Epilogue Akira

One year later…

"You ready?" River says, a wide smile on his face. Stars, it's been a year since River and I accepted our bond, and his smiles still get me every single time. Gone is the grumpy human I met, and in his place is an energetic, happy person, filled with life.

"Ready, little fox?"

River takes out his throwing knife, a set designed to look like my faerie daggers, arches his arm back and throws. The knife sails forward and sinks into the board several feet away. River has started practicing knife throwing, and he's gotten rather decent at it.

I jump up and meet River at his intended target. We eye the map together. "The Bahamas."

River spins and cheers. "I'll go tell Indy and Brighton! Oh stars! They are going to be excited." He plants a kiss on my lips and rushes out of the room.

I chuckle. Ever since our first off-season with BCC, we've started traveling here in the human world, exploring new places together, and sometimes even with Indy, Seven, Brighton, and Zander. As long as River is smiling, then I'm happy. We can travel for the rest of our days.

But there's always something about Black Cat Circus, and the way the magic always tugs us back home.

Placing a smile on River"s face is might be number one priority in life, but the Black Cat Circus is our home. I help my friends communicate with their inner beast, I train hard, and perform my dagger act with River most nights. I even help newbies looking for sanctuary adapt to the circus.

River rushes back into the room. "They're in! Pack your bathing suit, we're going to the Bahamas!" River's eyes sparkle, and there's that damn smile again.

My heart flutters, but hell, do you blame me?

He"s my fated mate, after all.

***