24. Epilogue

Adeline

The dayof the big wedding had finally arrived. Adeline was excited and happy. To her, everything seemed surreal, even now. Every time she woke up to the sight of Griffin, she felt the urge to pinch herself.

How could it all be real? How did she find a man who would accept her and her children while also giving her the passionate and exciting life she"d always longed for?

On that particular day, she woke up to the chatter of her girls and her man … her man! … downstairs in the kitchen. It was the most beautiful sound that Adeline had ever heard.

She rose from bed with the Vermont sunlight creeping in under the shades, which proved rather dazzling in the summer months but soft when autumn and winter came around. She opened the drapes and welcomed in the bountiful sight of the pack land along with a sea of sparkling marigolds, milkweed, and fleabane, dreamy and luminous under a glassy sky.

She sighed to herself. It was paradise, really, to have the girls grow up somewhere they were not only protected but encouraged to be who they truly were. Griffin could give them something Adeline would have desperately attempted but ultimately fallen short of. It was kismet, written in the stars, a cosmic romance.

Adeline pulled on her robe and made her way downstairs, a pep of jubilant energy to her step, and found the girls helping Griffin with breakfast. The stove was caked in pancake mix, and a big pile of bacon and sausages sizzled in a pan. She lingered for a minute in the doorframe, leaning against it, adoring the picturesque sight in front of her.

"Mom is awake!" Jodi yelled, tossing some pancake mix into the air haphazardly.

Deanne and Griffin, who were focused on the eggs, gazed up at Adeline the second Jodi revealed her presence.

"It looks like I'm eating well today," Adeline teased.

She approached her husband-to-be, wearing only a V-neck T-shirt and pajama pants. He might have been the pack's alpha, but he was hers in every other magnificent way.

Adeline wrapped her arms around his waist as Jodi and Deanne set the table. He was warm, as always, like her own personal furnace. His eyes glistened down at her with wonder. It made her feel reborn.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hi," he whispered back. "I can't wait to marry you today. In case you were curious."

Her cheeks blushed with heat. She no longer hid it from him; she thought of it as a badge of honor.

"I was really hoping," she whispered, running her fingers up his back.

"Were you now?" he murmured against her lips, making them tingle. They kissed, and she tightened her grip around his waist, wishing they were alone.

They kept it brief as the girls were waiting for them to have breakfast. They ate together in a way that was reminiscent of the meal they'd had that first morning. Then, she didn't know she was eating with her future husband, but now she did.

As soon as everyone was done eating, Adeline and Griffin readied themselves for the mating ceremony. It was similar to that of humans but with a few differences.

When he told her about the mating ceremony, her face drained of color, and he had to clarify that it did not involve them having sex in front of the pack. Griffin was adamant about not doing anything she was uncomfortable with.

The ceremony took place when the sun was at its highest. It was at the top of the hill, surrounded by maple trees and massive oaks. It was a twinkling folklore scene.

Adeline wore a long emerald dress that hugged her body. The front had a plunging neckline, and around her neck was the pack gemstone. It was a glossy serpentine pendant tied together with lace forged from branches sewn together by Griffin"s ancestors.

Adeline smiled at her reflection before being led to the ceremony on the hill. She was accompanied by the girls, who wore similar emerald-colored dresses and had their hair done by Mari and a few of the other shifter women.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she waited at the end of the aisle, both of her girls by her side. Griffin stood there under a carved wooden arch sewn with a rainbow of vibrant wildflowers native to the gorgeous state of Vermont. He wore a chestnut-shaded suit with an accented vermillion tie. The gemstone of the pack also hung from his neck.

Griffin's bright blonde hair glinted in the light, and his pale blue eyes sparkled with love. Adeline"s heart was quite ready to burst into a million pieces, no longer out of agony but irrevocable and enduring love.

Deanne pulled at her mom's hand as the piano music began to play. When she glanced down, she realized she was tearing up.

"You can do this, Mom. I know it," her daughter said.

"I know it, too!" Jodi repeated. "We love Griffin. He is our dad now."

Adeline wasn't expecting that at all. It made her heart swell even more, and she smiled in absolute contentment.

"That's lovely, Jodi. Thank you both," she said.

They floated down the aisle together. The ceremony went smoothly, her heart still beating like a drum in her chest but no longer in fear. She had her family, and that was all she was ever going to need.

The pack held a reception after the ceremony on Griffin and Adeline's property. Griffin held her hand the entire time, or he placed his on her thigh, his touch provocative and possessive, sparking her insatiable desire.

As the celebrations began to wind down, Griffin leaned down to whisper into her ear. His warm breath, along with his words, sent chills running up and down her spine.

"I need to mark you. My wolf is howling inside me. I need you, Adeline."

