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I roll my eyes but accept his hand, and we join a group of people swaying to the music.
When my feet tangle together, Tris laughs. “You’re stepping on my toes.”
“I did warn you.” I stare down at our feet, trying to find the rhythm.
Tris tugs me closer. “Stand on top of mine. That way, you can’t trample me.”
I follow Tris’s lead, standing on top of his feet as we dance. He twirls us, reminding me of the time we performed the barrier spell together, and laughter escapes me, the joy of the moment infectious.
Tris’s eyes meet mine, and I’m swept away by the sheer happiness of being here, surrounded by friends and loved ones.
As the song ends, Owen steps in, claiming me from Tris.
A slow song starts, and a sheepish smile crosses his face. “I’m a terrible dancer.”
“Then we’re perfectly matched.” I wrap my arms around him, and we sway together.
Owen’s arms encircle me, and his whisper fills my ear. “I’m so happy you came back to Hartford Cove. I love you.”
Curious, I pull back to gaze up at him. “Would you have come for me if I hadn’t returned?”
He shakes his head. “No.”
The response both surprises me and doesn’t. “Why not? Aren’t wolves pushed to claim their mates?”
Haut had certainly been pushed, chasing me up and down the coast, wearing himself ragged and halfway to feral.
Owen hesitates for a moment. “After your mom died, and I realized I was cursed, I didn’t want to bring that kind of darkness back into your life. I wanted to protect you from the monsters.”
My fingers thread through his soft black hair. “You’re not a monster.”
“I was, for a long time.” He looks away from me. “I had no control over the werewolf curse. Only Haut’s strength kept me and the others from hurting people.”
His soft gaze returns to mine. “But it was your belief in me and your magic that allowed me to accept the curse and control it. And your love brought me peace with who I am.”
I rise onto my toes as his head dips, and we share a tender kiss filled with the weight of our shared history and the forgiveness we both needed to reach this point together.
The song ends, switching to something faster, and Haut taps Owen’s shoulder. “May I have this next dance?”
We separate, and I twirl away with Haut, my feet not even touching the sand. Then Ros steps in before I find myself back in Tris’s arms. After that, Harper pulls me in with her and Delilah, and magic pulses through us as we spin together, hand in hand.
After the dance, Delilah leans on me, breathless.
Worried, I cup her elbow. “Let’s get you back to your blanket to recover.”
She shakes her head. “All the magic and celebrating have worn me out. Can we go up to the house? I’d like to rest.”
“Sure. I’m getting tired, too.” I catch Ros’s eye and gesture to myself and Delilah, then point toward our house, outlined against the night sky.
He joins us, and together we stroll up the beach, the night air cold outside of the fire’s embrace and the sand slippery beneath our feet.
At the sand dunes, we pause, and Ros turns to Delilah, scooping her up to carry her to the top.
I slip and slide behind them, the music and laughter from the beach growing distant with each step we walk away from the party.
Back in the house, blessed silence replaces the noise.
Ambros sets Delilah on the couch with gentle care. “How about some hot chocolate to end the night?”
