Homecoming

Two days after we abolished the werewolf curse, we roll into Hartford Cove in a brand-new minivan, courtesy of Griffen, who had it packed and ready as soon as we finished breakfast at the pack compound.

It was a little thank you for everything we'd done and will hopefully buy our forgiveness from Barron for wrecking his baby.

As we cruise up Main Street, the festival is still in full swing, and relief fills me that we didn't miss the entire shebang.

"Looks like we're in time for the blessing, Rowe," Tris teases, leaning forward from the back seat.

I grumble in response, but deep down, I don't despise the idea as much as I used to. After seeing the werewolves in Silver Hollow freed from their curse, I want to bring that same happiness to our wolf shifters.

Even if I'm not convinced my belly rubs do anything to help them procreate, their belief is what counts.

We stop at the sheriff's station to drop off Aspen, and as soon as he hobbles out of the van, Mel pounces on him in a lip lock that makes me gag in disgust.

"Get a room!" I yell out my window.

"Mel and Aspen, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Tris sings as Haut pulls back onto the road.

We leave them to their public indecency and continue on our way home. I suppress a shudder when we drive past the town statue, which had been unveiled while we were gone so I wouldn't have to pretend happiness over being immortalized in bronze.

Up the long driveway to our house, something catches my eye, and I smash my face against the window. "Someone put a hat on our house!"

I turn to Haut, unable to contain my excitement over the brand-new steepled roof and railing on my widow walk.

Haut chuckles and Tris grins, both saying, "Surprise!"

"We'd already planned the railing. The old one looked ready to fall over, and wasn't nearly tall enough," Tris explains. "But your enthusiasm for the turret inspired us to call Owen and have him add a covered area, so you can still enjoy it in bad weather."

"But not too bad. If the wind is strong enough to bend the trees, you're staying inside," Haut cautions. "No blowing off the top of the house."

"We can just tie a string around her waist," Tris teases.

I bounce in my seat. "Finally accepting that you can't keep me off the roof, huh?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Haut growls. "But we know we can't stop you."

"You are getting so many belly rubs tonight," I coo, my eyes on the peak of my castle until we get too close to the house for me to see it.

Then I spot Owen and Ros standing on the porch, surrounded by a horde of pumpkins, and without waiting for the van to come to a complete halt, I unbuckle my seatbelt and fling open the door.

"Hey!" Haut yells, but too late as I leap out.

Racing up the steps, I slam into Ros and Owen with the force of a mighty tornado. They don't stumble an inch from the impact and wrap their arms around me in fierce hugs.

"Missed you guys so much!" Tears prick at the corners of my eyes.

"Missed you, too," Owen murmurs into the top of my head, while Ros squeezes me tighter, his silence speaking volumes.

When we break apart, Ros runs a hand over my tangled braid, which I wrapped in a crown on my head. "What happened to your hair?"

I rub my head into his hand. "It's going to take you hours to fix it."

He chuckles and kisses my forehead. "Challenge accepted."

Owen takes a step back and lifts my sweater slightly, revealing the flower pattern birthmark on my stomach. I mirror his actions, lifting his shirt to reveal an identical mark on his hard abs. The marks had blossomed overnight after we destroyed the werewolf curse as a physical manifestation of our mate bond. It's beautiful and makes me feel even more connected to him.

I trace the edges of the design with my fingertips. "Are you sad that you didn't revert to a pure wolf shifter?"

We had spoken the morning after the ceremony, and he had been forced to shift, the same as Levi's pack. Deputy Arden, too. While they hadn't been natural-born werewolves, their change was permanent.

"Nah," he shrugs, giving me a lopsided smile. "I can still do the partial shift to wolfman any time I want, so I'm strong enough to hold my position as Alpha."

"Good to know," I grin and step back, releasing his shirt. "How have things been without us?"

"Far less exciting than your adventure." Ros attempts to smooth my hair. "Though there was some drama at the pie competition."

I had completely forgotten about that with everything else that was happening. "Oh, no. Did Mrs. Smith win?"

"Nope." He smirks.

"Ha! Did Jesse rub it in her face?" I smile at the thought of her bitter defeat.

"Actually, Jesse only got second place," Ros says, clearly enjoying my confusion.

My foot taps with impatience. "Okay, so who did?"

"Delilah." He beams with pride for his sister. "Swept the competition with an apple and cheddar pie."

"Apple and cheddar?" I sputter, horrified and fascinated all at once. "This is going to start a war."

