? Practicing CPR?"

Alex lost it.

His laughter filled the back seat.

"Don't encourage her," Ryan complained.

"I'm not saying a fucking word."

"You don't have to. I can see your face."

I leaned forward slightly.

"Ryan, you're technically my first boyfriend. I'm not stupid enough to believe I'm your first girlfriend."

He opened his mouth.

I held up a hand.

"And I don't care."

That wasn't completely true.

Something had pinched inside me when I remembered Dawn kissing him.

Interesting.

"What I care about," I continued, "is how you talk about women you've been involved with. If you liked someone enough to kiss her, date her, sleep with her—whatever the hell happened between the two of you—don't turn around later and talk about her like she's trash."

Ryan went quiet.

So did Alex.

"I don't like that," I finished.

Ryan's eyes met mine through the rear-view mirror.

"You're right, beautiful. I'm sorry."

"Thank you."

That should've been the end of it.

But Ryan smiled.

"And for the record, you don't have anything to worry about."

I frowned.

"What am I supposed to be worried about?"

"Dawn."

"Why would I be worried about Dawn?"

His smile widened slightly. "Because I dated her."

I stared at the back of his head.

"I know you dated her."

"And that doesn't bother you?"

There was something about the question that made me shift in my seat.

"No."

The answer came easily.

Maybe a little too easily for Ryan's liking, because his fingers tightened around the steering wheel.

Only for a second.

Then they relaxed.

"Not even a little?" he asked.

I glanced at Alex. My brother wasn't smiling anymore. He was looking out the window, his jaw tight, apparently determined to stay the hell out of our conversation.

Smart man.

"Ryan, what exactly are you trying to get me to say?"

"Nothing."

"It doesn't sound like nothing."

He sighed.

"I guess I wouldn't mind knowing my girlfriend gets a little jealous over me."

There it was.

I didn't know why, but the statement made me uncomfortable.

Not angry.

Not jealous.

Just...

Uncomfortable.

"I don't think jealousy proves that I care about you."

"I didn't say it did."

"You kind of did."

Ryan glanced at me through the mirror again.

"I just want to know this is real for you too, Morgan."

My stomach tightened.

That was different. And somehow worse.

Because suddenly we weren't talking about Dawn anymore.

We were talking about us.

"Ryan..."

"I waited a long time for you."

I knew that.

He'd told me before.

More than once.

"I know."

"And now you're finally home." His voice softened. "We don't have an ocean between us anymore, beautiful."

Something about the way he said it made my chest tighten.

He sounded happy.

He should have sounded happy.

So why did I suddenly feel like the walls of the car had moved a few inches closer?

I looked down at my hands.

Dating Ryan from Europe had been easy.

Phone calls.

Messages.

Video chats.

The occasional visit.

There had always been distance between us.

A natural boundary neither one of us had to discuss.

But that boundary was gone now.

I was home.

And for the first time, I realized Ryan might have spent the last several months imagining what that meant for us.

Maybe he'd pictured something I hadn't.

"I think we should take things slowly now that I'm back," I said.

Silence.

Not long.

Maybe two seconds.

But long enough for me to notice.

Then Ryan smiled at me through the mirror.

"Of course."

I relaxed slightly.

"We have plenty of time," I added.

"Absolutely."

His answer was perfect.

So why didn't it make the strange feeling disappear?

I leaned back against the seat.

Kira stirred quietly inside me.

This time, she didn't say a fucking word.

And I was grateful.

Because I didn't need my wolf telling me what I already knew.

I had made the decision to date Ryan while I was thousands of miles away.

Lonely.

Homesick.

Missing my family.

Missing my Pack.

Missing everything familiar.

At the time, saying yes to him had felt easy.

Safe, even.

But being home changed things.

Ryan wasn't a voice coming through my phone anymore.

He was here. And apparently, so were all the expectations that came with being his girlfriend.

I looked out the window.

Maybe that was all this was.

Adjustment.

We needed time to learn how to be together without an ocean separating us. That didn't mean I'd made a mistake.

It certainly didn't mean Alex had been right.

Goddess forbid.

I almost smiled.

Then my thoughts wandered back to Henry.

To Dawn.

To two wolves who had spent years on opposite sides of cruelty only to discover that the Moon Goddess had bound them together anyway.

Kira finally stirred.

"She found him."

I closed my eyes.

Of course.

"Don't start."

"I said three words."

"Three very annoying words."

She ignored that.

"Henry didn't choose Dawn."

My smile disappeared.

No.

He hadn't.

