Epilogue
Sage shifted back to her human form and immediately shivered. She rubbed her arms and stomped her feet before stiffly jogging up the steps of their back deck to pick up her clothes. “It’s so cold this morning. Maybe we should have waited until after the wedding.”
Matt galloped to her side, brushing against her with his fur before shifting as well. He’d followed her closely throughout their run, never straying out of visual distance. Though this wasn’t their first run together as wolves, it was the first one in their own back yard.
They received the keys last week. The sale had processed quickly since they didn’t need financing.
She and Matt had taken a quick trip to pack up her house.
Chandra and Cedrick had helped a couple of days.
That had been fun. They’d ended their evenings with Matt’s very meat centric dinners—meals which she’d grown to enjoy more and more.
As a wedding present, she planned to buy him a grill.
Her first shift happened the morning after they returned.
She’d been sleeping and dreaming of running at Matt’s side, as had become a common occurrence.
When she woke, she’d been in full wolf mode, paws raking at the sheets.
Before she could panic, Matt had shifted and they’d gamboled about the bedroom before taking the fun outdoors.
Last night was the first night they’d spent in their new home. Now that they were in the house, her parents were going to drive her belongings out in a few days.
Matt enveloped her in a hug, sharing his body heat. “Let’s get inside.”
“Maybe we should get a doggy door.” As a wolf, she hadn’t noticed the cold, morning air.
He laughed and scooped her into his arms. “I need to get ready.”
“Then put me down.”
“No. You can shower with me.”
“Ha! No. You’re part of the wedding party. There’s no time for that.”
Grumbling, he put her down outside the master bathroom. Once he closed the door, she raced off to the guestroom. Matt would likely be showered, dressed, and ready to go in thirty minutes while it would take her considerably longer just to style her hair and apply her makeup.
She didn’t bother suggesting that they drive separately.
Matt had purchased a used truck for work, so it was a possibility.
But she knew Matt would veto the idea. Though there had been no further issues with the O’Connor pack, Matt still hated to leave her side.
While she adored his protective nature, she looked forward to the day when he could put his trauma behind him enough to relax his guard.
When she’d mentioned it to Halle and Missy on one of their girl-only outings, Halle suggested that some of Matt’s behavior might also stem from the newness of their mating bond and he would likely calm down eventually.
Sage agreed with this theory as she also felt the need to be close to Matt.
She felt more at peace and more complete when they were together.
After her shower, she returned to their bedroom.
Matt was already dressed, looking sexier than should be legal in his tux.
She stopped dead in her tracks and gawked.
Grinning, he ran his fingers through his wet hair.
And just like that, he was done. Sage shook her head in envy.
To save time, she’d twisted her hair in rows last night and put rollers on the ends to create spiral curls.
“Wishing you hadn’t turned down my shower invite?” he taunted.
Narrowing her eyes, she allowed her towel to drop onto the floor.
Matt growled. “Not fair.”
She gestured at him. “And that is?”
He grinned. “All right. I never get enough of hearing that you find me attractive.”
Starting to get dressed, she sighed. “Everyone tells you that you’re hot.”
“Everyone is not you. I like hearing it from you.” He slid his hands in his pockets and leaned against the doorframe.
“What are you doing?”
“My favorite pastime—watching my beautiful wife get dressed while fantasizing about taking it all off you later tonight.”
Sage met his gaze in the mirror. “You make me feel….” Beautiful. Desired. Loved. She finally settled on, “Special.”
Matt wrapped his arms around her from behind. He nuzzled her hair aside and kissed the spot where he’d given her his mating mark. “You are special. I fell in love with you the second I saw you and I’ve been falling deeper in love with you every second since then.”
***
“I’m honored that you asked me to walk you down the aisle,” Matt said as he led Missy over the makeshift outdoor dance floor in his role as a stand-in for his father. Rick and Missy had opted for a backyard wedding. Her wedding gown swirled around their legs as he executed a turn.
Missy smiled at him. “Thank you for accepting.”
