Beaufort Creek Shifters (10 book series)
The Wolf’s Auctioned Mate Epilogue

Wendell

Tealight balloons-environmentally friendly ones by Laurencia's request-floated around the clearing as Patrick dipped his fingers into a bowl of oil. He raised them to my chest and drew the symbol for life on me, smiling as he whispered, "May this union bring peace." Tears made their way down my face as I turned to my mate who was finally mine on all accounts. Her eyes sparkled in the evening light, head tilted back to expose the mark under her chin as she stood up on her toes. This moment could have lasted forever, and I wouldn't have cared about anything else.

Behind us, a slew of cheers took hold of my spirit, inspiring me to dip Laurencia at the waist like I had on the auction's stage. Hoots and whistles erupted next. The applause continued even after we stopped kissing and held each other's hands loosely. For the world was a stage, and Laurencia was my costar, the woman who had taken my breath away simply by stepping into the light.

The hold she had on me was, quite simply, magical.

Her smile promised a glorious evening. As she raised my knuckles to her mouth to kiss them, I closed my eyes, focusing on the way her lips met my skin, and thinking about the delicious things I would consume in the meantime until I had her flesh once more. It had been too long since we made love. The week had been spent preparing for this wondrous moment, every minute of focus spared on the treehouse and the promises I had made. While Troy and Blake both assured me last night that I should take my time and spend my honeymoon without lifting so much as a nail, I insisted on doing something to get started.

But neither of them said what I could do. Given that more important things were happening today, I assumed they wanted my attention on my mate and the ritual instead of anything else.

As a man of my word, I took pride on knowing what I owed. I planned to figure it out eventually.

Patrick pulled me into a mighty hug. For a man with a small frame, he sure did have a tight squeeze. I gently embraced him while Laurencia looked on with tears in her eyes.

"I never doubted you," he told me. "I've been rooting for you both. It makes me proud to call her granddaughter-now it makes me proud to call you grandson."

My throat clenched with a happy sob, one that I didn't want to release just yet. Ever since the raid on the Bravecrest pack, I had shoved down my feelings about losing my family. I had barely mentioned them, rarely thought of them, and did everything I could to avoid the conversation.

But this sweet old man had unwound that pain in a matter of seconds with a hearty hug and a couple of loving sentences.

That must have meant that this was my true home.

Upon release, Laurencia and I were practically tackled by our pack members and guests. Troy and Blake met us first, each of them taking us into a solid hug before standing on either side of us with wide smiles. Francine approached next, offered her congrats, and then held up a large box.

"What's this?" I asked as I accepted it. I shook it for good measure. "Sounds...big."

"It's the project you promised," Blake replied with a grin.

Troy shared that devious look. "Go ahead and open it."

"But it's not gift time," Laurencia joked. She shot Troy a wink. "He deserves it after that lovely kiss, don't you think?"

These people were up to something. I arched my brow as I set the box on the ground, peeling away the paper methodically, making a huge mess of it that Laurencia quickly gathered into her arms. Jada and Skye joined her, taking the mess from her to dispose of elsewhere.

On the ground was a rough cut of a wooden schoolhouse. I stared at it for a long time, totally puzzled by it.

"I don't understand," I said. "What is it exactly?"

"You promised a new school for each pack," Troy responded. "I figured you could start with a birdhouse first and work your way up to the real thing after your honeymoon."

"Since you want a project so badly," Blake added, "we thought this was best."

I chuckled while focusing on my mate. "This was your doing, wasn't it?"

"It might have been." She winked. "What do you think?"

"I think it's wonderful."

More cheers echoed as I took Laurencia into my arms. There were many more people to greet and hug, so many guests to welcome and thank for their attendance. But that was the last thing on my mind tonight. As the big band music played in full swing, my focus remained on my bride and her face that was alight with joy.

Other pack members approached leisurely as Troy took the birdhouse away. The lanterns floating around us shifted direction, accompanied by the sound of a horse's whinny. I glanced around to look for the source. I knew that sound.

lyanna waddled through the crowd, shoving legs aside and guiding a white unicorn along with her. Bernhart nodded at the guests, allowing people to pet his coat.

"Wild," I remarked. "He's so picky with people. How did you manage to get him into the spirits?"

Bernhart nearly tripped.

Laurencia cackled. "lyanna, did you get him drunk?"

lyanna chuckled nervously, raised a rather large growler, and then swigged it so hard that I thought she'd spill it. Not a drop trickled out of place. This woman was a beast. She sighed when she was done chugging the beer. "He got into it himself! I warned him against that stuff, I did. But he kept on lapping it up like it was honey." Laurencia shook her head while stroking Bernhart's coat. "You got to go easy on the stuff, boy."

He nodded a few times, tapped the ground, and then wandered off. lyanna hopped along after him, yelling about how he better not poop in the middle of the festivities. His responding whinny caused me to laugh.

Joy lived here now. It made my heart warm to realize how many people had come to witness our union. I almost didn't want it to end until I spotted my bride chatting with the Red Velvet Covenant. Spencer noticed me looking and bowed his head. I bowed right back. The man had manners and I appreciated that.

