Epilogue
EPILOGUE
T hree months later
Emery
“I still don’t understand why you wanted to wait until it rains to get married,” Reese said as she places a diamond rose clip in my hair.
A smile touches my lips while I look in the mirror of her bathroom. “Because Chance loves the rain,” I reply.
Today is our official wedding day. A gift my mate insisted on giving me since I was raised in the human world, and he knew how I grew up believing a wedding is what makes us official.
“Okay…at least we have the tents set up,” Reese draws out. “Let’s just hope we can get some good photos of you guys before the rain starts. Your hair looks perfect,” Reese says as she finishes adjusting the hair clip.
I check myself in the mirror and smile at the updo, she’s styled my hair. The gray streak, prominently displayed by the style.
Chance and I are going to say our vows in the same field as the Supermoon Ceremonies. It’s large enough for everyone to come together.
Reese comes to stand beside me in the full-length mirror.
“You can’t forget these.” She hands me the white and lilac bouquet that I’ll take with me down the aisle.
Before she can say anything else there’s a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Reese calls. “We’re all set.”
At the door, Ms. Elsie and Sera stand.
“You look stunning,” Ms. Elsie says while Sera nods in agreement.
Turns out the woman who went off on her own, decided to return a couple of weeks ago. Though she hasn’t told any of us where she was or what brought her back.
She doesn’t talk much, but we’ve formed an odd sort of friendship since I took her to the cave where I saw the image of the wolf I believed to be her mother.
“This will be another entry for that book of yours,” Reese says with a huge grin. She’s referring to the Nightwolf historical books I’m still creating.
I’ve chosen to create a series of books.
However, I’ve had to put that project on hold as I comb through the remaining files we discovered at Dr. Lee’s lab. Though most of the papers were burned, Chael and the others salvaged some remaining files.
Lee was old school and kept most of his experiments and findings written. I’m doing my best to use my storytelling powers to decipher the extent of his testing.
What I’ve found so far is that he worked with a series of lone wolves over the years, to establish their own level of power on the Alliance. It also included those who wanted to find ways to get rid of their wolves altogether to live freely among humans.
Sadly, there’s an ancient-looking text that was pulled out of the ashes of that pit as well, that even I can’t decipher.
With a shake of my head, I reply to Reese. “I still have a way to go before that project will be done,” I remind her.
But I’m looking forward to recounting and recording every bit of it.
To help with my research I’ve even taken a job at a local university about a thirty-minute drive from our commune. I get to do work and do research in the anthropology department.
One day I might decide to return to school to earn my PhD in the subject. However, for now I’m grateful for my job and even more so grateful to be a member of the Nightwolf pack.
Above everything, though, I’m beyond grateful for my mate, my soon-to-be husband and the love of my life. The man I don’t know if I would’ve gotten through the past few months without.
Since the day Chance and our pack showed me how they commemorated Ashley’s memory, there have been ups and downs. The pain of her absence never goes away. Some nights I still wake up in a fit of tears.
Chance is always there, though, holding me until the tears stop.
“This looks so beautiful on you,” Reese comments as she runs a light finger across the pendant that once belonged to my sister. I now wear it around my neck.
I touch the pendant and smile. “Ashley would’ve loved to be here for my wedding.” I let out a laugh. “She would freak out knowing I was marrying the beta of our pack.”
I laugh just imagining how Ashley would’ve danced at our reception.
She loved to dance.
“She’s here,” Ms. Elsie assures with a warm smile.
Sera looks away, a habit of hers whenever things get too emotional.
“Everything’s set up and everyone’s ready when you are,” Sera tells us.
“Okay.” I start for the door behind Sera and Ms. Elsie, but Ms. Elsie’s sudden surprise stops me.
“What on Earth?” she calls out as a loud pounding on Chael’s front door sounds.
“You’ve kept her from us, long enough!” a deep male voice sounds.
Immediately, Sera and Reese freeze.
“Where the hell is she?!” another man demands.
“Oh goodness,” Reese nearly whispers. She grabs Sera’s arm who’s started to head in the direction of the insistent men. “You don’t have to go.”
