Epilogue
CARTER
Two months later…
“Come on, Rey! Let’s go!” Carter shouted up the stairs to his slowpoke of a mate.
Rey descended the stairs, looking simply delicious in tight faded blue jeans with a couple of rips in them and a white Henley, with his long hair braided and hanging over one shoulder.
He walked straight up to Carter, wrapping him in his arms and giving him a light kiss.
“Relax, sweetheart. Seth isn’t going to unveil the new equipment without you. ”
Carter pouted at Rey. “Don’t think your sexy body and first-class kisses are going to distract me, mate.”
“First-class kisses, huh?” Rey asked, bouncing his brows at Carter, who giggled.
“You know I can’t resist your kisses, boo bear.” Another giggle came free when Rey growled at him. Carter had been trying to find a lover’s endearment for a while now, one which felt natural. Either they were too cheesy, didn’t fit, or Rey hated them. “Not a fan of that one either?”
“I don’t know why you can’t just stick with mate,” Rey grumbled, but there was no heat behind his protests.
Carter knew Rey enjoyed their banter about the pet name he had been trying to come up with for the last month.
Though he’d never admit it, Carter secretly loved it, too.
Somehow it made him feel closer to Rey and gave him something to look forward to every day.
“Because then people not in the know about shifters would think I was Australian or something and think we’re just friends.” Carter frowned. “I want everyone to know what you mean to me when I call you by a nickname.”
“Where did you get boo bear from?” Rey said as he guided Carter out of the house and down the walkway to his truck.
He opened the door for Carter, something Carter noticed Rey did every single time without thinking.
The simple gesture warmed Carter so much.
Maybe most people wouldn’t see it for what it was, but it was another one of Rey’s ways of taking care of him.
Carter waited for Rey to get into the truck before responding to his question. Shrugging, he replied, “Well, you’re as big as a bear in either form, and boo is a common nickname for many in a relationship. So, I just stuck ’em together.”
“Keep trying, little wolf. Never been a fan of the ‘boo’ or ‘my boo’ endearments.” Rey started the truck and backed out of the driveway.
“What about tater tot?” Carter asked. “Or light of my life? I could go for something more old school like lover.”
Rey grinned. “Tater tot is a no. Light of my life sounds good but doesn’t feel right. Lover… hmm. Lover extraordinaire? Let everyone know how I rock your world every night.”
Carter pretended to scoff at his words, to which Rey gave him a mock glare. “Don’t lie, little wolf. You know it’s true.”
Chuckling, Carter nodded, his recently pierced nipples pulsing slightly in agreement.
Rey had taken him into the nearby city to get them done, and they were still tender from that morning’s romp in the sheets.
As soon as they’d healed, Rey had fully exploited the piercings, using his tongue, fingers, and teeth to bring Carter to orgasm three times.
“Yes, mate, it is true. But I don’t think the entire world needs to know that you rock my world every day. ”
The banter continued for the drive to Seth’s clinic.
Carter’s excitement returned. They’d done a small ceremony at the sheriff’s office when the new computers had been installed, giving the townspeople the opportunity to see what some of their tax dollars had gone toward.
But Seth’s clinic was not only having new computers added, but also some new medical machines, which could help save more pet lives.
Carter had not only helped research them for Seth but also helped set them up and install them.
They were having a larger event for Seth to promote both his business and the importance of vaccines for people’s animals and spaying or neutering their pets.
Carter wasn’t a party planner, but he’d helped Chessie, Seth’s assistant at the clinic, organize some of it.
It excited him to see his work come to fruition.
Plus, it would hopefully help drum up more business for him, too.
He’d brought a bunch of his business cards with him to hand out.
Seth’s new machines had kept him busy for the better part of the last month and a half, so he hadn’t spent a lot of time pimping his business.
Hopefully, between the new computers at the police station and the setup at Seth’s, people would be interested in having him upgrade their systems or work on their computers or security cameras.
It still amazed him how free he felt knowing Darryl was no longer a threat.
While he would never celebrate the taking of a life, he knew if Darryl had lived, he’d never be safe or free to live his life.
