Epilogue
Grace
The morning sun streams through the lace curtains of our bedroom window, painting the room in soft, golden light. I stretch languidly, my body deliciously sore in all the right places.
Beside me, Aiden stirs, his arm tightening around my waist. I snuggle back into his warmth, relishing the feel of his naked skin against mine.
“Good morning, my love,” he rumbles, his voice rough with sleep.
I smile, turning in his arms to face him. “Good morning, Mr. Donahue.”
His eyes, still heavy-lidded, sparkle with mischief. “That’s Mr. Donahue-Carter to you, sunshine.”
I giggle, my heart fluttering at the reminder. It’s been six months since we said “I do” in a magical ceremony in the town square, surrounded by friends, family, and pack. Six months of wedded, mated bliss.
Aiden captures my lips in a lazy, thorough kiss that quickly turns heated. I moan into his mouth, desire already stirring in my veins.
“Mmm, as much as I’d love to continue this,” I murmur against his lips, “we have a busy day ahead. The summer festival won’t set up itself.”
Aiden groans, flopping onto his back dramatically. “Can’t we just stay in bed all day? I’m sure the town can survive without their alpha and luna for a little while.”
I prop myself up on his chest, tracing the lines of his face with a gentle finger. “Tempting, but you know how much this festival means to everyone. It’s a chance to bring the whole community together, humans and shifters alike.”
He sighs, but I see a proud gleam in his eye. “I know. And I’m honored to be a part of it. I just wish it didn’t start so damn early.”
I press a consoling kiss to his jaw. “Tell you what, my grumpy wolf. You get that sexy butt of yours out of bed and help me set up, and I promise I’ll make it worth your while later.”
Aiden’s eyes flash gold, his hands sliding down to cup her butt. “Oh yeah? And just what did you have in mind, my naughty little mate?”
I lean in until my lips brush the shell of his ear. “Let’s just say, I have a new lingerie set that I’ve been saving for a special occasion. One that leaves very little to the imagination.”
Aiden growls, the sound sending shivers down my spine. “ Minx . You know just how to motivate a man.”
With a playful nip to my earlobe, he rolls us out of bed and heads for the shower, casting a heated look over his shoulder. “Care to conserve some water with me, darling?”
Laughing, I chase after him, already counting down the hours until I can have my wicked way with my mate. But first, we have a festival to attend.
***
Aiden
I watch Grace as she flits about the town square, directing volunteers and making sure every last detail is perfect. She’s a vision in a breezy sundress, her hair piled atop her head in a messy bun with a few tendrils escaping to frame her face.
My mate. My wife. My luna. Even after all these months, I still have to pinch myself sometimes to make sure I’m not dreaming.
“Earth to Aiden!” A hand waves in front of my face, startling me out of my reverie. I look up to see my best man and beta, Marcus, grinning at me.
“Sorry, man. I was just…”
“Making heart-eyes at your woman. Yeah, I know.” Marcus claps me on the shoulder. “Can’t say I blame you. You’re a lucky son of a gun.”
I grin, watching as Grace throws her head back and laughs at something Lila, one of the young shifter girls, says. “Don’t I know it.”
Marcus leans against the railing beside me, his expression turning serious. “I’m proud of you, you know. Of both of you. What you’ve done for this town, for the pack here… it’s incredible.”
I duck my head, uncomfortable with the praise, even as warmth blooms in my chest. “I was just trying to make things right. To be the alpha, the man, that Grace and the pack deserve.”
“And you have,” Marcus says firmly. “You’ve brought humans and shifters together in a way I never thought possible. Shown that we’re stronger united than divided. That’s all you, Aiden.”
I swallow past the sudden lump in my throat, casting my gaze out over the bustling square. Shifters and humans alike work side by side, hanging streamers, setting up booths, laughing and chatting like old friends. I once thought I’d never see such a sight.
“I couldn’t have done it without Grace,” I say softly. “She’s my strength, my guiding light. Without her, I’d still be that bitter, broken wolf, licking my wounds in the shadows.”
Marcus smiles, his eyes finding his own mate, Gina, in the crowd. “Funny how the right woman can change everything. Make you want to be a better man.”
I nod, my gaze drawn back to Grace as if by a magnet. As if sensing my regard, she looks up, her eyes meeting mine across the crowded square. She smiles, the force hitting me like a physical blow.
Mate. Mine. The words echo through me, a primal claim. I know my eyes are glowing gold, my wolf risen to the surface. From the sudden flush on Grace’s cheeks, the quickening of her breath, I know she feels it, too.
“Go on,” Marcus chuckles, giving me a little shove. “I can hold down the fort for a bit. Go steal a moment with your lady.”
I don’t need to be told twice. With a nod of thanks, I’m striding across the square, the crowd parting before me like the Red Sea. Grace meets me halfway, her small hand slipping into mine.
