Epilogue-2-Conrad
“Excellent! I now pronounce you three Witches and Shifters, husbands, and wives! Wait—you’re not married to everyone, just to your one mate—oh Goddess! I forked this up. Look, you get me, right? Does everyone get me?” Magdelena’s voice carried across the clearing.
There was a ripple of laughter, but my focus wasn’t on her. My entire world was the woman standing beside me in a swirl of satin and lace.
“We get you,” I said automatically, though I was looking straight at Bella, not our officiant.
She giggled—Goddess, that sound—and the tight coil in my chest loosened just enough to let me breathe again.
It was done.
She was mine.
Not just in the primal, Shifter-bond way that had been burning through my blood since the moment we met, but in every way that counted—law, magic, body, heart, mind, and soul.
Afterwards, the clearing erupted into handshakes, hugs, and congratulations.
Townsfolk and family swarmed us, and the three couples made our way to the center where the cake waited.
My mate’s cake.
“Ready, my Witchy?” Petyr asked her, his Domovyk grin all mischief and pride.
She nodded, eyes bright, and he clapped his hands.
Silver mist burst into the night sky, scattering sparkles like falling stars.
And there it was—her masterpiece.
The crowd gasped.
Bella bit her lip like she was bracing for judgment, and my heart ached at how much she still didn’t see what I saw—a miracle of a woman who could out-bake, out-magic, and outshine anyone in this town.
Evie and Donny didn’t hesitate.
They threw themselves at her in a tackle-hug that nearly knocked her over.
“Oh, Bella, this is perfect!” Evie cried.
I looked at the cake and whistled.
The thing was massive, covering an entire table, and so detailed it could have been a miniature set for a magical movie.
“I figured, why go traditional when we are anything but?” Bella said, voice hesitant but proud.
“You made the entire town!” Evie gasped.
“And look at the toppers!” Donny squealed.
I leaned closer. Damn, she had thought of everything—our shops, City Hall, every street, and lantern.
Layers of Devil’s food, lemon cake, carrot cake, vanilla swirl cake, and red velvet built the whole structure.
The fondant work was so perfect I half-expected the tiny windows to light up.
And in the center—our clearing.
Bonfire flickering with real, heatless flame she’d spelled herself.
Around it stood three tiny Witches—Bella, Evie, and Donny—and beside them, were us, their mates in human form.
Behind each of us, our Shifter forms.
Wolf.
Bear.
Python.
My chest tightened.
She’d put me there. Not just in man form, not just as her Shifter—but as part of us.
“It’s perfect, Bella. Just like you,” I murmured, leaning down to nuzzle the soft curve of her neck.
She shivered, and my Python uncoiled in smug satisfaction.
Then I slid my hand into my pocket and pulled out the band I’d been carrying for weeks.
Not flashy.
Not elaborate.
Just a solid, warm gold ring.
I took her hand, slid it onto her finger, and held it up so everyone could see.
Her eyes went wide. “Conrad—”
“I thought this would suit you for work,” I said quietly.
And then she launched herself at me like she’d been waiting her whole life to do it.
“It’s perfect!”
I caught her easily—my hands had been made to hold this woman.
Her laughter was in my ear, her scent in my lungs, her heartbeat pressed against mine.
Maybe leaps of faith are worth it after all.
“They sure are, Sugar,” I told her, holding her close enough to feel the magic sparking between us. “And you can count on me to be there whenever you decide to jump. I will always catch you.”
Her eyes softened, a mixture of mischief and something deeper. “I’ll catch you too, Conrad,” she promised.
Marriage was a new adventure for both me and my hungry Python.
Good thing my Witch was just as hungry for me.
And standing there with her in my arms—veil tangled against my chest, perfume clinging to my suit, her soft curves molding perfectly into me—I knew we were already exactly where we were meant to be.
“Damn straight. Let’s go home,” she whispered in my ear, voice low and warm enough to melt steel.
My Python went wild, hissing in my head like I’d just poured gasoline on him.
Home. Ours.
“You sure?” I murmured, because as much as I wanted to sprint out of here like a caveman, I needed her to say it.
“I’m sure, Big Guy,” she said, those gorgeous eyes locking on mine. “I want you to take me home and make me yours.”
Every instinct in me roared its approval.
The air between us snapped with magic and Shifter heat.
“I can do that. I love you, mate,” I hissed, letting the word mate curl around us like a vow.
Before she could say another word, I bent, scooped her up, and hoisted her over my shoulder in a perfect fireman carry. She squealed—a sound halfway between shock and delight—her laughter vibrating down my spine like music.
“Bella!”
“You’re gonna miss the cake!” Evie and Donny called after us, their voices muffled under the roar of applause and whistles from the crowd.
I didn’t even slow down.
“No she won’t,” I called back over my shoulder. “Petyr, bring us a slice later, okay? Much later.”
“For my Witchy, anything,” the Domovyk replied, grinning like he’d just won a bet.
The night air was thick with summer—sweet fried dough from the festival still lingering, the hum of the rides spinning in the distance, the faint electric buzz of the wards around Main Street.
Bella’s hand curled into the back of my shirt, her other arm tightening around my waist.
I could feel the heat of her magic pulsing in little bursts against my back, answering the steady thrum of my own Shifter energy.
Life in Castor’s Corner was never gonna be dull. I knew that for a fact. But right now? I didn’t give a damn about magical trouble, mystery menaces, or tomorrow’s chaos.
Tonight, she was going to be mine in every way the Fates had intended.
And nothing—not cats or fires or Domovyks, hell, not even the Goddess herself—was going to interrupt us.
“What’s going on inside that head of yours?” she asked once I carried her over the threshold and made my way upstairs, placing her down gently on the bed.
“Just thinking how happy I am that you’re finally mine, sweet Witch.”
“Yeah? Show me.”
Goddess, I loved it when she was demanding.
“I can do that,” I hissed, and raised an eyebrow as she magicked away our clothes.
“You better, Big Guy. I’m counting on it.”