Epilogue
Jared
One week later
After completing our mate bond, Selene and I kept to ourselves for the next few days. We both needed the time to recuperate and sort through our emotions after everything that happened with The Raven. I’m still struggling to wrap my head around the fact that it was Corbin all along.
For the two days following her abduction, Selene suffered from a migraine—the consequence of pushing her magic to the brink when she trapped Corbin in a vision.
I managed to hold off visitors, promising to let everyone know as soon as we were up for having company, and we stayed snuggled on the sofa together.
After hearing what happened, Kendra encouraged me to take some time off from The Chronicle, and I gladly agreed.
I don’t want to fall back into the bad habit of burying myself in work to avoid dealing with my problems, especially not now that Selene and I have bonded.
While she explained we can essentially turn down the ‘volume’ of our newly formed connection, if one of us experiences a particularly strong emotional reaction, it will automatically come through the bond ‘louder’.
While Selene napped on Saturday afternoon, I called Mohinder.
Talking to him helped me sort through some of the complicated feelings I have about my former mentor turning out to be a serial killer who was obsessed with my birth mother.
While coming to terms with everything I’ve learned will take a lot more than one phone call, the conversation helped me sort through my initial racing thoughts.
Taking care of Selene while she slowly recovered from her migraine, and daily calls with Mohinder, helped me stay grounded this past week.
Without them giving me something to focus on, it would have been far too easy to tumble down the endless spiral of thinking about all the ways that night could have gone so very wrong.
When Selene woke without a headache on Monday I called Gwyn, and she, Brooks, and Eve all stopped by for coffee.
The minute she laid eyes on her younger sister, Gwyn dived into her arms. Tears shone in both of their eyes as they embraced tightly.
Once they calmed down enough to separate, Selene proudly pulled aside the neck of her thistle-purple jumper, showing Gwyn the bond bite on her shoulder.
The move sent both her big sister and niece into a round of excited shrieks, while Brooks offered us his heartfelt congratulations at a considerably lower decibel.
They stayed for an hour until Selene got tired, only leaving after we promised to let them know if we needed anything.
The next day Dove and Cordelia stopped by in the morning, and Garrett and Huxley came over on Wednesday evening with dinner from Hunter’s Moon. Rett updated us on what he knew about the investigation—his position as a council member grants him access to information the SIB hasn’t made public yet.
Yesterday Selene and I decided we were ready to go to the town hall to give our statements to the SIB agents.
I asked them if Corbin had said anything else about my biological parents while in custody.
If I knew their names I could find out more about them, maybe even discover some extended family.
Agent Johnson’s pitying look answered my question before he said a word.
Apparently Corbin said everything he needed to that night in the barn, and he’s not uttered a word since.
Garrett promised to keep digging, but I made my peace with not knowing anything about my biological parents a long time ago. At least now I know why they gave me up, and that they did everything they could to protect me. That’s enough. Now I’m ready to focus on my new family here in Crystal Lake.
Speaking of, Selene and I are meeting everyone at the closing dance of the Halloween festival. She convinced Gwyn to lift Eve’s grounding for tonight, saying she wanted all of us to be together for her favourite night of the year.
I glance at my watch, noting we should leave soon. “Are you nearly ready?” I call up the stairs.
“Almost.” Selene appears at the top of the staircase looking like an absolute vision.
Her dark hair cascades over her shoulders in Old-Hollywood style waves.
The lilac satin of her dress hugs her figure before fanning out from her waist in an A-line skirt that stops just below her knees.
Watching her descend the stairs, I have to remind myself to breathe.
“Can you put this on me? I’m having trouble with the clasp,” she says, holding out a delicate silver chain with a small drop pendant.
“Of course.” I take the chain and use my other hand to move her soft waves out of the way.
A small shiver runs down her spine as my fingertips brush over the nape of her neck.
I secure the tiny clasp of the chain and then, unable to resist, place a kiss right over my bond bite on the slope of her shoulder.
“Don’t start something we haven’t got time to finish,” Selene warns, turning to face me and smoothing her hands over the lapels of my midnight-blue suit jacket.
“You look incredible.”
Her cheeks colour to match her lipstick.
