Epilogue 1-Bella
“Ladies, the grooms are getting anxious—” Conrad stepped into our tent, voice low and warm as always.
Then he froze.
The grin slid right off his face, replaced by wide-eyed shock.
“Bella,” he murmured.
Oh, Goddess help me.
There he was—six and a half feet plus of lethal, delicious Shifter male—wearing a perfectly tailored gray morning suit that hugged his broad shoulders and lean waist like it had been sewn just for him.
Which, knowing Donny’s fashionista connections, it probably had.
His green eyes burned into me, and my knees wobbled.
I had to mentally order myself not to drool on my surprise wedding dress.
And, oh wow, the dress.
The dress I had not been planning to reveal until, well, later.
Instead, here I was, full skirt flaring, satin and lace whispering around me, hair all glossy curls with a tiny veil pinned just so—looking like a Witch who’d just stepped out of a fated mates fairytale.
“Oh wow. I guess, um, I am doing this now,” I whisper-screamed, flicking a wild glance at Evie and Donny.
They both nodded like smug matchmakers, grins wide enough to split their faces.
My palms went damp. My heart tried to leap out of my chest.
“Okay,” I started, my voice wobbly but getting stronger, “I was going to sort of propose in my regular dress, you know, in front of everyone, so you couldn’t say no,” I said and sucked in a shaky breath.
“You got this,” Evie whispered.
“Time to take that leap, Hells Bells,” Donny seconded.
My girls had my back, and judging from the gleam in my man’s eyes, he did too.
“Okay, here goes. Conrad Boman, I love you,” I said, and I meant it with all my heart.
“That’s it.” I giggled. “I love you, and I want to be with you forever—not just as your mate, but as your wife. If you need time, I underst—”
“Yes.”
I blinked.
“Yes?”
“Yes,” Conrad growl-hissed, crossing the space between us in three long strides. “Yes, with all my heart. I will marry you, sweet Witch. I wanna be yours, want you to be mine, until the end of time, and maybe even after that.”
And then his arms were around me, pulling me so tight to his chest I could feel the deep, steady thrum of his heart against mine.
His mouth found mine in a kiss that wasn’t just hot—it was the kind that melted every single shard of fear I’d ever carried about not being enough.
His love crashed into me like magic.
My own magic swirled up in answer, fizzing in champagne bubbles beneath my skin, wrapping around us in a shimmer I was too giddy to control.
By the time our kiss slowed, I was breathless, flushed, and absolutely, irrevocably his.
He rested his forehead against mine, voice low and certain.
“I’ll be waiting for you at the altar, sweet Bella.”
“Okay.”
Tears pricked my eyes, but I managed a watery smile.
Turning to my cousins—my best friends, my magical soul-sisters—I bit my lip.
“So, I know I didn’t ask, and this is your wedding day, and I’m sorry for totally crashing it, but I think it’s supposed to be ours too. Promise you aren’t mad?”
“Mad?” Donny scoffed, eyes shining. “Are you kidding me? This is the best thing ever. And I mean ever. Let’s go get hitched, ladies!”
“Yes, let’s,” Evie agreed, sliding into the middle like she’d been choreographing this her whole life.
She linked arms with both of us, one hand on each.
“By the way, Jaxson told me the news—”
Her eyes went wide and she grinned.
“I swear I’m so embarrassed I didn’t realize I was pregnant before you all did!”
“You are gonna be such a good mom!” Donny screeched.
“And this baby is gonna have the best aunties,” I seconded.
Donny and I both burst out laughing, giggles tangled with happy tears as we started toward the altar in a slow, steady march.
And there they were.
Our men.
Our Shifters.
Our mates.
Looking so ridiculously good in their suits I half-expected some sort of magical law to be passed against it.
Broad shoulders, proud stances, smiles that lit up the clearing like another string of fairy lights.
My heart did that stupid fluttering thing again, and I didn’t even care.
The bells tolled midnight just as we reached them.
La Befana herself—Magdelena, long white robe flowing dramatically in the lantern light—stood ready to bless not one, not two, but three unions.
“Okay, so, I just got ordained like half an hour ago, but it’s legal, so let’s do this,” she announced breezily. “Quick version, because I gotta fly back to Northern before my kids explode something.”
I flipping adored that Witch.
“First up—Evie and Jax, do you promise to love, cherish, honor, and take care of each other for the rest of your lives?”
Um okay. So, it was gonna be a speed service.
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“Fabulous. Rings? Great. You’re married. Moving on.”
She swung her gaze to Donny and Ryan. “You two wanna be hitched?”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
“Boom. Married. Okay, last but not least—Bella and Conrad. I see this was last-second, but that’s cool.
Do the two of you promise to do all those things I already said?
You know, be faithful, cherish, love, oh, and deliver a dozen Undeath By Chocolate cupcakes to me every month. ” She eyed us suspiciously.
“Um, okayyy,” I murmured.
“Yes,” Conrad said, voice rough with emotion.
“I promise to love, worship, cherish, and make sure we send you any goodies you like express, La Befana, for as long as this beautiful Witch is mine.”
Awwwwwwww.
My heart felt so full it was practically overflowing into my magic, making the air around us sparkle faintly.
And when Magdelena finally said the words—“You’re married”—I realized I’d just found my forever.
And it felt perfect.