Forced By the Alpha (Sparkle Hollow Wolves #7)

Epilogue - Sienna

It had been months since the curse had been broken and peace had been restored to the Forsaken Shadows pack. Although the loss of my father still cut me deeply, I had begun to heal from my grief. I would always miss what could have been, but I was comforted by the fact that he had given his life for his love of me and in the service of doing what was right.

With the help of Franco and the pack, I had taken the time I needed to be with my family and remember all the good Tom had done in the world. My brother Sebastian and my sisters had taken the news of dad’s death in stride. Although shocked, they were glad that he had made amends for his past wrongs.

Julian, on the other hand, hadn’t felt the same. Out of the five of us, he had been closest with our father. Not having the chance to say goodbye was proving to be a difficult pill for him to swallow. As much as I wished he would grieve with the rest of us, he had wanted to be alone. I did my best to respect that, but still held on to my vow to reunite all of us some day.

With the bloodlust gone, the pack had reverted to their original demeanor. The last time they had been free from magical influence, they had been young and hurt. Their trauma had caused them to seek power and violence, but without those outside negative influences, things were looking up for everyone.

The people weren’t just surviving anymore. Many of them had become gainfully employed in the town of Preston, and a few couples were even looking forward to the arrival of pups. Hope for the future had been restored.

My greatest triumph, however, remained the change I had seen in Franco. After making peace with his brother and my father, he had continued down the path of forgiveness with everyone he had wronged. Even the alpha of our rival pack, Colson, had accepted his apologies for the fights between them. The two alphas of Preston had traveled to Pinedale to speak with the three alphas there to figure out how they could manage to live in peace and harmony together. We were expecting groups from each of our neighboring packs later today for a party that Franco was putting on, although I hadn’t been told what the celebration was in honor of yet.

“Everyone is going to be here soon,” Franco said. “You should go get changed.”

I was in the kitchen again, stirring up my latest batch of healing salve. While Franco had come into himself as the alpha, I was taking things more slowly with my own role. My magical abilities had amplified since breaking the curse, but using them fully still caused pain and tiredness. As a result, I had gone back to practicing magic the way I was used to—with potions and amulets.

Franco was supportive of me experimenting with spells, although I knew it hurt him to see the pain it caused. I knew that with time and study, I could find a solution to the issue, but for now I stuck with simple spells that wouldn’t use too much energy.

“You mean, I can’t just wear this?” I joked, indicating my stained apron and ripped jeans.

“Everything looks gorgeous when you wear it,” he replied. “But I actually got you a little something.”

He held out a white gift bag with a flourish. My eyes lit up, as they always did when my mate brought home a surprise for me. I reached inside the bag and pulled out a beautiful emerald-green dress. The off-the-shoulder neckline and mid-length hem were the perfect mix of eye-catching and casual.

“That is stunning,” I said.

“It will be once you’re wearing it.”

I blushed at the compliment and hurried to get changed.

“Damn, princess,” Franco said with a low whistle when I came back into the room.

I rolled my eyes at him. He could have seen me in ratty clothes with unwashed hair and still given me the same reaction—and he had—but I appreciated his enthusiasm. He held his arm out for me to take, and we went to the mess hall where the pack had been setting up for the party.

The other packs were already there, including Colson, Killian, and Leah. My best friend rushed over when she caught sight of me.

“Hey, gorgeous! Look at you in that dress,” she said, grabbing my hands.

“Are you kidding?” I replied. “Look at you!”

She gave a twirl, and her lavender dress fanned out like a flower. We giggled like little girls at our silliness as our husbands looked on in approval. Having Leah as my sister-in-law was the cherry on top of the wild ride we had been on.

“You ready for your announcement?” Killian asked Franco. “I think everyone is here.”

“What announcement?” I asked.

Franco didn’t answer, just smiled as he walked away. A makeshift stage had been erected on one end of the room, where a microphone stood waiting for him.

“Welcome, one and all, to the first gathering of the Assembly of Wolves,” Franco began. “We are joined here today with representatives from Sparkle Hollow, Pinedale, and Preston to begin a new chapter.”

Applause swelled up from the room along with the hope in my heart. Everything I had been through and everything we had lost would have a purpose. There was a future for all of us, and I was honored to be a part of it.

“For decades, we have been called the Forsaken Shadows,” he continued. “Our pack comes from a long line of ruthless alphas whose policies and practices relegated us to live on the outskirts of civilization, scraping by with what meager resources we could steal from others.”

