Epilogue

Emma

I am haunted by the shadows of what happened in that lab; the thought sends a shiver through my body. Add in Hunter's heartbreak every time he looks at me—everything has kept me from talking about it.

My hand drifts to my stomach.

It's been a week since everything happened. Hunter has been busy helping at the clinic while I drift aimlessly through the Lodge. I should be helping the victims and administering the antidote. There were over fifty shifters in that clinic, all with varying degrees of wolfsbane poisoning, some with similar traumas as myself; despite that hurt, nothing can seem to break the hold this darkness has on me.

"Honey?" Nan's sweet voice fills the space behind me. I guess I'm kind of predictable and tend to drift into the library with its large picture windows. I don't turn to her or acknowledge her; I simply let my arms wrap around myself as I watch the light rain tumble down outside. The sob slowly ripples to the surface as her arms wrap around my body. She runs her hands down my back soothingly as she wraps me in a tight hug.

This is the first time I've been around anyone but Hunter, and the pain and hurt seem to radiate through me as I face someone else. Nan's quiet voice breaks my cries, "You need to let this go." I shake my head as her embrace tightens.

She continues, "This was never meant to be your battle, Honey. You have given so much to us. So much for shifters as a whole."

I nod into her shoulder. I know. I know all of this. I wish I could have stopped this a lot sooner. These are the words that sit on the tip of my tongue.

As if she reads my mind, Nan says, "Now, you stop that." Her tone is bolder than I'm used to and has me pulling back to meet her eyes. "You did everything you could to help us. You hear me, Emma Jean?" The use of my middle name almost pulls a smile to my lips. It's such a motherly move and she sounds so much like my mother.

"You will be honored by every pack in our community tonight at dinner. Your contributions to science for shifters will be legendary for our kind. This baby—" Her hands shift to my abdomen, and mine come down to meet hers. "This baby needs its mother. The one who fought to save lives. The one who will fight every day for his kind. Despite all she's been through, this baby deserves a mother who smiles. Not one haunted by the past." She steps back and takes me in—clad in my sweats and a baggy sweatshirt. My hair is restrained, albeit poorly, but that's all I can manage right now.

"How are we going to get that strong woman back?" At that comment, my mouth pulled up slightly. "Ah, there's our girl."

Nan leads me to my suite upstairs. There's a hairstylist in the room already. "Emma, I know nothing about curly hair, but we need to fix this." Her hand gestures to my messy hair, and her face squints painfully as she says, "Then Holly and Charlie are coming to help you get ready for dinner."

"Okay." I stand in the large doorway of my room, staring at the woman holding all my broken pieces. How does she think I'm a hero is beyond me. I managed to get caught, assaulted, and then had to be saved. The hairstylist is quiet as I settle into the chair and run my hands over my belly. Baby, I know you can't hear me, but I will do all I can to be the mother you deserve.

It took hours to comb out my tangles and revitalize my curls to their normally springy texture. Holly and Charlie push into my room with their arms full of Martinelli's, bakery treats, and dress bags.

"Hey lady, I heard you needed party prep," Holly says, holding up everything she's carrying. We brought dresses, drinks, and delightful company."

I shake my head as I stand and hug Holly, then Charlie.

"I'm not sure I am ready for this…"

Charlie sets the bottle on the dresser near the bathroom, and Holly tosses the dresses onto my unmade bed. I stare at the bed for the longest time; I guess I've felt a bit unmade myself, so I straighten the sheets—deciding that today I'm going to take my life back. Cole might be dead, but for the last week, I have let him continue to torture me. Not anymore.

Both girls watch as I work around the large bed. I pick up Hunter's shirt and smell it as I sit on the edge of the bed. "What?" I ask.

Charlie laughs, "Have you heard of nesting before?"

"Shut up. I'm not nesting. If anything, I'm only six weeks pregnant."

"Let's pour some drinks, and Emma, we need to fill you in on this dinner tonight. What it means…" Holly says as she starts to work on the foil around the top of the juice.

Charlie pulls three plastic cups out of the bag and drags a small table and a few chairs over to the bed. We all sit facing one another. I take a sip of the juice, enjoying the bubbles as they fizz across my tongue.

Holly says to both of us, "Emma, let's just start by saying your hair looks so much better."

I laugh because…wow. "Only you can get away with saying that, I guess you and your mother."

Charlie laughs and Holly continues, “About tonight. Emma, you are going to be honored by every pack in the Greater Community. There will be Alpha's, Beta's, Luna's, and probably some Enforcer's at this dinner. It's super formal." Holly says as Charlie gestures to the dress bags. "Here's the thing that might be weird, they are probably going to bow to you…"

I look between both women. "Why?"

Holly breathes, "Has Hunter ever gotten on his knees for you?"

I nod. The first time he did it was after he chased me home from the clinic, begging me not to leave town. I have never seen a man that big fall to his knees.

Holly continues, "Okay, so that's a sign of respect for a mate. It means they will always kneel to you, respect you, and honor you. It is also something his wolf would do if you were a wolf."