Laurencia bounced over to me as she left Spencer to chat with Troy.

"Isn't it nice?" she said. "They're going to visit more often. Spencer volunteered to offer baking courses."

I grinned. "That's lovely, dear."

"Don't look too excited."

"I'm sorry, honey. I'm still..."

She nodded slowly. "I get it. You're still suspicious. I would be too."

I rubbed the back of my head. "It's just nightmares now."

"Nightmares that we can get through together." She kissed my cheek. "Because we can do anything together, right?"

"That's right, Rencie." I glanced up at the treehouse. "We finished that damn thing together, then yes. We can do just about anything else."

She hummed contentedly. "I can't wait to get you alone up there."

"And why's that, darling?"

"Take a guess."

But I didn't have time to flirt with my wife. Another wave of guests overwhelmed us as the big band music swung in a different direction, inspiring many of the creatures in attendance to dance. lyanna reappeared with Bernhart and led him out to the floor. Troy grabbed Skye, Elias grabbed Francine, Archie swung his hips next to the other kids, and Isaiah wiggled his shoulders in front of a laughing Jada.

Everything about this night felt wildly different from the life I led before. As I swung my mate around to the rhythm of the music, I noticed a change in her too, the strangely alluring mystery no longer shrouding her. She wasn't an enigma anymore. She was less of a puzzle and more of a treat.

However she appeared to me, I didn't mind feeling like there was a possibility of having nothing figured out. Because that wasn't the point. Life with Laurencia would be as much of an adventure as jumping out of a plane. I could recall Elias saying something similar when he mated with Francine.

That was part of the adventure, to discover things together. And I couldn't wait to discover more things about my mate that I didn't know. No longer did the fear of the unknown grip me. Rather, I felt thirsty for information, hungry for experience. I craved her essence as much as I craved her body and her intimacy.

True vulnerability like this hadn't existed until I met her. I could shed my skin and show her all the gruesome parts of my past, the scars and triumphs, the victories, and woes. I trusted her to see these things as they were instead of judging me.

Trust-to do that meant to give her my whole being, to put myself in her hands. The fear didn't go away, but it has lessened, and I wasn't worried about her leaving so much as I was worried about getting hurt.

In many ways, I was taking my own leap of faith. She had plenty of reasons not to trust me. My only qualm was that loss had become such a massive part of my life that I anticipated it at every turn.

Laurencia threw her arms around my neck and hopped into my arms. I carried her across the dance floor, doing my best to boogie like everyone else and nearly falling over. Laughter exploded between us as I set her on the ground and kissed her forehead, kissed her temples, kissed her hands.

Simplicity would come from a life with Laurencia. No more complications. Just love, honesty, and a leap of faith.

***

Midnight bid adieu to our friends. Night had taken over now, leaving us alone behind the trunk of our home with only the leaves and the nocturnal creatures for company. This was precisely what I had wanted all day, just this moment. I would savor every second.

A dark canopy hung above our heads, shadows mixed with dazzling tealights and floating balloons. Juniper hung heavy in the air along with a mixture of sea salt and cedarwood. Amber joined the swirl in my nostrils and prompted me to bow toward my mate, my wife, my life.

She moaned sweetly into the kiss, a long groan that burned me up and cooled me down all at once. How she could manage such witchery unnerved me, but only because it was illogical to me, purely without reason. Her scent drove me wild, and her skin renewed the carcass of my heart, bringing it to life where once it had died in the pit of my chest.

Now that I had her, now that I could claim her forever with our rings, our vows, and my bite, I wouldn't ever let her go. Not even for a second would she wonder where we stood or how we would get by. Our every need would be handled, and she would never have to suffer an attack from anything or anyone ever again.

I stroked her cheek while gently pulling my lips away. "I promise I'll never throw you out. I'll never harm you again. I'll never leave your side, Rencie."

She chuckled and then choked, a hiccup breaking through next. Through the dim light, I witnessed the soft sheen of her eyes, the tear that escaped her lashes but not my thumb. I caressed her cheek and pulled her back to my lips, not letting a second go by without my kiss. I'd already wasted so many years.

Let me not make the same mistake twice, I thought.

Love bloomed wherever my lips landed. Heat skimmed my skin, recalling the darling pleasure of her fingers tracing my muscles, my biceps, and pecks in particular. I slipped my arm around her waist and bent her back, nudging her toward the ground. I had to have more of her before I went into withdrawals. Whatever natural urges I had I obeyed for it spoke highly of the bond we had created so long ago. She was forever mine. What good was such a promise without action?

Down to her bosom was where I traveled next. Her breasts swelled with every kiss, every delightful nip, inhalations causing her flesh to greet my nose and mouth, to smother my face as I plunged into her cleavage. Taking off her dress took no effort at all. Removing my clothes came as easily as my next breath.

Within moments, our dimly lit forms bore a vulnerable glow, a quality that inspired me to proceed without hesitation. Everything I did for Laurencia was out of pure love and affection, drawn out of deepest parts of me committed to her eternal protection. I clutched her waist and licked her n****e, feeling the nub harden under my touch.

