Epilogue
ONE MONTH LATER.
Ava’s month of rigorous training came to an end. Max was with her the entire time, but she had convinced him to stop following her around like a lost puppy. The training sessions she had with the White Witch Josh weren’t all that interesting for him after all. He ended up spending a lot of time with Willow and Derek learning about Trinity. Any doubts he had about the alliance were settled. They treated Ava like a part of their family. She smiled more than he had ever seen her smile. Trinity got calls from shifter allies all the time, and they went out to help solve problems without any hesitation. The military front seemed much more like that, a front, than anything else. Force wasn’t really their go-to way to solve things.
Willow and Derek returned to Moonwatch on the first of December. Willow said she wanted to celebrate Christmas this year since so many of the shifters with them were used to celebrating the holiday. Apparently, this would be Blue Pack’s first celebration of it. That explained her excitement. Christmas would come soon enough. Time was just flying by.
“How’re the fingers?” Max asked as he opened Ava’s door, holding his hand out to help her out of the Volvo he finally reclaimed from the apartment in Boise he was officially moving out of. Some of his things were in the car with them, but it couldn’t fit everything of course. The moving van would come to Moonwatch later. Max bought a house and Howard said it was ready.
Max patted his pants pocket to make sure the ring box he placed inside was still there. He had done that so many time today he had lost count. Somehow, Ava hadn’t called him out on it yet.
“Perfect,” Ava replied with a soft smile on her face. She took his hand, and he grinned at her. A solid month and his Ava hadn’t dug into her fingers once. Her fingertips were looking better every day. He couldn’t have been prouder. The nerves that threatened to make her shake apart in the past weren’t so bad anymore. She gave smiles easier. She talked to others more. She was more confident, becoming the woman she wanted to be.
“This is it?” Ava asked, excitement making her voice higher than usual. She squeezed his hand with one of hers and pointed frantically at the cabin-country-style home in front of them.
“This is it.” Max grinned. “Do you like it?”
“Of course! I want to see inside.”
“We have to say hi first.”
Max waved down the wolves hanging out in front of the house, some sitting on the porch, others standing.
“Hope you like the place,” Howard said, walking forward so he could be the first to greet them. His mate, Julie, was at his side, all smiles. “Finished it just in time.”
“It’s wonderful,” Ava gushed.
Max bought one of the many homes Howard had been constructing. It looked like he got a lot done with his construction team in the month since Max and Ava were in Talepeaks at Trinity Headquarters. Moonwatch had expanded again, and from what Max last heard, it sounded like all of Blue Pack was officially living in one place now.
“A few more days and you can pledge to the pack and become official Blue Wolves,” Nick called. “Welcome back.”
Max grinned and walked forward with Ava to see everyone else. Nick stood up from the porch and clapped Max’s shoulder. “Everything went well?”
“Like I told you,” Max replied. “Things going well with your Trinity relationship?”
“Yeah, we’ve already taken care of some things in Idaho for them. Now I don’t feel so in debt.” Nick shrugged. “It’s all good.”
Gwen sat on a porch step with her hand on her growing stomach. She was over four months along now and looking as radiant as ever. Her love for the child inside of her was fierce. Max could see it by the look on her face.
Derek and Willow waved from where they were leaning against the burgundy wood of the building. “We saw you guys like a week ago, so don’t be offended if we don’t run over to greet you too,” Derek said with a smirk.
Willow giggled, and then she ran up to Ava, hugging her tight anyway like Max knew she would. She hugged him just as tightly a moment after. He had come to expect nothing less from Nick’s sister. Derek just shook his head from where he was standing, but he was smiling all the same.
“Are you going to pledge?” Max asked him. “We could do it together.”
“Dude, this isn’t some girly let’s-all-hold-hands-and-go-to-the-bathroom-together kind of shit. It’s just pledging to an Alpha and becoming part of a pack.”
“Right, and you’ve totally done that before.”
“Nope, but fuck.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess it’s time.”
Willow squealed as she ran back to her mate. “You mean it, Derek?” She looked up at him with big brown puppy-dog eyes.
“Yeah, I mean it.” His smile softened.
Willow pumped her fist. “Fuck yes.”
Derek grabbed her waist and growled. “Can we go home now? My dick wants your pussy.”
Max rolled his eyes.
“You’ll never believe it,” Nick said, drawing his attention back to more polite conversation, “but Cedric left.”
“He did?” He was right. Max didn’t believe it. “He went home?”
“He said he was going to fix things, that he couldn’t stay in Moonwatch anymore and hide from his problems. Guess the damn owl got some sense knocked into that tiny bird brain of his.”
“That’s good,” Ava said, slipping her hand into Max’s. “I hope he’s doing okay.”
“Go inside already!” Willow shouted. “Like seriously. Go. Inside.”
Max raised an eyebrow when everyone around him, except for Ava, broke out into matching grins.
“She’s right, Max,” Nick said gesturing to his new home. “Go inside. It’s your turn to stop hiding.”
“What the hell?” Max asked, baffled.
“Go on.” Julie and Howard both gave Ava and Max little shoves from behind.
Ava looked up at Max, asking a silent question. He mouthed to her that he had no idea, and tugged her forward. His heart started beating faster in his chest. He didn’t know if he was excited or scared of whatever surprise his pack was hiding in his house. Each step he and his mate took up the porch made him more aware of his heartbeat until it was practically pounding in his ears.
