Epilogue
After saying “I do” at their wedding in the banquet halls at the ski lodge, Selena and Daniel kissed.
Everyone in the pack had shown up for the wedding and cheered.
In a week, she and Daniel were going on their honeymoon to Alaska.
But for now, they were going to dance and have dinner with their guests.
They’d had a lovely turkey dinner for Thanksgiving with Daniel’s brother and sister-in-law a couple of weeks before.
When they sat down to eat after the wedding ceremony, Peter stopped by their table and said, “Congratulations, you two. We have some news about the Jane Does. They were both identified as former lovers of the brothers' father. He killed them both.”
She was glad they’d found the nearly reconstructed head of the second skull in the guest bedroom. She figured the brothers were going to take it with them and bury or destroy it, so she was relieved they hadn’t. She was able to finish it up, take the pictures, and send them to law enforcement.
“Oh, wow. I’m glad they were identified and that the murderer was too,” Selena said.
“I guess the reason the brothers went after Daniel was because he was about to discover the other skeleton in the trunk of their stolen car and have the car confiscated. Then, when they didn’t kill him the first time, they came after him to finish the job so he wouldn’t be a witness to the shooting. ”
Daniel raised his brows at Peter. “Now? At the wedding?”
Peter smiled. “I knew Selena would want to know right away that the women had been identified.”
“I did. Thanks, Peter.”
Meghan came over and took hold of Peter’s arm. “I told you to wait to tell them.” She smiled at them. “Congratulations, by the way. I’m glad Peter had Daniel approve your business in town.”
“Meghan twisted my arm,” Peter said, laughing.
Meghan and her sisters had all been into matchmaking, as they had suspected.
“Selena wanted to know about the Jane Does she had worked so hard to reconstruct,” Peter said, getting back to the subject at hand.
“Okay, now that she knows, it’s time for her to enjoy her wedding celebration. We’ll talk later.” Meghan dragged Peter away to dance. “Thank you for getting them together.”
“It’s a good thing it worked out the way you ladies wanted.”
Selena sighed. “I’m glad to know that the murdered women’s families could be notified, and they already have the murderer behind bars.”
“Yeah, me too. I’m glad to get some resolution. And I’m glad the brothers are in jail for attempting to murder me, moving the skeletons with an attempt to get rid of them, and threatening you until their trial comes up.”
“I’m really glad that I didn’t turn the one brother and that they’re in jail.
On another topic that’s a lot more pleasant, I still can’t believe you booked an Alaskan hiking tour out of White Bear with polar bear shifters who have some shifter-only tours, not that anyone would know they’re shifters but us. ”
“Yeah, and that we can actually run as wolves when we’re out in the wilderness.
They’d heard we were a wolf-shifter-run town, so they were waffling about what kind of a tour we might like, but since we live here, you own a shop, and I’m a deputy sheriff, they asked me if we liked howling at the moon. I had no idea what they were.”
She laughed. “That must have been an interesting conversation.”
“It was. They said that, for the most part, polar bears were the good guys. So I put two and two together—White Bear is a town run by polar bears. That’s when they mentioned they had wild animal tours, and I verified they meant shifters, and they confirmed it.
I told them to sign us up, and we’re just newly married. They were delighted.
“They’ve booked rooms for us at waypoints and at the cabins for a newly married/mated couple. Bottles of champagne will be served. Though they said that their guests would share in the celebration. And they’ll be in secluded areas where we can run in our animal halves.”
“That will be so much fun.”
Darien and Lelandi dropped by their table. “We heard you’re going on a shifter-run excursion for your honeymoon. Let us know how it goes. We’re thinking of taking an anniversary trip up there.”
Selena took hold of Daniel’s hand. “We sure will.”
Silva and Sam came by to congratulate them and discuss their honeymoon trip.
It was the latest topic of conversation.
“You’ll need to let us all know what it’s like.
We’re dying to learn what kind of shifters are on the tour, and to see polar bears up close that aren’t going to eat you.
That should be a great experience,” Silva said.
“That’s what we can’t wait for. But first, we’re going to enjoy the New Year’s Eve party,” Darien said.
“And lots of dancing.” Selena sipped some of her champagne.
“And food and drink,” Silva said. “Oh, and I heard you got some cute things in for New Year’s Eve. I can’t wait to see them in person.”
Selena thought her shop would slow down on sales, but it was still hopping. Daniel was still helping her research graveyards at night, and they had a memorial for Wolf McKennick, the first old skeleton she had found, burying him in the cemetery near his brother.
They were running as wolves nightly and finishing off the evenings with a whole lot of loving.
She had never imagined that Daniel's approval of her shop would lead to a mating and a whole new lifestyle. Forget living in an apartment or buying a home of her own. His home was just perfect for the two of them. He was perfect for her.
Daniel was grateful for Meghan and her sisters and their matchmaking.
If Meghan hadn’t encouraged Peter to give him the assignment to approve Selena’s store startup, one of the mated deputies would have done it.
Daniel might not have seen her until she was already dating another wolf.
Daniel and Selena had all the chemistry in the world.
He didn’t really believe anyone else would have been a perfect match for her.
But it might have taken him longer to get her attention.
She leaned over and kissed him. “A wolf run after the celebration is over?”
“No trip to the cemetery tonight?”
She laughed. “Nope, bedtime play instead.”
“I’m all for that! And playing as wolves.” But he would always be there for her cemetery visits too.