Epilogue

EPILOGUE

THE NEW MOON

L ogan hadn't been allowed to see Wren all day and it was really starting to make him antsy. He knew it was tradition for the bride and groom not to see one another before a wedding but this wasn't just a wedding. It was a mating ceremony. It was the last piece of the puzzle, the one that would bind them together in both the shifter and human worlds. He wasn't sure how other packs did it, but he could do without the tradition of spending the night before and the day of the ceremony apart.

He missed his mate, and he didn't care if that made him sound like a whiny teenager because it was true. He missed her and he ached to see her and touch her. He could feel her through their bond which was the only reason he hadn't completely lost his mind over the past twenty-four hours, but it wasn't enough.

He needed to run his hands through her silky hair. He needed to nuzzle his nose against the soft spot below her ear. He needed to see her reassuring smile and hear the way she sighed his name after he kissed her so thoroughly that her knees went weak.

He also really needed to check on her. She'd been nervous about the ceremony since the moment they started planning it. She had assured him it was only because she would be on display for the whole pack for the first time since they announced she would be his Queen, and not because she didn't want to marry him, but a full day of not seeing her had given him a case of his own nerves.

His suit felt tight, and he pulled at his tie.

"Stop fidgeting."

Logan's gaze winged to the man standing just to his left and he narrowed his eyes, "You stop fidgeting."

"Great comeback." Dominic deadpanned and Logan resisted the urge to stick his tongue out like a petulant child.

He'd tried to convince Wren that he didn't need a Best Man, especially considering that the only thing Dominic was best at in his eyes right now was having a really punchable face, but his mate had insisted. She'd said the mating ceremony was as much for the pack as it was for them. They wanted to show a united front, stability, and a new way of doing things. Standing up without his Head Enforcer, his lifelong best friend and second in command, wouldn't just look weird, it would signal a problem to their pack members and the last thing they needed was more problems.

Damn woman had used his words against him like a pro. She truly was going to be a great Queen.

Still, he didn't have to actually talk to Dominic, so he turned back to face the gathering crowd and tried to ignore his looming presence at his side. He didn't care if both Wren and Vivian had told him to cut Dominic a break. He was still angry.

"Are you really going to ignore me?"

"I would if you'd stop talking."

"You know it actually has nothing to do with you, right?" Dominic lowered his voice even more. "This is between me and Vivian."

"Don't you mean, Vivi ?" Logan hissed.

"Dammit, dude. You're going to have to get over this."

"I'll get over it when you do the right thing and stop being a dickhead towards my sister."

"I'm allowed some time to wrap my head around this situation."

"Sure." Logan shrugged, "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"I don't need you to like it, I just…" Dominic let out a growl, cutting off his own words. "Shut up. Here she comes."

Logan jerked his eyes forward but of course it wasn't Wren that Dominic had seen. She was still sequestered somewhere way from prying eyes. The ceremony hadn't started yet. It was Vivian, of course, who Dominic was watching as she made her way through the mass of people towards them.

She'd fully healed from her head wound and resulting hospital stay without any lingering side effects. Unless you counted the fact that Logan had been forced to tell her secret before she was ready and now everyone in the pack seemed to know she was pregnant, a side effect. She was dealing with it all pretty well considering, but he didn't miss the way she walked with her chin purposefully tilted up or the way her eyes darted to Dominic before looking away just as quickly.

"You boys all good?" She stopped in front of Logan, raising her hands and straightening his tie for him.

"How is she? Is she okay? Nervous? Should I…"

"She's fine." Vivian put a hand on his shoulder to keep him where he was. "She looks beautiful and she's just as excited and nervous to see you as you are her."

"Good. That's good right? That's normal?"

"Totally normal." Vivian smirked, "And we're about to get underway. Raven should be right behind me. We'll take our spots and then the ceremony can get started."

"Thank you." Logan pulled her into a quick hug, "Thank you for everything you've done for us, Viv."