“You’re welcome. I wouldn’t have missed today for the world. You’re a beautiful bride.”
“Thank you. And, may I say, you look very handsome in your tux?”
Matt turned as he felt a tap on his shoulder. Rick cleared his throat. “Mind if I dance with my wife.”
Smiling, Matt released Missy to her husband.
“Sure thing. Congratulations, guys.” He returned to his seat at Sage’s side.
After the ceremony, a tent had been erected, and tables and chairs had been arranged beneath it.
The forecast called for rain. Though the wind had picked up, the sky remained clear.
He inhaled deeply and estimated that the clouds wouldn’t roll in for another hour or two.
“The two of you met in college, but you didn’t become mates until you moved here and stayed in Halle’s old place, right?
” a young red-headed werewolf asked Sage, his excitement palpable.
Matt couldn’t recall his name as he’d met so many people in the last few weeks, but he thought it might be Baxter.
“Yes,” Sage replied haltingly, shooting Matt a confused glance.
He shrugged, just as bewildered as Sage.
The young man’s grin widened. He hurried off. “Derek, I told you!”
Matt frowned. “What was that about?”
“You heard as much as I did.” She ran her hand down his chest. “I’ve heard quite a few whispers about how handsome you are. I thought I was going to have to fight off a couple of your bolder admirers.”
He laughed. “I’m all yours. No need for fighting.” He took her hand in his and kissed her palm. “I—”
He broke off as a commotion on the other side of the tent drew his attention.
Three werewolves, Baxter in the lead, stood in front of Dade talking excitedly.
The Alpha crossed his arms over his chest and listened to them with a bored expression.
He appeared to confer with his wife for a moment before turning back to their packmates.
While the volume of their conversation drew his attention, he only caught snippets of their words due to the music playing in the background and other people talking.
After a few minutes, Dade shook his head and called over Mitch and Travis. The three original shifters seemed to argue for a moment, but Dade appeared unmoved and eventually they walked away with their shoulders drooping. Travis nodded at their Alpha.
“What do you suppose that was about?” Sage asked.
“I was about to suggest we go home before the rain arrives, but I can see that you’re curious.”
She giggled. “Don’t pretend that you aren’t, too!”
He grumbled, but before he could deny it, Halle joined them. “Hi, guys. Matt, it was wonderful of you to walk Missy down the aisle. I know it meant a lot to her.”
“It meant just as much to me. I’m so glad that I found her.”
Halle nodded. “I hate to ask, but have you guys moved all your stuff out of the house and into your new home?”
“Yes,” Sage answered. “We didn’t have much there to begin.”
“Ok. Sorry to have to ask, but we’re planning on remodeling the house before selling it or maybe just renting it out. Since Missy moved in with Rick, it would be empty and I hate to think of it sitting there abandoned. Dade put Mitch and Travis in charge of the work.”
“And that’s what caused the commotion we saw?” Sage asked, sounding disappointed that the gossip wasn’t more interesting. Matt hid a grin behind his water glass.
“Oh, no. Apparently some of the shifters had formed this theory about the house being some sort of…I don’t know…good luck location for finding your mate.”
Sage frowned. “Baxter was asking me about when Matt and I became mates.”
Matt shook his head. “But I’ve been in love with Sage since college.”
“Yes, but the two of you didn’t become mates until you moved into the house.
I was living there when I met Dade. And Missy was living there when she met Rick.
Baxter and the others were fighting over who would get to rent the house so that they could meet their mates.
Dade put an end to it by assigning Mitch and Travis to handle the renovation. ”
“Mitch is the big quiet one and Travis is the cute brunette, right?” Sage asked.
Halle nodded. “Yes.”
“Cute, huh?” Matt asked with a raised eyebrow.
Sage cupped his jaw and gave him a quick kiss. “No one compares to you. You’re it for me, baby.”
A growl rumbled from his chest as he stood. He clasped Sage’s hand and drew her to her feet. “Halle, if you’ll excuse us, we have to go home.”
Halle smiled. “Understood. Dade and I have had to leave a few events early as well.”