Epilogue
Siobhan
I’m setting up my tarot spread at the park downtown across the street from the courthouse when a feral yell makes me jump and nearly drop my cards.
My head jerks up to see Vee and her pack across the road, or at least I assume it’s all of them.
I can actually only see Riley, Vee, and Brooks, but I’m guessing Sage is in the middle of them all somewhere.
Vee has her head thrown back and is literally screaming.
Goosebumps run up and down my arms as my eyes widen. I’ve never even heard her raise her voice, let alone scream.
Then Riley is yelling at the top of their lungs. “ALL PACKED UP! Pack Lavender!” They let out a wild cheer as they pump their arm in the air.
A grin stretches across my face and I swipe a wayward strand of hair over my shoulder. So they made it official. My grin falters for a moment, a pang of longing shooting through me.
What must it be like to have people who know you inside and out? Who love you even with your faults and flaws?
I shove the thoughts aside and stand, then cup my hands around my mouth.
“Aaawoooooooooo!!” I scream as loud as I can, then laugh as I cheer. “Wooot! Woot! Woot!”
Riley’s eyes dart across the street and they wave with a grin. I wave back, then sit back down with my legs crossed. My tripod and phone are already set up, ready to record, I just need to check the angle and I’ll be good to go.
I do a couple practice shots, checking the videos in between and adjusting slightly as needed, but before I can get started on making any actual content for the next week, Riley is yelling again.
“Hey, Siobhan!”
“Hi, Riley,” I say, smiling as they cross the street, tugging their pack along behind them. “I hear you’re packed up!”
Then I get a glimpse of their necks, seeing bite and bond marks on all four of them. I gasp, “Oh my god! Bonded, too? That’s amazing!”
I jump up to give hugs all around, ignoring the yearning twinge in my heart.
“Congratulations,” I say. “Wait! How about a tarot reading?”
Riley looks ready, but Sage shuffles her feet as her eyes dart around.
I soften my smile and reach out a hand to her. “You don’t have to, but I promise it’ll be good if you do.”
She glances at Riley, who is biting their lip in an effort to contain their obvious excitement, and then she shrugs.
“Okay,” she says. “I’ve never done it before, though.”
“A tarot virgin! My favorite!” I cackle, gesturing for them to sit down.
Brooks looks nearly as nervous as Sage, and as usual, Vee is all calm. I wonder if she’s actually that chill on the inside, or if it’s a facade. I’ll have to ask Sage sometime to give me the inside scoop now that they’re bonded.
“We’ll do an easy one,” I say, tapping the deck and then shuffling my cards deftly. “One card pull each, holding your question or intention in mind. I suggest thinking about your newly bonded pack, your future together, your love and feelings for each other. That kind of thing.”
Nods range from eager to hesitant, but they’re all still smiling so I’ll take it.
“Sage, you want to go first? I have a good feeling about it,” I say, keeping my voice encouraging in an effort not to overwhelm her.
She startles, but I hold the cards out in front of her.
“Blow on them.”
She looks at me like I have two heads, but does as I ask, gently blowing across them.
“Good, now hold your question or intention in mind. Got it?”
Her eyes unfocus as she considers, then she meets mine with a nod. I fan the cards out in front of her in a perfect arc, my spine straightening with pride. I love when the cards are ready, when optimism and joy and love permeate the air and you just know it’s going to be a good reading.
“Using your left hand, skim across the cards. You can close your eyes if you want. Focus on your question, then tap or pick up the card that calls to you.”
Sage’s eyes dart between me and the cards, then Brooks’ hand disappears behind her and she relaxes.
I suspect he put his hand on her back, and once again, my heart lurches in my chest. Will I ever find the kind of unconditional love that they have?
Someone who will always have my back, who will support me in all things big and small?
Sage taps a card, and I slide it out from the rest to flip it over in front of her.
“Three of Cups,” I say. “Do you want to know what it means now, or all together at the end?”
“Oh, um,” Sage says, wringing her hands together. “I don’t know if I can wait. I’m too nervous.”
“There’s nothing to be nervous about, that’s a great card.
” I say, smiling reassuringly. I know I can be a lot sometimes, but this is where I’m at my best and often my most intuitive.
I should probably try to harness that skill for all the times in my life when I’m not reading tarot, but that’s a future Siobhan problem.
“What does it mean?” Sage asks.
“Well, as we’re focusing on love, this card indicates you’ve invested a lot into this pack.
You put all of yourself on the line, and now you get to reap the rewards of that bravery.
You have people around you who value you beyond themselves.
You make their lives better.” I pause, as the entire pack has leaned into Sage to hold or hug or kiss her gently. When they pull away, I continue.
“It has a secondary meaning, too,” I let my grin turn mischievous, and she eyes me warily. “It also signifies the need for more socializing outside the pack. It’s a reminder to invest time into friendships, as well.”
“So what you’re saying is that you want her to hang out with you more,” Riley snarks, and I laugh, throwing them a grin.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
When I look back at Sage, her cheeks are pink, but she looks pleased.
“Thank you,” she says softly.
“Hmm,” I look between the other three, my gaze drawn to Brooks. “You next, I think.”
I scoop the deck up, reshuffle, then hold the cards up to Brooks.
“Blow, please,” I say with a wink.
