CHAPTER 59

As the first light of morning entered our room, I woke up. The recent events — the unity ceremony and the joining of our packs — had made me tired but happy. I realized that Xander lay beside me, his warm heat sinking into my skin. He breathed steadily, the quiet comforting weight of his arm over my hip.

I carefully turned to look at him without waking him up. His face was younger, smoother, without the perennial furrows across his brow that seemed etched there from dealing with stress of one sort or another. I lay there in a kind of wonder, watching the first dawn light dance across his features, feeling an intense rush of love and a powerful urge to protect him.

I lay there and thought about how much things had changed for us since we first met, our bond had grown through difficult times and shared successes. Now, as leaders of our newly united pack, that bond would be more important than ever.

As if sensing my gaze, Xander's eyes fluttered open. A slow, sleepy smile spread across h