Epilogue

EPILOGUE

O NE YEAR LATER

Everything was ready for the signing. The books were all laid out on the table. The covers, designed by Taryn, looked incredible. No question she’d done an incredible job. The title, in swirling gold lettering, was set against a backdrop of the turrets and towers of Motham Palace, in relief against a full moon.

The Making of Motham

And below that were two names:

Max Hunt

Charlie Sullivan-Hunt

Charlie glanced over at her beloved, rolling the shiny new wedding band on her finger. They’d married quietly a month ago in a registry office in Motham, in front of her parents, and Benjy and Janine. Perdita had been invited, but would not leave the mountains. She promised them another ceremony, Felcin style, when they visited.

And miracle of miracles, her mom had survived. Charlie knew her mom loved Max, even though she only ever managed to say he was very nice, considering he was a wolf. But she went all coy when he was around. She’d even put forward his books to be stocked in the Tween Library. Charlie doubted that the Council of Towns would accept it, knowing their prejudices, but time would tell. It didn’t matter anyway, because everywhere else, it was selling like crazy.

What a year it had been. Of her and Max working together to produce this book. And while they’d discussed having a baby, it hadn’t happened yet. It seemed rutting didn’t automatically result in a cub. But they had tips and tricks up their sleeves, and next summer’s solstice rut would be as much about conceiving as about the fun of the chase.

Oh gods, how she loved her werewolf. She gazed over at him as he chatted to the crowd. Shook hands, nodded, and smiled. So tall, dark, and handsome.

And totally integrated with his wolf.

Twice more over the past year, he’d taken off to the mountains for a week to ground himself in his wolf, and it made him a more rounded guy. Calmer, and so attentive and loving to her on his return.

And freakin’ commanding in the bedroom. At night he was her dirty talking wolf. Even now, her pussy heated just thinking about the things they got up to in the dark. And in the light of the full moon.

Charlie looked up and saw their agent, a leopard shifter from Selig, wending her way toward them.

“Time to start signing books,” she purred.

Already a queue was forming. Max joined her, kissed her just below her earlobe. She still had the scar from his bite there, and his kissing it reminded them both she was his. And he was hers.

“Let’s get on with this, babe.” He smiled a little tightly as he sat down next to her at the table. She knew he hated having to sign his autograph, but his signature had improved with practice. It was—almost—legible.

Charlie smiled and picked up her own pen.

One book after another disappeared in the hot paws of the eager monsters—and hands of the humans—who were purchasing them in droves.

Charlie smiled, graciously accepted compliments, answered questions, signed, then handed over the book for Max to sign his name. She was loving her first ever book signing, her initial nerves completely gone.

She realized she had only one book left on her pile when a hand picked it up and held it out to her; long dark fingers covered in gold rings and stunning painted nails of stars and moons held her gaze.

“Who should I make it out to?” Charlie looked up, pen poised—straight into her own face in twenty years’ time.

The woman smiled, a flash of beautiful white teeth. “Make it out to Eloise.”

“Oh—ah!” Charlie’s mouth fell open. Eventually, she managed to stutter, “Y—you’ve come back.”

“Yes, honey, I’ve come back.”

Charlie tried to write her aunt’s name in the book, but her fingers shook too much.

“How about you stop trying to autograph that and come and give me a hug.”

Charlie dropped the pen, scraped back her chair, and ran round the table, straight into Eloise’s arms. The next moment she was in an all-encompassing embrace. They were both laughing as their hair mingled, one great, big, beautiful mass of ebony curls.

When she pulled away, Max was already at their side, staring between them in wonderment.

“Two peas in a pod,” he said. “I’ll hazard a guess you must be Eloise.”

Eloise nodded. “Hello, Professor Hunt, or can I call you Max?” And then she simply opened her arms and Max walked straight into the group hug.

And there they stood, the three of them, half laughing, half crying.

“You know, you’re a big part of why Charlie and I got together,” Max told Eloise when the crowds had finally emptied out and they were seated in a quiet corner of Motham Library.

Eloise’s eyes danced. “I can’t say I’m totally surprised. I’ve had a bit of an affinity with wolves over the years.”

They spent the next hour chatting, catching up on where Eloise had been (all over the world), how she was dating the captain of The Beast of The Seas (he happened to be a wolf, but that was just a coincidence, of course).

“I know I’ve not been the best communicator, but I’ve kept up with the news via your dad, about your studies and all,” Eloise explained. “I’ve followed your progress, Charlie. This is the first time The Beast of The Seas has docked in Motham City in twenty years. And when your dad told me you were having a book launch, I had to be here.” Eloise paused, drew in a deep breath. “There’s something else I want to discuss with you that’s kind of related.”

Charlie cocked her head.

Eloise tossed back her curls. “I’ve been doing some research myself.”

“What about?” Charlie asked, her curiosity piqued.

“The Sullivan girls. It seems I wasn’t the first in our family to enter a rut.”

Charlie’s eyes rounded. “You mean there were others, before you?”

“Yep. There’s a long history of Sullivan women taking part in the ruts. I’ve traced it back three generations, but I have a hunch it goes back further.”

“Oh my goddess, I always felt the chase in my blood.” Charlie’s face lit up. “Eloise, you really should write a book about this.”

Eloise laughed, shrugged. “Funny you should say that. I’ve got pages of notes written. I’ve even thought of a title: Women Who Run with Wolves .”

“That’s brilliant,” Max said.

“Thank you, that means a lot coming from you, Max. But I really don’t have the skill to write a book.” Eloise paused and then looked at her niece, her eyes dancing. “But you do, Charlie.”

Charlie could barely contain her excitement. “We could co-author it maybe?”

Eloise flashed her brilliant smile. “I would love to work with you on it.”

Charlie looked from her beautiful aunt to her beautiful wolf. “What d’you reckon, Max?”

Max’s lips curved into that delicious smile, the one that melted her heart every single time. “I think you two have got yourselves a best-seller,” he said.

Charlie couldn’t have agreed more.