The wooden stove was burning up a storm and making the little one-room cabin almost too-hot. Or maybe it was my nerves–it was probably my nerves...

I had chopped some wood from the pile alongside the house and brought it in. I wasn't sure if this thing would actually work, it looked so rusted. At first it just smoked the house up until I realized that I didn't open the vents up.

Idiot.

It was my nerves. My fingers had been shaking all afternoon.

Susie had come by and brought me some potted moon plants so I would have some leaves to chew on with Lizzie, who left these skimpy black lacy things in my back for me to wear on top of my bag. I flushed widely and pushed them to the bottom of my bag when I found them.

My bag that I had carried over from the portal with my journal recounting everything. I laid the journal out on the counter, debating what to do with it. Everything was fuzzy. I barely remembered, I knew I had seen them but it felt so like a dream.

I shook out the blankets and made sure the bed was made. Well, it was made but my nerves got to me so I unmade it to make sure there were sheets then made it again. After unmaking and remaking the bed a few times, I decided to have a bath. A bath that I regretted deciding to do halfway through because of how much work it was.

However, it was very worth it after I was done. I was thankful I remembered to pack a razor; although I doubted he would care, frankly I didn't care. I just cared about seeing him, even if he grew that damn beard out along with his hair. I didn't care at all.

There was a tap on my door as I finished dumping out the bathwater, Eve. I had some brownies baking on top of the stove when she walked in, her wolf pacing as her nerves ate at her like mine did me.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes!" she rushed out. "Well no, well I'm fine. I just–" she paused with a smile and looked back at me. "Well, I thought you would want to see him too. Him and Lucas. I'll need help?"

"Ok," I replied with a quick nod. "Who do I need to get?"

"Well, I don't know. I know that Lucas and Jane are living with him. I can go for Lucas and Jane if you want to grab Levi?"

"Ok, now?"

"Yes, do you mind?"

"No!" I rushed out as I walked to my bag and pulled out my pouch of moon dust. I walked back to the stove, quickly grabbing some potholders and removing the brownies from the top of the stove. "I don't mind at all. Your place?"

"Please," she breathed out.

I walked to her, rubbing my cheek against her's before I let out a long sigh. "Ready?"

"Yes, let's go," she replied as she led me down a path toward another cabin similar to mine, tucked away in trees that she was staying in. She closed the door behind me and pulled her hair back in a hair tie.. "I look alright, right?"

"Eve, he's not going to care," I replied with a soft smile.

"I should have shaved," she mused.

"I just shaved my legs."

"Well, I meant–"

"Ok, so to his cabin then?" I injected to save myself from mortification.

She chuckled then nodded. "Hold onto me Charlie girl."

I rolled my eyes and let her hug me to her, my pouch of dust hanging on the necklace on my neck, as she threw some down and pulled us. Pulled us through the cold night air and towards a place that made my beast howl out.

We landed on the floor, quickly separating as we looked around at the empty living room of Levi's cabin. Eve held a finger to her lips while my wolf came closer, sniffing and feeling the room out to see who was there.

"Lucas?!"

I nodded to her and headed to his room with a handful of dust ready as she headed back towards Lucas' room. Stopping at the door, I braced myself because Levi could very well try to kill me. I would probably do the same in his shoes.

"Lucas is that you?!"

I pushed the door open quickly as a growl ripped through the air. Saying he was shell shocked was an understatement, but for me, it was an advantage. Before he could move, I tackled him like a spider monkey and threw the dust down, pulling us to Eve's cabin that my mind was focused on as he clung onto me.

We landed hard on the wooden flood. I groaned as he quickly pinned me down under him with a snarl. "Jesus Levi, don't kill me. I already died once," I griped out.

"What?!"

I flickered my eyes open and smiled as he sat back on his heels with wide eyes. "Hey, Levi."

He shook his head as his beast eyed me. "Charlie girl?"

"It's me, Levi," I said as a crack burst in the room.

Lucas jumped up with Jane, snarling as Eve pulled herself up from the fall. "I need to practice that more," she grumbled.

Levi's eyes widened and I felt my eyes water as I nodded to him. He slowly turned, his eyes meeting Eve's that were pool of tears. "Eve?"

"Hi asshole," she laughed out through her watery eyes.

