Chapter 21

The days leading up to the full moon were filled with so many activities. From unpacking and organizing their home to taking a job in the park with the safari tour, where she and Jasper worked side by side at the ticket booth, to spending time with the pack females, who’d accepted her easily as one of their own.

She loved that she wasn’t the only one in the pack who couldn’t shift. Not only was Alpha Joss’s mate Jeanie human, but so was Evan’s mate Lark. While Anke, who ran the market’s store with her mate Zeger, could shift into her wolf form, as could Sarah, who was mated to wolf Requiem, Auden’s mate Jess was an owl shifter, which Melody thought was cool as hell.

“I’ve got a reservation for the three-thirty tour,” a female said as she turned her phone around to show Melody that she’d received one of the park’s targeted marketing emails for unmated human males and females in the tri-state area.

Melody smiled and lifted the scanner. The tablet on the counter of the tiki hut, which was at the entrance of the VIP tour staging area, beeped and shared the female’s information.

“You’re all set, Mina,” Melody said. “Come with me.”

She smiled at Jasper and stepped from behind the counter, walking Mina to the end of the waiting line for the tours. “There are a few people waiting ahead of you as you can see, but we have four Jeeps running tours at the moment, so you should be good to go for your three-thirty time. Can I get you a bottle of water?”

“I’m fine, thanks. I was really surprised to get the free ticket in my email. It’s so awesome.”

“I’m glad you received it. Have fun!”

Melody walked back to the tiki hut where Jasper was waiting.

Jasper pressed a kiss to her temple. “I wish it was quitting time.”

“You always say that,” she said with a chuckle.

“Come on, don’t you? It’s criminal to work when we’ve only been back together for two weeks.”

“I like working here, though,” she said. “Because I get to spend time with you.”

He grunted. “I’d rather stay home.”

“I’m sure you would, you horn dog.”

He grinned with a wink. “You love it.”

“Help me, I do.” She laughed as another female showed up for a tour. After getting her checked in and settled in the line, Melody returned to her place at Jasper’s side and leaned against him. “I can’t wait for tomorrow night.”

“Me too.”

After the mating ceremony, the pack would have a big party in the wolves’ paddock on the safari tour, and then they’d go for a shift and run. Jasper promised that though she couldn’t shift, she could still run around with him while he shifted. She’d never had a chance to do that before, so she was really looking forward to it.

Plus, being with the pack, which even though it had only been a couple weeks, felt more like home to her than her own pack had.

It was hard to believe that a whole entire wolf pack lived and worked in a safari park in New Jersey—and humans were entirely clueless. Not to mention the other shifter groups who called the place home.

There was a bleating sound and Melody leaned over the edge of the tiki hut and said, “Oh! It’s Luna with Jonas! Hi, Luna!” Melody hurried around the tiki hut and gave her young friend a hug.

“Hi, Melody,” Luna said. “Jonas was jumping around like a loon and head-butting Mercer, so I brought him out for a walk.”

Melody squatted down and cupped the cute goat’s head. “You stinker. Causing trouble, huh?”

“It’s a good thing he’s so cute,” Luna said. “He always wants to come here to visit. I think it’s because of Tank and the other prey animals.”

“That makes sense,” Melody said as Jonas ducked his head and tried to grab one of her shoelaces. “Hey, dude, no chewing!” She pushed his head away with a laugh and rose to her feet.

“They should have named him Trouble,” Luna said. “So tomorrow’s the big night. Are you excited?”

“Very.”

Luna sighed dramatically. “I can’t wait until I find my Mr. Right. But Mercer keeps saying I’m not allowed to date until I’m thirty.”

Melody chuckled. “That seems excessive, but of course he just wants you to be safe and happy.”

“Well, I can be safe and happy with Mr. Right. If he ever shows up.”

Jonas took that moment to start hopping around, nearly head-butting Melody in the knee.

“I think he’s ready to keep walking,” she said.

“I’d say so,” Luna said. “See you guys later.”

“Bye.”

Melody watched the teenager and little goat as they walked away from the safari tour, the soft bleating echoing in the air.

“She’s sweet,” Melody said when she returned to the tiki hut.

“No way Mercer lets her date, even when she’s thirty. He’s taking his brother-in-law status very seriously.”

“Do you ever wish you had siblings?”

“Yeah. It would have been nice not to be alone. You?”

“I think so too. But I also feel like I have lots of siblings here. Plus, your friends have assured me that when they find their happily-ever-afters, that we’ll all be family.”

In fact, the males were taking bets on who was next to get their soulmate in their friend group. Lucius was certain it would be him, but Alfie, Indio, Benjamin, and Patton were very certain it would be one of them.

Jasper slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. “You’re my family, and having my friends be like family to you is so special to me. Having you in my life is the best feeling, and I hope my friends don’t have to wait too long.”

They were just about to kiss when she heard someone coming and pushed herself gently from his embrace.

“Later,” he murmured.

Her cheeks heated and a thrill wove through her.

She freaking loved Jasper so much.

