Epilogue
One month later…
“This is definitely the Disney Princess wedding to beat all Disney Princess weddings,” Jade said, her eyes wide as she took in all the decorations. “Where did you find a 10-foot tall stuffed unicorn? Wait, never mind.” She shook her head. “Your demented ideas and Daric’s powers are a dangerous combination. I’m only glad he can’t change living things. Who know what creature you’d come up with.”
“Oh, give me a break,” Meredith retorted. “It’s my wedding day.”
“Did you really have to have me dress up like Belle?” Jade asked as she twirled in her yellow maid of honor ball gown.
“Hmmm…” Meredith narrowed her eyes as she looked at Jade. “Do you think Sebastian would mind if I had Daric whip him up a new outfit? He’s getting really good at creating clothes.”
“Don’t even think it,” Jade warned, knowing what Meredith was thinking. “Not after the last time.”
There was a knock on the door, and Lara walked in, looking gorgeous in a blue Cinderella-inspired ball gown.
“At least Liam was game to dress up as Prince Charming,” Meredith grumbled and turned around. “How do I look?”
“Beautiful, Mer,” Lara said, her eyes shining with tears.
“Yes,” Jade agreed. “You look stunning.”
Although Ariel was her favorite Disney Princess, Meredith nixed the idea of copying her wedding gown. So, instead, she decided to go with an Ariel-inspired gown. It was a fitted bustier mermaid dress in white, but studded with sea-green Swarovski crystals and sequins shaped like scales. Not only did it look gorgeous, but the color reminded her of Daric’s eyes.
“Thanks!” she replied, snorting back the tears threatening to spill over. “Oh dammit. Thank God for waterproof mascara.” Lara and Jade, already used to crying at a drop of a hat when all of them were together, pulled out their handkerchiefs and offered it to Meredith. Once the tears were dried, the three women composed themselves. Jade helped Meredith with the veil and Lara brought over her shoes so she could slip them on.
“Ready, Meredith?” came a voice from the door. Killian peeked in, his face breaking into a smile as his gaze landed on Meredith. “You look beautiful,” he beamed.
“Aww, don’t get me started again,” Meredith moaned as she felt the tears welling up again.
“We’ll give you some privacy,” Jade said, walking towards the door.
“Be ready in five, though,” Lara reminded them.
Killian entered the room, moving aside so the two ladies could pass. He looked handsome in his black tux, but then again, Killian always looked striking in formal wear.
“Well, do I pass?” he asked jokingly.
“Yeah, you’ll do,” she answered with a smile. She walked up to her brother and touched his arm. “Are you okay, Killian?” she asked with a frown.
“Yeah, I’m good,” he replied with a smile, but Meredith saw that it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Something was wrong with her brother, she knew it. The leader of their little family had always been laid back, smooth, and charming, especially with the ladies. Meredith used to joke that he was James Bond in real life, and not just because of his skills. Ever since he came to New York, she could feel something was different. He hadn’t even given any of the Lycan women at Fenrir a second glance, even though half of them were throwing themselves at him.
“If you need to talk about anything—”
“I’m fine, Mer,” he insisted. “Let’s get you hitched, okay?”
She nodded and took his arm. She wanted to know what Killian was hiding, but she knew better than to pry. He would tell her when the time was right.
“God, I can’t believe you’re getting married,” Quinn moaned. He and Connor were waiting just outside the door. “Who the hell would want to tie themselves to one person? How stupid. Plus, neither of you have a last name, did you realize that?”
“Oh, shut up,” Meredith replied. “I hope you fall in love with a girl who won’t take your shit and make you work for her. I don’t think I’ll be able to stop laughing when that day comes.”
“Never gonna happen.”
“Sure.” She turned to Connor. He looked uncomfortable in his tux, and was tugging at the collar. “You look great, Connor.”
“I look stupid in this monkey suit,” he growled.
Meredith laughed and walked over to him, adjusting the tie that had gone crooked. “You look amazing. The ladies’ll go crazy for you.”
Quinn guffawed. “Or at least you won't scare them away too much.” Meredith shot him a warning look.
“Yeah, sure,” Connor shrugged.
“I wish Archie were here,” Meredith said quietly.
“I know,” Killian added. “But I’d like to think he’s around, somehow.”
They buried Archie next to his wife at their family plot a few days after the confrontation with Stefan and the mages. It was a small memorial, attended only by the four Lone Wolves, Daric, and a few people from the Portland clan, including their Alpha.
“C’mon, everyone’s waiting for us,” Quinn said, turning around quickly, but not before Meredith noticed his eyes getting misty.
She linked arms with Connor and Killian as they followed Quinn down the end of the hallway that led to the outside lawn.
It was a beautiful day for a fall wedding in Portland. The leaves had fully turned, and the woods outside the mansion where the four Lone Wolves grew up in were bursting in golds and reds.
