But Faith had been working on it for a few weeks now, ever since the day she'd claimed Troy, and he had claimed her back.
The bite marks had faded in a few days' time, thanks to the natural healing powers that came with her omega nature. But the implications of what she had done…those were taking longer to grasp.
When Faith had first come here to rescue her sister, she'd known her mission could be fatal, that she might not survive an attempt to bring her back. And she had accepted that, because her faith had taught her that salvation awaited the pious, no matter what obstacles they faced on earth.
But her confidence had been the result of blind acceptance. She'd never had the opportunity to examine her family's beliefs or question the ones that didn't make sense.
Now Faith wasn't sure what she believed in anymore, but over time, things were slowly falling into place.
Forever now meant waking up with the same man she went to sleep with at night, every morning for the rest of her life.
It meant trusting that Troy would always protect her, no matter what.
It meant that she was part of a cycle that—God willing (and yes, she still believed in God)—would include pups who would grow up here, carrying on the traditions that Troy and she would teach them, handing them down generation upon generation.
As she made room for this new reality in her heart, the memories of stealing her parents' van, crossing over the boundary, and threatening a bunch of terrifying alphas faded into history, like a story she'd once been told.
That day, Faith had tried to impose her will on a world she didn't understand. But forever didn't require the application of will or demand any action. It was forgiving and infinite, offering time to adapt and room to grow and tolerance for doubt.
For someone like Faith, who had grown up being force-fed dogma masquerading as truth, forever was terrifying.
But apparently, she was strong enough to face this new kind of fear.
Especially with Troy by her side.
Even when he wasn't literally at her side, like now.
Faith was alone behind the wheel of her parent's van, driving down the Central Road, on her way to Evander's Bar. Troy was directly behind her in his truck, but she could still feel his presence close by.
It had been like that ever since the night she'd claimed him. No matter how far she wandered on her walks around their property as he worked, she could still feel his presence. Even when she was by herself, she wasn't alone.
It was strangely comforting, knowing that she would never face the future by herself again. That this sense of security would never go away. That there was nothing she could do or say, no invisible line she could accidentally step over, that would cause Troy to abandon her.
He would never deny her. Never disown her. Never discard her, the way her parents had discarded Hope, the way they most likely had discarded Faith as well.
That kind of stability allowed Faith to face this new kind of forever without fear.
Even though Troy had spent the last couple of weeks repairing the van, Faith was still careful not to push the old vehicle too hard, slowing to a crawl as she took the turn into the bar's parking lot.
Though when she looked up and saw Ty standing on the porch with a scowl on his face and his arms crossed, Faith was more than a little tempted to plow into the trash cans again.
"So, you can drive after all," the alpha grumbled as Faith got out of the van, though the gruffness of his tone didn't match the amusement in his eyes.
"You're never going to shut up about that, are you?" Troy said, coming over to join her.
Ty shrugged. "Probably not."
"Don't worry about him," Mia said, coming out onto the porch in a sheepskin jacket with her baby cradled in her arms. "Griping about how you trashed the place gives him something to do all day."
Faith smiled at the sight of her new friend. Hope had been right: the group of omegas living here in the Boundarylands were a special breed of women. They'd done more to help her navigate her new life in the last few weeks than the Church of the Beta Way had offered in her whole life.
"I don't know how many times I can tell you I'm sorry," Faith said lightly as she walked up the now familiar steps. "But come on, Ty, it's a couple of dents in a few trash cans."
Ty's scowl deepened. "Don't forget the bullet hole in the side of the building."
Faith couldn't help but smile at the reminder. "Okay, that one I'm not sorry about," she teased. "You know how stuffy the bar can get when it's crowded. If anything, I helped you ventilate the place."
Ty gave up the ruse and laughed, faint lines bracketing his mouth. Faith had learned that it didn't take too much to make him laugh, especially when his mate was around. "Your driver's already waiting inside."
Faith gripped the keys in her hand a little tighter and nodded her thanks before heading for the door with Troy.
Hope was waiting for her, seated next to Maddox at the bar. Her face lit up just as it did every time she saw Faith, but Maddox wore his usual threatening expression. Unlike Ty's, his didn't hold even a trace of amusement.
Faith and Maddox still hadn't warmed up to each other despite meeting several times now. They both made an effort for Hope's sake, but it seemed they were destined to never get along.
Faith knew that it was probably because they both felt possessive of Hope. In a bond as tight as the one between an alpha and his omega, there was little room for other claims on their affections. After all, there was no way in hell that Faith would be willing to share Troy's affections