Plus, there was always the possibility Darryl could have hurt even more people if he’d lived.
Carter knew Rey still expected him to have some kind of fallout from the entire chain of events, but Carter had Rey.
His lifeline, his sanity, his entire reason for being.
Just knowing Rey had his back and would be there for him helped Carter move past the memory of Darryl.
Despite that, he’d started private chats with Jack, the pack healer, about what he’d gone through and the things he’d experienced, even the night Darryl had abducted him.
Guilt still came over him about the trucker being hurt because of him, but Rey had taken him to see the man, Carl Finnegan, afterward.
Carter had needed to apologize, to tell Carl how awful he felt that he’d gotten hurt because of him, but Carl had waved his apologies off.
He’d told Carter it wasn’t the first time someone had shot at him because he’d helped someone.
Being a trucker, he saw a lot of shit during his drives, and he’d been shot, punched, stabbed, and even had a bone or two broken because he hadn’t kept to himself.
“Can’t stand to see someone hurt cuz someone else is an evil son of a bitch,” Carl had drawled.
To Rey’s possessive growling dismay, Carter had hugged Carl tightly. “Thank you. So much, Mr. Finnegan. I know you didn’t have to help me, and I’m sure anyone else you’ve stepped up to help was just as grateful. Most people just turn around and walk away.”
Carl had blushed and gently returned the embrace for a second before clearing his throat and stepping away. “Don’t want your man there kickin’ my ass cuz you’re huggin’ me.”
Carter gave Rey a stern glance. “He won’t.”
They’d parted ways, and while Carter knew Carl didn’t blame him or anything, he still couldn’t stop some of the guilt. But he’d slowly been letting it go. A lot like his memories of his time with Darryl.
Excitement flooded him once more when they approached the clinic.
There were several bright-colored tents with tables under them with food, drinks, and brochures with information about the various services.
Multiple volunteers from the local high school had assisted with the setup earlier that morning and were helping man the food and drink stations or passing out pamphlets.
The smell of hotdogs and hamburgers cooking wafted on the cool mid-morning air as he and Rey exited the truck.
A lot of the townspeople were already there, milling around the parking lot, waiting for the food to be available and looking over the multiple pens and crates also on display.
Seth had requested a shelter from the nearby town to bring in some puppies and kittens available for adoption as well.
Carter was most excited about that because he really wanted to ask Rey if he could adopt one.
He grabbed Rey’s hand and dragged him toward the nearest pen, where several small adult dogs were roughhousing, jumping up on the side of the pen to greet people, or chewing on toys. “Oh, Rey! Look at him!” Carter cried, pointing at a small terrier with wiry hair. “He’s so cute!”
“He is,” Rey agreed, but he didn’t seem as eager about the animals as Carter. Disappointment washed over him. If Rey didn’t like animals, he certainly wouldn’t agree to having one in the house. Carter’s anticipation dimmed a little at the depressing thought.
Before he could think of it further, Seth walked up to him, hugging him and smiling.
“Carter! Thank you so much for all your hard work on this event and with the new equipment. I’ve already got several appointments lined up for next week, and the shelter has already had ten adoptions. All of which will become my patients.”
“That’s amazing!” Carter exclaimed. “Congratulations, Seth. I’m so glad it’s working out so well.”
“I’ve told so many people about your services, too. Rey passed me some of your business cards the other day and I’ve been handing them out, bragging about what a great job you’ve done.” Seth kept one arm around Carter’s shoulders, tugging him along with him.
Rey followed at a slower pace, tossing greetings to the pack members they passed.
Carter glanced back at the puppies and sighed dejectedly.
He really thought the little terrier with the wiry hair was adorable, looking as if it had a beard.
Seth led them to the front of the clinic, where their alpha, Kasey, stood.
“Alpha,” Carter bid in a quiet voice, knowing there were some humans around.
“Good morning, Carter. I just saw everything set up inside. You did an amazing job, and I have already heard a couple of other local business owners talking about hiring you for their stores. Oh, and my mom needs someone to look at her computer. She’s been having some trouble with it shutting down on her unexpectedly. ”