"Charlotte?" Lucas rushed out. "Charlotte," he said again like he was convincing himself that I was here. "Charlotte."

"I'm not Beetlejuice, if you say my name three times nothing is going to happen," I laughed out as I wiped my eyes.

Jane sucked in a sharp breath as Lucas walked over slowly to me. His beast looked me over before he let out what sounded like a whine as he pulled me to him. "Holy shit," he rushed out.

"Eve?" Levi asked again.

"Dammit Levi," she grumbled before she walked over to him, pulling him to her and kissing him hard which seemed to shake him out of his shell shock because soon he was kissing her back while Jane looked around the room in confusion.

"What is happening?!" Jane asked, panting hard as she eyed us.

Lucas turned around, his beast almost barking out in joy as his eyes landed on Eve. "Mom?!"

"Hey baby," she replied as Levi nuzzled her neck, kissing along her mark while he held her tightly to him.

"Mom?"

"Yes, Lucas," Eve breathed back with a smile. "We're back baby."

"We have a lot to tell you," I said with a watery-eyed smile.

"No shit," Lucas breathed out as Jane walked over.

"Lucas!" she hissed.

"Right, Char this is–"

"I know, I heard," I said with a smile as I looked at her. "Hi."

She let out a gasp then rubbed her cheek against mine, hugging me to her while Eve walked over to Lucas. "Andrea has missed you so much."

I sucked in a sharp breath. "I missed her too."

"Charlie girl, get your tiny ass over here," Levi told me, his voice cracking as I pulled away and walked over to him. My eyes watering and my throat clenching as I neared him. "Dammit girl–" he started to say when he hugged me to him.

I let out a sharp sob against his chest while he nuzzled my hair. Tears running down my face while he Eve hugged Lucas and Jane with a teary eyed smile. "Hi," I croaked out.

"I missed you Charlie girl," Levi breathed out before he kissed my cheek. "Lucas is terrible at chopping wood."

"Am not!"

I chuckled and pulled away while I wiped my eyes. "I missed you too."

"Dammit, come back here," he said as he pulled me to him again. "Your mate is going to shit himself a brick of rainbows–have you told him?"

"Not yet, Eve needed help getting the three of you," I answered as he kissed my hair, his beast coming closer to nuzzle it. The bond we have, the bond we would always have was still there. It was like a silver thread pulsing with joy in my mind. I knew I had my parents with me now, but Levi would always be a father to me–to my beast and I, and as his wolf nuzzled me some more, coating my hair with his scent I knew I would always be one of his pups.

Levi sighed and kissed my cheek before he let his beast come closer to nuzzle me again. "I love you girly. No more dying."

"I love you too. No more dying," I repeated back with a smile.

"Hold up, you haven't told Ethan yet?" Lucas asked.

"We have a lot to catch you up on and your mother needed help," I answered as I slightly pulled away from Levi.

"We can talk about it tomorrow," Eve answered. "Go on Char," she breathed out with a smile.

"Where is he?" I asked while I wiped my eyes.

Lucas bit at his lip, thinking for a bit while Eve walked to the counter where she has some moon plants and started to rip the leaves off of them. "Home. He's definitely at home."

"Ok," my voice came out on a shaky breath. "I'll see you all tomorrow," I said while Eve passed around some leaves.

"Mom?"

"Just chew on it, it helps with the silver," Eve answered before she walked back over to Levi who I think was about to start crying. His eyes were so watery when I left, almost glassy as he looked on at her while he pulled her to him again, murmuring things to her that made my heart swell.

Walking away, I felt nothing but love in my heart. I almost sprinted back to my cabin. I did sprint back to my cabin. I sprinted back then I paced back and forth to think of the best way to do this.

I could just enter through the bedroom. Unless he was there, he may flip and I needed to get him back here which is easier if I catch him by surprise like I did Levi.

Living room. I would go in through the living room.

I took a deep breath and smoothed my hair out then smoothed my long-sleeved shirt of my dad's out. I slipped on some plain brown flats Evie had lent me then pulled the bottoms of my yoga pants down that had been riding up.

Reaching into the little leather pouch around my neck, I prayed that I could do this quickly and unnoticed. I threw the powder down, thinking of our living room and only our living room, and I was pulled.