Sera turns to Reese. “I’ll get rid of them.” She turns to me. “I’m sorry.”
A frown wrinkles my forehead as I make the choice to follow Reese and Sera toward the kitchen to find out what’s going on.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Chael roars as we enter his kitchen, behind three tall, imposing men.
Chance, along with the rest of the Nightwolf betas are directly behind him. I don’t think Chance even notices the rest of the men as he brushes past them to get to me. He takes me by the arm, his eyes running over my face.
Are you alright? he asks.
Yes, but what’s going on?
I look from him to the three, strange men. All three of which zero in on Sera.
“We’re here for our fucking mate,” one says, turning his attention on Chael. “And we’re not above taking her by force.”
A slew of gasps and curses sound around the room as he shows his incisors.
Chance pushes me behind him and Chael does the same to Reese and Ms. Elsie.
All hell is about to break loose. The tension in the room makes my wolf anxious. She senses the danger and is frightened for her mate. I have to fight to hold her back.
“No!” Sera says, pushing her way in between the three men and the rest of the Nightwolf pack. “This is not the time or place.”
The man who’d been glaring at Chael, lowers his gaze to Sera. He levies her with a look that would make a normal person wither.
Sera, however, meets him glare for glare. “You don’t even want me,” she tells him. “You both rejected me.”
Her gaze shifts from the first guy to a second that looks just like him. I would suspect they were twins if it were for slight differences.
She looks over at the third who’s been silent but has the deadliest look on his face. He’s the most distinct out of the three men, but still looks like he’s related to the other two.
“You would’ve rejected me too if you’d been around,” Sera tells him. “I’m not your mate, and I don’t want anything to do with any of you.”
“That was the past, and this is now,” the lead one says. “You’re fucking coming with us.”
He goes to grab for her but that’s when Chance, Chael and the rest step in.
“No! Stop this!” Ms. Elsie yells.
The entire room falls silent. Wolves have a deep respect for their elders. At least the Nightwolf pack wolves do.
“Sera, maybe it’s time you speak with your mates.”
“They’re not my—” She quiets when Ms. Elsie holds up her hand. “Whatever they are, they’re ruining Chance’s wedding day.”
Sera’s shoulders slump. The three men, looking around as if noticing the men they were about to battle, are all dressed in tuxedos.
Sera doesn’t say anything. Instead, she growls, baring her teeth although no incisors show and pushes through the three men, exiting the house. Thankfully, only after a few glares exchanged between the men and the Nightwolves, they follow Sera out of the house.
“It’s going to be a long road for the four of them,” Ms. Elsie says with a shake of her head. Then she turns back to the rest of us.
A smile lights up her face. “Now, how about we finish this wedding?”
It takes a long while for me to assure Chance and Reese to assure Chael that we’re both okay.
Finally, though, they both leave with the rest of the betas and our pack to head to the field where our wedding is to take place.
“Well, it’s a good thing we’re not into tradition around here,” Reese says. “Chance saw you in your dress before the ceremony.”
I shrug. “That’s not the only thing he’s seen before the ceremony.”
Reese’s eyes widen before we both crack up laughing. The tension that’d filled the air breaks, and I’m suddenly focusing on the relevance of today.
Minutes later, Reese, Ms. Elsie, and I head out the door. On the way over to the ceremony, Reese turns to me.
“Um, when there’s time, I’d like to talk with you.”
Some unknown sentiment flickers through her eyes, but I can’t quite read it.
“Uh, sure,” I tell her, then look down at her belly.
Reese is now six months pregnant.
“You’ve been on your feet for a while. Let’s get going so you can have a seat underneath the tent,” I tell her.
Reese bites her bottom lip, looking as if she wants to say more.
“Ladies, are you coming?” Ms. Elsie jokingly asks.
“Yes, let’s go,” I insist. Excitement ricochets through me in anticipation of meeting Chance down the aisle.
Yes, we’re officially mate bonded. My wolf knows that he’s mine for all of eternity and I’m his. But this wedding satisfies my human side. The part of me that also craves the acknowledgment of a public display of our commitment to one another.
