Chapter 34: For Now - Callista's POV

I stood in my new bathroom, staring at my reflection in the mirror, wondering what I had gotten myself into.

This was real. This was actually happening.

The room and bathroom were beautiful and way more than I ever expected. The pale blue walls were calming where I felt like chaos. Those flowers on the dresser Riven had picked because they reminded him of me made it even better. They felt like a promise.

But the Nightshade territory wasn’t home. Not yet.

I splashed cold water on my face, trying to wash away the evidence of tears I had cried since coming to my room. It was stupid to be this emotional. I’d see them again soon and I could go home whenever I wanted.

But standing here in this unfamiliar bathroom, in a house that smelled different and in a territory where I didn’t know anyone except Riven, it felt overwhelming.

The mate bond hummed in my chest, which was a constant reminder that Riven was nearby. He was close enough that I probably could hear him moving or he’d come running if he thought I was upset.

But he was also close enough that the bond purred with satisfaction.

Stay with him, the Moon Goddess's words echoed in my mind. Love him through the darkness.

I took a deep breath, and went to the closet to find clean clothes. Without thinking twice, I grabbed jeans and a soft sweater that didn’t smell like cardboard. Then fixed my hair and put on a brave face, because I had to do this.

Our future was counting on it.

I could do this. If I could survive prophetic nightmares, mate bond challenges, and a demon trying to kill people through my mate, then I could handle dinner with his family. I could handle our entire situation.

When I finally made my way downstairs, the smell of cooking meat hit me immediately. My stomach growled, reminding me that I had barely eaten today.

"Callista!" Luna Nightshade appeared from what I assumed was the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. "Perfect timing. Dinner's almost ready. How are you settling in?"

"Good," I said, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt. "The room is beautiful. Thank you for everything."

“Of course, sweetheart,” she said, smiling warmly. “I know this is a big adjustment, but if you need anything at all, don’t be afraid to ask. We want you to feel at home.”

Riven appeared next to his mother, freshly showered with his hair still damp. Our eyes met, and the bond flared with recognition.

He's here. You're not alone.

"Hey," he said softly. "Feel better?"

“Yes,” I said, moving toward him.

His mother went back into the kitchen, leaving us at the doorway. His hand found mine, our fingers lacing together as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Come on,” Luna said, calling out from behind him. “Let’s eat before everything gets cold.”

The dining room was formal, but warm, with a large wooden table that could easily seat twelve, but there were only the four of us. I looked at the four place settings.

I took the seat Riven pulled out for me, very aware of Alpha Nightshade’s assessing gaze from across the table. He wasn’t hostile, but he was evaluating me and probably trying to figure out if I was good enough for his son.”

"So, Callista," he said once we'd all been served. "Your father mentioned you're continuing at Silver Moon Academy?"

“Yes, sir,” I said, cutting into the roasted chicken on my plate. “It made more sense than transferring this late in the year.”

“That’s quite the commute, but it shouldn’t be an issue. Riven and a few other boys from the pack are going there too. You can ride with them,” he said, his voice low.

Riven’s foot brushed against mine under the table, the gesture sending a tingle up my spine.

“What about your seer abilities?” He asked, cutting into the chicken. “Your father said you’ve had some formal training and need to keep it up? What kind of training?”

I thought about all the books I brought with me. Those things were dusty, because I had been neglecting my training for weeks now.

“I have the books with me. They’re from the last seer and give me a little guidance,” I said, looking down at the plate. “There’s not much to train on, because they come as they please.”

Riven’s hand found my knee under the table, gently squeezing while his other hand held the fork and brought up a few green beans to his mouth.

“I apologize if I’m prying,” Alpha Nightshade said, shaking his head. “I just want to make sure we do everything as if you were home. It’s a hard adjustment to come to another pack as an adult, but this is different.”

"It's fine." I forced myself to take another bite. "You have questions. I understand."

"We just want to make sure both of you are safe," Luna said gently. "The bond manifesting early and the challenges have been a lot to process. But now it’s navigating this with you both.”

"Tell me about it," I muttered, then immediately regretted it when Alpha Nightshade's eyebrows rose.

But Riven laughed, the tension breaking slightly. "She's not wrong. It's been the most intense week of my life."

"Mine too," I admitted.

"Well, hopefully things will settle down now," Luna said. "You can focus on school and on getting to know each other properly. Maybe being even normal teenagers, or as close as you can be.”