Riley snorts, Sage straight up omega growls, and Vee narrows her eyes at me. Brooks is frozen, looking between Sage and me.
“Shit,” I say, immediately realizing what I did. “I wasn’t trying to flirt, Sage. I’m so sorry, that was really shitty of me. I would never, and especially after you’re freshly bonded, oh my god. That was not okay—”
Sage waves both hands in front of her as though to clear the air, meanwhile her face is more red than pink now. “No, it’s okay. I know you didn’t mean anything by it. I’m sorry I growled. I don’t know why I did that.”
“Your omega was staking her claim, as she should,” I say. “I have no interest in Brooks, for the record. He’s all yours.”
Brooks scoops Sage into his lap, and she settles against him as the rest of the pack relaxes.
“I’m really sorry. If you don’t want to continue, we don’t have to.”
“Sage?” Vee asks. “Brooks? You two want to stay or go?”
“I’m good to stay,” Sage says, and Brooks nods, turning back to me.
“Okay, let me reset. Get any of that negative energy out of here.”
After I cleanse the deck and shuffle again, I hold it out to Brooks once more. “Please blow gently across the top.”
He does so, then rests his chin on top of Sage’s head. It’s so cute I could puke. I go through the motions of spreading the deck, and he stares intently at the cards, reaching a hand out as he decides which to pick.
I’d love to sit in an alpha’s lap like that. To be held and cared for and—
Brooks pulls a card out, then passes it to me. I flip it over to reveal the Ace of Cups.
“Ah, another good one. Ace of Cups signifies a new beginning.”
They all smile and perk up as I continue.
“This is a sign to continue to follow your heart, and a reminder to open yourself to new, deeper connections with those who are important to you.”
Brooks nods solemnly, wrapping his arms tighter around Sage as his gaze moves to Riley, and then Vee. His hands twitch, like he wants to reach for them too, but he doesn’t move.
“Okay sassy beta. You next.” I swipe the cards up, reshuffle, then fan them out in front of Riley.
“You know what to do.”
They blow, although I think it was part huffing laugh, and I fan them out in front of them just as I did with the other two.
My thoughts drift to Aury, the beta I’ve had a crush on from a distance for months now.
I thought I was going to pass out from horniness when he took out Josh the other night without even raising a finger.
It was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.
Riley closes their eyes, hovering their left hand over the spread, and my gaze sweeps in the direction of the community center where Aury teaches Thai Chi.
I looked it up after the other night, wanting to know what that move was he pulled.
I knew he taught martial arts, but not what type specifically.
I wonder if I should register for a class?
Maybe I can convince the omega gardening club to sign up with me so I’m not a weirdo showing up there alone.
Riley’s nimble fingers flutter over the cards, up and down the line, pausing here and there before backtracking until they finally stop. One finger is placed on a card near the middle, and they push it toward me.
“This one,” Riley says.
I take it out and flip it over. “Wheel of Fortune. I need you all to start pulling for me,” I say with a laugh.
“Oooh,” Riley says, leaning forward to admire the artwork. “It’s a good one too?”
I nod. “This card says that positive changes are on the horizon. You’re about to experience expansion and growth. Does that mean anything to you?”
Riley glances left and right at his pack, then shrugs, going for dramatic nonchalance. “I guess you could say that.”
I smile, letting them off the hook. It’s an emotional day, it’s okay if they don’t want to dig into the deep stuff with a stranger and an audience.
“Okay,” I say, sweeping the cards into my hands and repeating the ritual. “Last one.”
Vee purses her lips and exhales across the cards.
As I arc them in front of her, she turns her gaze to Riley, then Sage, then Brooks.
That look in her eyes… My brows pinch, and I have to look away from it.
Too much love, adoration, softness. I’ve never had anyone look at me like that, and although I’m happy for them, it still ignites a burning in my chest.
I turn my focus to the cards in front of her, but she doesn’t take long to choose. She deliberately reaches out with her left hand and plucks up a card, all with her eyes resolutely locked on her pack-mates.
I swallow hard and take the card from her, flipping it over to reveal The Lovers.
“Ah,” I say, exhaling a laugh through my nose. “The Lovers, a perfect draw.”
I look straight at Vee as I hold the card up, but still, she hasn’t looked away from her pack.
“You’ve found your true loves.”
Her smile is radiant as she finally turns back to me.
“Thank you, Siobhan,” she says. “Have a lovely rest of your day.”
With that, they all stand, murmuring their thanks as they stride away, hand in hand. I’m left alone again with my camera—ready to record—but as I go to pick up the cards, my heart stalls. The four cards in front of me… They have a slightly different meaning when I look at them now, alone.
Then I realize: The whole time they were pulling their cards, I was accidentally setting my own intentions. Wishing for a pack, dreaming of Aury, longing for love.
My breath catches and I lean forward, a shiver racing down my spine as I look at the cards again in a new light.
Ace of Cups: Open yourself up to new connections. Trust your intuition, and be open to new relationships.
Three of Cups: You’ll meet someone who matches your energy. Now is the right time to actively search for partners, as this card also indicates polyamory.
Wheel of Fortune: The winds are blowing in a direction of positive change. A major life event is about to occur.
The Lovers: You’ll find your true loves.
The end.