Epilogue-Evie
Evie–Castor’s Corner, Present Day
“For fuck’s sake!” I groaned as my laptop pinged for what felt like the eleventh time.
Three days.
That’s how long I’d been tangled up in bedsheets with one very attentive Wolf Shifter.
Three glorious days of being thoroughly loved, kissed, claimed, and, let’s be honest, thoroughly ruined in the best possible way.
Jaxson called it our honeymoon—even if we weren’t “married” in the human sense.
But we weren’t human.
Not even close.
I was a Witch. A Seer, to be exact. And he?
He was my mate. A Wolf Shifter who smelled like lemon and basil and made me feel like the most precious thing on this planet.
Matings weren’t just for now.
They were forever.
And I’d never felt more safe, more wanted, or more mine.
Stanley was covering things at Town Hall until I returned later this afternoon, but apparently, someone missed the memo that the mayor was off-duty for magical mating reasons.
The nerve.
“What is that sound?” Jaxson called from the kitchen, his deep voice dripping with sleepy heat.
“It’s Swoosh,” I grumbled, grabbing a robe and trying to sound annoyed instead of completely blissed out.
“S’what?” he teased, padding barefoot into view with nothing but a low-slung pair of gray sweatpants and a smirk that could melt my panties off.
“Not S’what, Swoosh—our messaging system.” I waved vaguely toward the laptop. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Mmm, don’t go,” he growled, appearing behind me in an instant to nip at the curve of my neck.
My knees went weak. His spicy little love bite zinged straight to my core. I bit back a moan.
Gaia help me, maybe I should stay in bed. The man made a strong case.
Ping.
Damn it.
“I’m sorry,” I sighed, but he was already kissing me senseless again.
When he finally pulled away, I could barely remember what day it was.
“You never have to apologize to me, Darlin’,” he said with a crooked grin, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “You answer that, and I’ll wrangle us up some breakfast.”
“’Kay,” I whispered, already missing his warmth.
“With blueberries?” he called over his shoulder.
I froze, blinking.
“You heard that?”
He chuckled low in his throat. “Matebond, remember? You think it, I feel it. Very handy when I’m trying to blow your mind in bed.”
“Gaia help me,” I muttered, blushing furiously.
“Love you back, Darlin’,” he added, and just like that, my heart did a happy little cartwheel.
Turning back to my still-barking laptop, I opened the invitation to join the video chat with a sigh.
“OMG, EVELYN! HE DID IT AGAIN! LOOK! POOP IN ALL MY SHOES!”
Donny’s furious face filled the screen, cheeks flushed, hair in curlers, waving what looked like a ballet flat full of Domovyk doo.
I snorted, nearly falling off my chair.
Gryn, her snippy little familiar, was clearly on a mission to make her life hell.
Now, we’d each been gifted a Domovyk by La Befana herself, the most powerful Witch working in North America under the Morrigan.
And I didn’t dare complain.
Ivan—my Domovyk familiar—was actually growing on me.
Like a magically grumpy fungus.
Bella seemed fine with Petyr.
Only Donny wasn’t quite getting the hang of life with Gryn.
Despite the hiccups, life in Castor’s Corner was surprisingly good.
I was still mayor, and maybe for the first time, I wasn’t resenting that title.
Stanley was back for good and officially off vacation.
Bella and Donny—my besties, turned cousins, always magical ride-or-dies—were thriving—poopy shoe thing aside.
The Fox twins were safe and sound.
And those three delicious Shifters?
They were now our new Castor’s Corner Fire Department and the town’s new Sheriff.
Oh, and my truck was finally fixed.
Thanks, Jeff.
Also? I had a mate. A fated mate.
My fated mate.
Jaxson.
Just thinking his name made my skin tingle and my magic spark.
The matebond between us was still new and electric, and every time I closed my eyes, I could feel it humming along my skin like a second heartbeat.
Goddess, how I loved that Wolfman.
Out of the blue, a cool fall breeze drifted through the window. My aqua-colored magic flared at my fingertips.
For a moment, I thought of Nonna and Grandpa Al.
I was moving forward with getting his remains back to our mausoleum.
I’d even called my parents and told them everything.
About the magic.
About Bella and Donny being my first cousins.
About Jaxson.
About how happy I finally was.
They cried. Happy tears.
And Jaxson?
He was always there when I called them. Shirtless. Holding a spatula. Mom loved him.
Snort.
Now, the town still had its moments—suspicion about the new Shifter residents, the usual magical mishaps—but I wasn’t worried.
Because I wasn’t facing any of it alone anymore.
I had my Wolf.
I had my cousins.
I had magic.
And for the first time in a long time, I was more than just okay with staying in Castor’s Corner.
This place? These people? They were mine. And I was theirs.
Yes, I was home.
And I planned on staying and doing my best for the town. For my mate. For my friends and family.
Every. Single. Day.
The End…