As we make our way to the field and I catch my first sight of Chance in his black and white tuxedo, my knees weaken.
In the craziness of Sera’s three mates showing up out of the blue, I hadn’t had time to really look at him in his tuxedo.
He wears the long braid that I did for him this morning, intertwined with the white ribbon that’s the same material as my dress, hanging over his shoulder.
We skipped some of the human traditions such as not seeing one another from the night before until the moment of the ceremony. Since one mate doing the hair of the other is a common practice among the history of Nightwolves, I asked Chance if he would allow me to do his for the ceremony.
Of course, he agreed.
He’s so gorgeous that I can’t take my eyes off him.
You’re so beautiful I can’t stop looking at you. I laugh as it feels like he’s read my thoughts.
I take his extended hand, and we take our stance before our pack and Chael, the alpha, who is also the officiant for our ceremony.
Chance doesn’t let my hand go, nor does he stop staring me in the eyes. In the distance, gray clouds roll in over the mountains. To anyone else that would put a damper over our outdoor wedding.
Not me, though.
Chance’s eyes glow as he recites his vows, never taking his gaze off me. In front of our pack and the mountains we call home, he vows to always protect, cherish, and love me.
My mouth trembles as I repeat the words to him as well. My body feels so full of love that I can’t get the words out fast enough. It’s as if the glow that’s already apparent in his eyes goes up a notch with each word I speak.
That’s when the first drops of rain started.
As I vow to my mate to always stand by his side, to make sure he never wants for anything again, and to love him for the rest of our days together and into the next lifetime, rain soaks the both of us as we laugh and smile at one another.
“By the power of Mother Moon, I pronounce you mate and mate,” Chael says, obviously altering the vows to fit our unique experience.
More laughter spills from me when Chance cups my face before cementing our union with a kiss. Our souls were already bound together through the mate bond. But this kiss solidifies it for the outside world.
The rain soaks us as we both peer up at the moon in the distance.
The beautiful gold rings we’ve slipped onto one another’s fingers tell the outside world that we belong to one another.
Thank you, I tell him through our bond.
Chance lifts my hand to his lips and kisses the back of my palm before he lowers to place another kiss on my lips.
Mrs. Nightwolf, would you care to have our first run as husband and wife?
I nod before replying, As long as we get to spend the rest of the evening dancing in the rain.
He lifts my hand to his lips before pulling me into his strong body for another kiss to my lips.
I’ll dance with you anywhere at any time of the day or night.
He takes me by the hand as we stride down the aisle, the rest of our pack whooping and hollering.
Reese meets us at the end of the aisle. She undoes the buttons of my dress.
“We’ll be here when you all get back,” she says, referring to herself, Ms. Elsie, and the older pack members who rarely shift these days.
I briefly notice that Sera is nowhere to be found. I wonder if the three men who suddenly showed up took her somewhere.
A howl from behind me calls to me. It’s Chance’s wolf. He’s calling for me.
Reese starts to turn away, but then stops. “Emery, don’t forget, there’s something I, um want to?—”
“Reese.” Chael comes up behind his mate. “Maybe you should sit while we go for our run.” He gestures toward Ms. Elsie to assist Reese.
She protests about being able to stand on her own two feet despite being pregnant, but Chael insists before lifting her and carrying her over to a chair.
I laugh to myself but turn my attention to Chance. His wolf watches me as I shift.
Time for our run, Mrs. Nightwolf.
Chance’s wolf circles mine, howling and playfully nipping at my heels. He loves the chase as much as my wolf loves the run. She feels free on these runs. After years of denial and suppression, she’s free.
As I look over at Chance’s wolf, with his jaw hanging open in pure joy, the rain pelting his thick fur, and I let out a howl that signals to Mother Moon and the sky above my gratitude and happiness.
Ms. Elsie was right. I’ll never get over the pain of losing my sister. But the pendant—that, thankfully, remains even during my shifts—around my neck symbolizes she’s always with me.
And I plan on being happy for the both of us.