I closed my eyes as I felt like I was falling through air,; air that was gentle and almost kind as it blew past me. My hair whipped around my face as my hands clutched the pouch around my neck until my feet landed on something solid.

Sucking in a breath, I opened my eyes to my living room. To our home. To our home that smelled like him.

My eyes watered again as I let out a shaky breath as quietly as I could. I pulled some more dust out of my pouch as let my beast run forward–we tried to feel out for him, but we got nothing.

"Shit," I hissed.

I almost went to the pack house–to his office when I opted to try the upstairs. As quietly as I could, I walked upstairs until I realized that he would smell and feel me coming anyways; my blood was crackling like pop-rock candy, there was nothing not-noticable about this.

The bedroom was empty when I walked in and so was the balcony. My bearskin blanket was on the bed, tossed around like it had been cuddled with the previous night. I walked over to it and buried my nose in it, inhaling deeply only to find my beast and I whining as the scent of sadness clouded my nose with his.

The scent of torment and despair.

I felt the bond twist while I pushed back the tears and walked through our bathroom and into the closet. The closet where some of my clothes were on the ground but for the most part it was all the same.

Somehow I found myself walking towards his side, over to his shirts hanging up; I buried my nose in them, breathing deeply like they were the only fresh air in this room. My wolf howled out as we started to tug at the bond to see if we couldn't find him–draw him to us.

It wasn't long, not even five minutes when I felt it. When I felt him coming. When I heard the door open as coming rushed in. I had to cover my mouth to keep from sobbing out. My hand muffled another deep breath coming out of my lips while I gave myself a mini-pep talk.

I just needed to ambush and poof him. That was it. Just ambush and poof.

But he knew I was there. I don't know if he knew I was there, but he knew someone was. I could feel it and I really knew when an angry cold growl ripped through the house.

Shit.

I walked around and pushed myself up against a wall next to the closet door. The dust still in my hands and ready to be dropped.

His footsteps were loud and slow as he walked up the stairs–intentionally slow. I could smell him and feel his veins humming, burning like a fire that was ready to melt me away. I bit back a breathy moan as his steps grew louder–louder, and louder and louder and louder until he was only a few feet away.

He snarled out, but I didn't move. I didn't move. I waited. I waited, and I tugged at the bond, drawing a groan from his lips as he stumbled forwards.

I didn't blame him. I knew he probably didn't understand. I mean, how many people have had their mate walk back from the dead?

It was then after he stumbled forward that I turned and lunged at him. I lunged and grabbed onto his shirt, pulling him to me while I threw the dust down, and we were pulled. We were pulled and I pulled him closer to me while I thought of the cabin–my cabin in the mountains. My cabin and only my cabin as he clung onto me while we felt through the air until we both landed on the wood floor of it.

My ass was killing me from where I landed. I needed to work on that and I made a quick mental note to do so right when I was flipped on my back as something snarled out at me.

Ethan.

"Where the hell am I?!"

"Ethan." I blinked and looked up at his furious blue-green eyes that I was sure at the moment were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. My eyes water and my beast howled out as we finally let ourselves dip into the bond to reach out to him. The bond that felt almost whole again. "It's me, baby, it's me."

He was stunned still for a few excruciatingly long moments. He slowly shook his head, his eyes looking over me as they tried to understand what they were seeing while one of his hands cautiously reached towards me. I sucked in a breath as I watched him, watched his face.

His face that looked so tired and weary. His face was still just as beautiful as I remembered it; defined jaw covered in a beard it looked like he hadn't decided if he was going to let fully come it. High cheekbones that I was jealous off and full lips that my mouth was watering for. His hair was shorter, shorter than it should be. There were not as many waves in it that I loved to twirl around my fingers.

His fingers touched the upper skin of my neck where the shirt collar was a little high, hiding my mark. My skin lit up, like a fire making me suck in a breath as I let him continue–let his fingers almost shaking slowly pull down the collar to reveal the fresh mark on my skin. The bond dancing with delight as his touch stirred it even more to life.

"Charlotte?"

I blinked back tears and nodded. "It's me, Ethan."

His eyes flickered away from the mark and to my eyes; his brows furrowing as he held my gaze before his eyes softened. Softened until they slightly watered like mine. "Sunshine?"

I nodded again. "Hi."

Ethan sucked in a breath, pushing some of my hair back as he looked me over. "Baby?" he croaked out.

