Epilogue

 

 

Amber

 

The sign outside Eclipse reads Closed for Private Event. Inside, kids run through Garrett’s club. It took a while to get them warmed up. Most foster kids have been through ugly situations. They aren’t carefree. They hold back.

But when Garrett runs to the face-painting booth and shouts, “Face-painting is cool. Can I get a wolf?” it warms the kids up. The giant, tattooed tough guy modeling the wolf convinces every kid to get one just like it.

Watching him, my heart is full to the point of bursting. He has more than honored his promise of making himself worthy for me, not that I thought he wasn’t before. No, his clothes haven’t changed, and he still rides a motorcycle, but he takes steps every day to make our future beautiful. Like getting the plans drawn up for our dream house. And taking me on real dates.

“Alisa, are you going to get a Shirley Temple?” I ask the shy redhead who just went through the system with me as her representative.

Her wide green eyes lock on my face, but she doesn’t answer, which is pretty typical.

“It’s a drink. Sam is making them over there.” I point toward the bar where the young werewolf is mixing kid drinks.

Her new adoptive mom picks up her hand. “Do you want to try one?”

She nods, still staring at me.

“I’ll give you a tip—tell them you want extra cherries.” I wink and she smiles, revealing huge gaps where her baby teeth have fallen out.

“Who knows how to do the Cupid Shuffle?” Jared calls out. He’s playing both DJ and dance coach out on the dance floor, with Trey as his backup. They’re in the midst of the kids, shaking it with them in the mini light show.

The strains of “Cupid Shuffle” come on, and Jared takes a spot in the front of the group, leading them right and left, kicking and turning.

I’m smiling like a goofball, so touched at how generous Garrett and his pack are with these kids, who aren’t even shifters.

They’re good people. Wolves.

And I’m so honored to be included in their midst.

 

~.~

 

Much later, I press into Garrett’s solid, warm body as he motors up the mountain. The city has a light ordinance to keep it dark for the telescopes on Kitt Peak; few artificial lights compete with the night sky. A few months ago, I would’ve thought it was too dangerous to ride at night, but holding tight to Garrett, feeling his rock-hard muscles flex against my arms, I’ve never felt more safe.

The bike purrs off the road to an overlook. Garrett parks it and pulls me in front of him. We sit together and watch the show.

“That was a great thing you did today, opening up the club to the kids,” I murmur. “I didn’t know you were so good with kids.”

“I didn’t, either,” he chuckles.

“Well, you were awesome.”

“Am I going to get a reward?” He shifts me on his lap, and I feel just what sort of reward he wants.

“Mmm,” I stroke his rigid length under his jeans. “Maybe later.”

“Not here?”

I laugh. “I’m not quite that wild, yet.”

He kisses me, a deep, drawn-out kiss that has me moaning in my throat.

“How about now?”

“Bad boy.” I shift on the bike so I’m straddling his lap, facing him. The view is so beautiful, but I only want to look at him.

He threads his fingers through my hair. I wear it down most days, now. It’s crazy tangled from the wind, but he seems to like it.

For a second his face blurs. I see Garrett, a little older and looking like his dad, in the driveway of an adobe brick home. Three kids—a girl and two boys—run and play around him as he fixes his motorcycle, sometimes stopping to show them how to turn a wrench.

As the vision fades, I hug him close.

“Do you want kids?” I blurt.

A chuckle rumbles through him. “Not sure how great a dad I’ll be, but yes. Though I was hoping for more time alone with you before we add some rug rats.”

“Rug wolves? We can always get Jared or Trey to babysit.”

“Or lock the bedroom door.”

“That only works if you don’t teach them how to pick locks,” I scold, and he laughs, shifting me back so he can see my face.

“What’s all this talk about kids? Are you…” The hopeful tone of his voice tells me all I need to know.

“No. I don’t think so.” Not yet, I add silently, tracing the scruff on his chin. “I just had a vision of the future.”

“Really? What was it?”

I smile. “You’ll find out.”