The Moon Goddess had chosen for them. And somehow, that thought felt considerably less ridiculous than it had yesterday.

"Morgan..."

"Kira."

"You cannot keep pretending ours doesn't exist."

I turned toward the window again.

For the first time...

I didn't immediately tell her she was wrong.

There it was.

I turned my attention back to the passing scenery.

"I'm not pretending."

"You are."

I didn't answer.

Kira softened.

"I can feel him."

That got my attention.

My stomach tightened.

She'd said similar things before.

But something about hearing it here, back in the Eastern Kingdom, felt different.

"What do you mean, you can feel him?"

"I don't know."

That wasn't the answer I expected.

Kira was quiet for several seconds.

Then—

"It's different now."

A strange chill traveled down my arms.

"What's different?"

"Being home."

I swallowed.

No.

Nope.

Absolutely fucking not.

"Kira, don't start."

"I'm not trying to frighten you."

"Well, you're doing a spectacular fucking job."

She went silent.

I looked toward Ryan.

He was driving with one hand resting casually on the steering wheel, completely unaware of the conversation happening inside my head.

My boyfriend.

Then I looked at Alex beside me.

My brother.

My home.

The reason I'd promised myself I would never leave Crescent Moon again.

A ridiculous thought crept into my mind.

What if Kira was right?

What if my fated mate hadn't found me because I wasn't where I was supposed to be?

What if—

No.

I shut that shit down immediately.

Five full moons.

Nearly three years since my eighteenth birthday.

Nothing.

Whoever the Moon Goddess had supposedly created for me had certainly taken his sweet fucking time.

Maybe she had made a mistake.

Kira growled.

"Take it back."

I almost smiled.

"You're ridiculously protective of her."

"She gave me to you."

That silenced me.

Well...

Fuck.

How was I supposed to argue with that?

"And she gave someone to us," Kira added softly.

I closed my eyes.

There it was again.

That certainty.

I envied her for it.

"What if you're wrong?" I asked.

For once, there was no sarcasm in my voice.

Kira's answer came gently. "What if I'm not, Morgan?"

My chest tightened.

Mom would've known what to tell me.

The thought came so suddenly that it hurt.

I missed her.

Goddess, I missed her.

If Mom were sitting beside me, I could've asked her whether I'd made a mistake. Whether choosing Ryan had been foolish. Whether I should've waited another year.

Another full moon.

Another chance.

Instead, I had Kira.

And apparently my wolf had decided today was the perfect fucking day to send me into an existential crisis.

I opened my eyes.

Ryan turned into the parking lot of Lily's Diner.

"We're here."

Thank the Goddess.

Food.

Friends.

Waffles.

Anything that would get me out of my own fucking head. Because I'd been home for less than two hours...

and somehow Kira had already managed to make me question the one decision I'd been so certain about before I landed.

I glanced at Ryan one more time.

Then pushed the thought away.

Whatever the Moon Goddess had planned for me could wait.

I was home.

And right now, I wanted my fucking waffles.

I reached for the door handle.

Then froze.

A strange warmth suddenly spread through my chest.

Not pain.

Not discomfort.

Just...

Warmth.

It started somewhere beneath my ribs and slowly traveled upward, leaving a trail of goosebumps along my arms.

I frowned.

Kira went completely still.

That got my attention.

"What?"

She didn't answer.

"Kira?"

Nothing.

That was strange.

My wolf was rarely fucking speechless.

I pressed a hand against my chest.

The sensation disappeared almost as quickly as it had come.

"Everything okay?"

I looked up.

Alex was watching me.

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

"Of course."

I smiled and opened the door.

Probably exhaustion.

Fourteen hours on a plane, an airport emergency, no real food, and Kira filling my head with bullshit about fated mates.

My body was entitled to malfunction a little.

I stepped out of the car.

The crisp autumn air hit my face.

And I breathed deeply.

Home.

Behind me, Ryan and Alex started arguing about something I wasn't even paying attention to.

I rolled my eyes.

Some things never fucking changed.

Then Kira finally spoke.

So quietly I almost missed it.

"Morgan..."

I stopped.

"What?"

Another pause.

"Nothing."

I frowned.

"Don't do that shit. What is it?"

But Kira retreated into the back of my mind.

Interesting.

Very fucking interesting.

I would've interrogated her if the front door of Lily's hadn't suddenly swung open.

A woman came flying out.

"MORGAN!"

My eyes widened.

"Oh, shit."

I barely had time to brace myself.

Because apparently...

I was about to be tackled for the second time that morning.