Chapter 30: Five More Minutes of Peace - Callista's POV

I stared at him in shock, my mind reeling from everything that had just happened. Our parents and my sister had stopped and were looking as well with wide eyes.

“You want to talk about this now? You’re bleeding, exhausted, and we barely just survived all of that. What—”

“Which is exactly why we need to talk about it now,” Riven interrupted, his voice low. “Callista, you’re not safe otherwise. Though I won, I saw the way the other heirs looked at you. It’s best if you live with me.”

Though he didn’t say it, I could read his face well at this point. If we were apart, I couldn’t anchor him or pull him back when the demon surged. That wasn’t including that our wolves would just get worse the longer we went without sealing the bond.

"Riven," my father said carefully, "perhaps this conversation should wait until—"

"No." Riven's red-gold eyes met my father's without flinching. "With respect, Alpha Monroe, I need to know. The bond is recognized now. Under pack law, Callista has the right to choose which territory to live in until we take over Nightshade.”

My mother's hand found my father's arm, squeezing gently. Some silent communication passed between them.

"You're right," Dad said finally, though his expression was pained. "The choice is hers."

All eyes turned to me. I looked at my parents as my heart pounded against my ribs. Moving to the Nightshade’s territory meant leaving my family, my pack, and everything I had known. I was only sixteen and I had two more years of school, friends, and my life here.”

But I also had a mate who was barely holding a demon at bay. A mate the Alpha King had marked as "interesting." A mate who needed me.

"I..." I started, then stopped. "Can I have time to think about it?"

He almost argued as disappointment flickered across his face before he masked it. His gaze snapped to his father’s, then back to me. “Of course. It’s a big decision.”

"No, I mean—" I squeezed his hand tighter. "Not a lot of time. Just... Can we talk about it? Tonight? After you've been treated and we've both had a chance to process everything?"

His expression softened. "Yeah. We can do that."

"Good." My father's voice was gruff with barely concealed emotion. "Then let's get you both home. Or homes, as the case may be."

The drive back was quiet. Sabine sat beside me in the backseat, occasionally shooting me a worried glance but not speaking. Riven was sitting on the other side, his head resting against the window, though his fingers of his left hand were intertwined with mine. My parents were equally silent up front, though I could cut the tension with a knife.

When we pulled into our driveway, Riven’s family was already parked and waiting.

"We'll take him to our healer now," Alpha Nightshade said as Riven climbed out of our car. "She should have him patched up within the hour."

"And then?" My father asked.

"Then we'll bring him back here," Luna Nightshade said, her gaze finding mine. "So the two of them can talk properly. This is a big decision, but ultimately, since they are mates…it needs to be talked about.”

It wasn't a request. The Nightshades had been patient, had played by the rules, and had let us maintain control over the situation. But now that the bond was officially recognized, they had rights too….Meaning they had rights to their son’s mate, because I would be the next Luna of their pack.

The thought should have been terrifying, but instead, it felt inevitable.

“Thank you,” I mumbled.

Riven’s mother studied me for a long moment, then nodded. “One hour and we’ll be back.”

They drove away, and I watched until their taillights disappeared around the corner.

."Inside," Mom said gently. "You need to eat something."

I followed them mechanically, my body going through the motions while my mind spun. Sabine made me a sandwich I couldn't taste. My parents pretended to busy themselves with cleaning up from the day, but I could feel them watching me.

"You're going to say yes, aren't you?" Sabine asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

I looked up at her. "What?"

“You’ll say yes to moving in with him,” she said, setting down the dish towel she had been wringing her hands with. “You’re going to leave us.”

"Sabine—"

"I get it," she said quickly, her voice cracking slightly. "I do. He's your mate. The bond is real. And after tonight, after seeing how hard he fought for you..." She blinked back tears. "I understand, but that doesn't mean it won't suck."

"I haven't decided yet," I said, though the words felt hollow even to me.

"Yes, you have." She gave me a watery smile. "I can see it on your face. You decided the moment he asked."

But that wasn’t the first time he had asked. It was the second and technically I owed him a response yesterday, like he stated. But who was I to deny what she saw clearly written on my face? Maybe from the moment Riven had said those words, I had already known what my answer would be.

Because the truth was, I couldn't imagine being apart from him now. Not with everything we were facing. Not with the demon growing stronger. Not with the Alpha King circling like a predator.

"I'm scared," I admitted quietly. “This is all new.”

"Of moving?"

"Of everything." I pushed the sandwich away, my appetite completely gone. "He’s my mate, but I saw the Alpha King’s interest on his face. I worry about what the other heirs will do. And then there is worrying about making the wrong choice and everything falling apart.”

My father crossed the room to me, pulling me into a hug. "Fear is normal, sweetheart. But you know what I've learned in all my years as Alpha?"

"What?"

"Sometimes the scariest choices are the right ones." He pulled back to look at me. "If you go to Nightshade territory, we'll miss you every single day. Your mother will probably cry—"

"I'm already crying," Mom interjected, wiping at her eyes.

