Epilogue

EPILOGUE

DEAN

W ith an easy smile, Jamie gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and slides into the seat beside me.

“You’ve turned him into a pussy cat.” Callum shakes his head but grins, still struggling to wrap his head around how quickly I’ve turned from grumpy alpha, who didn’t want a mate, to being absolutely, one hundred percent, wrapped around Jamie’s little finger.

I don’t think Samuel would agree. He was returned to his pack intact, barely, and breathing, barely. He won’t cause anyone any problems for a while. That’s if his alpha ever lets him leave again.

“Watch it. Don’t be so judgmental. Wait till you find yours. Then we’ll see who’s the pussy cat.” Jamie teases, pointing her fork at him in mock warning, coming to my defence like the perfect little mate she is.

Under the table, I grip her knee and give it a squeeze before sliding my hand higher. We’re still newly mated, and I want all of her attention on me.

“Are you packed?” My wolf brushes up against my insides, thrilled at the idea that tomorrow, we leave for a vacation, just the two of us. Jamie’s been thrown in the deep end of becoming Luna with the Alpha Games in full swing, but now that they’re over, I want her all to myself.

“It would be easier to pack if I knew where we were going,” she grumbles. Through the bond, I feel a thread of unease, and I raise an eyebrow, waiting for her to spill what’s bothering her. “It just feels like I should be here, getting to know everyone. Helping out.”

I growl at her. For a woman who’s almost died twice in quick succession, she’s already been doing way too much. She needs a rest.

“No more work. Not till you take a proper break.”

DEAN: I’m going to make sure you barely get out of bed.

JAMIE: I have a feeling that’s not going to be as restful as it sounds. At least, I hope not.

My wolf rumbles in my chest as Jamie’s wolf peeks out, her stunning gold eyes glowing at the thought of a few days in bed to just enjoy each other. No start times. No alpha meetings. No prize-giving ceremonies. Just as much naked time with my mate as I want.

“You two are ridiculous. Just go tonight, if you’re going to stink up the place with your crazy mate pheromones.” Callum looks more irritated than usual by our flirting, and Jamie looks at me with the same question in her eyes.

“Something you care to share with the group, Callum?” I ask, watching my beta closely for his reaction.

He holds my gaze, something more than a hatred of PDA shining in his eyes.

“No. I’m just saying, why stick around, why not just go tonight? Me and Lynn can handle whatever’s left to do.”

There’s more to it than that, but he’s a big boy, and if he doesn’t want to tell me, I won’t force him. At least, not until I get back from spoiling my mate.

“We can’t do that,” Jamie says off-hand, already the more responsible of the two of us.

She’s spent hours poring over every aspect of running the pack and has made it her mission to meet every single member while simultaneously joining me where needed for the Alpha Games events. I couldn’t be prouder of her.

Standing abruptly, my chair dragging along the ground, I pull the entire dining hall’s attention to me without meaning to.

Wide-eyed, Jamie looks up at me, wondering what the hell is going on.

I take the glass from her hand and set it down on the table before leaning down for a searing kiss. My pack giggles and shouts as I pull back, and Jamie smiles up at me, her cheeks pink, and her eyes clouded with lust.

When I take her hand, kissing the back of her knuckles as I pull her to her feet, her blush deepens.

“Anyone got a problem with me taking the woman I love on holiday a day early?” I yell, and Jamie’s eyes go as big as saucers.

She’s embarrassed. She wraps her fingers up in the front of my shirt and buries her face in my chest.

When they yell and cheer, I lean down and whisper in her ear, “See, they don’t care.”

Well, maybe some do, I think, looking at Callum, whose features are pinched. I can’t tell if he’s pissed off or jealous, but we’ll be having a word when I get back about his attitude. He’s been in a bad mood since the games ended.

Taking advantage of Jamie not being able to see anything, I pat my back pocket to double check that I have what I need, before waving goodbye to my pack.

They adore her. Even those that weren’t sure a rogue could adjust to pack life again have been proved wrong. She’s a better Luna because she appreciates just how special living in a pack is, and she knows how lucky we are, grateful every day for the shifters around us that we call family.

Leading her out the door, I grin when she giggles, nervous but excited that our mystery tour is starting early. This actually works out well. I have something to show her, and this way, it doesn’t eat into our alone time together.

“What are you up to?” She laughs.

I throw our bags into the trunk of the car, then we drive off into the night, crossing the bridge and leaving our pack behind. It’s the first time I’ve done that without feeling like it was a chore. This time, I’m looking forward to getting away. And especially looking forward to seeing Jamie’s reaction to my surprise.

As we drive, Jamie carefully catalogues the route, and I see her mind ticking over as familiar roads and landmarks start to pass us by.

