Epilogue Part Four
EMME
My leg bounced up and down, and I’d chewed all my nails off by the time we entered the third period of the game.
Despite losing two and winning two of their road games, the Celtic Wolves had enough points to make it into the playoff rounds for the Shifter Cup.
Just in time for Kellan and Finley to throw themselves full throttle into training and games.
Tonight was the game that would seal the cup winner, and the score was tied one apiece with the Red Pandas, who were playing like their lives depended on it.
But so were our boys.
Especially Henderson, who appeared to have something to prove. In related news, Kassidy sat in a nervous huddle beside Hunter on my right. Slade was on my left, and Talon beside him. Constantine rounded out the end of our row, and I loved that everyone had shown up to support the team.
Tyson and Julien had arrived with all of their pack, including little Lochlan.
Danielle and Conrad even flew out to support their son, and we’d had the best time catching up without impending doom hanging over our heads.
While they’d been momentarily pissed no one had called them for help when we were fighting for our lives, they understood there hadn’t really been time.
Cora, Warrick, Richard, and Sierra finished off their row, and it was good to see them all out together. Their pack would never be the same again, but they were living for Marcus the best way they knew how.
As the final minutes of the third ticked away, I leaned forward, focused on the intense puck passing across the ice.
There were plenty of attempts to score, but nothing made it past either goalie.
When Henderson got it down to our end, he was checked hard into the boards, bouncing off to crash on the ice.
I caught Kassidy’s flinch and the way she ran a quick, worried glance over him before looking away.
But she couldn’t hide her clenched fists, which only eased when the big Viking shifter got to his feet and skated off.
The hard hits continued, and the crowd grew louder and more restless as both teams fought for their damn lives. With five minutes remaining, Finley pushed forward and joined Kellan, the two of them aggressively checking Pandas out of the way, while they passed back and forth to their teammates.
When they were triple-teamed, Kellan offloaded the puck to Henderson, and in the blink of an eye—so fast I literally almost missed it—he moved it on to Christian, who shot on goal.
It slipped in the lower right corner, and when the red light flashed, half of the damn stadium jumped to their feet and screamed until we were all repairing some hearing damage.
The boys skated a few laps around the ice, and the lineup was switched up. I stared at the back of Kellan and Finley’s heads as they dropped onto the bench.
“This is too fucking intense,” I breathed, my heart racing.
Four minutes was an eternity in this game. Even being up one, I couldn’t rest easy.
When the lines rotated again, the Pandas hadn’t scored, and there was a mad scrimmage at one end, but no other shot made it past the goalie. At the final buzzer, the score remained two to one, and our boys were the cup winners again.
Kellan skated around the stadium with a giant golden trophy hoisted on his shoulder while the stadium shook from stomping feet, clapping, and screams.
The pride I felt as I watched them win had me jumping up and down and hugging Danielle like ten times. “They did so amazing,” she wailed, her eyes filled with tears.
“They’re talented our boys,” I replied, equally as teary.
When she released me, Hunter drew me back between him and Slade, all of us standing and clapping still. “They played their asses off out there,” he said, a note of pride in his voice.
“They really did.”
Kellan and Finley slammed against the glass in front of us and waved me down. “Come on, Shortcake,” Kellan shouted. I couldn’t hear him over the crowd, but I read his lips.
Talon, Slade, and Hunter escorted me down to the ice, but before my feet made contact, Kellan scooped me into his arms. He hoisted me up on his shoulder and skated around like I was the prize he’d won.
“I’m so proud of you,” I yelled, clutching his shoulder. “That was an intense game.”
He laughed, shaking me in an unsettling way. “Wasn’t my best game, but the boys pulled it together.”
Brushing my hand through his hair, I said, “You played brilliantly, Golden. Your passes were outstanding all night, and Fin checked everyone who came close. Your goalie needs his own trophy, I swear to the goddess, and Henderson was on fire—”
Kellan swung me down into his arms and kissed the words out of me, right in front of everyone.
I got so caught up in his kiss, I barely realized he was still gliding us lazily around the now packed ice. When he handed me off to Finley, I got another victory lap in his arms. “I’m so happy you’re here,” he said, his eyes shiny as his voice cracked.
“I’m so proud of you,” I told him; my Grouchy had never heard that enough growing up. “You were brilliant out there.” He did his beary rumble, and I got another thorough kissing.
Eventually, they had to return me so they could shower and do their press obligations. “Where did all the others get to?” I asked when I was with Hunter, Talon, and Slade.
“Afterparty,” Slade said shortly.
Oh, right. The team was throwing a huge party in one of the warehouses on the edge of Golden Claw. Whether it was to celebrate or commiserate, everyone had already planned to be there.
“Do you want to go?” Hunter asked, examining me closely.
I shook my head, but then turned it into a half-shrug. “I mean, if Kel and Finley want to celebrate their win, you know I’ll be there. But I’d rather a quiet pack night at home.”
Hunter wrapped his arm around me, his palm possessively draped over my stomach. “They just want to be where you are. We can decide later, but first… there’s something we want to show you.”
That piqued my interest, but no matter how much I badgered them, no one would tell me what it was. And nothing slipped through the bond.