"—but we'll support you," Dad continued. "Because you're not just our daughter anymore. You are someone's mate. And that bond... that's sacred. More important than pack boundaries or parental preference."

"Even at sixteen?" I asked.

"Even at sixteen." He kissed my forehead. "Though I reserve the right to threaten Riven's life if he doesn't take proper care of you. I also expect ‌you to have your own room until you seal this properly. You need to finish school at Silver Moon Academy and not let your grades drop. I also want you to come home any time and we want to visit them.”

Despite everything, I laughed. "He may be strong, but I know he respects you.”

"Good," Dad said with mock seriousness.

A knock at the door interrupted us. I glanced at the clock. It had been exactly one hour.

When I answered it, Riven was on my front porch with freshly bandaged wounds and he had on clean clothes. His color was better and so were his eyes.

“Can I take her for a walk?” He asked my father.

Dad looked at me for a moment, then nodded. “Twenty minutes. No funny business. You two are just sixteen.”

“Yes, sir,” he said, his voice low.

I grabbed a jacket and stepped outside, closing the door behind me. Riven took my hand immediately, and the bond hummed with contentment at the contact.

We walked in silence for a few minutes, heading toward the small park at the edge of our territory. The moon cast everything in silver light.

"How are you feeling?" I asked finally.

"Like I got thrown through a meat grinder," he admitted. "But alive thanks to you."

"You would have pulled back eventually—"

"No, I wouldn't have." He stopped walking, turning to face me. "Callista, I was seconds away from killing Adrian. The demon had full control. If you hadn't been there, if the bond hadn't pulled me back..." He swallowed hard. "I would have murdered him in front of everyone."

"But you didn't."

"Because of you." His hands cupped my face. "You're the only thing standing between me and complete chaos. And having you in a different territory, miles away, where I can't feel the bond as strongly..." He shook his head. "I'm terrified of what might happen."

"Is that the only reason you want me to move?" I asked quietly. "Because I'm useful for controlling the demon?"

"No." The word was fierce. "I want you close because you're my mate. Because every moment we're apart feels wrong. Because I—" He stopped, the words catching in his throat.

"Because you what?"

He took a breath. "Because I'm falling in love with you. Maybe I have already fallen. And the thought of not seeing you every day, of not being able to hold you when you're scared or laugh at your terrible jokes or just... be near you..." His voice dropped to a whisper. "It's unbearable."

My heart stuttered. "Riven—"

“I know it’s fast, but I also know it’s just going to get worse,” he continued. “We’re young and this is happening too quickly, but the bond is going to demand more. It’s not about the demon or even the Moon Goddess. It’s about you and me. And I need you to know that before you make your decision.”

I stared up at him, this boy who'd fought multiple wolves to defend our bond, who barely controlled a demon for my sake, who was looking at me like I was his entire world.

"My turn," I said.

"What?"

"My turn to talk." I took his hands in mine. "You're right. This is fast, almost too fast. We're sixteen, we have school, and we have our whole lives ahead of us. Moving to your territory is crazy. Logical, reasonable Callista would say we should wait, take our time, figure things out slowly."

His expression fell. "But?"

"But I'm not reasonable when it comes to you." I stood on my toes, bringing our faces closer. "I'm terrified and excited and completely overwhelmed. And yes, part of me wants to stay here where it's safe and familiar. But the bigger part, the part that feels the bond singing every time you're near, that part can't imagine being anywhere but with you."

Hope flared in his eyes. "So that means...?"

"That means yes." I smiled despite the tears threatening to fall. "I'll move to Nightshade territory, but my father wants me to come home whenever I want and to have a separate room. I also have to finish school at Silver Moon Academy. But you’re right, it’ll get harder to be apart. Not only that, but I’m falling in love with you as well.”

His lips crashed against mine. The kiss was urgent and demanding. He pulled me against him and I melted into it, the bond flaring so brightly that it almost hurt. When we finally broke apart, breathing hard, he rested his forehead against mine.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Don't thank me yet," I said with a shaky laugh. "Wait until you see me at six AM before coffee."

"I'll take you at any time, in any form.”

We stood there in the moonlight, holding each other, both knowing that the hard part was still ahead. But for now, at this moment, we had each other.

And that would have to be enough.

"We should head back," Riven said reluctantly. "Your father said twenty minutes and I really don’t want to tick him off before you tell him your answer.”

"He did." I didn't move. “But he also knows what my answer will be and laid out his rules.”

"Callista—"

"Five more minutes," I said against his chest. "Just five more minutes of normal before everything gets complicated again."

His arms tightened around me. "Five more minutes."

But we both knew the clock was already ticking. The Alpha King was planning something. The demon was waiting for its next opportunity.

And we were two sixteen-year-olds trying to navigate forces we barely understood.

Five minutes of peace was all I wanted.