“Thanks. You look pretty great yourself.” Selene takes her coat off the nearby hook and ties the belt at her waist, bright-blue eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Let’s go.” Practically bouncing in her silver heels, she slips one dainty hand into mine and leads me out the door.
SELENE
The closing dance of the Halloween festival is already in full swing when we arrive.
Pumpkins with a mix of simple faces and intricate designs carved into them are lit from within, lining every path leading to the town square.
The stalls and tents with games have been cleared away to make room for the chairs and tables now dotted around the edges for anyone who needs a break from dancing.
The night air is cool, but heating lamps have been strategically positioned throughout the square to keep everyone warm—sometimes human tech works just as well as magic.
The band is currently playing a cover of a classic rock song, using the gazebo as a makeshift stage.
Locals and human tourists alike dance in front of the gazebo wearing smart suits and beautiful dresses, their happiness palpable.
“There’s your family.” Jared points to a table a few feet away where Gwyn, Brooks, and Eve sit.
“Perfect,” I reply, using our joined hands to steer him in that direction.
As we walk over, Michael nervously approaches their table, looking adorable in a borrowed suit that’s a little big in the shoulders.
He holds out a shaking hand to Eve, and she turns to look at Gwyn with eyes full of hope.
My sister nods, and Eve excitedly grabs hold of Michael’s hand, pulling him towards the dancefloor.
“That was nice of you,” I tell Gwyn, hanging my coat over the back of Eve’s abandoned chair when we reach them.
“Well, it would have been mean of me to lift her grounding for tonight on your request only to make her sit here and be miserable the whole time. She knows what she did was wrong and how serious it could have been.”
“You’re a good mum.” I throw my arm over her shoulders in a side-hug as we watch the kids dance. “Are you two not going up there?”
Brooks shakes his head. “Not yet. We need time to digest first.”
Gwyn lays a hand over her full stomach. “Absolutely,” she agrees. “If you’ve not tried Dove’s pumpkin spice muffins yet, you really should—they’re so good.”
“I’ll let her know you enjoyed them. We’re going to make the rounds, but I’ll catch up with you later.” They wave us off as Jared and I meander through the crowd.
After what happened with Corbin we missed night two of the festival, which is when everyone wears their Halloween costumes.
It’s one of my favourite parts, second only to the closing night dance, but I’m content knowing Jared and I will be able to enjoy it together next year.
Tonight I’m so happy to be here with my mate, knowing the monster from his nightmares is gone and that our bond is finally complete, that nothing else matters.
Jared squeezes my hand like he knows exactly what I’m thinking, and maybe he does.
Supes who’ve been mated for a long time tend to have the ‘volume’ turned down on their mate bond as it can be distracting constantly feeling someone else’s emotions, but for now Jared and I, like most newly bonded mates, are enjoying the full strength of our connection.
“Do you want to say hi to Dove?” Jared asks.
I nod. “Sure.”
Hunter’s Moon still has a temporary bar set up off to the side, and the diner and Sweet Dreams have their stalls on the opposite side of the square for anyone feeling peckish.
I watch as Dove takes off her chef’s jacket, revealing a beautiful pastel-pink halter neck dress underneath.
She tucks the jacket behind the stall and hands an apron to Audrey who’s ready to tap in.
Dove never wants anyone to miss out on the fun of the last night of the festival, so she makes a schedule where everyone, herself included, works for an hour.
Spotting me and Jared, she smiles widely and waves enthusiastically.
“Hi, you both look amazing,” she gushes.
“You too,” I tell her. I’m clearly not the only one who thinks so. Giles sits at a nearby table with a perfect view of Dove’s booth, his glass of whisky paused halfway to his lips as he stares at her.
Oblivious to Giles’s admiration, Dove smiles up at Jared.
“I saved you the last pumpkin spice muffin. They’ve been super popular, so thanks again for being my taste-tester.
” She turns to me. “Don’t worry, there’s a chocolate and cherry cupcake with your name on it too.
Just go up to the stall and ask whenever you’re ready. ”
“Thanks, that’s very thoughtful of you,” Jared replies, trying not to grimace.
“No problem,” Dove chirps. “The least you two deserve is something sweet after everything you’ve been through.”