She couldn’t wait for later .

Jasper dropped Melody off at the gift shop to hang out with Sarah and her mate Requiem. He told her there were things that a male had to do to prep for the mating ceremony that his female wasn’t supposed to be part of, and unknown to her that included him leaving the park and going to a jewelry store to find a ring so he could propose.

He’d spoken to her father earlier that morning while Melody was grabbing breakfast in the market cafeteria for them, and Finn had been thrilled, asking only that they be allowed to host a celebration for them in Northbelle since they wouldn’t be able to join them for the actual wedding.

“I’m still on the fence,” Jasper said.

“About what?” Indio asked as he flipped the turn signal to exit the parkway.

“Whether I should just ask her to marry me tonight or if I should ask her to marry me and then also have the wedding ceremony. Joss is ordained and offered to do the wedding right after the mating ceremony, but I don’t know if she’d be happy about that.”

“Why wouldn’t she?” Benjamin piped up from the backseat.

Even though the threat to Melody and Jasper was gone with Ludo dead and Finn in place as alpha, the park rules still stood: no one went anywhere alone.

After asking for company in his friends’ group chat, Benjamin and Indio had been the only two who were free for a trip to the jewelry store the park used for just such a moment.

“I don’t know,” Jasper said. He twisted in his seat and looked at Benjamin. “I don’t know if she’d be happy to be married right away or if she’d like to have time to plan an actual wedding.”

“You could just ask her, you know,” Indio said. He pulled into the parking lot of a strip mall and stopped near the entrance to Oscar’s Jewelry.

“You mean after I propose? Is that even a thing?”

“Yeah, why not?” Indio said.

The three got out of the park’s unmarked SUV and headed toward the store. Jasper let that roll around in his head for a moment. “That seems like a good idea. At least if she wants to get married right then, we can, but if she wants to wait a bit, we can do that too.”

Once inside, Jasper was blown away by the sheer number of sparkling rings. He’d just been thinking in general about a ring and wasn’t sure what to get for Melody now that he was staring at the options.

“Damn,” he said as he stared through the glass counter. “I’m entirely doubting myself right now.”

Indio chuckled. “About what? You and Melody grew up together. You probably know her better than anyone, so there’s no reason you can’t pick out the perfect ring.”

“Tell me about her,” Oscar said as he leaned an elbow on the glass and smiled.

“Well, she’s gorgeous,” Jasper said. “So freaking sweet. She’s gracious and kind, and she’s got a feisty spirit. She’s the only girl I’ve ever loved.”

Oscar smiled widely, his thick mustache twitching. “I think I have just what you’re looking for.”

He moved around the showroom slowly and looked into the glass cases, and then he stopped and unlocked one, removing a small velvet tray, which he carried over to where Jasper and his friends stood. Oscar rolled out a black cloth and set the tray on it, then removed one of the rings.

“This is what I like to call the Sweetheart Forever,” he said. “I designed it for my wife for our twenty-fifth anniversary, and she still wears the original twenty-five years later.”

“Wow, fifty years together?” Jasper asked, taking the ring. “That’s amazing.”

“It’s a good luck ring,” Oscar said with a wink.

The ring had a large center diamond nestled in swirls of white gold studded with tiny diamonds. It was delicate and beautiful, just like Melody.

“I can replace the diamond with any size you like, that one’s a half carat. I also have pink and yellow diamonds and could put in any sort of other gemstone too.”

“I like this one as it is,” Jasper said. “Can I have it?”

“You bet,” Oscar said. “Let me polish it. Do you know her ring size?”

“I brought this from her jewelry box,” Jasper said, handing over a ring. He’d tested it on her ring finger while she slept last night to make sure it fit.

“Perfect. Give me ten minutes.”

He and his friends looked at the men’s rings and he chose a simple white gold ring, in case Melody wanted to get married after the mating ceremony, so she’d have a ring to give him.

“Man, I need to find my soulmate,” Indio said.

“Me too,” Benjamin said.

“Well, Lucius and Patton also want to find theirs,” Jasper said. “I’m sure it will happen soon for all of you.”

“I freaking hope so,” Benjamin said. “I’m so happy for you and Melody, but every time someone finds their soulmate, it makes me want mine even more.”

“Well, Melody and I had each other all our lives, and then we were separated for seven years. Imagine how I felt whenever someone found their happily ever after.”

“At least you’re together now,” Indio said. “A fresh start for both of you.”

“I can’t wait,” Jasper said.

When the rings were polished to perfection and paid for, he thanked Oscar for his help and then he and his friends headed back to the park.

Later tonight, when the park was closed, he’d be waiting for his beautiful soulmate at a bonfire in the wolves’ paddock, where Joss would oversee the mating ceremony and possibly a wedding ceremony as well. Then the pack would party and shift, and after he’d take Melody to a tent he would be setting up later today where they’d spend the night.

Just a few weeks ago, he’d been in despair, adrift without his soulmate and angry at the world.

Now he had everything.

Tonight was going to be the best night of their lives.