When I get back to our house, it's Dean who is the first to greet me.

He throws open the door before I even have a chance to touch the handle, and I jump in surprise.

My surprise only amplifies when he pulls me in for a tight hug, putting his chin on the top of my head. "You're in so much trouble," He whispers into my hair.

"Is that Onyx? Is she back?" I hear Kallista call out, followed by footsteps.

Dean pulls away, only for Kallista to take his place. "I'm going to kill you," She says, squeezing me tightly.

"Can't... breathe..." I gasp through her iron grip.

Kallista hugs me even tighter before finally releasing me. "Don't do that ever again," She says, and my eyes widen when I see that hers are filled with tears.

"I won't," I say, shocked by their emotional reactions to me leaving. "How did you guys-"

Ronin walks up, his face unreadable. "We always have someone keeping watch at night, in case if any rogues stumble past the house and need shelter."

"I saw you leave," Dean says, his eyes sad. "I woke up Finn to tell him, and once he got back from chasing after you, he told us where you went."

Kallista throws her arms up. "I mean seriously, Onyx! What the hell were you thinking, going back to him? What the hell were you thinking, leaving us again?"

I'm at a loss for words, shocked by these wolves' concern. I really hadn't expected them to notice, especially not care this much.

"What Kallista means to say," Ronin says gently. "Is that we were worried about you."

"I-I'm sorry," I stutter, still shell shocked. "I didn't know-"

"You didn't know what, Onyx?" Dean demands, sounding uncharacteristically upset. "That we care about you? You're a part of our family. You can't just be going on random trips alone in the middle of the night without telling us!"

"Guys, lay off," Finn suddenly appears, his voice somber. "Can you leave us alone for a minute?"

With one last disappointed look at me, they leave the room, and I wish they hadn't, because now I have to face Finn.

"Hi," I say awkwardly.

"Hey," He says, his eyes softening.

"Finn, listen, I'm so sorry," I begin my apology, but he pulls me into his arms, and I immediately relax into them. For some reason, I start to cry.

"Shh, it's okay, my love," He whispers, pressing his lips against his Mark, making me whimper. "You're back now, that's all that matters."

He strokes my hair and holds me in his arms until the crying stops. "Let's go run you a bath and we can talk about it, okay?" He suggests, and I nod gratefully.

Finn picks me up in his arms and carries me to our room. Once the bath is ready, and after he gently strips me and places me in the water, he sits on the floor, leaning back against the wall.

"I saw him," I blurt out after a few moments of silence. "Thane. He was there."

Finn's eyes widen. "Did you..?"

I shake my head. "Kill him? No. But... He practically asked me to."

Finn looks relieved by my answer, albeit slightly confused. "He asked you to kill him?"

I sigh, closing my eyes and sinking deeper in the water. "It was bad, Finn. He looked really bad. He was so... broken. I don't understand it. I don't understand him."

Finn contemplates my words. "Do you think he regrets what he did to your friend?"

I shake my head again. "He didn't apologize for it or anything."

"What did he say?" Finn asks, not sounding mad, just curious.

"He knows about you," I say quietly, and his eyes widen more. "Well, not you specifically. He saw your Mark, the ring. He knows I'm with someone else."

"Was he mad? Did he try to hurt you?" Finn asks, and I can see his eyes search my body for injuries.

"No, nothing like that," I quickly say, and frown when I remember his reaction. "He wanted to know if I was happy with you. When I said I was, he looked... relieved. Like he accepted it. He told me to be well, and then let me leave. Didn't try to stop me or anything."

Finn shakes his head slowly in disbelief. "Onyx, it was too risky for you to go back there. I don't know why he didn't flip out at the Mark, but he could have lost control and hurt you. He's already done that once. Please tell me you got whatever it is you went there for. I can't let you go again, especially not back to him."

I nod. I planted my grandmother in the garden before coming to the door, but that wasn't all I came back with.

I hadn't realized it at the time, but I think a part of me was looking for closure with Thane. The way we left things the first time deeply wounded me, but after leaving this time, I could feel those wounds beginning to heal.

"I thought it would feel better," I admit quietly to my mate. "I would have thought that seeing him so depressed and low would make me feel better about what happened with Greyson... but seeing him like that made me feel hollow."

