Epilogue
EPILOGUE
M onths passed, seasons shifting from summer’s golden haze to autumn’s crisp clarity. The Saber-Bear Security firm—a name Thora had initially protested but eventually embraced—grew steadily from a concept to reality. Their client list expanded beyond Enchanted Falls to neighboring paranormal communities, all seeking the unique combination of bear clan resources and sabertooth tracking expertise.
Their home evolved too—Thora’s weapons collection found permanent homes alongside Artair’s family heirlooms. His honey-stocked pantry made space for her preferred spicy snacks. Photographs appeared on walls that had once displayed only Maxen ancestors—images of Thora with Aleksander and Louisa, of Artair teaching her to fish in the mountain stream, of both of them surrounded by a growing circle of friends.
On a crisp autumn evening, Thora sat on their porch swing, wrapped in one of Artair’s sweaters that engulfed her smaller frame. Through their bond, she sensed him approaching before she heard his footsteps on the gravel path—a constant awareness that had become as natural as her own heartbeat.
“Sunset watching without me?” He climbed the steps, golden light illuminating his profile.
“Waiting for you,” she corrected, shifting to make room beside her. When he sat, she immediately curled against his side, head finding its familiar place on his shoulder. “Long day?”
“Better now.” His arm circled her waist, pulling her closer. Through their bond flowed his contentment, his pleasure in coming home to her at day’s end. “How’s the shoulder?”
“Perfect.” She rotated it to demonstrate. “Willow says I’ve healed ‘unexpectedly well.’“
“Unexpectedly?” His eyebrow arched. “You’re the most stubborn person I know. Your body wouldn’t dare heal slowly.”
Thora laughed, the sound echoing across their yard. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“It is.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “I admire your determination.”
They sat in comfortable silence as twilight deepened around them. Below in the valley, lights began to twinkle in Enchanted Falls windows. From their vantage point, the town looked like a scatter of earthbound stars nestled between ancient trees.
“Do you ever miss it?” Artair asked suddenly. “The nomadic life. The freedom to go anywhere, be anyone.”
Thora considered the question seriously, searching her heart for any lingering restlessness. “No,” she said finally. “I thought freedom meant never staying anywhere long enough to form connections. Now I realize I was just running from the possibility of loss.”
His arm tightened around her. “And now?”
“Now I know that some things are worth the risk.” She shifted to face him, one hand coming up to trace the line of his jaw. “You’re worth the risk, Artair Maxen.”
The kiss that followed held all the tenderness and passion that had grown between them—no longer a wild flame threatening to consume everything in its path, but a steady hearth fire, warming them both through changing seasons.
Later that night as moonlight spilled through their bedroom window, Thora lay curled against Artair’s side, her head on his chest, his heartbeat strong and steady beneath her ear. Their bond hummed between them, a constant awareness of each other’s presence that no longer felt invasive but essential.
“Happy?” he murmured into the darkness, fingers tracing idle patterns on her bare shoulder.
“More than I thought possible.” She pressed a kiss to his skin, tasting salt and satisfaction. “Who would have guessed that getting tethered to an irritating bear shifter would lead to this?”
His chuckle rumbled beneath her cheek. “Fate works in mysterious ways.”
“It wasn’t fate.” She propped herself up to meet his gaze, suddenly needing him to understand this crucial point. “It was choice. My choice. I chose you, Artair. I choose you every day.”
The wonder that crossed his face made her heart swell. His hand came up to cup her cheek, thumb brushing across her lower lip with exquisite tenderness. “And I choose you, Thora Halliwell. Every day. For all my days.”