Epilogue - Lyra

EPILOGUE - LYRA

I stood on the porch of the cabin, sipping my peppermint tea while watching Waylen and Granny down by the garden beds. Waylen was hard at work finishing the final row of rosemary she'd wanted planted, while Granny supervised like a general on the battlefield.

"You call that straight?" she asked him, pointing at the row of rosemary.

Waylen stood to his full height and placed his hands on his hips. "I told you, straight lines are boring. I'm adding some character to this garden bed."

"Character?" She raised an eyebrow. "Character won't get those herbs growing properly. They need space, sunlight, and water—not character."

I chuckled, watching the two of them go back and forth. It had become their routine over the last two weeks, and I wasn't sure who enjoyed it more—Waylen or Granny.

Had it really been two weeks since Waylen moved his camper here?

Time was flying by fast.

It was just as hard to believe that Xander's attack had happened two weeks ago, too. His absence since then had left everyone uneasy. Even though we knew where Maribel was, Ellis had suggested waiting until we were sure Xander wasn't watching us. The last thing we wanted was for him to catch wind of our plans and sabotage our chance to get her help.

It was a smart move.

However, tonight wasn't for worrying about Xander or Maribel. Tonight, Waylen was taking me on a surprise date, and he wouldn't tell me a thing about where we were going.

"You've got guts arguing with her about gardening," I called out, making my way toward them.

Waylen glanced at me, smirking. "Guts or stupidity. I guess we'll find out which one it is when the herbs start growing."

Granny shook her head, clearly entertained by the conversation, though she'd never let on. "You'll learn soon enough, boy."

"So," I said, joining them at the garden bed. My gaze shifted to lock on Waylen. "Are we still going on that date?"

"Absolutely." His eyes sparkled with mischief, and he gave me a quick peck on the lips. "Let me hop in the shower first."

"Hurry up," I teased.

He grinned. "Ready to find out where I'm taking you?"

"I've been ready. You just won't tell me."

"And I'm not going to," he replied. "It's a surprise."

"You sure it's not because you haven't figured it out yet?" I teased.

"I've had this planned for days," he shot back, feigning offense. "Just trust me."

Granny flashed me a knowing look, and I wondered what she was hiding.

"What?" I pressed her.

She shrugged. "Nothing."

"What do you know? Do you know where he's taking me?" I asked.

She tossed her hands into the air and started toward the cabin. "I'm not saying a word."

"You two are impossible," I muttered.

Waylen laughed. "Yeah, but you love us."

He had me there.

"Keeps you on your toes," Granny said. She glanced at me once she reached the porch, and I swore a heartfelt look entered her eye. "You two go have fun. I'll keep things under control here." She winked before slipping inside.

"Wanna join me in the shower?" Waylen asked once she was gone.

I shook my head. "I already took a shower today."

"So."

"So, I don't want to get my hair wet again."

He shrugged. "Then just wear that plastic bonnet thing you always pull out when you don't feel like washing your hair."

I narrowed my eyes. "Hey, you promised you wouldn't make fun of that. You even said I looked sexy in it."

"Woman, you could wear a trash bag and still look sexy."

I shoved his chest playfully, laughing. "Go take a shower."

"I'm going," he said, tossing his hands into the air.

Once Waylen was showered and ready, we climbed into his truck to head out on our date. I leaned back into the seat, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye.

"You really won't tell me where we're going?" I asked.

He shook his head, starting the engine. "Nope."

I let out an exaggerated sigh. "You know I hate surprises, right?"

Waylen shot me a look, his lips twitching as if he was fighting back a smile. "Then this is going to be even more fun."

As we drove, I leaned back in my seat and stared out my window. A sensation of contentment settled over me and my owl. We loved being close to Waylen. I let myself relax into the steady rhythm of the ride, wrapped in his presence inside the cab of the truck—until a sign on the road caught my eye.

"Crescent Creek Ziplining?" I read aloud. "Is that where we're going?"

Waylen smirked but kept his eyes on the road. "I need to drop something off at work first," he said casually, but there was a hint of something more in his tone.

"Uh-huh," I said, not entirely convinced.

He was up to something. I could feel it.

When we finally pulled into the parking lot, I gave him a sideways glance. "Since you need to drop something off, should I wait in the truck?"

My question was a test. If he said yes, then this wasn't the place, but if he said no, then it was.

He shook his head as he cut the engine. "Actually, I'd like you to come inside with me."

Suspicion and excitement mingled in my chest as I followed him out of the truck and toward the entrance. As Waylen led me to the building, he took my hand. The moment we stepped inside, I noticed something was off. There wasn't anyone here, but there was soft lighting that illuminated the lobby. My breath hitched as I looked around, realizing this wasn't just a work stop.

