Epilogue
In great anticipation, Robert waited to see his bride and her father enter the chapel filled with flowers from Edeen’s and Colleen’s greenhouses and gardens. Then he saw Maisie on her father’s arm, and he smiled broadly as he watched them walking down the ancient stone castle chapel’s nave. Everyone from the pack who could attend was there, excited to dress up for another celebration. Even Bruce and his wife were there, having brought Lady and her pups to show off to everyone because Robert and Maisie had made the miracle possible. But that wasn’t the only reason. They were gifting one of the pups to them for their wedding present, whichever one they chose, though the pups were too young to go to new homes yet. Ike had even brought Chelsea to the wedding.
Maisie was smiling like Robert was. She looked amazing in her beautiful medieval wedding gown of white, a shawl of red-and-light-blue MacTavish plaid crossing over one shoulder and her body, fastened by a MacTavish clan brooch of a boar’s head and the logo non oblitus —not forgetful. She was wearing a Gaelic crown of wildflowers, lavender, and ivy from Edeen’s and Colleen’s floral gardens.
He was so proud of his sister for making Maisie’s wedding gown in record time before her own wedding. They had just returned from their honeymoon, and Edeen had done the finishing touches on Maisie’s gown. She had also made a shawl out of the Campbell plaid of dark blue and green for Maisie. Robert had also purchased a clan crest for her, a boar’s head with the logo ne obliviscaris —forget not. It hadn’t worked for him with other women, but with Maisie, he never forgot any occasions that she was part of.
In truth, eighteen ancient Scottish clans actually had a boar’s head on their coat of arms, but still, it was a gesture of taking her into his clan while she was still keeping ties with her own.
He’d always thought he would be nervous when getting ready to wed his she-wolf, but he realized he wasn’t because he was already mated to her for life, and this was just a special, human formality to celebrate their mating. When her father handed Maisie off to Robert, he thanked his father-in-law. Robert didn’t think anything could be better than when Maisie told him she wanted to mate him, that she loved him as much as he loved her, but seeing her at their wedding was just as amazing. She was beautiful. He couldn’t wait to get her alone tonight in Edinburgh. Tomorrow, they would fly to Montana, their final destination being Glacier National Park for their honeymoon at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake.
But right now, they were saying their vows, he was changing out her shawl to the Campbell tartan, then kissing his beautiful bride and mate, and walking her back down the nave to enjoy the celebratory feast, to dance, and to run as a wolf.
***
When Maisie walked down the nave to join Robert, her mate looked so handsome in his Campbell kilt and Prince Charlie jacket and armed with his sword. She was so happy. Her sister had asked her if she was nervous, but Maisie hadn’t been at all. She was so excited to go with Robert on their honeymoon and take wolf runs where wild wolves, grizzlies, and black bears actually lived.
She wasn’t crying, but her father sure had misty eyes because he was giving his first daughter away, even though she was already mated. When he left her with Robert, she loved her mate for thanking her father for giving her away to him despite it being a little late for that. Her mom was shedding happy tears also, which almost made Maisie cry.
After saying their vows, he removed the brooch on her shawl, then pulled her MacTavish shawl off, and her sister came up and took them from him and returned to her seat. Then he secured the Campbell plaid over Maisie’s shoulder with the Campbell clan crest brooch and kissed her—the very best part of the wedding!
She would save her MacTavish shawl as a keepsake, but she was officially now a Campbell. She so loved him. “I’m so glad I caught you with your fishhook,” she said, smiling up at him as they headed outside to walk to the great hall for the feast.
He laughed. “Is that what happened? I love you.”
“I love you too.”
In the great hall, they had their own special table decorated with a vase of roses, and everyone was having steak, chips, fruit, and salads. Champagne was served for everyone who wanted it, whisky for some, and milk for the nursing moms. Maisie couldn’t believe that the babies had slept through the whole wedding ceremony. In the great hall, everyone was talking, and both Colleen and Heather ended up having to nurse their babies during the feast.
“So which puppy are we going to take?” Maisie asked Robert. She was so thrilled that Bruce and Mary had come to the wedding and were giving them their choice of puppy before they found homes for the others. They were still young, but they were weaning them now. They were furrier, their eyes open, stumbling around, and every one of them was adorable.
“I think you have your heart set on the little female. It’s totally your choice,” Robert said.
“Aye. Let’s get the female. Hopefully, Mittens will love her too.”
“She will. They’ll grow up together. She’ll always be a reminder of our special experiences on the island.”
They told Bruce and Mary they wanted the little female pup, and she would be called Etta, which meant “pearl.”
The toasting began, then dancing. She loved dancing with her father after she danced with Robert. Her mother danced with Robert, and Anne did afterward, while Maisie danced with Lachlan. Then the rest of the time, Robert and Maisie danced together.
The wolf run was after that, though Colleen and Heather weren’t ready for a run with their young ones yet. Even Bruce and Mary were thrilled to go running since they didn’t often run like that near Glasgow.
Once Robert and Maisie were done with their run, eager to get on their way, they shifted and dressed, thanked and hugged everyone, and then they headed home. It was time to pack up the car, drive to the airport, and start their dream honeymoon. The wedding had just been the cherry on top of the whole blissful affair, celebrating with the pack, family, and friends.