“Hey there, handsome,” she murmurs, rising up on her toes to brush a kiss across my lips. “Come to help with the streamers?”
I lean down, nuzzling into her neck to inhale her sweet, addictive scent. “Actually, I was hoping you could help me with something in the bakery. It’s urgent.”
Grace arches a brow, a smile playing about her lips. “Oh? And what might this urgent matter be?”
In answer, I tug her flush against me, letting her feel exactly what’s got me so worked up. She gasps, her eyes darkening with desire.
“I see,” she breathes. “Well then, lead the way, my alpha. Far be it from me to deny my mate in his time of need.”
Grinning wolfishly, I sweep her into my arms and carry her toward the bakery, her delighted laughter ringing out behind us.
***
Grace
The moment the bakery door closes behind us, Aiden’s mouth is on mine, hungry and demanding. I moan into the kiss, my hands fisting in his shirt to drag him closer.
He walks me backward until I’m pressed up against the workbench, his body a hot, hard line against mine. His hands skim down my sides to grip my hips, lifting me effortlessly onto the sturdy table.
“I need you,” he rasps against my lips. “Need to feel you, taste you. Need to be inside you.”
“Yes,” I hiss, wrapping my legs around his waist. “Please, Aiden. Don’t make me wait.”
With a growl, he tears at my clothes, his claws shredding through fabric like paper. In seconds, I’m bared to his hungry gaze, my skin flushed and tingling under the heat of it.
“Beautiful,” he rumbles, trailing reverent hands over my curves. “So fucking perfect.”
He lowers his head to my breast, drawing my nipple into the hot cavern of his mouth. I cry out, arching into the exquisite suction. His teeth graze the sensitive peak, sending sparks of pleasure shooting through me.
“Aiden, please,” I pant, my nails raking down his back. “I need more. I need all of you.”
In a blur of motion, his clothes are gone as well, and he’s surging forward, hilting himself inside me in one powerful thrust. We groan in unison, the feeling of completion, of rightness, overwhelming.
He sets a bruising pace, each snap of his hips driving me higher and pushing me closer to the edge. I meet him thrust for thrust, our bodies moving in perfect sync, as if we were made for this, made for each other.
“Grace,” Aiden pants, his face buried in the crook of my neck. “My sunshine, my everything. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too,” I gasp, my head falling back as the pleasure builds and builds. “Now and forever, Aiden. I’m yours.”
His teeth find my mating mark, worrying the sensitive flesh, and it’s my undoing. With a cry of his name, I shatter, my body convulsing around him as wave after wave of ecstasy crashes over me.
Aiden follows me over the edge with a roar, his hips stuttering as he spills himself deep inside me. We cling to each other as we come down, our hearts beating in tandem, our bond sparkling and humming with love and contentment.
Later, as we hastily redress and sneak back out to the festival, giddy and glowing like a couple of lovestruck teenagers, I catch a glimpse of our reflection in the bakery window. My hair is mussed, my lips swollen from his kisses, but the look in my eyes makes me pause.
Happiness. Pure, incandescent joy. It’s a look I never thought I’d see on my own face. But then again, I never thought I’d find a love like this—a love that fills me up, that makes me feel whole and cherished and alive in ways I never knew possible.
As if sensing the direction of my thoughts, Aiden pulls me closer, dropping a tender kiss to my temple. “Penny for your thoughts, my love.”
I smile up at him, my heart so full it feels like it might burst. “Just thinking about how lucky I am. How happy you make me.”
His eyes soften, his hand coming up to cup my cheek. “Not as happy as you make me, sunshine. You’re my heart, my home, everything I never knew I needed.”
Suddenly overcome, I rise up on my toes and press my lips to his. I pour everything I feel into the kiss—my love, my gratitude, my joy. Aiden responds in kind, his arms banding around me to hold me close.
In the distance, the sounds of the festival drift over to us—laughter, music, the chatter of happy voices. Our pack, our community, brought together by the love and strength of their alpha pair.
And as Aiden and I break apart, our foreheads touching as we simply breathe each other in, I know this is just the beginning. We have a lifetime of moments like this ahead of us.
Moonlit runs and lazy Sunday mornings in bed. Passionate nights and playful days. Building a family, leading our pack, facing whatever challenges come our way—together, always together.
“I love you, Aiden Donahue-Carter,” I whisper, my heart in every word. “Today, tomorrow, and every day after.”
“I love you too, Grace Carter-Donahue,” he whispers back, his eyes glowing with the force of it. “For longer than forever.”
And with that vow, that precious promise, we turn and hand-in-hand, walk back out into the bright summer day, ready to embrace our happily ever after—one sweet, sexy, laughter-filled moment at a time.
***
Thanks so much for reading Sweet on the Alpha!