"Yep." Ros gives me a wicked grin. "And you'll be right in the middle of it, relishing every delicious moment."

I thrust my arms into the air. "Pie wars!"

Owen raises his brow. "I thought you swore off apple pie."

"Absence made the heart grow fonder." I rub my stomach. "I have been sorely lacking in dessert over the last week."

"Hey, if you're done plotting, we could use some help!" Haut yells as he unloads the trunk.

"Never!" I run toward the open door, only for Ros to catch me.

"Oh no, you don't." He turns me around and points me at the pile of luggage and coolers. "Be a helper bee."

I slump as I plod down the stairs. "Vacation is over."

We work together to bring everything into the house, and Haut moves the van to the back of the driveway next to the other cars to make room for the upcoming ceremony.

With the suitcases in the house, I stand at the edge of the porch and stare down at Hartford Cove. The golden rays of the setting sun cast a warm glow over the little town, and a sense of awe fills me at how right it feels to be here.

So much has changed over the last several months. When Tris and I arrived here, we'd only been planning to stay for a few weeks, just long enough to sort out our lives after losing everything.

But then I met Haut and reconnected with Owen. Slowly but surely, Hartford Cove had gone from being a place I visited as a child to becoming the place I call home.

Haut steps up beside me. "Delilah will be here soon to perform the blessing. If you don't want to participate, we should go inside before people arrive."

"Right," I say, snapping out of it, but my feet refuse to move.

"You could always do it together with Delilah." Haut leans against my side without giving me all of his weight. "It can be a bonding moment with your sister."

"She'd probably like that." A lump forms in my throat.

It took some time to grow accustomed to having a sister-in-law, and now I have a cousin, too. My life continues to get bigger, no matter how much that scares me.

I'd even been bummed to leave Aris in Silver Hollow, but she promised to come visit. She wants to see Hartford Cove, and I vowed to make copies of all of my family's grimoires to compensate for destroying hers. She'd been sad about the loss but said the grimoire had never liked her anyway.

She had also agreed to look at the yearly spell I perform for the vampires to see if she could can a charm from it that will last forever. Or at least a decade. With the moon madness spell no longer a puzzle she needed to solve, she was happy for a new project.

"Rowe!" a feminine voice calls out, and I turn to see Delilah striding up the driveway. She lifts a hand and waves. "You made it back in time!"

A grin spreads over my face. "We couldn't miss the grand finale! And I heard congratulations are in order, Pie Queen."

Her laugh rings out, lifting my soul. "It was a complete lark. After eating so many of Jesse's pies, I had a craving for an old family recipe, and thought others might enjoy something a little different."

She joins us on the porch and pulls me into a tight hug, filling my nose with the fresh scent of the garden. "I can't wait to hear all about your adventures, sister."

I squeeze her tighter, glad that she has enough meat on her bones now that I don't fear breaking her. "We're going to need some snacks and cocoa."

"That sounds delightful." She steps back as people begin to arrive, and the driveway quickly becomes packed all the way down to Main Street.

It's quite the sight, and anticipation hangs heavy in the air.

"Will you join me?" Delilah holds out a hand.

I look at Haut, who nods, and notice that Tris, Ros, and Owen now stand on the porch, too, in quiet support.

With a deep sigh, I clasp Delilah's hand, and together, we bless all who have gathered in Hartford Cove, wishing them fertility for pups come summer.

As I speak the words, I feel the tingle of magic for the first time since I started rubbing bellies, and I open myself to it.

With a gasp, I see sparks of light floating through the air, spreading out over the wolf shifters, while overhead, our barrier comes to life, carrying the blessing far and wide.

As if on cue, the citizens of Hartford Cove shift into wolves, and howls echo around us as they race for the forest in a blur of fur and grace.

It's breathtaking, and I imagine what it would be like to run through the woods with my mates chasing me. The wild freedom of the wind in my hair and the thrum of the earth beneath my feet, knowing that I'll be caught, and excited for the takedown, for the tumble on the forest floor where exhilaration turns to desire.

The thought tempts me, and I move toward the steps before a brisk breeze catches me, flinging me back into Tris's waiting embrace.

"Ha! Caught my mate." He laughs as he scoops me up.

Haut chuckles and shakes his head. "Didn't I say you wouldn't even make it off the porch, bad puppy?"

With a howl of triumph, Tris spins and races into the house with me still in his arms.