The king and his mate walked several meters ahead of them, arm in arm. The lines and age that had marked the king for so many years, had disappeared and he walked with a light step that Gilbert had never seen before. He whispered in Jessica’s ear, and she giggled like a schoolgirl.
It was going to take time for the king and the clan to forgive their Queen Consort for running away and talking Polly with her. All those years… they couldn’t be given back. But, looking at the love so visible on their faces, Gilbert couldn’t help but think that perhaps there was a chance that they would have a happy ending after all.
Beside him, Polly sighed. When he glanced at her, he saw that she was smiling softly.
“I’ve never seen Mom so happy before,” she murmured. Her hand squeezed his.
“She has her mate back. That would make anyone happy.” He tugged her to a stop and looked seriously into her eyes. “How are you holding up? I know that it’s been a huge change. Especially since everybody is still calling you Patil.”
She shrugged. “It was my name. I’m thinking about reclaiming it, actually. I like Polly, but Patil… it’s more me, you know?”
He nodded. He could only imagine what this all must be like for her. But if one thing was certain, it was that he was going to be there for her, every step of the way. He squeezed her hand again and her smile widened.
“As for the rest of it… I’m doing good. I’m still working on forgiving my mom, but I’m going to get there. I had a long talk with my dad,” here she beamed, “and I learned more about the curse… I can’t blame Mom for trying to spare me that fate, as much as I disagree with what she did. Our relationship is a little tender right now, but I think we’re going to get there eventually.”
He brought her hand to his lips. “Good.”
She started walking again. The king and his mate had disappeared, and given that they were right near a dense stand of trees, Gilbert thought it was a good idea to turn around and head the other way. A loud moan from the trees told him it was a good idea, and he and Polly raced back down the path.
“Ew!” She giggled. “I didn’t need to hear that. Have they no shame?”
“Probably not.” Gilbert laughed. “Now, so we don’t have to dwell on that. I heard you talking with the Freeman boys earlier. Any juicy gossip?”
Polly rolled her eyes, but the change of topic worked. “Yeah, actually. Shane and Kayla have finally set a date to be married. Apparently, there was some discussion about whether they were going to, since they already know they’re mates and it’s not necessary, but Shane wants an excuse to throw a giant party for her, so… And Bernie is pregnant again. Xavier’s going to have a little sister soon…” She made a face as the faint sound of her mother begging for more drifted to them. “Speaking of younger siblings, how likely do you think it is that they…?”
Gilbert shook his head. “Doubtful. They had a hard time conceiving you.”
“Because of fertility issues or the curse?”
That was a debatable point. He sighed, knowing what she was really asking. “All the tests that I’ve done show that the king is better. The neurological damage is reversing itself. It’s giving me a lot to work with on my research, actually. It’ll do a lot to help humans suffering from neurological diseases.”
Polly bowed her head for a moment before peeking up at him. “He hasn’t been able to shift yet.”
“But he’s breathing fire. Last week he couldn’t even do that.” He squeezed her hand comfortingly. “We just have to be patient. It’ll happen soon.”
Polly nodded. They walked on in silence, and he considered what it must be like for her. She had only just gotten to know her father, and while he wasn’t going to be suddenly taken from her, there were still fears about a relapse. He was certain everything was going to be fine, though.
His mind turned to Claire Perry and her mate. Officially, the Emperor was still hidden from the world. His parents wanted to give him as normal a childhood as possible. Gilbert was doubtful about how that would actually work, but nobody knew Thunder’s identity yet. Well, other than a still-small group. Claire and Eztli were both imprisoned, although Thunder had removed the curse on them for their child’s sake. He was a wise little boy, full of empathy. Gilbert could only imagine how wonderful it would be when the time came for him to step into the role of leading all the clans, uniting them again at last.
His grin widened when he glanced over at Polly again. She had a lot to learn about the culture she had come from, but she was also going to be able to see all her dreams realized. The clan had paid off all her debts, and she was going to go back to university in the fall. It would only take her an hour to fly to and from campus every day. That was about how much time she would have spent on the bus had she lived in the city.
He was so excited to see all of her dreams realized.
She caught his grin and returned it, looking puzzled. “What are you grinning about?”
“You. You’re so beautiful. And you have returned home. I know that it’s not what you expected out of life—”
“It’s better,” she assured him. “I can’t wait to learn all about being the Queen Daughter. And I have a great teacher… he’s sweet and cute and charming…”
“He sounds wonderful.” Gilbert wrapped his arms around her waist. “Can you get his number for me? Sounds like a real catch.”
Polly laughed. Then she kissed him. Their fires burned, giving them a mingled taste of smoke on their tongues. When Polly pulled back, she gave him a look he knew all too well and led him off the path, into a patch of bushes that would conceal them from the road. There, she pulled him down to the ground and rolled onto him, mouth to mouth, body to body. His hands caressed her form, he couldn’t believe how lucky he was.
He had his mate. They had their future. And everything was good.
*****
THE END