"Alright…" I say, dragging out the word.

Charlie says, "Tonight, every man in that room will give you the honor of putting your life above their own. You may not have thought of this yet, but you saved everyone."

I go to cut her off, but she continues, "No, you may not have killed Cole and lit the lab on fire. But your antidote is the reason a lot of these men have their mates back. Have their pack members home safe. You are the reason over fifty shifters get to go home and get to live. You have blessed everyone in every community. They will all show that respect by bowing to you when you walk in."

Holly starts now, "Hunter will take you and lead you to the seat next to his. You will probably be announced as his mate and that you have his child. It is a great honor for him to be by your side."

My cheeks heat as I take a sip of my drink. I sit on the bed, my legs twisted under me, as I watch Holly pull the dresses from the bags and begin to hang them. Then I look to Charlie while Holly walks in the bathroom.

"Have you told her yet?" Doctor-patient confidentiality is essential to me, and Charlie said she would tell Holly, but the look on her face says something else is going on. "What's the matter?"

Charlie glances towards the en suite and then back to me, "Emma… I'm scared."

Holly interrupts Charlie, "Alright ladies, let's get dressed."

I look to Charlie, thinking maybe she'll say something, but she just shakes her head and walks towards the beautiful red satin dress hanging up next to mine.

Hunter

I am anxious as I retie my tie for the fourth time. I haven’t seen Emma all day, and I was whisked to Jackson's room with Will to get ready for tonight's ceremony. This dinner will be the first formal dinner in our history since we moved to Alaska.

There are over eight different packs here. Most were established when we were, but some are much older, like the Umbra pack, and Ax loves to remind everyone of that fact.

"Did you hear that Ax was on his way?" Will asks both of us as we shrug on our coats.

Jackson looks at Will, and his lip pulls up slightly in disgust. "That guy thinks he is better than us just because he's been Alpha longer, and his pack is over a hundred years old."

I shake my head. "I just hope he doesn't cause any problems. I know that he doesn't get along with many of the leaders in the Greater Community, and I know a lot of them would like to see him replaced."

"I, for sure, would." Will says under his breath as we all head downstairs.

I checked the stairs to see if Emma and the girls were coming yet, but I didn't hear anything.

The days that followed Emma's rescue have been hard for both of us. I know she can feel my heartbreak through the bond. Then, her emotions seem to flow like tidal waves from sadness to despair. I know that she needs to heal in her own time but I hope that this dinner, seeing what she's done will pull her out of her depression.

My hand skirts over the engagement ring I have in my pocket. I plan on presenting Emma to everyone and then proposing. I know it's more of a human custom but she is human and I think this is important for her.

The three of us push into the large formal ballroom and my mother comes rushing over. "Boys, you all look nice," she says, straightening our ties and pulling on our lapels.

"How's my girl?" I whisper. I know my mom said she would speak to Emma today, and I'm curious to see how that went.

"She's a fighter and hopefully will be on the mend soon. Anyway, go get a drink and find your seats." My mom glances at her elegant gold watch, then says, “We have a few minutes before everyone will be here."

The table is rowdy, which is to be expected when you get a bunch of alpha men together. I sit near the head of the table to the right of Jackson. Interestingly, he has another empty seat at the head of the table next to him on his left. That spot is reserved for a Luna, typically the Alpha's mate. The idea falls to the back of my head as Holly White, Charlie Griffith, and Dr. Emma Fawnsbeck are announced at the door, and a respectful silence falls over the room.

Both Holly and Charlie walk in. Holly slips over to my parents' side, and my brother, Jackson, steps up and takes Charlie's hand, directing her to the seat next to his. My eyes instantly shoot to him with a silent question of what the fuck.

Emma enters next, and I don't have time to ask what my brother's doing as every man at the table stands, including me. I move to her side, taking in her beauty. Her luscious curly hair is perfect. Her silver blue dress shifts and glitters from every angle, reminding me of the stars.

I kiss her cheek and take her hand, "You look like an angel, a star sent to earth, sweet girl."

She tries to hide her smile and blush, “Thank you.”

I then straighten and walk Emma towards the table, as everyone, including my brother, bends forward at the waist. Thank you's are whispered as I lead her to our seats.

I whisper in her ear, "We are honoring you, Emma. You are the first human mate, the first shifter doctor and you have saved so many lives." I raise my voice for the table, "We are honoring you today with our lives. My Mate Doctor Emma Fawnsbeck."

The applause is loud as hoots, and congrats echo off the thick stone walls. I slide my chair back and get down on one knee, not letting Emma's hand go. "Do me the honor of being my wife?"

"Hunter?" Her lashes fill with tears as she begins to nod. "Yes, every time, yes."

I take the large turquoise diamond from the box and slide it up her ring finger. "I love you, mate and wife ."

"I love you too—" Her words are cut off when the back doors to the large ballroom burst open.

"Jackson White, I believe you have something that is mine." Ax's voice carries loudly through the room as he looks directly at Charlie, who has pushed back out of her seat so hard that the oversized wooden chair rocks behind her.