Epilogue
Summertime the next year…
The wolf dashed through the woods, relishing the fragrant scents of pine and cedar and the crisp freshness of the Alaskan wilderness. It moved so swiftly, its paws barely touched the ground as it darted around soaring trees and leaped over fallen logs of the dense forest.
It had been much too long for the wolf. Much too long being away from the forest, from the pack, from its home.
And Geri agreed. When she left to find herself, she hadn’t thought about how she would manage not being able to shift into her wolf form, living in the big city surrounded by humans. She was lucky to have found Demeter and Persephone, who knew about her nature, so at least when she was at work, she didn’t have to worry about passing herself off as a human.
Still, it was not the same as this. Not the same as being able to roam the vast property of her pack’s territory in wolf form, unafraid of consequences. And just being. Living in the moment and not having to think about her future.
As the wolf approached the edge of the woods, it sped up. In the distance, it spotted its target. With a final leap, it soared high into the air, zeroing in on the target before landing on the ground on two human feet.
“Show off,” Apollo said with a grin.
Geri, who’d landed inches away, nose-to-nose from her mate, chuckled. “You didn’t flinch at all. I could have barreled into you.”
“But I knew you wouldn’t.”
A warmth filled her chest at the emotions that flooded her through the bond she shared with him—trust, belief, and utter faith. Even after all these months, the love and emotions they shared still managed to amaze her.
Apollo leaned over and gave her a quick kiss, then with a wave of his hand, dressed Geri in a shirt and pair of shorts. “Did you have a good run?” He handed over her mobile phone.
“Mm-hmm,” she said before tiptoeing for another kiss.
He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you ready for tonight?”
“Yes.” She couldn’t believe this day was finally here. She was excited.
But at the same time, it filled her with sadness.
Sensing her emotions, he said, “It’s only a year. It’ll go by in a flash.”
“For you immortals, maybe.”
“And soon, you,” he reminded her.
Though it had taken months, the other gods and goddesses of Olympus agreed to let Geri eat the golden apple of immortality. However, they did have one stipulation: that she live in Olympus for an entire year, without leaving. While the council agreed that their mating was proof enough that she and Apollo had to be together, they wanted to make sure she understood the culture of Olympus, as well as what it meant to be an immortal, a wife, and mate to a god and share in his power.
Geri agreed, of course, but that meant she couldn’t go to the plant shop in New York, her pack in Alaska, or even visit Grannie in The Underworld.
“You can roam around in your wolf form whenever you like on my—I mean, our estate,” he said. “And Persephone and Demeter can always visit you. You’ll love it, I promise.”
“I know I will.” Taking his hand, she turned it and cupped her chin with it, giving his wrist a nuzzle so she could take in his comforting scent. “You’ll be there, so I know I’ll love it.”
“Do you want to go run some more?” he offered. “We still have a few hours before the mating ceremony.”
Since Geri would not be able to leave Olympus for a year once she ate the apple, they decided to do their mating ceremony and wedding in Alaska, which would also give her an opportunity to spend time with her brother and pack. The mating ceremony was basically a formal event where the pack recognized the mating bond between two people. It was similar to a wedding, and most couples did both to make things official with the human authorities, though that wasn’t a requirement. They did, however, need it to be official so Geri would be allowed to go to Olympus and eat the golden apple of immortality.
And so, they arrived in Anchorage a week ago to prepare for the ceremony, wedding, and reception, all of which would be done in pack territory. Today was the big day, and many of their guests started arriving that morning.
“So, did you have fun at your bachelor party last night?” Geri teased.
Apollo winced. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Geri stifled the urge to giggle. Since he was mated to her, he was now “officially” part of the pack even though he wasn’t a shifter, and it seemed the males had been having a little too much fun hazing Apollo. They’d been playing pranks on him, including one that had him stuck inside an outhouse for a whole afternoon. When Geri asked why he didn’t use his magic to get out, he said he didn’t want the guys to call him a pussy.
“There was no hanky-panky,” he said.
“I know.” She trusted him completely, of course, plus she would have immediately felt guilt from him. More than likely, the guys had taken him to one of their local dive bars in the city and probably tried to get him into trouble.