Waylen was up to something.

"What is this?" I whispered, glancing up at him.

He didn't answer. Instead, he walked me through the lobby of the building, leading me outside to a large deck at the start of the zipline course. The soft lighting spilled out here, making the place look fit for fairies, but it was the view that was breathtaking. Expansive treetops stretched out in every direction, and the setting sun painted the sky in hues of vibrant orange and pinks.

Waylen stopped walking and turned to face me, taking both of my hands in his.

"From the moment I met you, something in me changed. I didn't expect you to come into my life the way you did, but now that you're here," he paused, and emotion swelled in his eyes as he held my stare. "I can't imagine my world without you in it."

My heart pounded in my chest.

What was this? Was it what I thought it was?

"I love you, Lyra Smith. I've loved you from the moment I first saw you—even though you were ticked at me for being late." He chuckled. "I know we're fated mates, but I want to put a ring on your finger. I want everyone to know you're mine, and that I've chosen you just as much as fate has."

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small box. When he opened it, my breath caught in my throat. It was Granny's wedding ring, the one she'd worn every day since I could remember.

"Will you take the leap with me, Lyra? Will you marry me?" His voice was soft and his eyes remained locked on mine as he held the ring out.

Stunned, I shifted my gaze from him to the ring and back. I'd seen this ring my whole life, and to have Waylen offer it to me now, it was almost too much.

"I—" My voice broke as I swallowed the lump in my throat. "How did you get this?"

"Alma gave it to me," he said with a grin. "I didn't steal it, if that's what you're thinking." He chuckled.

I shook my head. "No, I didn't think that. I just—I know how much this ring meant to her. My grandfather gave it to her."

"I know. She told me if I was going to ask for your hand in marriage, this was the only ring to do it with."

It was. Tears filled my eyes as I stared at it. And then it hit me, Granny had known what he had up his sleeve tonight. That's why she'd given me that look.

"So…" Waylen pressed. "Is that a yes? I'm dyin' here."

"Yes," I breathed, nodding frantically. "Yes. I'll marry you."

A sigh of relief escaped him as he slipped the ring on my finger. The moment the cool metal touched my skin, a wave of warmth spread through me, filling every corner of my heart with joy.

Waylen stood and cupped my face in his hands. Leaning in, he kissed me. It was tender and soft.

Beautiful.

"I love you," I whispered against his lips.

"And I love you," he murmured back, pressing his forehead to mine for a moment before pulling away. "But the surprise isn't over yet."

I blinked at him, confused. "There's more?"

He grinned, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he nodded toward the zipline platform. "You said you'd take the leap with me. We're taking it together. Right now."

"You want me to go ziplining with you?"

"Absolutely." He grinned, that mischievous glint in his eyes. "What better way to start our adventure together?"

I laughed, shaking my head in disbelief. "You're crazy, you know that?"

"Only for you," he said with a wink, grabbing two harnesses from a nearby rack. "Come on. Let's do this."

Excitement bubbled inside me. "Okay, let's go."

"That's my girl," he said, and I felt a sense of satisfaction slide through me and my owl at his words.

Waylen helped me into a harness, and then secured a helmet on my head before setting himself up with equipment. I couldn't keep the grin off my face as we climbed up to the platform. While I'd never been ziplining before, it had always been something I wanted to try.

This was the perfect moment for it.

Taking this leap with him—both literally and figuratively—had a rush of adrenaline pumping through me.

When we reached the edge of the platform, Waylen showed me a few safety measures and how to hand brake. I listened, but barely. The view up here was spectacular.

"Ready?" he asked, gaining my attention again.

I nodded, my smile growing. "Ready."

With that, we leaped together, the wind rushing past us as we soared through the trees. Laughter bubbled up from my chest while my heart pounded with exhilaration. My owl surfaced, loving the speed we soared with.

This was why Waylen loved working here. It called to both parts of him—his eagle and his adventurous man.

When we reached the other side, my legs wobbled as we touched down, but Waylen was there to steady me, his arms wrapping around my waist.

"Well, what did you think?" he asked.

"That," I said breathlessly, "was amazing."

His lips curved into a slow smile. "I knew you'd love it."

My heart raced as I stared into his eyes, but it wasn't from the zipline—it was from him. As we stood there, staring at one another, I realized the real adventure wasn't the leap we'd just taken, but the life we were about to build.

Together.

And I was all for it.

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Also, Don't Miss Book 3 In The Misfit Shifters Series Pledge Of A Bobcat !

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If You're Brand New To Crescent Creek, Go Back To The Beginning And Read The Book That Started It All…

Promise Of A Wolf (Crescent Pack, Book 1)