I bit my lip, tears starting to spill out of my eyes as I lifted a hand up to cup his cheek. He leaned into it; he leaned into it and I pulled him down to kiss me.

A kiss that made my body light up and my mark spark until it felt like a fire was burning on it again. My soul singing with happiness as what felt like the last threads of it that had been ripped were stitched back together.

His lips were almost still with shock until they were moving over mine. Devouring me while his hands roamed over me. It was so breathless and messy and desperate as my mark burning some more, the bond pushing for more.

My arms were wrapped around his neck as a mess of tears came out of my eyes and whimpers along with gasps out of my lips. I pulled him closer to him, needing more of him as the bond pawed out for more. For more that it had been starved of.

Ethan pulled away from me, breathless as his hands cupped my face while a weepy smile broke out on his face. "I have so much to tell you."

"Me too," I replied as I reached up to wipe some tears out of my eyes.

"I–Oh my God sunshine," he rushed out as he leaned his forehead against mine, holding me tightly to him while his body slightly trembled. "I'm not dead, right?"

I let out a breathy laugh and shook my head. "No, we're not dead. Not at all."

"Show me."

I felt a flush run over me as my heartbeat picked up. Slowly, I lifted my lips up to his, letting my tongue run over his bottom lip before I nipped at it, tugging at it with my teeth and drawing an almost a guttural groan from him. It was like something clicked; his lips were moving fast on mine and his hands were sliding under my shirt–up the sides of my bare skin.

My breath caught before I let out a gasp as his hands slid over my breast, cupping it before he started to tug on my nipple. My legs hooked around him and drew him closer to me while I ground my hips against him. The bond flared and twirled like a ballerina turning and turning and turning without end.

Hands started to rip off clothes and hands were grasping at skin that hands couldn't get enough of. I roamed my hands over the plans of his back, letting my nails rake up him teasingly while a lowly growl vibrated off of him as he started to pull my tights away.

My legs clumsily kicked them off as I leaned back to get a better angle so I could get them off of my ankles; my neck was bared and Ethan went straight for it. He was kissing at the skin, sucking at it, letting his tongue taste it until I forgot what I was even doing with my legs. My fingers raked through his hair while he moved down to my mark where he sucked hard on it, drawing moans from both our lips as the bond flamed.

"Baby, I missed you so damn much," he growled against my neck while his fangs poked at me; kissing me again hard on my mark I opened my mouth but I just found myself gasping out as a moan in the sound of his name rolled out of my mouth.

He moved back to my lips, slowing down so his tongue could trace my bottom lip; my thighs clenching around him as that place lower down in me pooled with a wetness while he rubbed his erection against me. Against swollen lips that throbbed as he rocked back and forth between, teasing me as the bond licked its lips for more.

His tongue sunk into my mouth as he sunk himself into me; my hands clutching him to me while my thighs spread a little more for him so he had better access as he rocked back and forth into me. One of his hands snaked through my hair, holding my head in place while he continued to thrust so tortuously slow into me.

I groaned as a euphoric waved washed over me. My fingers pulling his face closer to me as my ankles hooked around to press into the back of his thighs, encouraging him further in me because it still wasn't enough. The bond was rolling in a satisfaction that was just a fingertip's reach out of length. A satisfaction I was damn well determined to have.

"Ethan," I moaned out as his pace quickened.

His pace quickened as we both grew more frenzied for each other–more desperate for each other. He blinked his eyes open; eyes that bore into mine, watching me watch him like he still couldn't believe this was happening. In a way, I couldn't either. I dreamt so many times about seeing him again. About what it would be like–what this would be like.

It didn't matter. None of at matter. All that mattered was that I was with him again.

He blinked again and it was like something was coming to life in him, like something was broken was made whole again. I felt whole again. The bond–my soul, felt like it had been mended, was being mended whole.

I felt so alive as his veins crackled out, pouring a wave of power over me that took my breath away. He sped up some more; one of his hands holding my thigh in place while another was still intertwined in my hair.

He leaned his forehead against mine, his length rocking in and out of me–his skin sliding over mine while I bit my lip as waves of ecstasy rolled over me. Growls vibrated off of him as he kissed his way back down to my neck–to my mark as I felt what had been building teeter towards the edge.