“And your brother was there, so I wasn’t about to piss off someone who could tear me limb from limb.”
“Cade was there?” It was hard to believe her straightlaced, serious Alpha went to a wild bachelor party.
“He’s still a dude,” Apollo reminded her. “Though I think he did it more to keep us out of trouble.”
“Yeah, sounds about right,” she said. “Anyway, we should head back. We have more guests arriving, plus I have to check on preparations.”
“Alright, we should check on our guests. But don’t worry about the preparations and stuff. Artemis said she’ll take care of it.”
And that’s what Geri was worried about.
She had become acquainted with Artemis over the last few months and really liked the goddess. Artemis, of course, had been their staunchest supporter on the council and pushed to allow Geri to become immortal, and for that, she would always be grateful. However, the goddess of the hunt tended to be a little…extra, which was be a mild way to put it.
While Apollo was easygoing and relaxed, his twin tended to be the opposite. She was passionate about things she cared about and never took no for an answer, often to the annoyance of the people around her. She had the personality of a bulldozer, though, a sunny, pretty bulldozer—if there was such a thing—and Geri wasn’t sure if people gave in to her because she was sweet or wore them down with her pushiness.
“You did give her permission to help with the ceremony,” Apollo pointed out.
“I know,” she groaned.
“Look, I know my sister can be a bit, well, too much,” he said sheepishly. “But all she wants is to help.”
Her future sister-in-law had arrived early this morning and had already started “helping,” much to the chagrin of Geri’s packmates, giving them suggestions on everything from the decorations to the food. It wasn’t that she was being critical—indeed, she was nothing but nice, but that’s why it was difficult to say no to her.
Her mate continued. “She’s done nothing for the last millennium or so, so she has this need to be useful.”
“I know, I understand.” Geri sighed. “And it’s only one day. What could go wrong?”
“Thanks,” he said. “I promise she won’t meddle in our lives…too much.”
She laughed. Some part of her did like seeing the siblings bicker, especially since Artemis usually won their little arguments. “C’mon, let’s head back.”
They walked back to the main lodge, the community center where the pack spent most of their day. It was already buzzing with activity by the time she and Apollo arrived. As soon as they reached the front door, a sleek black limo cruised up the long driveway.
“Looks like they’ve arrived,” Apollo said.
“I better text Cade.” Geri quickly typed a message to her brother and then put her phone away. She watched as the limo stopped in front of them, and the door flew open.
“I’m heeeeerreeee!” Adonis announced as he leapt out. “OMG, it’s the bride and groom!” He dashed over to them and hugged them both. “I can’t believe it! My Geri, about to get hitched!” He pressed a hand to his chest, then began to croon. “Is this the little?—”
“I swear to God, if you start singing showtunes, I will murder you,” Geri threatened. “And—what the hell are you wearing?”
“This?” Adonis gestured to his outfit—a white puffy coat with an enormous faux fur hood, ski glasses perched on his head, snow pants, and boots. “I thought you said we were going to Alaska? So, I dressed for the weather.”
Geri rolled her eyes. “It’s summer. We do get summer here. Hey, Persephone, Hades,” she greeted as the two other occupants of the limo alighted. “How was your trip?”
“It was fabulous!” Adonis said. “I’ve never flown in a private jet before.”
Geri glanced at Persephone. “A jet?”
“Yes, a jet.” Persephone came over to her to give her a hug. “A real one, in case you wanted to know,” she whispered. “No more glamouring this time.” They glanced over at Adonis, who was inspecting some of the flowering bushes. “I don’t think we needed it at all. He wasn’t bothered that we were going all the way to Alaska for your ‘wedding’ or why you had to leave for a year, only that he got to be flower boy again.”
“Thank gods for that,” she said. “I—oh, there’s my brother!” She saw Cade walking up to the lodge. “I texted him to say you guys were here. I wanted to make sure I introduced him. Cade! Over here.”
Cade trudged over to them, holding one hand up as he used the other to hold a phone to his ear. “…I know, I know.” His scowl deepened. “I don’t really care about this shit. If it’s easier for you, just do what she wants.” With a huff, he put the phone back in his pocket. “Sorry about that. I had to…deal with something.”
