Epilogue
EPILOGUE
RAFE
T he crackle of burning logs filled the night air, the scent of woodsmoke mingling with the earthy aroma of the forest surrounding our pack house. I breathed it all in, letting the familiar fragrances soothe the lingering tension that held me in its clawed grip since that fucker Bowen’s attack a month ago.
I leaned back in the flimsy camp chair and took a sip of my beer. The moon hung full and ripe above, her silver light washing over my pack gathered around the fire pit. I’d turned down Declan’s invite to join the Hollow wolves for their full moon run. The pack needed this—a chance to come together, reconnect, remember who we were above the recent wave of bullshit over the past months.
The flames danced, casting flickering shadows across the familiar faces gathered around the fire pit. My pack. My family. A sense of belonging washed over me as I took in the scene, something I hadn’t truly felt since taking alpha at Elise’s insistence.
No. This was where I belonged. With my wolves, not hangers-on at someone else’s party.
My ears picked up snatches of conversation around the fire pit, and the occasional burst of quiet laughter from Orion and Brielle. Tara sat cross-legged in the grass with them, her fingers knotting together in her lap. She startled when the logs popped, shoulders hunching up to her ears. Nervous energy poured off her, slowly washing away when Brielle reached out to squeeze her hand with an understanding smile.
A few yards away, Kai and Elise lounged in chairs that matched mine, studiously ignoring each other. I appreciated that she exuded eau de par- fume rather than her usual lemon-scented rage, even if she stared into the fire like she wanted to fight it.
And Kai... He absently stretched and flexed his hand, face tight with pain. Maddy’s brother was a walking exposed nerve, all his cocky bravado stripped away. Guilt churned in my gut as I studied the fresh pink scars.
Bowen’s parting gift.
My wolf paced through my head, trailing shame from one end of my thoughts to the other. We all carried scars after our brush with death. Some just carried them more prominently than others.
My fault. I should’ve done more to protect him, protect all of them, better than I had. Kai was just the one who’d paid the price.
I wouldn’t give up on them.
All the more reason to come together under the light of the moon and let our other halves take our skins for a few hours of pure instinct.
Too bad we were still missing one.
As if on cue, the faint rumble of an engine hit our turnoff. My head swiveled toward the sound, tracking the approaching headlights. Maddy. The knot of worry in my chest loosened a fraction as her beat-up sedan rolled to a stop next to the pack house.
She climbed out, all long legs and easy grace, a stack of books tucked under one arm. Even in the dim light, I could see her shake one in my general direction before darting inside.
She was out in a flash, closing the distance to the fire pit with quick, eager steps. “Sorry, sorry. Got caught up at Ink & Beans.”
A chorus of greetings rose from the pack, genuine warmth lacing their words. My wolf preened at how seamlessly Maddy had slipped into the fabric of our little family, claiming her place at my side as if she’d always belonged.
She settled into the empty chair beside me, close enough that our knees brushed. A possessive thrill raced up my spine at the casual contact. The urge to pull her into my lap, to bury my face in the crook of her neck and breathe her in, crashed through me.
Mine.
My wolf, entirely human me, I didn’t know. Didn’t care. We were in complete harmony on the subject of our mate and the utter state of undress she should forever be in.
“At this rate, you should just buy the place and move in,” I teased. “Might be easier than hauling half their stock home every week.”
Maddy ducked her head, but not before I caught the shy smile that flickered across her face. “About that...”
She trailed off, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. I fought the urge to reach out and smooth the little furrow that had appeared between her brows.
“What is it, Mads?”
She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself. “I think I might have found what I want to do. Or try, at least.”
I cocked my head, waiting for her to continue. She fiddled with a loose thread on her jeans, her gaze fixed on the dancing flames.
“I got to talking with the shelter worker who brings the cats to the cafe. They’re short-staffed and overworked, and I just... I might have offered to volunteer.”
The words tumbled out in a rush, like she’d been holding them back. She risked a glance at me, her eyes wide and uncertain. Questioning.
I wanted to kill Bowen all over again. And her old pack. And any other fucker who looked at her wrong and made her feel small. They didn’t know what they were missing.
“I don’t know if it’ll lead to anything,” she went on, tucking her hair behind her ears, “but I want to try. I want to do something that matters. Something that makes a difference, you know?”