"You never have to thank me. We're family." She air kissed his cheek and then gave him a quick wink before moving back down amidst the crowd and taking her spot at the front, right next to the aisle.

Logan tried not to think about how the only family he had in attendance was Vivian. Their parents were both already in the ground and they'd never been close to any of their extended family. In fact, Logan was fairly certain his father had been the one to drive them all away because he hadn't wanted anyone around who could challenge him. He reminded himself that he and Vivian had been on their own for a long time but that despite his lack of blood relations here today, he was surrounded by family because he had his pack and his friends.

Despite whatever was happening, or not happening, between Vivian and Dominic, the McMurtry's had taken up post in the front row right along with her. Darren took Vivian's arm as they sat beside one another. Drake and Sunny were next to him, and Dillon sat on the end of the bench. The McMurtry's had always been as close as family, so it was only fitting they fill in the space where the groom's family usually sat.

In a way, he supposed his mother was with them because she and her enrichment committee were the ones to create this venue for mating ceremonies. The events were always outdoors because at the end, it was tradition for the newly mated couple to shift and run off together into the woods to consummate their union in their wolf form. Most people had been getting married in their backyards or at the park but his mother and her friends had come up with the idea for this place and it was truly beautiful.

There was a slightly elevated pedestal with a metal arch built into it where flowers and vines could be wound to decorate during any season. There were benches laid out in a semi-circle that faced the arch. Behind the arch was the lush forest so that the happy couple could literally step through it and start their life together.

He liked to think she'd been planning it for him and Wren, even if she hadn't known it, way back when.

Thinking of family, he glanced over at the bench on the opposite side of the aisle. Wren's parents were there of course. They had managed to pull themselves together to be present for their daughter and he hoped that was a sign they would keep trying to get better.

The conversation Logan had with them about Lark hadn't been easy. Not just because he'd been forced to relay their deceased daughter's sordid history with his father to them but because, despite what he was telling them, neither of them really seemed to care. Wren had warned him they chose numbing their pain to experiencing reality, but he hadn't truly understood how deeply lost in alcohol and pills they were until then. Only the mention of his mating with Wren had stirred any reaction and he hadn't liked that their biggest concern had been when he would announce Wren as his Queen,

He'd been upset on his mate's behalf, but she'd told him they weren't worth getting angry about. It had broken his heart to know she was so accustomed to their selfishness, but he'd tried to put it and them out of his mind. They hadn't tried to be part of the ceremony, or the planning and he had a feeling they wouldn't have even remembered it was today if Raven hadn't sobered them up as best she could and marched them to their spot at the front of the gathering.

A figure with dark hair caught his eye and his heart jerked hopefully before he recognized his soon-to-be sister-in-law making her way up the aisle.

Her dark hair was in curls that fell around her shoulders and the pale green dress she wore contrasted with her rich, honey brown skin. She looked beautiful and from the way half the men in the pack turned to watch her as she sashayed past, they had noticed too. Logan felt a protective urge to tell them to put their eyes back in their heads.

Raven's red painted lips curled up into a grin and she made a face at him that said she knew exactly the effect she had on people. He shook his head but that only made her shrug. He swore she put a little extra bounce in her walk and thanked fate that he hadn't been responsible for her while she was going through her rebellious teenage years because Lordy, the girl must have been a handful.

"Don't look at me like that. You're not my brother yet." She pasted a sweet smile on her face and didn't even look at him even though she'd clearly read his mind.

He chuckled, "And I was just thanking fate for that." He chuckled.

"While you're busy talking to her, go ahead and let her know I'd happily take a powerful Alpha mate of my own. First our cousin Gia messaged she's getting married and now Wren. Good things come in threes, right?"

He refrained from pointing out that it was bad things that usually came in threes because Raven Culvert was quickly becoming one of his new favorite people.

She had welcomed him into their lives without so much as a sideways glance or a whisper about his past with Lark. She had listened to his explanation of what had happened that night and why he hadn't been able to talk about it. She hadn't said a word and when he was done and he asked if she had any questions for him she had only raised one eyebrow, looked at her sister and asked if they could finally be done with the past.