“What is it?” Geri asked, concerned.
“Nothing,” Cade grumbled. “Nothing important.”
Geri sighed. “Is it Artemis?”
Cade’s silence and glower answered for him.
Apollo burst out laughing. “You definitely look like someone who’s met my sister.” Clucking his tongue, Apollo patted Cade sympathetically on the shoulder.
“Don’t worry, soon that expression of frustration will be replaced by a look of defeat. Anyway, let me introduce you to our friends.”
Geri had been worried that her brother would be rude to Hades and Persephone, since he didn’t care much for gods, but to her surprise, he was polite and even welcoming. He did, however, refuse to call Hades and Persephone by any honorifics.
“Let me show you the barn where the ceremony will be taking place,” Cade said. “Unless you’d like to go to your rooms first and get refreshed?”
“No, I could stretch my legs for a bit,” Hades said.
“Your territory is beautiful, Alpha. I’d like to see more,” Persephone added.
Cade nodded. “Come this way.” He turned, leading the way toward the towering wooden structure in the distance that could easily accommodate the entire pack and then some.
“Geeeerriiiii,” Adonis whispered, sidling up to Geri. “You didn’t tell me you had a hot brother!”
She smirked at him. “I thought you had that thing going on with that special lady?”
“There’s enough of me to go around,” Adonis replied, eyeing Cade. “Besides, how can I ignore that fine specimen of a man?” He fanned himself. “I think it just went up a few degrees.”
“Maybe you should take off your jacket,” Geri quipped.
As they neared the barn area, a familiar, high-pitched voice rang through the air.
“… and so, can’t you see that these sunflowers would look so much better than the roses?” Artemis said as she walked after an exasperated-looking older woman, her arms full of sunflowers. “I mean, really! Roses are so overdone.”
Cade stared at Artemis, his gaze transfixed, as if he wanted to strangle her.
“Hello, Hannah,” Geri said to the older she-wolf. “Artemis.”
“There you are,” Artemis said. “I’m glad you’re here. You should have seen what they did with the barn.”
“And what exactly did we do?” Hannah said defensively. “Except decorate it the way we always do whenever we have a mating ceremony.”
“It was fine. Beautiful, really,” Artemis said. “But I just thought, we need to do something different. And so I found these”—she nodded at the sunflowers in her arms—“and thought, these would just tie up the theme better, you know?”
Hannah let out a frustrated sound and turned to Cade. “Alpha, I swear if you don’t do something about this woman, I’m never going to help out at another ceremony or pack event.”
Cade rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I’ll take care of it.”
With a huff, Hannah marched off.
“You.” Cade walked over to Artemis, towering over her. “Didn’t I tell you to stop harassing my people?”
“I was not harassing them, Alpha,” Artemis protested. “I was trying to help.”
“Our chef nearly quit this morning,” he said. “Do you know how hard it is to find someone to come out here and work for us?”
“Geri said I could help,” she said, frowning. “I just want things to be perfect for my brother and his future wife.”
“They will be—” Cade stopped short, his entire body going rigid.
Artemis frowned. “What’s the?—”
“Shush, woman!” Cade hissed. “Geri? Do you hear that?”
Geri’s ears immediately perked up. At first, she could only pick up the sound of the forest—the bugs buzzing around, a log falling in the distance, a bird flying above—but when she focused her enhanced hearing, she heard it. The faint but distinct sound of something ticking.
All the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. “It’s a bo?—”
The explosion came so fast, but thankfully, Geri was faster. She covered Apollo with her body, and they dropped to the ground. The shockwave reverberated through the ground beneath her feet, and the heat from the blast licked at her back. The boom was so loud her ears rang, rattling windows and stirring the leaves in the surrounding trees.
“Geri!” Apollo screamed as her hearing returned. “Damn it! Fuck! Are you hurt?”
“I’m…fine,” she coughed. “What the—” She gasped. “The barn!”