We ended up lingering in the stadium, waiting for the boys to finish up. Then all of us piled into the Benz, except for Slade, who had his bike. To fit, I perched on Finley’s lap, with my legs over Kellan.
“The Pandas played their asses off today,” Finley cheered, sounding elated but exhausted. “We were just slightly better.”
“It was a close one,” Hunter agreed, steering us through the city. The city lights flashed around us, lighting up the night, and for once the weather was perfect. The throes of winter had finally loosened its hold.
Kellan dropped his head back. “It’s bittersweet when the season is over, but I’m looking forward to the break this year. Coach said training won’t start for two months.
Finley’s hand slid down the side of my throat, as his thumb gently stroked my skin. The calloused touch sending shivers down my spine. “Which will give us plenty of time to work on your car, Ice. We’ll have it ready for summer.”
That had me snuggling closer to him. “I can’t wait. She’s going to be perfect for summer driving with the top down.”
Finley’s lips pressed to the side of my throat, such a sweet, simple touch. “Oh yeah, we should head for the beach and make it a proper vacation.”
The thought of vacations without having to run or hide left a deep ache in my chest. This time last year I’d been alone and in a dead-end life. Now the possibilities were endless, and I was loved endlessly.
When Hunter turned deeper into downtown Golden Claw, where the restaurants and food places were, I started trying to guess the surprise again.
“Did you make dinner reservations?” I asked, getting four smirks in return. “Did you buy a new apartment? Are we getting takeaway to eat naked off each other?”
Their scents exploded, and while that clearly wasn’t the surprise, judging by their groans, they were going to make it happen.
When Hunter parked, Talon opened the door and maneuvered me out without smashing my head.
Once I was safely deposited on the sidewalk, I noticed the shop we stood in front of.
It looked different to the last time I’d been here.
The pretty pink and green signage was gone, leaving only huge windows and painted white brick.
Around the time Hunter gestured for me to follow him to the door, I started to put the pieces together. “Why are we at Chelsea’s bakery?” I asked, though I already suspected.
Hunter unlocked and opened the door, stepping inside to hit the lights. I followed him to find the inside was also a blank space now. The previous styling had been stripped, leaving the bones of a bakery. “It’s not Chelsea’s bakery,” Hunter said softly. “It’s yours.”
Even having suspected, it still took me by surprise. “I-I’m…I’m not a baker.”
Kellan’s heat pressed down my spine. “Baby, you’re the best damn baker I’ve ever tasted.”
Finley shook his head. “That’s not how that saying goes. But true.”
Slade walked through the door then and a snarl ripped from him. In his hand was a huge bunch of wild flowers, which he held out to me. “You didn’t wait for me,” he griped, and I forced myself not to laugh, taking the flowers from him.
“We literally just walked in, but thank you for the flowers,” I said, wrapping one arm around him as I breathed in his smoky marshmallow scent. “Hunter said this shop is… mine.”
Finley reached over to run his fingers across my cheek, which was the moment I realized I was crying. “They’re happy tears,” I whispered, though they would already have felt that through the bond. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”
Slade brushed away a tear too, lifting the drop to press against his tongue. “This is barely a blip of what we’re going to give you, Emmeline.”
Hunter nodded. “You don’t have to open a bakery if you don’t want, but it’s here, waiting for you.”
I gasped, the flowers shaking as I pulled away from them. “Oh no, I want this. It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to one day have my own café or business. Weirdly, I enjoyed working in them. And I love food—minus all the green monstrosities.”
“You also hate carrots,” Kellan reminded me.
“She’s not a huge fan of corn, pumpkin, or sweet potato either,” Finley added.
I waved them off. “Yeah, yeah. Greens and vegetables.”
Hunter grunted. “Don’t forget salad.”
Ugh, I really hated salad.
Talon got us back on track as he strolled the shop, checking out every inch. “We’re all going to help you run it,” he said, and there was a glint of excitement on his face. “When I’m not training enforcers, I’ll be here with you.”
He’d recently started with his own squad, and his skills were turning out to be invaluable. Fletcher might have been a top-level evil asshole, but he’d trained his assassin well. Skills that would be passed on to keep Golden Claw safe for many future generations.
“We found our purpose,” I whispered to him, and by his expression, it was clear he remembered that conversation we’d had long ago. When I’d reminded him that if we just survived our trials, we’d have the time to figure out our purpose.
“The lemon tarts are mine though,” Kellan declared, a note of warning in his voice.
“Always yours first,” I assured him, and then did a twirl to take in my bakery. I loved that it was stripped back so I could put my touch on it.
Images were already forming in my mind of how I wanted to decorate.
I was determined to bring in a slice of every member of my pack: plants and books from Kellan, a roaring fire from Talon’s and Slade’s beasts, exposed brick and clean lines as Hunter enjoyed, and the warm cozy booths that would wrap around shifters like a Finley bear hug.
Home. This bakery would feel like home, and I hoped it would comfort shifters who weren’t as blessed as me with such an amazing pack.
As my wolf howled in my mind, the other beasts pressed in closer, just as the alphas did in this bakery. The six of us let the essence flow between us, along with hope, love, and happiness.
“Thank you for catching me when I ran,” I whispered as they wrapped me in their hold.
My forever home.
I couldn’t wait to see what the future held.