EPILOGUE || DANIEL #3
“You’re the one person we’ve always loved,” Hunter added.
Though his expression was serious, I saw that his eyes were filled with fear.
As if he was frightened, even now, that I might say no.
He opened his box, revealing a band identical to Lee’s, except it was yellow gold.
His gaze searched mine as he held the ring up to me as well.
“Even when we tried to hate you, we could never stop loving you. That’s because of you. ”
Lee added, “It’s because of what you are—who you are.”
“You’re a hell of a man,” Hunter continued. “Enough to make me realize what an idiot I can sometimes be. And you’re our person. You always have been. Will you please let us spend the rest of our lives showing you that? Will you let us spend the rest of our lives showing you how much we love you?”
“Will you marry us?” Lee finished.
“Please say yes,” Hunter stage-whispered.
I blinked back the tears that stung in my eyes, causing them to spill over. I swallowed around the searing lump in my throat. “Yes. To both of you, yes.”
Lee and Hunter both grinned at the same time, the fear dissolving away from Hunter’s expression. And then they each took my left hand, one after the other, and slid their rings onto my finger.
Everyone in the clearing clapped. I was pretty sure I heard Lacey whooping. But the next moment was sheer chaos as Hunter and Lee swept me in a fierce hug, both of them clinging to me.
And then the pack—and our allies—were all there, too, congratulating us. A warm crush of people sharing in our joy—the people I loved most in the world.
When they pulled back, Lacey took me by the hand. “We’re getting drunk.”
“One drink,” I said. “Just one. I haven’t forgiven you for the hangover I had after my initiation.”
She grinned at me, her face filled with happiness. “We’ll see.”
After that, I did drink a little too much. And we spent most of the night celebrating together.
Which was why, around midnight, when I heard the crunch of gravel behind me and the sound of a car engine, I was bleary-eyed and happy when I turned to see what it was.
A Jeep had pulled up into the gravel lot.
The headlights died and everyone fell silent again.
Out stepped a familiar man, someone I hadn’t seen in nearly two years, not since the first few months after joining the pack.
Arden.
He had left when Jeremy had adjured the pack to abduct James, the human man he’d tried to force the bite onto against his will.
The pack started murmuring all around me, exchanging shocked looks with each other.
Arden walked toward us, his gaze steady and his expression unreadable.
He was tall and broad, with thick wavy reddish-brown hair and sorrel-colored eyes.
There was stubble along his jaw, as if he hadn’t shaved in days.
He wore a beat-up brown leather jacket, dark denim jeans, and rugged brown leather boots.
He looked haggard and there were dark circles under his eyes.
Reed stepped forward to greet him. “Arden, what are you doing here?”
“I’m not here to explain myself,” Arden said roughly, stepping past him.
And then I saw who his gaze was locked on: Tamrand.
He was standing by himself, next to the fire. The fae froze at the sight of the werewolf coming right for him.
Sally was still across the clearing, where she’d been in conversation with Jensen and Dr. Langley until Arden’s arrival, her eyes wide as she watched what was unfolding.
“You,” Arden said, stopping right in front of him. The expression on the wolf’s face was still unreadable but oddly intense. His voice was gruff when he added, “I’ve been dreaming of you.”
“I beg your pardon?” Tamrand said, visibly alarmed by Arden’s words. “You have been doing what?”
“I’ve been dreaming of you. Every night for months.” Arden’s eyes narrowed at him in challenge. “Because you’re my mate. You belong to me.”
THE END