His lips were ruthless on me, bruising and sparing no mercy. But I didn't want him to. I felt a wave coming towards me, a wave that had me thrusting my neck into his kiss–towards him. My neck would always be his.

He growled out again in approval, his fangs scraping my skin before I felt them sink into me–back into the mark.

I let out a sharp cry as my back violently arched while waves rolled over me, a high that I knew he could only give me lapping all over my skin as his teeth reclaimed what was his–what is his.

Fangs.

My fangs were back into his neck, deep in his mark and drawing a guttural growl from him as I bit back down on him. A bite that had him stiffening in me. A bite that sent a fire throughout me–throughout the bond. A bite that restored my soul, dipped it into an elixir of life a few times to wake it up. A bite that reminded me that this was real–that he was real and with me again. That our bond was real and restored, and that we were each others–we were always each others.

We ended up eventually on the tiny bed. Painted onto each other; sweaty skin on skin while the fire in the furnace crackled in the background. He was stroking my hair while my fingers played with the bits of chest hair on him.

"You're sure I didn't die?"

"Yes I'm sure," I murmured out, my eyes half closed as my drowsy body hovered between asleep and away. "We're very alive."

"You should show me again," he replied, his voice husky as he tilted his head to look at me.

I blinked my eyes open and smiled at him, my beast nudging me forward as I tilted my chin up to kiss him. "I love you."

"I love too, sunshine," Ethan replied back, pulling me so I was straddling him. "Even if we're dead."

"We're not dead Ethan."

"Show me?"

I rolled my eyes then leaned up to kiss him, my lips lingering before I broke away with a sly smile of bruised lips. "Alright," I whispered against his lips before I started to kiss down his neck, crawling backward as I kissed slowly down his chest while his skin started to shiver.

Needless to say, Ethan was very convinced that he was alive after I convinced him on the bed before he convinced us back on the floor a few more times in the cabin was that our safe haven, but it wasn't our home. Our home was still resting in the snake's den, and I would have it back.

We were back on the bed; I was laying on top of his chest more awake than before. More at peace. I didn't know what to say. I wasn't sure if there was anything to say.

His fingers were drawing circles on my back while his eyes would flicker to me every now and then, trying to convince himself that I wasn't going to vanish. He let out a long sigh, pulling me closer to him while he rolled on his side so we were facing each other.

"How are you here?" he asked as a finger of his traveled the curve of my shoulder.

I sucked in a breath then let it out. The fire was crackling in the background while the wind howled outside. "We found another portal and opened it."

"Another portal?"

"Had to be opened from our side," I said with a nod.

Ethan's eyes slightly widened. "So it was true?"

"What was true?"

"Lyanna talked about the portal the moon goddess originally used. She didn't think it was anything more than a fairytale–a legend."

"All legends come from somewhere, don't they?"

Ethan shook his head in disbelief while his fingers started to play with the ends of my hair. "I guess so sunshine."

"Do you want me to show you?"

"Do you want me to show you?" he asked, offering the same question to me.

"Yes," I replied. "I do. I need to know."

"Ok, you first," he murmured to me while he tucked my head against his chest as I dipped into the bond, opening it to pour out memories.

I remembered little from the other side, it was like Lucas had said before–faded. I showed him what I could; images of his mother making pie, Eli chasing me around the kitchen, Gramps, Evangeline, and Lydia. Images of the walk back flooded in, how we found the cure for the rogues and saved the ones in the caves, how my father killed Xander and took the pack only to have the other alphas there bare their necks to him, how we went to the warehouses and took what was left of her hard power away before we burnt the whole thing down, and how we walked right into an all vampire meeting were surprisingly no one died.

I showed him the tears, my pain, the many nights I did remember not sleeping. How I was furious that I couldn't go to him right away. How I helped Eve more or less kidnap Lucas, Jane, and Levi, and how Bernard smiled. Actually smiled.

"I'm sorry," I told him quickly as it all finished. "I wanted to come sooner. I wanted to come so badly–" I paused as my eyes started to water again. "I–"

"Baby," Ethan sighed out, his thumb wiping the tears away. "It's in the past, it's over. I understand. I hate it, but I get it. Your father is right, she's been watching us like we're a bunch of damn lab rats."

I kissed the corner of his chin then leaned back to look at him. "Show me?"

