My mate. Myclaimed and markedmate.
My wolf is subdued and content, my human no longer needing to prove anything, for now. There’s no way Sofia won’t let out her inner brat again. And trying to tame her—while knowing I never will—will always make me happiest.
“I love you, Princess.”
“I love you too, Beta.”
The End.
Epilogue
Luca
“Come on in,” I say, opening the door and inviting Emily and Jackson inside for the first of our monthly dinners before the full moon pack run. Normally, I would grumble about Sofia’s suggestion of socializing instead of having her all to myself. But this is important. It isn’t just any run; it’s Sofia’s first time leading as Alpha.
“Do I smell chocolate and peanut butter?” Sofia calls from the kitchen, where she’s making a salad to go with the steaks I’m about to grill. Her voice is bright, commanding without trying. Even in our kitchen, she radiates Alpha.
Emily doesn’t hesitate to say hello to me: she heads straight for Sofia and pulls her into a side hug while Sofia lays her head on Emily. My wolf rumbles, and a low growl makes its way up my throat.
“Watch it, that’s my mate you’re growling at,” Jackson grunts before punching me in the arm. “Don’t be an idiot. You know it’s purely platonic with them.”
“I know. I just don’t get why they have to keep hugging all the time,” I say, scowling into the plate of brownies Emily left with me.
Jackson lets out a laugh before rolling his eyes at me. “It’s because your mate is lovable. Deal with it. And anyway, I thought you stopped being such a grumpy prick when you finally got your mark on Fia?”
I did. I really did. These days, life is better than I ever imagined—better than I deserve. Sofia stepping up as Alpha went seamlessly. One of the younger warriors, Aaron, made one shitty comment and was promptly put in his place by the warriors who saw her in all her glory, taking down an Alpha single-handedly with a silver bullet in her gut.
Not that she needed them to. Sofia invited him to challenge her, and that shut him the hell up. After that, everyone fell in line. And she’s been amazing. She asks the elders for their advice instead of doing whatever she feels like. Then she talks with me and Emily. It’s the closest thing to a democracy I’ve ever heard of in a wolf pack. And its early days, but it works.
Because it’s her. My Alpha. My mate.
The doorbell rings, and I tell Jackson to grab a couple of beers while I turn to answer it. Finding the last person I expected, “Ryan?”
Before I can process it, Sofia barrels past me with a squeal, throwing herself at her brother. “You came! I know I asked, but I didn’t think you actually would.” Her voice trembles with excitement.It’s only been a couple of weeks since he left, but she’s been missing him a lot.
“And miss my little sister’s first full moon pack run as Alpha? Never,” Ryan says, giving her a squeeze. My heart clenches when a wave of Sofia’s feelings crashes into me through the bond: relief, gratitude, pure joy. Fates, I love that she can never hide her feelings from me anymore. We are an open book to each other. Our bond ensures that.
I still can’t believe I tricked her into giving me a chance.
“Okay,” Sofia says, clapping her hands together. “Can you get the steaks on, Luca? I don’t want to be late for leading my first run!”
“Yes, Alpha,” I say with a smirk. She’s so fucking sexy when she gives orders. I head outside with Jackson, who shoves a beer into my hand, Ryan trailing behind us.
“So how close are you to convincing that mate of yours to go on a date?” Jackson asks. We already know Ryan struck out on his first couple of attempts with his therapist.
Ryan takes a swig of his beer, unbothered. “She’s still very against dating a patient.”
“And yet you’re grinning like a wolf with a fresh kill,” I point out, narrowing my eyes. It doesn’t make sense, but Ryan seems back to himself. His skin no longer has the sickly pallor he developed while in the cells. Instead, he’s practically glowing. His eyes twinkle. His smile is back.
His lips twitch. “It’s complicated.”
“Fates,” I mutter. “You’re sleeping with her, aren’t you?”
“Watch it, that’s my mate you’re talking about,” he snarls at me.
I raise my hands defensively. He might not bemyalpha anymore, but he still is an alpha who could kick my ass. “Just threw me for a loop—she won’t date you, but she will—”
“She doesn’t exactly know it’s me,” he cuts in.
