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He turned her and there stood her wolves. Ba’Cho and Nashoba. She couldn’t stop the tears this time. Oakley sank to her knees and they bounded to her, covering her with their bodies as they pressed against her, each of their faces touching hers.
It took her a few minutes to pull herself together. When she raised her face, the wolves licked away every trace of tears, thumping their tails on the ground, eager for her to be happy.
She smiled and gave them a hug, a big group hug. “I love you always.”
Then she stood and signed. “You lead pack. You protect pack. You love pack. Oakley love you.”
They yipped in response, and she hugged them again. “Okay, go.”
With tails wagging, they did. She and Gunner watched them go, then she swiped at her eyes.
“I mean it, hot stuff. We can stay.”
“No, we need to go.”
“Why?”
“Because we don’t want to change them, and if we live with them, it will alter them. And they don’t need me,” she gestured to her wolves, now comfortable with their new family. “They need to be free. Come on, let’s go, Gun. The wildlife will take care of what’s left out here. Chances are no one will ever happen upon them. This isn’t part of the park often visited.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am.”
“Then let’s hit the trail. I’ll call Matt and give him our location.”
Oakley suddenly chuckled. “Don’t you find it funny that all this time we had that SAT phone, but we never thought to call for backup.”
Gunner shrugged. “Don’t call for it until you need it.”
“And you’re a one man band, aren’t you, big guy?”
“If you say so.”
“Oh I definitely do. So call your buddy. It’s time for a new chapter.”
“Doing what?”
“That’s the question, isn’t it? You have any ideas?”
“Nope. You?”
“Not a clue.”
“We’re a perfect fit,” Gunner commented.
“Indeed we are,” she agreed and took the hand he offered. She might be walking away from creatures she loved, but she was walking with a man she loved and a man willing to make her war his own.
That made her very lucky.
CHAPTER THIRTY
IT ALL ENDED WITH A WEDDING
It was the perfect evening. The air was cool, but not so much as to demand a jacket. The overhead moon spilled stars across the sky as the Milky Way looked over them.
The yard was decorated with strings of lights and wildflowers. A small four-man band was there to play, and the smell of floor on the laden tables inside the house spoke of all the dishes brought by attendees.
Russell Walker and his wife, Naomie, danced along with Russell’s sons and their mates. Charlie and Grady were there with most of Gunner’s ex-teammates, all of Matt’s Brickman’s family, as well as Clay Blackstone’s family.
