Epilogue
Two Weeks Later
In the shadows of the forest, I stood waiting for my cue. The final step in sealing our mate bond was moments away. She was mine… she had always been mine.
I peered out at the three massive arches constructed from large tree branches. They were adorned with sprawling white flowers and lavender accents. The work was so impressive that I immediately recognized Aunt Demeter’s handy work with her element to create the stunning backdrop for our mating ceremony. Lanterns and flowers lined the center aisle that would lead my mate to me at the altar.
We decided to keep the mating ceremony private, inviting only pack members and family. Of course, our pack was the largest in the world, and our family was the size of a small army, so it wasn’t a small event.
I watched as Papa Diesel led Grammy Lucy, the matriarch of the LaRue family, to her seat. Selena wanted the gender of our pup to be a surprise, so no one had shared what the Moon Goddess had revealed to us. It was a hard secret to keep from her and the rest of the family.
I looked out at the faces of my closest family members from around the world. The patriarch of the Theodorus family was myPappoús Dimitri. His golden honey eyes met mine, and he gave me a proud smile. I was named after his youngest pup and looked a lot like my great-grandfather, Lukas. My chest tightened as I thought about him, and I wished he and my great-grandmother, Syble, could be here for this day.
My great-grandmother sacrificed her life to save me when I was a pup, and I will forever be grateful for her love and sacrifice. One of my favorite pictures, framed in my office, was of my great-grandmother holding me in wolf form and kissing the top of my head. My mother seemed to have more photos of me in wolf form than human form when I was a pup because I liked the freedom of mobility it gave me.
My second favorite photo was framed beside the one with my Grandma Syble. It was hours after Selena had been born, and I managed to sneak unnoticed into the medical wing in my wolf form. My father was so amused that he snapped the photo of my mother holding the tiny bundle that was Selena, with me standing on my hind legs with my tongue lolling out to get a better look at my future mate. Rex calls the photo love at first sniff.
Everywhere I looked, there was a familiar face belonging to a LaRue, Theodorus, Kappas, and Crow family member. Selena’s family from Mexico blended right in with mine. My family was large, diverse, and perfect. Werewolves, lycans, humans, vampires, and mages had all been enemies long ago. Today, they were part of my family and came together to celebrate our special day.
“There you are!” Jose stepped into the forest with a lint roller in hand. “Selena’s nausea has passed, and we’ll be ready to start in a few moments,” he told me.
“Does she need me?”
“No, Mister Alpha,” he said and continued to roll the fabric of my jacket with the tape-covered roller. “Just stand here and don’t get yourself dirty. When Alpha Ares steps up to the altar, you can join him there and wait.”
“I’ve waited all my life,” I told him. “A few more minutes won’t hurt.”
“That’s the spirit!” He smiled and started to walk away. “And watch out for the black jaguar… One of your guests brought their exotic pet.”
I couldn’t help the smile on my face. “Pepita is family,” I called out behind him.
I turned my attention back to my gathered family. My lycan hearing perked when I heard Grandma Dori’s voice. “I swear to the Moon Goddess, if you touch the macaron trees, I’m going to beat you with them,” Grandma warned Flaym. “We had to have those shipped overnight so they would be fresh for today.”
“I’ve seen her do it,” Persephone laughed. “Come on, Grandma, let”s grab a seat before the good ones are taken.”
“Did Lukas say where they were going on a honeymoon?” Grandma asked. “I was thinking it would be really nice to go to Scotland.”
“I think they’re going to the private island in Greece.”
“Oh, that’s terrible!” Grandma said as she took a seat near the front.
“Why’s that?”
“Honey, I look like a soup chicken in a bathing suit. I can’t go with them.”
“Grandma, it’s a honeymoon. You’re not supposed to go with them,” Persephone told her, and I stifled my laugh.
“Well, someone needs to make sure they’re eating properly. Growing a lycan pup is hard work.”
I heard whispering nearby and turned my attention to the voices. It was Storm and Valaria. They were whispering about traveling somewhere, but I didn’t know where. If they were at the edge of the woods whispering, it was because they didn’t want my father to overhear.
“We should make a list of all the places and see where it takes us next,” Valaria said.
“I don’t know,” Storm replied. “What if it’s a curse and not a gift?”
“It has to be a gift,” Valaria whispered back.
“I need to talk to Rex. I think he might know.”
I stilled my breathing, hoping to hear the rest of this conversation. It wasn’t like my sister not to share everything with her twin. And what was this gift or curse?
“What makes you think he knows?”
“He’s been acting a little strange and distant since we returned from Paris.”
Guilt rushed through me because I hadn’t noticed. Of course, I’d been preoccupied with everything, but I was still their big brother. I should have been there.
The string quartet stopped playing, and everyone settled into a chair. Valaria and Storm joined the family, and a shadow moved near the place they had been standing. Rex suddenly appeared as if he had stepped out of a shadow, and my lycan stirred.
I should have been able to sense him in the forest easily, but I didn’t, and it confused my beast. He ran his fingers through his hair and adjusted his tie as he rushed to take the empty seat beside my sister.
My father moved to the altar and examined the small knife and silk ribbon he would use to perform the mating ceremony. I stepped out of the forest and joined my father at the altar to wait for my beautiful mate. My mother was seated with Paola, and tears were already welling up in their eyes.
The quartet started playing the familiar La Vie En Rose tune, and my heart fluttered when I saw her at the other end of the aisle. My wolf yipped through the mind link to hers, and Stella happily returned his yips. Everyone rose from their chairs, and Mateo slowly walked his daughter down the aisle to me.
I held her hand as we knelt before my father. Rings were not traditional in mating ceremonies, but I had a custom ring designed for her that I intended to give her on our honeymoon. My father addressed the pack and spoke about the blessing of the mate bond. He thanked the Moon Goddess and lit eight white candles to honor all eight moon phases.
We took our oaths to one another as my father sliced our palms and bound them with the ribbon. Standing together, we held our conjoined hands up to the moon and gave thanks to the Goddess. When my father unwrapped the silk, our palms were healed.
My father beamed as he declared us to our family and pack. “I give you Alpha Lukas and Selena Crow. Your future Lycan King and Luna Queen.”
“Kiss her already!” Grandma bellowed as applause rang out.
“I love you, Princess.” I dipped my head to take her lips, and the tingles zinged right through me.
She was mine… all mine, for the rest of my long life, and I couldn’t get enough of her. In a few moments, we would make our way to the party tents strung with white lights, flowers, and candles to celebrate with our family, but all I could think about was being alone with her and stripping her down. I wanted to worship every inch of her with my mouth and feel her soft skin against mine.
With a knowing smile, she whispered one word to me. “Soon.”
Movement near the tree line where I had been waiting earlier caught my attention. My breath hitched in my throat as my eyes landed on the Moon Goddess. She stood with two wolves at her side—one black and one silver. An overwhelming sense of love and pride radiated from them as they looked on. Before I could find the words, they started to fade away in the moonlight with the Goddess.
The sound of two joyous howls rang out, and everyone turned to find the source.
***End***