“Here goes nothing,” he muttered as he opened the door.
“Surprise!” Four people jumped out with big grins on their faces. His family.
“Shiiit,” Max hissed and took a step back. He wasn’t prepared to do this. He needed time to prepare.
Before he could retreat, Ava let go of his hand, leaving him to the wolves. His little sister and big brother jumped on him at the same time.
“No running, Max!” his little sister warned. “It took us forever to find you, jerk.”
His big brother held him tight by the shoulders. “For real, you couldn’t call and at least tell us you were okay? You had to get your Alpha to do it?”
Max’s jaw dropped open. They already knew? Or Nick told them? He couldn’t say a word as his mom and dad came over and hugged him, too. He was being smothered with love. Ava was giggling quietly beside him. He managed to get a look at her face. Her eyes were shining with happiness. Did she know about this, too? No, he didn’t think so. They weren’t good at keeping secrets from each other these days, and she acted just as surprised as he did when Nick and the others ushered them inside.
“What’re you guys doing here?” Max managed.
“Wow, did he seriously just ask us that?” His little sister scoffed.
Max pushed them all away so he could get some room to breathe. Luckily, they didn’t put up a fight. “Uh, first of all…” He turned to Ava. “Introductions. My mom and dad, Martha and Jared.” He pointed them out although it was unnecessary. “My big brother, David. My little sister, Gina. Family, this is Ava.”
“Your mate,” Dad concluded.
“Yes, my mate.” Max frowned as he pulled Ava to his side and rested his hand on her waist. She didn’t need the comfort, but he sure as hell did. She was taking this like a champ.
David shook his head. “I can’t believe you, man. It took your Alpha, your pack, for us to finally see you again. Why are you being such an asshole?”
“I thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere,” Gina deadpanned.
“Language,” Max’s mother warned. “I prayed for you every night.”
Max’s head was spinning. “Y-you already knew? All of you, but I—”
“Welcome to the family, Ava,” Max’s father said, extending his hand. Ava blushed and shyly took his hand in return. “It was about time you left Lizbeth. I knew she was never the one for you.”
Max frowned. “You never said that.”
“No, you needed to figure it out for yourself.”
Now that Max’s senses were less of a wreck, and he was feeling calmer, he scented the air. He smelled wolf in his family, but only on his father.
“You’re a wolf shifter,” Max said. “I got it from you, Dad.”
“That you did, Max.” It was kind of ironic. Out of the kids, Max looked the most like their mother, and he was the only one to inherit the Wolf from his father.
“Dad came out with me and David like a month ago when your Alpha called us,” Gina complained. “You’re the only one who got the cool wolfy thing. It’s so not fair.”
“I wish you would have told me,” Max muttered.
“I’m sorry,” his father said sincerely. “I figured it skipped you kids. None of you shifted when you were young like I did. Your mother and I decided it was best to keep it secret. No point in you knowing about it if it didn’t apply to you. It would have only made things difficult… Seems they were difficult anyway.”
Max frowned. He could understand where his father was coming from, and maybe there wasn’t a right answer.
Suddenly, Gina grabbed Max’s sleeve. “Wait, she’s your mate.” She eyed Ava, and then her blue eyes grew wider. “You eloped! You got married, and I didn’t even get to attend the wedding.”
“We’re not technically married,” Max offered. “According to human law.”
“I want a wedding!” his little sister demanded. “I want to wear a fancy dress.”
“God, Ava,” Max turned to his mate, “I really didn’t want to ask you like this. I had something planned…” Defeated, he dropped down to one knee and held Ava’s left hand as he pulled the ring box from his pocket. “Will you marry me?” He popped the box open to reveal a white gold ring rimmed with delicate white diamonds. A larger diamond was set as the focal point.
Ava covered her mouth and gasped. Her eyes shimmered. When she pulled her hand away, she had the biggest smile Max had ever seen.
“I know the whole wolf mating bond thing ties us together, not to mention Lunas, but I want to marry you in the church I attended as a kid, make this thing official in the human side of this world, too.” He felt like he was rambling, so he stopped abruptly, unsure of if he should say more.
“Yes,” Ava said through shaky lips. “Yes, a million times yes.”
Her emotional reaction was getting to him. He smiled to fight back the tears in his eyes and slipped the ring on her finger. “I hope you like the ring. I didn’t ask what you—”
“It’s perfect. You know me better than I know myself.” She dropped down in front of him to hug him. “I love you, Max.”
“I love you, too, Ava.” He closed his eyes and held her close, smelling the fruity scent of the shampoo she last washed her black hair with. It was getting longer. She said she wanted to grow it out because it had been short since Beatrice took her.
“Aw,” Gina sobbed, wiping at her eyes.
“Get off the floor, you two,” David said with a grin. He held his hands out to both of them, and they each took one as he pulled them up. David wrapped Max up in a big hug and then hugged Ava as well.
Ava smiled as she got hugs all around. She was a little shy at first, but soon she was talking to Max’s family like she had known them her whole life. It was a relief. All of it. It couldn’t be better. The woman he loved more than anything was with him all the way, and he was with her. Blue Pack, Trinity, even his own human family. They were in it together. He couldn’t think of anything more beautiful than that.