"You sure?"

"Yes," I quickly replied. "Please?"

He looked at me, a mix of shame and sadness in his eyes before he nodded. "Alright sunshine," he murmured out as he buried his nose back against my neck while he opened the bond up.

Pain.

There was so much pain. The were underground and he more or less spent a month literally in the dark breaking, fighting the craze until Evan and Lucas convinced him to come out. They were in the tunnels–the only safe place while she took over.

That is until they 'surrendered,' to her. Letting her build that god awful house on pack land that she should never set foot on while her snakes slithered all over our land. My beast snapped out as a memory of one waiting in our bed flashed by.

They did what they could to hold it together, to rebuild and keep fighting. Fighting that got them beaten, tortured, and almost killed. They did try to keep killing her, but she was like a cockroach with a bloodstone necklace and new drink of what looked like a powder that she made from the stones that seemed to jack her up and make her magic more fierce. They tried to kill her but it never worked; and when they were caught, she just let them have it.

I saw the lashings, the day Ethan let Jake go to the mountains and the many days when Sam would report nothing positive in regards to the cure that broke him more. I saw the meetings, the 'council' meetings that were a 'collaborative effort.' I saw Levi and Lucas and Jane–Jane, Lucas' mate that seemed to keep his ass in line.

Images of late night calls to Derek or desperate calls to either Dagny or Bernard flashed forward, like the most recent one where he felt the bond com back–where his mark came back. He thought it was a trick. They had been tricked so many times, it made sense as to why he would think that.

I sighed as more images poured through. Images of her. Of Aurelia. Of her eyeing him, flirting with him, trying to kiss him. A snarl ripped through my lips a more images came to light. Memories of a conversation in a kitchen that led Ethan to make a decision to lead her one, let her think he was changing his mind before another memory came to light of this afternoon where he told her that her hair looked nice; she blushed profusely, blind with her own vanity, and touched his arm. She touched him.

I bit back a louder growl as my blood crackled some more while something wet landed on my skin–his tears. His tears as memories of the nights, too many to count, where he almost did it. He almost took his own life. At one point he even started to walk to the cliffs. I could feel him start to shake–tremble against my while the memories flooded through, the feelings of it all; the pain, the guilt, the shame, the anger, the bitterness, the defeat–all feelings I knew too well. All feelings I had experienced since that day.

The memories finished, lingering a little as I pulled him closer to me before I let out a long shaky breath. He nuzzled my neck, shame rolling off of him in thick waves that made my heart crack for him.

"Don't Ethan, don't feel that way."

"It's deplorable. I let her touch me."

"I know," I breathed out, my fingers stroking his hair while I tried to push my anger back. It wasn't his fault, he didn't know I was coming back. My beast and I knew that. We knew he was trying to do what he thought was best, what he thought would work to get rid of her. He was just desperate to get rid of her so he could come to me, it's not like I had felt any different. He was putting everyone before him–before his own feelings that from his memories I knew ate away at him like a slow acid. With that thought, I just hurt for him. I hated he felt like he was pushed into that corner. I hated that he had to go through that kind of pain. I hated that he felt like he had to do that. "You were doing what you had to. Please don't feel like this, I don't want you too."

He shook his head, nuzzling my neck while more tears his my skin. "You should be angry with me."

"Do you want me to be?" I asked, pushing him away gently so I could look at him. My fingers were wiping the wetness off of his cheeks, my beast whining out as we watched our male punish himself for something he shouldn't be punishing himself for. "We've both had to do things we haven't wanted to. I'm not angry, I could never be angry with you over it. You were doing what you thought you had to. Stop punishing yourself for something that is more honorable than it is dishonorable. Not many people would do what you were doing."

He sighed then leaned forward to kiss my forehead before he leaned his on mine. "I love you."

"I love you too," I breathed out. "Besides, I know who you come to bed to at night..."

Ethan cracked a smile with a small laugh. "Really?"

"Mhmm," I hummed.

"You sound pretty confident about that sunshine."

"I am pretty confident about that," I replied, nipping at his lips before I rolled us over so I could straddle him.

"What are you doing sunshine?"

Dipping down to kiss him again, while his hands ran down the length of my naked sides, I leaned towards his ear and whispered, "It's a surprise baby."