Finn looks at me in sympathy. "Revenge is ugly, Onyx. It darkens even the most pure of hearts. All you can do is live your life, and live it well. What he did to your friend was cruel, unforgivable. But it sounds like he's already paying the price for it."

I smile slightly at my other half. "Has anyone ever told you that you should start an advice column?"

He laughs. "Maybe I'll get right on that after the wedding preparations are made."

His words remind me of all we still have to do. "Speaking of, are we supposed to set a date for that?" I frown.

Finn shrugs. "Why not next week?"

My mouth drops open. "You just proposed two nights ago!"

His eyes glow in happiness. "So, what? Everyone we love is already here. I know I told you that I would wait forever to make you mine if I had to, but now that I don't, I see no point in waiting to make it official. Life is short, Onyx. Any day I spend not being your husband is a day wasted," He says with a wink.

I laugh. "While there's nothing more appealing than the idea of being your wife as well as mate, that's not enough time to plan a wedding!"

"Sure it is," He grins. "You haven't seen how productive Kallista can be on coffee and a deadline."

"This is crazy," I laugh, running my hand through my hair. "I can't believe this is all happening so fast."

Finn moves to the edge of the tub and places both of his hands on the sides of my face. "Onyx, there is nothing in the world that is going to stop me from marrying you, especially not wedding semantics. We're getting married next week, and soon after that, we're going on our honeymoon."

My mouth drops open. "A honeymoon? Like out of the country?" I had never been anywhere but these woods.

Finn laughs, kissing my temple. "Anywhere you'd like, my love. The further away from Dean, the better."

"Surprise me," I say with a grin. "Somewhere warm. Ooooh, and with a beach!"

Finn nods seriously. "Got it. Sun, beach, and a bed big enough for me to-"

I giggle and splash him with the water. He laughs and playfully growls, "Alright, that's enough bathing. I've got other plans for you today."

"Other plans?" I squeak as he lifts me out of the bathtub and wraps a towel around me.

"Of course, my darling fiancée," He grins wickedly, carrying me into our bedroom. "We've got to start practicing for our honeymoon."

***

After spending much of the morning tangled in the sheets with my mate, I slept until the late afternoon. When I woke up alone, there was a note from Finn reading:

My lovely kidnapee/ mate/ fiancée and everything in between:

Out with Kallista and Dean running wedding errands. Apparently, Kallista has a notebook filled with decor and dress ideas (yes- it is as terrifying as it sounds) and wants to get started planning right away. We'll be back in a few hours.

Ronin said something about finding a cherry tree in the garden that appeared overnight? He wanted to know if you had anything to do with it. Avoid talking to him if he has gardening sheers in his hand, especially if they're extra sharp.

I love you, always.

-Your equally lovely kidnapper/ mate/ fiancé

I laugh at his letter, reading the last two words a few hundred times over, still unable to believe how lucky I am to be with my other half.

After putting the note with the other one, the one he left me the morning of our engagement, I get dressed, once again choosing to wear one of his hoodies.

I remembered when not too long ago, I hadn't understood why wearing his clothes and breathing in his scent had provided me with so much comfort.

Everything has changed, and Finn was right, when he told me at the lake that change can be good. Change had been good for me. Finn is good for me, for my happiness, for my weary heart.

Once dressed, I go out to the garden, where I see Ronin staring at the tree, completely perplexed. When I explain that it's my grandmother, he doesn't seem disturbed, only suggests that we move it somewhere with better lighting.

When I use my magic to move it, he stares at me in shock. "Why have we been hunched over plants for hours when you could have just been doing that?" He teasingly asks.

I grin at him, a smile so big it nearly hurts my cheeks. "Because, Ro. Some things are worth the extra time and care."

After helping Ronin replant more poppies after Finn commandeered all of them for the proposal, I go back inside to find my mate.

When traveling through the hallways, I run into Hudson.

"Hi, Onyx!" He greets me with a smile.

"Hi, Hudson," I say back, noticing that he appears to be wearing new attire. "Nice clothes."

"Dean and Kallista went shopping with me," Hudson informs me with a blush. "She... went a little over the top."

"Sounds like Kallista," I agree with a laugh. Despite her extravagant tendencies, my heart warmed thinking about her. About all of my family.

"Nice ring," Hudson says with a small, knowing smirk. "Looks like things weren't too complicated after all, huh?"

I stare at the marvelous oval diamond with a grin.

"No. Everything is perfect."