As the quartet began to play, Lara and Jade walked down the aisle. Guests filled up all the chairs on either side, most from New York, but a few of the Lycans from the area had been invited too.
Then, the music changed, signaling for everyone to stand. The bride came down the aisle, escorted by her three brothers and everyone clapped and cheered.
When they got to the end, Daric was waiting for them, with Sebastian and Liam standing next to him. Meredith thought he looked super hot in his gray tux and his shortly-cropped hair. After they came back from Norway, she nearly jumped out of her skin when she walked into his bathroom and saw Daric from behind, his hair newly chopped off. She joked that she thought he was someone else and that now she had a new boyfriend. When he asked her later that night if she still wanted him to regrow his hair, she giggled and said she’d think about it.
Vivianne Chatraine was waiting for them at the altar and performed a traditional witch binding ceremony and blessing. Once it was all over and she declared them man and wife, Meredith quickly wrapped her arms around Daric and pulled him down for a kiss. She didn’t even stop when Quinn loudly said that she was supposed to wait for the signal that groom could kiss the bride. Daric, on the other hand, was startled, but eagerly returned his new wife’s kiss. When they broke away, Daric saw Alynna in the front row fanning herself, and she gave him a wink.
The reception was in full swing, with a full band playing classic tunes and Meredith dancing with all her brothers, even Connor, who seemed strangely graceful on the dance floor. Daric took his mother for a couple of dances as well, and she beamed proudly the whole time. She also shyly introduced them to her date for the evening, a handsome older gentleman named Merrick, who was old friend of Graham and Vivianne’s.
“Well, min kjære,” Daric said as their dance ended and he guided her off the dance floor. “Did I give you the wedding of your dreams?”
“Yeah, it almost made up for your proposal,” she said dryly.
“I suppose I’ve learned my lesson to never be romantic,” he replied.
“Ha! I love that you brought me back to your village, like I asked,” Meredith began.
“But now I know never to take you to exotic places when the season premiere of Game of Thrones is ‘dropping’.”
“At least not someplace without Wi-Fi. We’re not savages,” she joked as they sat down at their table, where a chocolate fountain was set up no more than an arm’s length away from Meredith.
“Have you both gotten enough chocolate?” Daric said, slipping a hand over her stomach. “I swear, our child might come out made of chocolate at this point.”
“Not nearly, no,” she said, as she took a bite of a chocolate-covered strawberry. She offered Daric the remaining piece, and he swallowed it in one gulp.
“This is amazing, baby,” she said as she looked around them, surrounded by their family and clan. Grant had given her a full pardon, as her reward for saving Zac Vrost, but as soon as he released her from her bond to the New York Clan, she pledged to them. They were now hers, as much as she was theirs.
“I’m glad you’re happy,” he said. He turned to the left and saw his new brothers-in-law walking towards them. “I think you’re about to be even happier.”
“What?” she asked. She looked at the three men approaching them and then back at her new husband. “Something going on? What did you see?”
“Nothing,” he said. “Just a conversation I overheard today.”
The three Lone Wolves came up to them, shaking Daric’s hands and giving their sister a hug.
“Meredith, we wanted to wait until after the ceremony to tell you something,” Killian began.
“What is it?”
Her brother could hardly contain his smile. “Sebastian offered us all jobs. Back in New York.”
“What?” she asked incredulously. She looked at Connor and Quinn, who both nodded.
“We’ll be running an offshoot of his company. We’ll be doing special ops for Creed Security, using our skills to help his clients.”
“And, when we’re not going on ops for him, we’ll be helping those Lone Wolves find their families,” Quinn added. “And make sure it doesn’t happen again. To anyone.”
“Oh my God!” Meredith cried, hugging all her brothers. “That means you'll be living in New York?”
“The Alpha is granting us special permission to stay in the city,” Killian continued.
“Yeah, well, we can’t miss our first nephew or niece’s birth, can we?” Quinn said.
Connor nodded. “We gotta make sure he or she has all the right skills.”
“Not that you’ll need our help raising the pup. You’ll both be great parents.” Killian’s face softened, and Meredith didn’t miss the hitch in his voice.
“Aww…you guys!”
“Ow, Mer!” Quinn complained when she hugged them again. “Watch the suit. I got ladies I gotta go meet!”
“Ha!” she laughed. “Fine. Go then. I guess I’ll be seeing more of your ugly faces soon.”
With a last nod to Daric, the three men left.
Meredith turned back to her new husband. “I hope you’re okay with them staying.”
“What? Of course, I am. If it makes you happy, it makes me happy. Besides, I think Connor doesn’t hate me as much now that I’ve made an honest woman of you.”
“Right,” she giggled. “And are you happy?” she asked quietly.
“Of course.” He drew her onto his lap and pressed his lips to her neck, making her moan. “I once thought that you would be a weakness, a distraction.”
“And now?”
“Now, you are my world.”
“Daric,” she whispered. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Meredith.”