I woke up the next morning and took a moment to mentally prepare myself for the day. Each day we spent here increased the chance of running into someone from my old pack. I got up and dressed in jeans and a tank top; Finlay, Sam, and I would be doing a lot of walking around, so it made sense to dress comfortably in the summer heat. As I was about to exit my room, there was a soft knock on the door. I opened it and saw Finlay standing outside.

“Morning, Red,” he said, taking half a step toward me.

“Morning, Finn,” I replied with a smile.

“Ready for today?” he asked.

“As ready as I’m going to get. How about you?”

He took my hand and placed a kiss on my palm. “I’m ready,” he said. We went downstairs together and sat down for breakfast. We went over everyone's goals for the day and then set off.

“I’m heading over to the gym to make sure our bookings are secured,” Sam told Finlay and me.

“Good. Amie and I will go over to the council building and make sure they have registered us and see if any of our allies have arrived,” Finlay said. As we walked toward the official building, I tried to take in as much of the surroundings as I could. We would be here for a month, so the sooner I got used to the place, the better. Most of the land was covered in forest—the old type of forest with tall trees and minimal undergrowth. It gave the place the feeling of being a large building with a roof and tall pillars, which was perfect for what we needed it to be. The area with the cabins had younger trees that acted as privacy fences between the cabins, and the same was true for the campgrounds. The gyms, public kitchen, and bathrooms were all located between the living areas and the council building.

I was just about to tell Finlay that the way the grounds were organized would make it easy to navigate when I caught the scent of someone familiar. I stopped and looked around.

“Amie?” Finlay asked. For once, I ignored him as I turned toward where the scent came from. About twenty feet away, I saw my brother. He was looking at me like he couldn’t believe his eyes. I smiled at him, hoping he would be happy to see me. Elder covered the distance between us in seconds and drew me into a tight embrace.

“Armeria,” he said, tightening the embrace.

“Hi, Elder,” I said, returning the hug. I felt Finlay standing just behind me, close enough to intervene if there was an issue, but not so close as to intrude on the moment. After a moment, Elder took a step back and held me at arm’s length so he could look at me. He had gotten older; he didn’t look as carefree as he used to. But then, he was a Beta now, and I understood the weight of the title.

“Amie, where on earth have you been?” he asked with a boyish smile. I had to laugh. My worries that he would be mad at me all melted away.

“A little here and there, but mostly at the Blue Mountain pack,” I said, looking over my shoulder at Finlay. Elder followed my gaze and frowned. I knew what he was going to say. “I asked him not to tell you. I wasn’t ready,” I explained. Elder looked back at me and nodded. His smile returned.

“It is good to see you. You are all grown up. You look good, little sister.”

“Thank you. So do you. The Beta title suits you,” I told him.

“I have a lot of things to tell you, and a lot of questions about your life as well,” he said. That was when I noticed the mark on his neck, and I grinned.

“You found your true mate, finally!” I teased. It was natural to fall back into how we used to be.

“I have. I found my true mate a couple of years back, Becky. She is perfect. Both Mom and Dad adore her. And you are an aunt. We had a son almost a year ago. Armino is back home with Mom and Dad, but Becky is here. I can’t wait for you to meet her,” he excitedly told me. I smiled at him; he sounded happy, and I loved it.

“Congratulations, big brother. I’m so happy for you. I can’t wait to meet your mate. I have some good stories about you she needs to hear,” I told him. He laughed and tried to ruffle my hair. After years of avoiding the same move from Finlay, I easily dodged his hand. He continued to laugh and pulled me into another hug.

“I really have missed you, little sister. Dad and I wanted to find you, but Mom forbade us. She said you would let us know when you were ready,” he said in a serious voice. I sent a silent thank you to my mother.

“I needed time; it was the only way forward. I wished I could have told you sooner. It was just what needed to be done. I’m happy, I have a good life, and I’m in a good pack,” I told him. We let go of each other after a moment. “Are you okay with me telling Mom and Dad?”

“Of course. I would never ask you to keep it a secret.”

“Good, because they are going to be so happy to see you,” he told me. I smiled and nodded. He added my number to his phone. Elder turned his attention to Finlay. "Thank you for taking care of our pack and looking after her, Alpha Finlay."

“You don’t need to thank me. She is one of my top warriors and has a heart of gold. I couldn’t ask for a better Beta,” Finlay said.

“You’re the Alpha?” he asked, looking between us.

It wasn’t the fact he looked older and more mature that had my heart pumping like crazy. It was the fact I still felt the mate bond between us. I stepped backwards, away from my brother, instinctively seeking out my safe place. Finlay read my body language, took two quick strides, and placed himself between me and both my brother and Jake. He took a step towards me. I took a step backwards.

“Mate?” Elder said, looking between us.