He opened his mouth to assure her that she would find her fated mate when it was time but the music began to play and he jerked to attention, looking for Wren even as the mass of people between them stood and blocked his view. Logan could feel her though. He could sense her nearness and it both soothed his nerves and ratcheted up his anticipation.

Logan held his breath as he waited and then, suddenly, she was there, and his heart split wide open at the sight of her.

Her jet-black hair was plaited into a braid that lay across one shoulder. Tendrils of hair escaped and framed her face, which glowed with happiness when she smiled back at him. She wore an ivory lace dress that he'd heard his sister refer to as boho. All he knew was that it clung to Wren's slim figure and managed to be both elegant and sexy as hell. She looked more gorgeous than he had ever seen her and he thought his heart might actually swell out of his chest even before she reached the first row of pack members.

As she did, instead of continuing to stand, each member dropped to one knee and lowered their head as she passed. Wren's steps stuttered and her eyes went wide. She glanced from the pack members back to him and he gave a small nod that she should continue. With a deep breath she raised her chin and continued up the aisle as row after row of pack members bent the knee to her in a show of loyalty and respect. They were showing her that she was their Queen and Logan glanced to Dominic and then his sister, trying to figure out if one of them had planted the idea only to have each of them smile and give a shake of their head.

When Wren reached the front row, the row reserved for their closest friends and family, they too dropped to their knee for the Queen and this time Wren stopped in her tracks as she glanced around in shock. The entire space was filled with Shadow Pines pack members and each of them knelt, heads down and a hand on their heart. It was the most incredible thing Logan had ever witnessed.

He walked down to where Wren stood at the top of the aisle and took her hand in his, "My Queen."

"Logan…" she whispered, blinking rapidly in an attempt to keep the tears at bay.

"They love you, just like I do." He lifted her hand and kissed it, "Come on. No backing out now."

They turned back to the front to find that Dominic and Raven too had joined the rest. Logan's breath caught. Dominic glanced up as they stepped onto the platform and Logan gave him a nod of appreciation. His friend smiled before looking at the ground again. Once they were on the platform, hands joined, Logan turned back to his pack.

"You may retake your seats. Your Pack Alpha and your Queen acknowledge your allegiance and appreciate your show of acceptance. We thank you all for being here with us today as we mark the beginning of our new life together, and a fresh start for our pack."

As everyone began to stand and find their way back into their seats, there was murmuring and the rustle of clothes. Logan turned to Wren while everyone else was temporarily distracted and tugged her closer. She smiled up at him when he squeezed her hands.

"I love you, Wren."

"I love you too."

"Are you ready for this?" He tilted his heads towards the crowd, and she grinned at him.

"To spend the rest of my life being your mate and your wife and the mother of our children? I've never been more ready for anything."

"You're already my mate. Today you become my wife. And maybe after the ceremony we can get to work on that last one." He wagged his eyebrows playfully but Wren only gave a slow, easy smile.

"Remember when I said I had more surprises up my sleeve? Surprise."

His eyes widened, "Really?"

She nodded.

Logan let out a whoop of pure joy. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground. She squealed as he spun them and the crowd laughed. He felt dizzy and he didn't think it was from the spinning. It was his whole world realigning to make room for this news.

His life had changed at record speed and now it was about to change again… and he couldn't be happier.

He lowered Wren back to her feet but held her against him, framing her face with his hands and kissing her gently. There were whistles from the crowd and more bouts of laughter. Wren blushed as he finally pulled away and someone nearby cleared their throat.

Logan turned to see Dominic standing beside him, "What?"

"You're supposed to kiss her after you marry her."

"I'll kiss my mate anytime I damn well want." Logan laughed, still grinning ear to ear. "But come on, the sooner we get this ceremony started, the sooner we can start living our happily ever after."

And they did.