She bit her lip and felt happily dizzy. Mari and Orion took the girls back to their place to give the newlyweds some brief but much-needed private time.

He had told her about the marking beforehand and how crucial it was for their kind. Adeline knew more about shifters than the average human, for the sake of the girls, but she didn't know that mates left physical marks on their person.

She wasn't hesitant about it. She trusted Griffin inherently. Plus, there was something undeniably sexy about him leaving a permanent imprint on her.

It was a concept she would have never considered with any other man.

"Are you ready for me?"

They managed to sneak back to their place. It was obvious what they wanted to do, but it was normal for wolves … that was what Griffin said, anyway. Everyone knew that the alpha was going to mark his mate, but Adeline didn't care. She wanted him, her entire body vibrating with anticipation.

She lay on their bed in floral lace mesh lingerie, the color of virgin snow. When Griffin came into the bedroom, having mostly stripped down to his underwear, his eyes widened like a cartoon character.

It took everything Adeline had to keep from bursting into a fit of laughter. It would really disrupt the sensual image she was going for.

Her new husband ripped his underwear off and crawled on top of her. Adeline giggled as his mouth crushed hers. She let out a pent-up breath and wrapped her legs around his waist. They made out for a long time, building anticipation and stoking the fire until Adeline couldn't take it anymore.

"I need you inside me," she groaned as he scaled his teeth down her neck.

"Lord." He groaned. "I've never heard words any sweeter."

The alpha found his way between her legs, licking until she climaxed multiple times. Starry-eyed, he climbed on top of her, fingers wandering beneath the lingerie to rub at her hardened nipples.

"I love you so much, Adeline," he whispered.

She tangled her fingers in his hair as he slipped inside. She was perpetually ready for him and moaned with a gratifying whimper as he began to rock gently.

"Oh, Griffin," she lamented into his ear. "God, how I love you."

He picked up the pace, and she met his thrusts with her own. The pleasure was ready to hit a crescendo when he lifted his head from her shoulder and stared deep into her eyes.

"It"s time," he said breathlessly. "Are you ready?"

Adeline nodded, feeling yet another climax beginning to build deep within her.

"Yes, baby, please, mark me," she moaned.

He pumped into her harder, rocking the bed against the wall harshly. Adeline felt a sharp pain against her skin, and her breath caught in her throat. She knew what was about to happen, and yet, she was unafraid.

"I am yours, Griffin," Adeline panted, slamming her pelvis into Griffin's cock.

"Yes, yes," Griffin grunted.

Stars shot across her eyes as her orgasm washed over her. Griffin's release hit him at the same time. She barely noticed when he ran a long nail along the inside of her thigh, creating a shiny pink line.

She felt a moderate amount of pain … but nothing overbearing. Pleasure cascaded through her as she felt Griffin's seed spill inside her. It was a confluence of wonderful events, all happening as their bodies collided.

They basked in each other"s glow, sweaty and satisfied, talking about the future for the rest of the night. Adeline was nestling a secret inside her, one that kept her from falling asleep as quickly as the dopamine soaking in her brain wanted her to.

The girls returnedto the house a few days later, with Mari wanting to give her and Griffin some private time to celebrate. But Adeline couldn't wait to see her girls. They were her family, and that family was about to gain one more member.

"What's that look?"

Griffin sat on the couch near an open window, the day stirring with an approaching storm. The coolness of the breeze was refreshing after a long string of warm days.

"What look?" Adeline replied.

She stood in a sundress that she knew he enjoyed. She was feeling light, the lightest she"d ever felt. She flashed a sneaky grin at her gorgeous husband.

He narrowed his eyes at her, raising a cup of coffee to his lips.

"I know that look when I see it. Don't forget, I can pick up on your heart rate, and I know when you're lying."

She sauntered over to him. The girls were about to arrive home soon, so she wanted to get all her flirting out of her system. Though, she'd never really run out of fuel for that, especially with him.

"Well, that's not fair, is it?" she whispered, running her tongue along her lips.

"Get over here, you."

Griffin yanked her into his lap, and she giggled. No one else made her laugh like that.

"What"s going on? You better tell me before the kids get home."

Adeline was a volcano ready to explode. She couldn't wait any longer.

She took Griffin's hand and placed it on her lower belly. He scowled before the obviousness of the gesture hit him like a wave. A bewitching realization made his eyes light up.

"Wait, you're …"

"I'm pregnant!" she blurted out. "I had the blood test last week, and I couldn"t wait to tell you and the girls, but I …"

He kissed her forcefully, and his hand lingered on her belly. "My little wolf pack," Griffin murmured over her lips.

The girls were coming. Adeline could hear them through the open window. Everything was perfect, and it would remain that way from then on.