She cooed when I slurped her right nipple into my mouth. I dug my nails into her skin, keeping her nearly still while I worked my thumb over her left nipple. Soft coos turned to ravishing groans that beckoned me to slide between her legs, easily propping her legs over my thighs as I swept my cock repeatedly over her slit.

Arousal gushed to meet me much like her pillowy breasts did now. None of my concentration broke as I breeched her entrance, slowly descending into the sweet velvet of her entrance, releasing a long series of grunts as I controlled the urge to smack into her. She was utterly delicious, her skin tastier than anything I'd eaten, reminding me of the soft flesh of a peach.

If she was much like fruit, then I would devour her as such. I would tease her until she was teetering on near madness, and then I would pleasure her until her legs didn't work. She would know the true happiness of our bond in the way that I gave to her-and in the way that I took as well.

Tonight would be a true testament to our bond. I would give her everything, each unspeakable desire. I would grant her every wish just as I took precisely the things she was willing to give. Everything she had was mine, and the same applied to me as I knew her as she knew me. We were rapidly becoming one. Quickly, we would unearth the very bedrock beneath our foundation and lay down a steel plate to keep our stance sturdy and our layers protected.

She would never again have to wonder where she stood because I planned to keep her standing right by my side.

She hugged me tighter, snaking her fingers through my hair while she wrestled control for the rhythm. I chuckled while parting my lips to lap at her n****e, feeling the way she struggled to contain herself and enjoying that simple fact as I pleased her beyond her wildest dreams. Each lick unlocked another level until she was a pile of shivering mush in my arms.

While she came for me, I slowed my pace, dragging out her pleasure with a vibrating laugh that made her giggle and moan at the same time. She grabbed a clump of my hair with both hands and squeezed, trying to pull me from her nipple and whining between gasps of ecstasy when she couldn't succeed.

Once my hips slowed enough for her to catch her breath, her grip laxed and I pulled out, urging her to flip over to her stomach. I grabbed our clothes from nearby and bunched them beneath her so the ground wouldn't hurt her stomach. The moment she was on her knees I had her ass in the air and my cock back in her entrance, smoothing my hand up her back to find a good place to hold her.

She arched and reared back, slamming against my hips with a ferocious desire that sent my hand to the back of her neck. That was where she wanted me-so that was where I would hold her. Wiggling her hips encouraged me to let her take the pace for a few minutes. I watched with delight as she shuddered against my body, each slam rippling our flesh and sending shocks through my core.

Magnificence like this deserved to be cherished, drawn out, enjoyed. I couldn't stop her from pumping her hips, but I could imbibe the view, inhaling as much of it as possible. Though I knew us too well, and I knew we wouldn't stop here and now. We would likely go up into our darling tree house and mark every space possible with our bodies.

Unions deserved as much attention as possible, didn't they? And ours was severely lacking in physical intimacy. I had no doubts that she was up for the task, especially if she was still hungry for me after exploding the way she just did.

She whined while propping herself on her hands, leaning her head back to get my hand into her hair. With a devious smirk, I dug my fingers into her thick hair and gripped a chunk lightly, listening to the satisfied hiss she released when I gave her a quick, hard pump. She kept wiggling, kept urging me to do more, whispering her little requests and dedications in sloppy syllables, her voice doused with desire.

She reached back and grabbed my wrist. "Harder, Daddy. Make me yours. Take me and mark me and-"

As she wished. The way I longed for her couldn't be hidden any longer. The things I thought about while she was away from me were awful, dreadful. This moment healed those ridiculous thoughts, the terror that gripped me in the dead of night when I realized my bed was empty of her scent. Death's icy caress couldn't possibly take her from me because there was nothing on this earth-or in any realm-that could prevent my reunion with her.

We would always meet in this life, and we would meet in the lifetimes that came after, forever bound in our hearts and spirits. What we shared couldn't be severed. That ritual made sure of it-and soon, her mark would be on my neck where everyone else would understand that I belonged to her because I was her protector.

Pure lust crowded my vision while I railed her, feeling her clench around my cock, choking the energy right out of me as I let free the beast. A moment had barely passed until I burst, releasing in short spurts and broken thrusts the very physical manifestation of what I harbored. This magic was different. It was pure. It was made of the things she was made of-whimsy and freedom.

This moment was all hers. Time wouldn't diminish it. There was no way time could ever reduce the impact of it.

As I turned her over, I bowed forward, exposing my neck and beckoning her to sink her feline teeth into my flesh. She obeyed without question and pulled from me in ways that made me rumble with l**t. My body roiled with a renewed sense of longing, a terrible lash that made me regret ever pulling out.

I had to get back inside her. I had to be warm again. Being in her arms had been the key to my release for so long that I never wanted to deny her again. Our bodies would never experience the horror of that separation if I could help it.

Not even the gods could tear this woman from me. Nothing in this realm or the next could tear me away from my fated mate.

*****

THE END