4

Caine told Maeve and Leora to go ahead.

He looked at me, something apologetic in his expression.

"I'm sorry, Eileen. Maeve didn't mean it.

"She just hasn't seen Leora in so long, she got carried away calling her family."

I didn't argue with him.

There was no point.

I changed the subject.

"The friend who had the ceremony on the Ice Plains, that was Leora?"

Caine was quiet for a moment, then nodded.

I asked again, "And the party favor, she told you to bring it to me?"

"Yes. She said it was for good luck."

I laughed.

"Good luck from your first love's ceremony?"

Caine froze.

"I didn't think about it that way..."

He hadn't thought about it.

In seven years together, I'd heard that line countless times.

He forgot our anniversary. "Things have been crazy in the pack. I didn't think about it."

I was sick and everything tasted bitter, so I asked him to bring me something sweet on his way home. He brought back something spicy. "I just remembered you wanted soup. I didn't think about it."

Even the gown for the marking ceremony, I'd asked him to handle the order, and he'd gotten the size wrong.

"I figured you were still the same as back in school. I didn't think about it."

Caine studied my expression, then pulled a box from his coat.

He opened it to reveal a pair of rings.

The band of the woman's ring was set with a rare, pure-white moonstone.

He took my hand, his voice going soft.

"The bracelet Maeve wanted to give you, the style was too dated. It wasn't good enough for you.

"So I had these rings custom-made to give you on our ceremony day.

"Eileen, do you like them?"

I looked at the rings. They were beautiful.

But they'd come too late.

I gently pulled my hand free and met Caine's eyes, my tone serious.

"Caine, if you want to back out of our marking ceremony, there's still time."

Caine tensed immediately.

"Eileen, don't say that!

"We've been together for seven years. We're meant to be mates!

"If you don't like the rings, I'll throw them away! But I don't like what you just said. Take it back."

Seeing how upset he was, a rare thing, I sighed.

Some things, once they've happened, can never be taken back.

"Fine. Go get ready."

Caine stared at me for a long time, then pulled me into his arms.

"Eileen, I swear before the Moon Goddess, you are the only one I love.

"I swear I'll always be good to you."

I nodded but didn't say a word.

The moment the door closed behind him, I stood alone in the empty hall and let the silence settle.

Then I walked to the altar, took a few things from my pocket, and arranged them one by one.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. From Caine.

"Eileen, just thinking about officially becoming your mate makes my heart race."

"Only two hours left. Eileen, are you excited?"

I looked around the ceremony hall I had set up, and didn't reply.

A second later, a message from Norah popped up.

"Those two shameless scumbags! You need to see this right now!"

She'd sent a link. I tapped it, and it opened to a social media influencer's post.

The first thing I saw was a photo.

Beneath a shimmering aurora, Leora stood in a white gown while Caine knelt on one knee.

The scene was romantic and dreamlike.

The caption read: A Southern Mate Journeys North for a Promise Under the Northern Lights.

The blogger had also attached a video.

In the clip, a voice off-camera asked Caine why he'd traveled all the way from the south to the northern Ice Plains.

Caine answered, "Because it's a promise we made when we were eighteen."

I watched the entire video carefully, then saved the footage to a memory crystal.

Then I replied to Caine.

"Very excited."

Finally, I surveyed what I'd left on the altar.

There was a memory crystal.

There was a stone engraved with Caine's name and mine.

And there was a diary.

I turned and walked away without looking back.

Goodbye, my seven years.

Two hours later, Caine arrived at the hall with Leora and the rest of the pack.

The moment the doors swung open, everyone froze.