I wanted to believe her and think that we’d get some kind of break from the chaos, but the Moon Goddess’s warning echoed in my mind. The hardest part is yet to come.

We finished dinner with a lighter conversation. Luna asked about my favorite foods so she could stock the kitchen accordingly. Alpha Nightshade shared some stories about their pack history with Riven occasionally interjecting with commentary that made me smile despite my nerves.

By the time we cleared the plates, exhaustion was pulling at me. The emotional toll of the day combined with two nights of poor sleep was catching up.

"You look tired, sweetheart," Luna observed. "Why don't you head up to bed? Tomorrow's Sunday, so you can sleep in and get properly settled before school Monday."

"That sounds good," I admitted. "Thank you for the dinner. It was delicious."

"Anytime." She hugged me briefly. "Welcome to the family, Callista."

The words made my throat tighten with emotion. We weren’t officially mated yet and wouldn’t be for at least two years. I nodded, not trusting my voice, and headed for the stairs.

Riven followed me up, walking me to my door even though his room was literally right next to mine.

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly.

“I’m tired, overwhelmed, and a little homesick,” I said, leaning against the doorframe. “But I think I’ll be okay with you nearby.”

"My dad didn't mean to interrogate you—"

"It's fine," I interrupted. "He's being protective. I get it." I managed a small smile. "At least he didn't threaten to kill me if I hurt you, like my dad did to you.”

“Actually, my father threatened me about that very thing and said if I wasn’t the man he raised me to be, I was in for a world of trouble,” he said with a laugh. “So I’ve been thoroughly threatened by both of our fathers to treat you right.”

Despite everything, I laughed. "Great. So both our fathers are terrifying."

"Yep." He stepped closer, his hand coming up to cup my face. "But we already knew that."

The touch sent warmth through the mate bond, and I found myself leaning into it him.

"I should let you sleep," he said, even though neither of us moved.

He was right there, inches from my lips.

“Yeah, you should,” I said, my voice coming out breathless.

"Callista?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm really glad you're here." His red-gold eyes were intense. "I know it's hard, and you gave up a lot to come here. But I'm more grateful than I can say.”

My heart did that stupid fluttering thing it seemed to do whenever he was sincere like this. "Me too. Glad I'm here, I mean, even if it's scary."

"It won't always be scary," he promised. "Eventually, this will feel like home."

“How do you know?”

His thumb traced lazy circles on my cheek. “Because I’ll make sure of it. Goodnight, Callista.”

"Goodnight,” I said just before his lips crashed against mine.

The kiss was brief and over before I wanted it to be, but it needed to be this way until we could finish the bond properly. He waited until I was inside with the door closed before I heard his footsteps move to his own room.

There was silence as I changed into my pajamas and climbed into bed to stare at the ceiling. The sheets smelled of lavender. I figured Luna must have washed them with scented detergent. The room was darker than my room at home, the forest outside blocking most of the ambient light.

But through the wall, I could hear Riven moving around and the creak of his bed as he settled in, followed by the rustle of blankets.

The mate bond stretched between us, a constant thread of connection that made the distance feel less vast.

I was here, just as the Moon Goddess had told me to be. This was the first step. Now I just had to figure out how to make this feel like home instead of exile.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand. It was a text from Sabine.

“Did you survive dinner?”

I smiled and typed out a message. “His dad is intense.”

“All dads are intense. Look at ours. How is your room?”

I looked up and around, checking things out. “Beautiful, but weird. Everything smells different, and it’s irritating my wolf.”

“You'll get used to it. Love you. Call me tomorrow?”

I smiled. “Promise. Love you too.”

I set the phone aside and closed my eyes, willing sleep to come, but every time I started to drift off, I’d hear Riven shift in his room. The bond tugged at me, wanting us closer with more contact and more of everything.

This was going to be harder than I originally thought.

Living next to him, being close, and falling in love while maintaining distance and boundaries sounded easier than it was.

I pulled the blankets up to my chin and stared at the wall I shared with Riven's room.

"I'm staying," I whispered to the darkness. "I promise that I'm staying."

Through the wall, I could have sworn I heard him whisper back, "Good."

But that might have just been wishful thinking. Or the mate bond playing tricks on me.

Either way, I finally drifted off to sleep with the knowledge that my mate was right next door, close enough to hear if I called, far enough to honor the boundaries we'd promised to keep.

For now.