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The bond is wide open. I feel her. The familiar sparks are there. Her scent. Her heartbeat. Her warmth. Her.

Relief crashes through me so hard my knees buckle. Arlene goes down with me, and I hold her against me in the grass. My wolf presses against the bond. Mate.

Arlene shudders. “I can feel you.”

I pull back. “What?”

“Our bond.” She presses her hand against my chest. “I can feel you again.”

I cover her hand with mine. Sparks dance beneath our palms.

Something else snaps into place.

Arlene gasps, her head whipping toward the house. Three warm threads flare through her so strongly I feel the echo through our bond.

Our pups.

“Darian.”

A thump sounds from inside, followed by footsteps.

“Mommy?”

Darlene.

Arlene covers her mouth as more footsteps move across the second floor.

“Wait!” Damian shouts.

The footsteps stop. My chest tightens.

Damian appears at the top of the stairs. Darlene stands behind him with Arian held tightly in her arms. Damian stretches one arm across his sister, keeping her and Arian behind him as he stares toward the open door.

His nose twitches. Darlene's does too.

“Damian?”

“I smell her.”

He takes the first step. Darlene follows. They come down slowly, Damian staying in front of his siblings the entire way.

Then he sees Arlene.

He stops. His brown eyes widen.

“Mom?”

Darlene leans around him. Her mouth falls open. “Mommy?”

Arlene's tears spill. “My babies.”

Damian runs. Darlene races after him with Arian clutched against her chest. I move toward them and take Arian from her arms before she reaches Arlene.

“Mom!”

Damian crashes into Arlene. She drops to her knees and catches him as Darlene throws herself into them a second later.

“MOMMY!”