Epilogue
JUNIE
My leg bounces as we sit outside Hexed. I’m so fucking nervous. I knew if I wanted to find Ophelia quickly and surprise her, she’d be at her store. And where she is, Sam will be.
“Junie. Go. I’ll park, and then I’ll be right in, okay?”
I nod. And I nod again.
Silas grips my thigh, giving me a loving squeeze. I look at him, and he has a boyish smile. He’s gorgeous, and he’s mine.
“You got this, my love.”
“Thank you,” I say, then shake my arms in hopes that it helps my anxiety dissipate.
Silas drives off after I exit the car, and now I’m second guessing this plan.
Maybe I should wait for Silas? No, no. I can do this.
All I need to do is walk into the store and tell them I’m the Luna of the Northern Pack. No big deal, right? It’s not like they will know what it means.
I groan but ultimately find the strength to move my feet forward toward the door. The bell chimes as I enter, and Ophelia’s gaze meets mine.
“Junie?” Ophelia’s mouth falls open. “Oh my god, Junie!”
Ophelia rounds the corner of the bar and runs to me, enveloping me in a hug. Sam follows, doing the same.
“Where were you this whole week? We were getting nervous because we hadn’t heard from you,” Ophelia says after we pull back from our hug.
“Um…” I look from Ophelia to Sam.
“You were okay, right?” Sam asks, placing a hand on my shoulder.
“Yes, yes, I was fine.” I shrug him off me. “Well, I was briefly kidnapped but—”
“You were what?!” Ophelia shrieks, and every single head in the store turns to us.
“That’s not what I wanted to say. Fuck. Let me back up. Can we, I don’t know, sit or something?”
“Oh. Yes,” Ophelia says, then calls to one of her baristas to bring us some coffee.
Once we sit down, Sam says, “Okay, June, tell us. Where were you?”
I tell them the short version, about how I was rescued by the north pack and stayed in a cabin. I don’t tell them about Silas yet. I want him to be here for that so they can see how we are with each other, because it’s only been a week, and I don’t know if they will understand what a bond is like.
I didn’t at first.
“You were with werewolves?!” Ophelia crinkles her nose. “Were they… nice to you?” she asks carefully.
“Oh, my god. Phee, yes. Seriously.” I look to the door for probably the tenth time, waiting for Silas to walk through. Even though I’m with two people I love very much, I crave his touch.
“Are you waiting on someone?” Sam asks, being ever perceptive.
“I—”
My words are cut off by the ding of the bell over the door.
My mate smiles at me, ignoring all the heated stares his way. I’m not surprised he turns heads with his tall height and dark hair. I thought he was attractive when I first met him. I know how everyone in this room is feeling.
“Is that a shifter?” I hear Ophelia whisper to Sam.
My eyes are still on Silas.
I stand as he comes closer and quickly walk to meet him, wrapping myself in his arms.
“Sorry,” Silas says, holding my chin between his two fingers. “Parking was a bitch.”
I laugh, then stand on my toes to kiss him. “Told you.”
Silas rolls his eyes. I did warn him multiple times that it’d be hard to find a close spot with the time of day and how busy it is in here, but he didn’t believe me.
A throat clears behind me.
“Oh, right.” I laugh. We aren’t alone.
I lead Silas over to the couches, and we sit across from Ophelia and Sam.
“Ophelia, Sam, this is Silas.”
Ophelia smiles softly. “Was she with you this week?”
Silas nods. “She was.” He leans back, throwing an arm over my shoulders. “She was a real pain in my ass.”
I elbow him. “Asshole,” I mutter.
Sam lifts his brows, watching the interaction, and I know he has so many questions.
“You’re a shifter?” he asks.
“Sure am. You’re Sam, the brother?”
He nods.
“Your sister is a brat.”
“Oh my god.” I groan and throw my head back.
Ophelia laughs. “I like him.”
“You three can’t gang up on me already, okay? It’s too early.”
“Sorry, my love,” Silas says, then leans toward me and presses a kiss to my temple.
“Wait,” Ophelia says, “Are you two like… together?”
“Something like that,” I say, delaying the inevitable.
“You haven’t told them yet?” Silas asks.
I shake my head. For some reason, it’s on the tip of my tongue, but it’s hard to find the courage to tell them.
“Tell us what, June?” Sam asks.
Fuck. Okay. I guess I have to tell them.
I lean forward, brace my elbows on my knees, then look at Sam and Ophelia. Silas brings a hand to my lower back and rubs small, reassuring circles.
You got this.
Silas’ encouragement in my head is all I need.
“So, Silas isn’t just a shifter.”
Ophelia tilts her head. “What do you mean?”
“He’s the Alpha.”
“The Alpha.”
“Of the entire north.”
Sam and Ophelia exchange a worried glance.
“You’re dating the Alpha of the North pack?” Ophelia asks, trying to keep up.
“I know it’s a lot to take in. Um, but…” Why is this so hard?
“She’s my mate,” Silas chimes in, and I tell him thank you through our connection.
He smiles my way.
Ophelia chimes in. “Wait, you’re telling me that not only did you get stuck on the mountain, but you have a fated mate? I didn’t know humans had fated mates?”
I shrug. “We don’t know why, really, but I have one, and it’s Silas. We are bonded.”
“So, you’re like married now?” Sam asks, also trying to follow along.
“Kind of.” I look at Silas and smile, then look back at Ophelia. “I’m the Luna, since I’m bonded to Silas. And I know you have questions, but we’ll be living in Starview for a while, so you’ll have time. Okay?”
Ophelia nods and lets us know she’s happy for us, even though I know she’s wary about the entire situation. I’ll get time alone with her, and we will be able to talk about everything. For now, I want to enjoy spending time with them, with Silas, because this is what life will be like now.
It’ll be Silas and me forever, bonded by fate and by love.
I’ll still have Forever June, he’ll still have his pack, so things might be rocky sometimes, but we will always have a safe place to land when things get rough or tiring.
I’m no longer doing life alone, or trying to accept that no one will be interested in me since I work so often.
None of that matters now because I have Silas.
I have a lot to learn, and I know it’ll be hard, but it’s going to be worth it.
And when I look over at him as he tells Ophelia and Sam about his pack, my heart explodes with adoration for this man who lets me be myself, who sees me for me. Isn’t that what all of us want? Someone who can push us to be the best we can be, yet support us for times when we may fail.
I may have started the week not wanting anyone else in my life, not wanting to give up the time I spend working.
Little did I know, I’d meet the love of my life because of an avalanche.
The next few weeks, months, maybe even years, will be challenging as we find the balance between pack life, Forever June, and our own lives, but looking at Silas now, I know we can do anything as long as we are together.