Every muscle in her body shook from adrenaline dumps and crashes. Her arm was drip—drip—dripping into the dry leaves as she held the lowered shotgun in front of her, aimed at the ground but ready to lift the nose the second the wolves attacked. The branches of the trees around them sagged with the weight of massive crows. Red Dead Mayhem was here. Rike had brought help. In the distance, a bear roared. It was so loud it vibrated the ground under Trina’s feet. Another bear answered, and then another. A panther screamed. Kurt must be here with the Two Claws Clan.
Relief washed through her, and the gun sagged in her hands. “If you attack, you’ll all die,” she yelled into the woods, her words echoing. “And for what? The Alpha of the Wulfe Clan is dead. I’m tired. We’re all tired. There’s been enough death and bloodshed in this territory. These woods were a sanctuary, and now they’ll be haunted with the ghosts of your Clans. And again…for what? So you can get revenge? So you can have more territory? So you can have the town? Every Clan here has managed to set up alliances and band together…except for the wolves. Your treachery backfired.” Trina inhaled deeply and blew out a breath. “You have two options. You can leave now, leave the territory, and never come back, or you can all die.”
Out of the woods behind them lumbered two enormous grizzlies, a mountain lion, and two polar bears. Two Claws were here.
The wolves were tucking their tails. “This territory belongs to us,” she called out, resting her hand on Kade’s back as he snarled at the intruders. “You aren’t welcome in these woods. This town. This county. This is your eviction notice, assholes.”
And as Kade made his way toward them, lips peeled back, the darker gray fur along his spine all spiked up, his ears flattened, and that terrifying growl she’d grown to love rattling his throat…the wolves slunk away and disappeared into the fog.
Seconds drifted by, and still, the wolves retreated. Exhaling, Trina sank down to her knees on the edge of the road. She was exhausted, and her arm hurt so bad. She clutched it to her stomach as if that would make it any better. Her skin was speckled with the blood of those wolves who had failed to kill her.
“Cooper’s okay,” Rike said from behind the truck. He’d Changed into his human form and was staring at a cell phone. “Ramsey sent Kasey and a couple of the guys to get him. They’re bringing him back to the Red Dead Mayhem clubhouse to fix him up now, but he’s fine. Already bitchin’ about bein’ hungry for steak and eggs.”
Trina huffed a laugh. “Of course, he is.”
Her friends looked bloodied and beaten, but they were still here, still upright. And Kade—her Kade—he was looking back over his shoulder with steady silver eyes that swam with pride and relief. And sanity.
They were okay.
He turned and made his way back to her, limping deeply. He searched her face, for what, she didn’t know. “I’m okay,” she whispered. “More than okay.”
Why? Because she hadn’t lost her people like she feared she would. Dad was okay, Kade was okay. Her friends who had become family were okay.
Two Claws, Red Dead Mayhem, The New Darby Clan, the Blackwood Crows. Four Clans of shifters had come together to help Kade. To help her. She’d always felt on the outside, too afraid to really give her heart to people she cared about, too afraid to lose them, but she’d stunted her life that way. Loss happened. But she owed it to herself and to Kade to have enough faith in her people to open up to them. If she hadn’t done that, she wouldn’t be sitting here in the middle of monsters, cupping the face of her ferocious and loving mate, absorbing the very first moment of her life when she felt she really and truly belonged.
Epilogue
Leah opened the door to Kade’s bedroom, and smiled brightly at Trina. “Hey, little antisocial butterfly. You okay?”
Trina wiped her cheeks really fast and composed her face, then nodded. “I’m great.”
Leah frowned and came to sit next to her on the bed. “You don’t have to cut him, Trin.”
“Oh, goodness, that’s not the reason for the tears. I can’t wait to belong to Kade.” Her eyes were filling again, but they were happy tears. They leaked a lot lately. There had been so many changes in her life, all for the better, and all because of Kade. Like this. Leah was holding her hand, searching her face with those silver wolf-eyes, worry written all over every feature. Kade had given her Leah. And Ethan, Rike, and…and… Trina swallowed hard and pressed her hands on her flat belly.
Big changes were still to come.
She stood, smoothed the wrinkles from her white, lacy sundress, slipped her feet into a pair of worn cowgirl boots, and grabbed the small gift bag. It bumped against her leg with every step she took toward the front of Leah’s house. Every step she took toward her mate.
The sun was so bright as she stepped out onto the porch. She winced and held her hand up to shield the glare, and when she opened her eyes again, he was there, standing in the middle of their family and friends.
All four ally Clans and his parents. Barbecue and beer. That was what he’d wanted for today.
It was perfect.
He was talking to Ethan and Rike, dressed in a white Harley T-shirt that clung to the curves of his muscles just right.
Perfect.
He laughed so easy, head thrown back, eyes on Rike, bright white smile stunning her into stillness. She breathed for that smile on him. He used to be the keeper of so few smiles, and now look at him. Happy. Healthy. All those years of fighting…of never giving up…of never fully giving into an out of control wolf, and look where he landed. Look how he ended up.
Perfect.
A flyaway lock of hair came out of her loosely pinned updo and fell into her face. As she moved to tuck it behind her ear, Kade’s attention snapped right to her. The smile on his face fell slightly when he dragged his gaze down her body and back up.
Wow, he mouthed. You look perfect.
Her belly filled with butterflies.
Perfect.
Dad was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. He held an arm out formally. His blue eyes were rimmed with tears, and the corners were wrinkled with his emotional smile.
“Hey sweetie,” he murmured.
“Hey, Dad.”
He patted her hand as she slipped it in the crook of his arm.
“Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“Remember when I was a kid, and you talked about what kind of man I deserved? And you told me not to pick a weak man?”
His smile got so wide. “I remember.” He jerked his head toward Kade. “And you listened. For once.”
She laughed thickly and rested her forehead on his shoulder for a second before she let him take her to Kade. His mom and dad were standing near him. It was his dad who stepped forward. “Welcome to the family, Trina,” he murmured, wiping his eyes behind his sunglasses. He offered her a knife. She recognized the handle. It looked like the ones Kade had gifted her those weeks ago. This time, the wolf and the mountain lion were right beside each other on the handle.
We are not separate.
Perfect.
Her dad handed Kade a matching one and shook his hand. Trina lifted her chin and looked her mate right in his striking silver eyes.
Kade shook his head slowly and stared at her like she was the moon and the stars. “I can’t believe you’re mine, Trina. You told me something once that changed the entire way I saw myself. You said, ‘You aren’t crazy.’ And that faith in me made me work harder to be a man you deserved. A better man. I am a little crazy, though, Trina Luna Chapman. I’m crazy about you. You came in and turned everything I knew upside down. I was doing so much wrong before I met you, and you were the first thing I ever really got right. Pretty girl, I love you now, and I’ll love you for always. You’ll never have to question if you’re safe because you have the protection of my body. You’ll never have to question if your heart is protected because you have my soul.” Kade brushed his knuckle gently across her cheek and tucked the flyaway curl behind her ear again. “I can’t imagine a single moment without you, and I’m honored to be your choice.”
Perfect.