“I think we’re going to mingle a bit more first, but we’ll make sure to stop by and pick them up later,” I promise.
“Great. Well, I’ll leave you to it. I’m off to see if I can find someone to dance with.”
“You could ask Giles,” I suggest, unable to resist.
“Oh, um, well, I’m… no. I don’t think he’d—” She blushes furiously. “Never mind. Have fun you two!” She rushes off before I can say anything else.
Jared’s lips brush the shell of my ear. “You’re meddling.”
I tilt my head, giving him my best innocent look. “Me?”
“Yes,” he deadpans.
“Fine, yes, but only a little. It’s obvious he likes her and after that,” I wave my hand at the spot where Dove was standing, “it’s clear she feels the same.”
“Maybe, but they need to figure it out on their own.”
My fringe flutters in the wake of my sigh. “I know. Now let’s get away from here before I turn into Cordelia and you’re forced to eat another one of those muffins.”
Jared’s face falls. “I’m going to be stuck eating those damn things every year now, aren’t I?”
“Yep. Unless you want to break the heart of the sweetest person I know.” He groans, letting me lead him away from the stall.
We say a quick hello to Garrett who’s behind the bar when we go up to grab a drink.
Afterwards we run into Cordelia, who looks stunning in a figure-hugging peacock-blue dress and strappy gold heels.
We all sit down, and she chats with us for a few minutes before rushing off to check in on the couples she’s set up on dates for this evening.
The band starts playing one of my favourite songs and Jared immediately stands, holding out his hand for me to take. “Dance with me?”
“I’d love to.”
We join the crowd of gently swaying bodies in front of the gazebo as the notes of the ballad permeate the night air. Jared’s warm hands wrap around my waist as I rest mine lightly atop his shoulders.
“Are you having fun?” he asks softly.
The lenses of his glasses reflect my bright smile. “Tonight’s been perfect.”
“Good. You know I can see why this is your favourite night of the year.”
“Yeah?”
“Mmm hmm.” He brushes the hair back from my face to cup my cheek.
“Dancing under the stars with you is quickly becoming my new favourite thing.” The tip of his tongue darts out to wet his lower lip, and he looks a little…
nervous? “I know it’s fast, or maybe it’s only fast in the human world and we’ve actually been moving slow for supes, but I was wondering, hoping really, that you would move in with me. ”
“Really? You’re ready for that?” While Jared may have been happy to complete the mate bond, I didn’t want to assume he’d automatically want to move in with me.
“Yes, we’re essentially married now, right?
More than married, really. You’re the woman I want to spend forever with.
I’d like to start that now, with your face being the last thing I see every night and the first thing I see every morning.
” He takes a deep breath in an obvious effort to stop rambling. It’s cute. “So, will you?”
“Of course I’ll move in with you.” Other than picking up a bag of clothes and other essentials I’ve not been back to my cottage since my encounter with The Raven, and I haven’t missed it.
While I’ll always be grateful for the respite those walls gave me, it’s not big enough for me and Jared.
I already decided that whenever Jared was ready for us to start living together that I would have Guppy rent the place out.
The extra income will help Jared and me save to buy somewhere together when the time is right.
“How soon do you think we can make that happen?” he asks.
A soft laugh escapes me. “You know, you’re pretty eager for someone who wanted to take things slow.”
“That was before. Now we’re bonded. You’re mine and I’m yours, no second-guessing or holding back because I’m scared. I’m all in, Selene, today and always. I love you.”
Rising onto my tiptoes, I seal my lips to his in a passionate kiss, and our mouths fit together like puzzle pieces because we were always meant to find each other.
When we come up for air, Jared rests his forehead against mine. “I love you too, you know,” I tell him, stroking his cheek.
He kisses me again, softer this time, and this closing night of the Halloween festival becomes my favourite out of every one I’ve attended, simply because I’m here with Jared.
Full of gratitude that fate brought me my perfect match, I rest my head against Jared’s chest, right over the spot where my mark adorns his skin.
We sway in time to the music and here, underneath a blanket of stars, surrounded by my family and our closest friends, the promise of a magical life together hangs between us.
No secret or spell was big enough to keep us apart, and now that we’re bonded, nothing ever will.