A somber feeling crept into the room as everyone thought of where they had come from. There was grief there, for their troubled pasts, but also dreams for the future.

“But recently, all of that has changed. Everyone here is familiar with my mate, Sienna.”

My heart leapt at the mention of my name, and color rose in my cheeks as people glanced my way. The spotlight wasn’t a place I was comfortable with, but as luna of the pack, it was something I was trying to get used to.

“We are all here today because of her bravery, loyalty, and determination. Through her, we have the chance at a new life—one lived in the sun, not the shadows. That is why the council has taken a vote and has unanimously agreed to change our pack’s name,” he said with a smile.

A rustle of excitement spread through the room as people whispered to their neighbors.

“In honor of Luna Sienna and her father, Tom Mowry, we have decided to rebrand ourselves as the wolves of Redeeming Light,” Franco announced happily. “Each of us will pledge ourselves to our new purpose of goodness and hope as we go forward into the future with our allies.”

The entire room applauded, and I saw tears glisten in the eyes of a few people. Even Sven was affected by Franco’s speech and had to be comforted by Elise.

“To the wolves of Redeeming Light, and our alpha and luna!” Dylan shouted.

The entire room repeated Dylan’s toast and raised their glasses to one another as Franco made his way back to me.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were going to do this?” I asked as he wrapped me in a hug.

“I wanted it to be a surprise,” he said. “A good one, I hope.”

“The best,” I agreed.

He gave me a long, lingering kiss, and I felt heat flush into my core. We had barely been at the party for ten minutes, and already I wanted to leave. Luckily, Franco was on the same page.

“Let’s get out of here for a minute,” he murmured against my lips.

“Yes,” I whispered back.

We snuck out the back door and practically sprinted back to our cabin to avoid being stopped. When the door closed, I reached behind me to unzip my dress, but Franco stopped me.

“Leave it on,” he said. “When we go back to the party, I want you wearing the dress you wore when I made love to you. I want to think about what we did here when I see you in it.”

I bit my lip and let out a soft sigh of anticipation as Franco caressed my cheek down to my collarbone. He kissed my neck gently, and I moaned. He pulled back and grinned at me mischievously before sweeping me up into his arms.

“What are you doing!” I asked in surprise.

“Carrying my bride to her bedchamber.”

“Mm,” I mumbled contentedly, resting my head against his shoulder.

As soon as we were in our room, he placed me gently on the bed and unbuttoned his jeans to reveal his erection. I grinned up at him with my own mischievous smile as I grasped his hips and licked the tip gently. His pupils dilated even further as his mouth dropped open in surprise and excitement.

“You tease,” Franco accused.

“Always,” I said with a smile.

He lifted me up and placed me further up on the bed so that he could climb in front of me. Wrapping my legs around his waist, he placed his moistened tip at the entrance to my vagina and rubbed it. His hard cock pressed against my clitoris, sending shockwaves of pleasure through my body.

“You like that?” he asked.

“Yes,” I moaned.

“Do you want more?”

“Yes.”

He pressed himself further inside me as he rubbed his thumb against my delicate bundle of nerves. I was expecting him to thrust powerfully into me, but he only inserted the tip that I had just licked.

“More,” I said. I wanted to feel his fullness deep inside me, turning our two bodies into one.

“You’re not the only one who can tease,” he reminded me, pulling himself back out.

I tried to pout, but the motion of his thumb was making it hard to think. All I knew was that I needed him. All of him.

“More,” I said, trying to press him back inside with my legs.

He reinserted the tip of his penis but stopped once again, fueling my frustration.

“Please,” I begged.

It was only when I said the magic word that he obliged. His hips moved forward, pressing his cock deep inside me. Heat rushed through me as my back arched. Each thrust brought me closer and closer to orgasm as he played with my clit. When I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, I felt my body release.

Franco orgasmed almost immediately, and I could tell he had been waiting for me to finish first. He pulled out, and I felt our combined wetness trail down my thigh. He wiped it off using the sheets and helped me to my feet.

“Ready to go back?” I asked.

“Do we have to?”

I laughed at his response. “I think we do. It is your party, after all.”

“ Our party,” he said. “Everything I have is yours now, too.”

I smiled happily at his correction. I knew how much he meant it, and I was happy to share my life with him.

But mostly, I was glad to finally have his heart.

*****

THE END

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