This woman, my mate, never ceased to amaze me. She’d been through hell, had every reason to close herself off and look out for number one, but here she was, ready to throw herself into helping others.
I reached out and laced my fingers through hers, giving them a gentle squeeze. “I think that’s a great idea. You’ve got a lot to offer, Maddy. Those animals will be lucky to have you in their corner.”
The tension drained from her shoulders, and she gifted me with a smile that could’ve powered the whole damn town. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I tugged her hand, pulling her closer until our foreheads touched. “Besides, you have plenty of experience with rescues like your brother.”
“Hey!” Kai slashed a glare in our direction, but his scent turned lighter. Very, very slightly, but I’d take it.
“And you,” Maddy said coolly, ever defensive of her brother.
“And me,” I agreed with a chuckle.
I tugged on her hand until she flounced from her chair and sank into my lap. She grinned and leaned in for a kiss. I lost myself in the intoxicating sweetness of her lips on mine, her body pressed against mine. The kiss was slow, deep, an unspoken promise of what was to come later, when the moon fell from the sky.
“I’m proud of you.” I murmured when we broke apart. “So fucking proud of you.”
She opened her mouth to reply, but a fake gag cut her off. Kai wretched again, miming thorough disgust. “Can we shift now, or do you two need some privacy?”
Tempting. So very tempting.
I stood, pulling Maddy up with me. She came easily, her body swaying into mine like it was the most natural thing in the world. Her hands slipped around my waist, fingers playing along the hem of my shirt.
“All right, you lot,” I said, pitching my voice to carry. “Moon’s not getting any fuller.”
A ripple went through the pack, a shiver of anticipation as they began to shuck their clothes. Tara was the first to strip and break free, her wolf form hitting the ground in a blur of golden fur. She threw her head back, a joyous howl spilling from her throat.
Orion cupped Brielle’s cheeks and gave her a deep kiss. “You’re sure you’re okay? I can stay.”
“Go.” She shook her head and gave him a small push. “Cass and I have movie night plans. The Wolf Man while our wolfmen wolf-out.”
Orion grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like “traitor”, but his scent was too happy for any real bite. He swooped in and gave her one more smacking kiss before trotting toward the tree line, his own shift already in motion.
Kai, then Elise followed suit until it was just me and Maddy left in our human skins. She turned to face me, her eyes glowing in the firelight. Excitement and nerves chased each other across her face.
I took her hand, pressed a kiss to her palm. “Ready?”
She nodded, her smile slow and sweet. “With you? Always.”
And then she was gone, her wolf bursting free in a flash of red-brown fur. She paused just long enough to bump her nose against mine before taking off into the trees, her paws churning up leaves and loam.
My own wolf surged to the surface, straining against the confines of my skin. I let him free with a rush of pure, wild joy.
The night exploded into a riot of new scents and sounds. We leapt after our mate, chasing her shadow through the woods. The moon spilled silvery light through the canopy, bathing everything in an ethereal glow. The wind rushed through our fur, our pack’s scents spurring us on as we ran.
Tonight, there was no worry, no stress, no threat of death. Tonight, we were simply wolves, bound by blood and moonlight and the earth beneath our paws.
The dark weeks were behind us. The dark years were behind me. There were still threats and troubles ahead, but tonight was for the Dusk Valley wolves running wild under the watchful eye of the moon.
We would survive.
Together.
I threw my head back and howled, long and loud. An invitation. A claiming. A promise.
The pack answered, their voices rising to twine with mine until the night shook with the force of our song. Maddy’s howl wove through it all, high and bright and so damn beautiful it hurt.
I took off after her, my paws eating up the ground. I could feel the others falling in behind me, our hearts beating as one. My pack. My family.
My future.
I caught up to Maddy at the crest of a hill, our shoulders brushing as we looked out over the valley spread below. She turned to me, her eyes gleaming with a wild, fierce love that echoed through every inch of me. This was it. This was everything.
I nuzzled her cheek, breathing in the scent of my mate. The other half of my soul.
Together, we raised our voices to the moon, to the night, to the glorious, untamed future stretching out ahead of us.
And then, as one, we ran.
BOOK 3: Kai’s wolf is spiraling, and the new owner of Briar House is the only one who can stop it.