Epilogue
Shane
T wo days in the truck, one exceptionally enjoyable night in a hotel, and hundreds of miles later, we pull into the driveway at my parents’ house outside Woodbine Hollow. The ridge of mountains standing guard on the horizon are unchanged, but other things are different. Me, more so than anything else.
The trees lining the driveway have grown, arching overhead now, but the crunch of the rough gravel drive induces a wave of nostalgia, sending my heart sprinting with each yard we drive through the shade.
Two motorcycles are parked next to a beat-up farm truck in front of the main house, and four people await our arrival on the wrap-around porch. Staring through the windshield, I take a shaky breath.
My mother and father look the same, if a little greyer than I remember. Lana rocks on the porch swing, and a young man I barely recognize stands up from where he sat next to her to walk down the steps. I get out of the truck, round the front to open Kaycia’s door, and offer her a hand to step down, then turn to face my family who have all gathered at the foot of the stairs.
My mother’s eyes are full of tears, but like Lana, she wipes them away before they fall as she smiles. My father steps forward to take my hand, starting to shake it before he pulls me into a tight embrace that makes me hold tight to my own tears.
“Welcome home, son.” His voice trembles with restrained emotions and he holds me at arm’s length as if to inspect me.When he releases me, I turn to my mother who cradles my face in both palms with a smile.
“My sweet boy,” my mother says, wrapping her arms around me and resting her head against my chest. She seems smaller than she did before I left, even if her strength is evident in the tightness of her embrace. “I’m so glad you’re home.”
I can’t hold my feelings back any longer as a desperate sob escapes me, and I cling to my mother. The last time I hugged my parents was when they hastily wrapped my bleeding arm and handed me a rucksack and duffle with my entire life held within. My father’s large hand cups the back of my head as though I’m still a child while I breathe deeply to regain control over my emotions.
With a steadying breath, I turn to the young man. “Aubrey? That you, little brother?”
“It’s been a long time, Shane,” Aubrey answers, voice thick with emotion. His voice is deep, and his shoulders are as broad as mine, even if he’s still a few inches shorter. Nothing like the boy he was when I left.
“Too long,” I agree. Aubrey rushes forward to hug me, still as exuberant as always.
Lana clears her throat. “Now that all these emotions are handled, let the man introduce his girl. Poor thing is just standing there,” she remarks, waving her hand to where Kaycia waits quietly behind me. Lana smiles wide at Kaycia, their friendship forged in the rain on the lawn of my cabin.
Kaycia has held back, waiting in front of the truck with wide eyes. I scrub away my tears and take her hand in mine with a reassuring smile.
“Mama, Dad. This is Kaycia Durand,” I announce, pulling Kaycia forward to meet my parents. “And this is my little brother, Aubrey. You already know Lana.”
Lana wrinkles her nose with a smile and a wink at Kaycia, while Aubrey dips his chin and offers a little wave, as though afraid I might react poorly if he were to shake her hand. Even if Kaycia may not realize it, I know that my family can scent our bond without my need to announce the seriousness of our relationship.
“Oh, come here, sweetheart!” my mother exclaims, not worried in the least. Her open arms greet Kaycia as though she’s an old friend. “Thank you for taking care of him,” she whispers while she hugs her, then holds her out at arm’s length with a wide smile. “Welcome to the pack, honey.”
Kaycia smiles and returns my mother’s embrace without hesitation. My father smiles at me with a hint of familiar sparkle in his eyes, dipping his head in approval.
I’m unexpectedly overwhelmed by emotions watching Kaycia be welcomed by my family. I never thought I’d get to see them again, let alone introduce them to the family I’ve built after being torn from them.
Before that happiness can root too deeply though, my father interrupts. “Let’s get the two of you settled. Aubrey can carry your things to your old room. I assume you’re both fine with sharing a bed?” Kaycia blushes deeply, but I just nod my approval and Aubrey heads to the truck to grab our bags. My father continues, “A council of Ross pack members will be here tomorrow evening. We need to discuss your plan first thing in the morning, Shane. But for now, let’s have dinner and hear how you’ve been spending your time.”
He opens the front door for Aubrey to carry the bags in, holding it for my mother to pass through with Kaycia. With a backward glance, he enters behind them, leaving Lana and me on the porch.
We used to spend hours out here together, playing games or doing homework, while my mother fussed over Aubrey. I inhale deeply, the scents of home and Woodbine Hollow comforting me despite the knowledge of what awaits.
Lana clears her throat, pulling me from the pleasant memories as she nudges my ribs with a pointy elbow. “So, what are we going to do now, Alpha ?”
* * *
Continue The Wolves of Woodbine Hollow in Book 2