“Dean?” Wary, she continues to watch through the windscreen as I turn off the main road onto a winding track through the forest, leading to some run-down gates, with two wolves built into the cast iron design.

“Why are we here?” As I suspected, she’s not thrilled, but I know this will be good for her. “I don’t want to go in there.”

Jamie’s heart beats faster, and she wipes her sweaty palms on her trousers. She looks at me with panic in her eyes, and I feel awful, hoping she'll be okay once she hears my reasons for bringing her back to her old pack.

“Just hear me out.”

She’s already shaking her head, and I shove down the frustration I feel. She’s scared. This place holds bad memories for her, but I need her to listen.

“You need to come in with me. I promise, it’s going to be okay.”

My words ease her tension slightly, but not enough that I can go in there yet. She stares back out at the gates ahead of us.

“It looks like it’s falling apart.”

“It is.” No love has been poured into the pack facilities for quite a while.

When I told Blake about what they did to Jamie and Wyatt, and what Callum had uncovered about the state of the pack, he went digging. What he found wasn’t great. It seems Jamie and Wyatt weren’t the only ones to receive harsh treatment from the old alpha.

And a few more phone calls confirmed my suspicions. He continued to persecute them by keeping tabs on their whereabouts and warning the local alphas about dangerous rogues camped on their territory. He made it his mission to ensure they got moved on again each time they got settled.

The petty actions of an insecure man.

“That’s why their alpha was forced to stand down.”

Jamie spins to look at me. “What?” Her voice is scarcely more than a whisper, not daring to believe it’s true.

“He’s gone,” I say, pulling her twisted hands apart and wrapping them up in mine. “Retired, somewhat against his will, but gone nonetheless.”

Jamie tilts her head, the cogs turning quickly. “He had no children. Did his beta take over?”

I scoff. Their alpha was barely strong enough to be a beta himself.

“Deemed unsuitable. And the rest of the pack was too weak to step up. The alpha had been running off young wolves that had the potential to become too powerful to control for years. Not just you and Wyatt.”

Jamie’s eyes dance with excitement, seeing justice done at last for her and her brother. “How did I get so lucky? Handsome, smart and vengeful.”

I shrug, pretending to be nonchalant but my wolf preens at her praise. “It only seemed fair.”

She stares back at the gates, a puzzled look on her face.

“Then who’s running the pack?”

Raising one eyebrow, I stay quiet, letting Jamie put the pieces of the puzzle together.

“Blake didn’t. Tell me he didn’t.”

Her eyes fill with tears as I nod. “He did.”

She turns back to look at the gates, a wry smile on those full lips I adore so much. “So, do we know the next alpha?”

I nod. “We know them very well. They just don’t know about the pack yet. I thought you might like to come with me to tell them.”

Jamie buries her face in her hands before she launches herself across the console at me. “You’re a diabolical genius. You know that? It’s so sexy.”

Laughing, I lean back to look at her happy face. “It wasn’t all my doing. He was a terrible alpha, and the pack deserved better. All I did was shine a light on it.”

Jamie smirks, knowing full well that even if this plan hadn’t worked, I’d have gotten my revenge another way.

“My hero,” she whispers against my lips as she straddles me in my seat. “I love you, Dean Reynolds. Have I told you that before?” Her hands slide up my chest and tangle in my hair. “Fuck, I love you so much.”

An appreciative rumble starts in my chest as my wolf soaks up her praise.

“You might have mentioned it, but a man can never hear that enough.” I groan loudly when she rocks against me, gripping her hips dragging her over my already hard cock. This woman. “I love you, too.”

Jamie bites my bottom lip as she tangles with my belt, wasting no time in trying to open my zipper and free my aching cock.

“Do you not want to go inside and say hello first?” I pant, throwing my head back as her warm palm wraps itself around my hard length.

“No. After,” she mutters, finding the lever and shoving my seat back hard as far as it can go.

My hands fly to the ceiling bracing myself.

“After what?” I ask, my voice deep and hoarse with lust.

Jamie’s gold eyes shine up at me, standing out even more with the darkness all around us.

“After I say thank you.”

Shimmying backward, she licks her lips as her knees hit the floor, and she eyes my cock hungrily. Fuck yes. She sticks out her pink tongue and licks around the head like she’s sucking a lollipop, purring as she sucks a bead of precum from the head.

I shove my fingers in her hair and pull her toward me, loving the sight of me disappearing between those full lips as she slides them over me, swallowing me down.

“Any time, little mate. Any time.”

* * *

T o find out what, or who, has Wyatt hot under the collar, read Savage Games , book 2 in the Alpha Games series.

If you haven’t had enough of Jamie and Dean, go to www. reecebarden. com/ bonus- content to see Jamie’s luna ceremony and catch up with some familiar friends.