Epilogue #2
“I was wrong.” The words came rough, like his father had to force them out. “About Connor. About your mating.” Sebastian finally met Leyden’s eyes. “I can see how happy you are. How well you work together. The pack’s thriving under both of you.”
Leyden’s throat closed. Six months of waiting for this, hoping his father would finally understand.
“I pushed my own fears onto you,” Sebastian continued. “Assumed intimacy had to look a certain way. That mates needed...” He waved a hand awkwardly. “I never once considered that connection comes in different forms.”
“Connor’s my mate,” Leyden didn’t know how many more times he was going to have to keep saying it, but he would until the people around him understood what that meant. “He’s my partner, my other half.”
“I know.” Sebastian’s expression softened. “I watched you two together during the holidays. The way you look at each other - that’s real love. Deep love. The kind that lasts.” His voice turned gruff. “That’s all a father can want for his son. To see him happy.”
Emotion slammed into Leyden. He’d spent months trying to prove his relationship to his father, desperate for acceptance. Now Sebastian stood here offering exactly that.
“Thank you.” Leyden’s voice cracked. “That means everything.”
Sebastian pulled him into a brief, tight hug. Patted his back twice before stepping away, eyes suspiciously bright.
They returned to the main hall where Catherine waited, knowing smile on her face. She hugged Leyden again, whispered in his ear, “I told you everything would work out.”
Leyden laughed, slightly watery. “You did.”
“Now go find your mate. Celebration’s about to start.”
/~/~/~/~/
Music poured through the pack hall, laughter and conversation rising in waves around Connor. Plates piled high with food covered every available surface. Kids chased each other between clusters of adults while the older pack members settled into comfortable chairs along the walls.
Connor stood beside Leyden near the entrance, greeting arrivals. When he first arrived so much attention would’ve made his skin crawl. Now he returned hugs from Sarah, accepted compliments from Walter, fielded questions from Janet without the urge to flee.
Weird how natural it felt. How right.
“Alpha Mate Connor.” Marcus appeared with his arms full of gifts. “Where should I put these?”
“Table in the back corner.” Connor pointed. “Stack them carefully - half of those look breakable.”
Marcus grinned and headed off. Connor turned back to Leyden, caught his mate watching him with obvious pride.
“What?”
“You.” Leyden’s hand found the small of Connor’s back. “Commanding the room without even trying.”
“I’m just…”
“Being yourself. Which is exactly what they need.”
Before Connor could respond, the entrance filled with new arrivals. Davis’s distinctive laugh boomed across the hall, followed by familiar faces - Scott, Maria, Thomas. Connor’s former pack mates from his old territory.
His throat tightened. He hadn’t seen them in six months, though he and Davis talked weekly.
Davis swept through the crowd like he owned the place, pulled Connor into a crushing hug. Connor returned it without hesitation, wrapping his arms around his oldest friend.
“Look at you.” Davis pulled back, gripped Connor’s shoulders. “Thriving.”
“I could say the same.” Connor studied his friend. Davis looked lighter somehow, less burdened than he’d been during Connor’s last months in his territory. “Pack treating you well?”
“Pack’s excellent. Better than excellent.” Davis glanced at Leyden, nodded respectfully. “Mind if I steal Connor for a minute? Old friends catching up.”
“Take your time.” Leyden squeezed Connor’s shoulder before moving to greet Scott and the others.
Davis guided Connor through a side door into the quiet hallway. Leaned against the wall, expression going soft.
“You look happier than I’ve ever seen you.”
Connor’s chest warmed. “I am.”
“Leyden’s good for you. Can see it in everything - how you stand, how you talk, how you interact with your pack.” Davis’s smile turned genuine. “I knew he would be. That’s why I let you go.”
“You didn’t let me go. You released me properly.”
“Semantics.” Davis waved a hand. “Point is, watching you find your place, find real happiness... It made me realize I’d been settling.”
Connor’s eyebrows rose. “Settling?”
“All those casual hookups, meaningless encounters in bathrooms and clubs.” Davis’s expression turned thoughtful.
“Kept telling myself it was what wolves do, what alphas do. But seeing you and Leyden build something real, something based on actual connection...” He trailed off, rubbed the back of his neck. “Made me want that too.”
“Davis.” Connor’s kept his voice low. “Did you meet your mate?”
“Maybe.” Davis’s smile turned shy - an expression Connor had never seen on his confident friend’s face. “A beta from the Clearwater pack. Named Jordan. We’ve been talking. Taking things slow, getting to know each other before jumping into bed.”