The barn lay shattered and broken, scattered like ashes in the explosion’s aftermath. The force of the explosion had torn through its sturdy frame, splintering wooden beams, and sending debris flying in all directions. The roof, once adorned with intricate wooden rafters, now sagged precariously, its charred remnants threatening to collapse at any moment. She could still feel the oppressive heat radiating from the smoldering wreckage despite standing far from it. Waves of intense warmth washed over them, carrying the acrid scent of smoke and burning wood.
Scrambling to her feet, she glanced around. Hades, Persephone, and Adonis were nowhere to be found, so she guessed Hades had taken them somewhere safe.
But where was?—
“Cade!” She scrambled over to where her brother was slumped down on the ground a few feet away. He had been much closer to the barn, so his back was shredded into ribbons. “Cade, are you alright?”
“Holy shit.” Apollo blanched visibly. “I think I’m gonna throw up.”
“Help him,” Geri said. “Please.”
Before Apollo could move, Cade let out a long groan and shuddered.
“Help!” came a faint voice from somewhere. “Get this hulk off me!”
Geri blinked. “What the?—”
Cade rolled off onto his back and let out a pained groan. “Fuck!”
“Oh gods, I’m sorry, Alpha!” Artemis—who apparently had been trapped under Cade—cried as she sat up, scattering smushed sunflowers around her. “Why did you do that?”
Cade winced as she reached out to touch his shoulder. “Damn it, don’t touch me! Leave it, I’ll be fine. I heal fast.”
“You’ll heal faster if you let me?—”
Cade shrank away from her touch. “I said, leave me alone.”
Artemis crossed her arms and harrumphed. “Fine. Go ahead and suffer.”
“I saved you,” he reminded her.
“Did you forget I’m immortal?” she retorted. “I can’t die easily, and I can heal myself.”
“Yeah, well, your pretty little face would be minced meat if it wasn’t for me.”
Artemis opened her mouth to say something, then shut it again.
Geri sensed that Apollo wanted to laugh or say something inappropriate about his sister finally shutting up, but she sent him a warning look that said, not now.
“Goddammit.” Cade spat blood on the ground as he looked at the burning barn. “What the fuck happened?”
Apollo frowned. “I don’t know. Could it have been an accident?”
“There’s nothing in that barn that could have set off an explosion like that.” Cade attempted to get up, waving away Geri’s hand. “Hannah and the crew strung up a few lights and set up the DJ booth and sound system. But that’s all solar-powered, and we haven’t turned on the batteries yet. Fuck, I hope no one was in there.”
Geri snapped her fingers. “The ticking.”
“Yeah,” Cade said, his eyes darkening.
“What ticking?” Artemis asked. “I didn’t hear anything.”
Geri tapped her ear. “Shifter hearing, remember? Cade and I heard a ticking sound right before the explosion.”
“You mean, like a timed bomb?” Apollo sucked in a breath. “Who would want to bomb your barn?”
A sense of foreboding flooded Geri as she met her brother’s gaze. Someone planted a bomb in their territory, which meant they wanted to cause serious harm to the pack—or perhaps to Cade and Geri.
“I don’t know,” Cade growled. “But when I find out, I’m going to find them, and they’re going to wish they were dead.”
A shiver ran down Geri’s spine at Cade’s words. The man before her wasn’t just Cade or her brother. He was the Alpha, the leader and protector of his pack. And when anyone dared to threaten him and his wolves, he wouldn’t just sit back and let it happen.
Apollo slipped his hand through hers, and the warmth of his emotions warded away the chill from her bones. “Don’t worry, baby,” he said. “I won’t let anyone hurt you or your pack.”
Turning to him, she gazed up into his blue eyes. She didn’t need the mate bond to tell her he was telling the truth and meant to keep that promise. “We won’t let anything happen to our pack,” she reminded him.
His mouth widened into a smile. “Our pack.”
“There is one problem, though,” she said, biting her lower lip. “Assuming we can still have the ceremony after this, I’ll have to stay in Olympus for a year. How will we protect them?”
“We’ll find a way,” he said, confident. “And we’ll still have the ceremony.”
And because he said it, she knew it was true. “Let’s help my brother get cleaned up,” she said. “We have work to do.”
The End.