Epilogue

Bert

Of course, we did not have a wedding that first Christmas, even if Natalie had hoped Santa could make it happen. But we told her that presents like toys and dolls and sleds were Santa’s job, but things like our wedding, we were going to take care of ourselves. She seemed to accept the idea, but over the course of the year, she reminded us a few times so we wouldn’t forget.

As if we could.

It never occurred to our little girl that it would not happen. She even confided, one day, that her wish to go to the beach had been changed by Santa to an even better gift, coming here to meet her new papa and Uncle Rudy. Santa was getting at least some of the credit for our happily ever after.

Fortunately for us all, we were 100 percent in agreement. Our little family of four was already a unified force, and for a shifter, our mating was enough, but Conrad and Natalie were human and little Rudy Mark was half human, so a wedding seemed in order. It was a wonderful opportunity to get our sleuth from over the mountain here for a big celebration.

Being unfamiliar with the whole wedding thing, I put the arrangements in Conrad’s hands and let him know I was at his service in any way he needed me. That resolved into a “secret surprise Christmas wedding” where I didn’t know any of the details. He took Rudy into his confidence, and the two of them made many secretive trips to town and huddled over the laptop screen as the holiday came around.

Our yard was a sea of winterized tents and campfires as our sleuth came together to celebrate our union. They all thought a wedding was a little unusual, but they’d never yet missed a party. And, on the day of our wedding, our sleuth alpha officiated, having studied online how such things were done. I stood facing my mate on the top step of the porch, under a pine-bough arch decorated with lights and tinsel. Fairy lights were strung all over the yard, and the cake was the biggest thing I had ever seen. There were all white flowers, roses and gardenias and others that would not stand the cold long. It was beautiful, and my mate in his dark suit took my breath away.

I promised to love and honor him all the days of my life. My mate returned the vows and then we kissed and I learned just how loud a bunch of bear shifters could be. We had a delicious meal and the yummy cake, but the highlight of the evening, at least for me, was when they all shifted and danced on their hind legs in a circle around Natalie. She showed no fear, simply danced as well, and there was much enjoyment by everyone who came.

“If I ever dreamed of my wedding, before meeting my beloved mate, it would not have involved dozens of dancing bears,” he said. No, this part of things was more Natalie’s dream, and we would not have denied it to her under any circumstances. And it was, in its way, such a tribute and acceptance of my mate into the sleuth. The alpha had come up to him and made a speech about him being one of us now, in fact, and he was still wowed by that.

The bears all took off for a run after that, and my mate and I sat back and looked at the cheerful mess. “They’ll clean it up before they leave tomorrow,” I assured him. “And the children are asleep. What would you like to do next?”

Conrad stood up and reached for my hand. “I’d like to take my husband to bed and show him just how a human celebrates a wedding night.” He winked. “Unless you’re too tired?”

“I’m never too tired for you,” I growled. “Let’s go have our private celebration.”

That night, our daughter Glennis was conceived. Not that we knew it then, but eventually we did. One more blessing in the chain Fate fed out to us. One more love for our hearts to swell to expand.