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“We are so glad to have you share this moment with us,” Phillipa said.
Wesley grunted.
“Ah, the wolven is nervous,” Master Bow chuckled. “One of the reasons it was such a great pleasure to get to know Wesley is because he is pure wolven. He is completely genuine with his emotions. I know he thinks of that as a shortcoming, but a lot of humans could take cues from you.”
“Human,” Wesley said.
“May I say something?” Phillipa asked.
“Anything, my love.”
She took his paws in her hands. “Wesley, if you change back to human, you shall be one of the wisest men alive, for you will have experienced life as a man and a beast, and I believe it will show you great compassion for your fellow beings. It will make you a wonderful duke and the best husband.”
“My dearest Phillipa.” Something unfamiliar was stirring inside him. It did not feel like when the virus surged in his body, changing him to wolven. Still, he took it as a hopeful sign. “Even though we were apart, I have always watched over you. I wasn’t sure I would ever be brave enough to reveal myself to you in this form. For I would have not been able to bear it if you rejected me. But when I heard the rumors that you planned to kill the Wolven King, I had to take action. I made mistakes. I acted hastily. But the truth of the matter is that everything I did was to come home to you. And every day I will in awe of the fact that your love knows no bounds, and it will make me a better man, husband, and I hope eventually, father.”
Phillipa’s cheeks pinked, and her lips curved into a smile. “That might happen sooner than you think.”
His eyes widened. “You are?”
“I have no confirmation, but Ainslee’s mother insists a baby is on the way.”
“Oh, my love.” He took her into his arms holding her tight. They were a family.
Master Bow gasped. “The light. It’s on them.” He gestured toward the ground.
Phillipa drew away from him, but Wesley refused to let go of her hand. They’d both had to suffer through his last metamorphosis alone. But this time, it would be a celebration.
The moonlight inched up his body. He warmed, and his limbs tingled. Something was happening. He hardly wanted to breathe, in case it knocked him out of alignment with the moon’s powers.
Soon the moon was visible above the rock, moving faster, higher in the sky, further away from him.
Wesley was still wolven. Damnably wolven.
The anticipation of his fur retreating, bones cracking, and fingers reemerging subsided from his body and was replaced with something that surprised him more than anything.
Acceptance.
Phillipa stepped forward, still holding his hands. She was close enough to kiss him. “I think the time has passed.”
“Yes,” he said. “I do believe so.”
Her lips parted. “You are not speaking as wolven.”
“No. But my body did not change.”
“I’m sorry.” She kissed his snout, and then smoothed the fur. “I know how much this meant to you. But if you recall what I said about being both wolf and man, I believe it still applies. You are special, my love. And I for one am very relieved that you are still wolven.”
“You are?”
“Yes.” She exhaled, and chuckled. “I found you dapper and kind as a human, and I was thrilled to marry well. As you know, so was my mother.” That got a strained chuckle out of the crowd. “But as wolven? You’re exciting. You’re unpredictable, genuine, and wild. And I’m not sure I would have ever fallen as deeply in love with you if I hadn’t been lucky enough to meet you like this. So no, I am not sorry that the spell in the book was incorrect. You were meant to be like this, Wesley, and I could not be happier to be your wife.”
The feeling that had been inside him as the moon rose? He could identify it now as pure love for this woman.
“I love you,” he said. “And I am honored to make you my Queen.”
* * *