Joy burst through Connor’s chest. “That’s incredible.”
“It’s different. A good kind of different.” Davis met Connor’s eyes. “You showed me there’s another way to do this.” He gripped Connor’s shoulder. “Thank you for that. For being brave enough to be yourself no matter what anyone else said about you.”
Connor swallowed hard. “I never thought I could have this. Love, acceptance, a place where I belong.” His voice cracked. “You know more than anyone how I spent so many years convinced I was defective.”
“You were never defective. You were just waiting for the right person to see you clearly.” Davis pulled him into another quick hug. “Now get back in there. This party’s for you.”
They returned to the main hall where the celebration had reached full swing. Leyden caught Connor’s eye from across the room, tilted his head toward the small stage at the far end.
Right. The speech.
Connor wove through the crowd, pack members parting to let him pass. Gentle touches on his arm, warm smiles, murmured congratulations. His pack. His family.
Leyden took Connor’s hand as they climbed onto the stage. Matthew appeared with a microphone, handed it to Leyden with a respectful nod.
The music cut off. Conversations died. Every face in the hall turned toward them.
Leyden raised the microphone, voice carrying easily across the space. “Six months ago, Connor became my alpha mate. Some of you had doubts about our unconventional mating. Others questioned whether we could lead effectively together.”
Silence filled the hall. Connor’s fingers tightened around Leyden’s.
“But after a bit of readjustment, you gave us a chance. Gave Connor a chance.” Leyden’s gaze swept the crowd.
“And he’s exceeded every expectation. Overhauled our security protocols, strengthened our alliances, protected our borders.
More than that, he’s shown this pack what real strength looks like - the courage to be different, to challenge assumptions, to build connections that matter. ”
Applause rippled through the hall. Connor’s face heated.
Leyden passed him the microphone. Connor stared at it for a heartbeat before raising it to his lips.
“I came here terrified,” Connor admitted. “Convinced I’d fail, that I’d never fit in, that you’d reject me for being...” He paused, searching for words. “For needing time. For doing intimacy differently than most wolves.”
Heads nodded throughout the crowd. Sam stood near the front, Tyler’s arm around his waist.
“But you became my family. Accepted me exactly as I am. Showed me that strength comes from diversity, from embracing differences instead of forcing everyone into the same mold.” Connor’s voice steadied. “This pack taught me I’m not broken. Just different. And different is exactly what we need.”
The applause came louder this time. Genuine affection radiated from every face.
“Thank you,” Connor finished. “For giving me a home.”
Leyden took the microphone, set it aside, and kissed Connor in front of the entire pack. Connor returned it without hesitation, hearing whoops and cheers echo around them.
They descended from the stage into a sea of well-wishers. Sarah hugged Connor tight. Walter clapped him on the back. Marcus promised to bring by the new patrol reports first thing Monday morning.
A small body slammed into Connor’s legs. He looked down to find Emma, Walter and Sarah’s six-year-old daughter, staring up at him with huge eyes.
“Alpha Mate Connor? Will you play with us?”
Connor blinked. Kids usually avoided him – he was considered too intimidating, too serious.
“Play?”
“Tag!” Emma grabbed his hand, and tugged insistently. “You’re big and fast. You’ll be good at tag!”
Connor glanced at Leyden, who watched with obvious amusement and something deeper. Longing, maybe. Tenderness.
“Sure.” Connor let Emma drag him toward where a cluster of pups waited. “But I warn you - I’m really fast.”
Emma shrieked with delight. The pups scattered, and Connor chased them through the hall, careful to let them dart away at the last second before catching them gently.
Across the room, Leyden stood with Davis, both alphas watching Connor play. The look on Leyden’s face made Connor’s breath catch - pure love, pure adoration, and something else.
Hope.
Connor knew exactly what that look meant.
/~/~/~/~/
The celebration wound down near midnight.
Pack members filtered out with final congratulations and promises to see them at Monday’s meeting.
Leyden’s parents departed with hugs and another awkward but genuine apology from his father.
Davis clapped them both on the shoulder before heading back to his territory.
Finally, the pack house emptied.
Connor and Leyden climbed the stairs to their bedroom, shedding suit jackets along the way. Leyden’s tie came off next, landing on the dresser as they entered their private space.
Connor pulled his shirt over his head, tossed it toward the hamper. “That went better than expected.”