Page 148 of Oath of Revenge

She sighed and pulled her vest off, tossing it and her dagger onto the settee as she walked past. She stood between his knees, and he put his hands on her hips.

He looked up, his golden eyes glowing and so full of emotion. “I love you, antlers, whiskers, tail and all.”

He kissed her forehead and traced her antlers with his fingertips. “I love your bunny side, how soft and cuddly you are, how you need my protection sometimes, even though you’ll deny it with every breath.”

He kissed her bunny nose, then rose and kissed the base of her antlers. “I love your antlers, the beautiful doe who doesn’t know whether to run or freeze in terror. I love how you stare down danger but use your amazing brain to know when it’s smart to retreat.”

Her chest swelled hearing the acceptance she craved. He kissed her cheeks, and her breath hitched.

“And I love the Growler side of you that you try to hide. I love the fierceness of your protection, your determination to do what’s right, even if you don’t want to, like saving a pathetic creature like me. Saving Bella when you could’ve killed her.”

Scarlet snorted. “I can’t kill a spirit.”

He wiped the tear from her cheek and leaned back. “Hey, I wouldn’t put it past you. You’re a badass, the strongest and best Hunter in the land. If anyone could kill a spirit, it’d be you.”

She smiled and shook her head as he kissed her cheek. “You’re so good to me.”

“Then stay with me,” he said softly. “I’ll be the best mate in the world. I’ll protect you with all my breath for all my days. We can work side by side to protect the Growlers, or we can roam as Hunters together.”

She paused, her hands settling on his shoulders. Something shifted within her chest, a knot dissipating that she didn’t even know had been there. The trapped feeling eased and her brows rose in surprise.

“You’d do that? Give up the alpha position you deserve, the one you earned?”

He shrugged. “In a heartbeat, if that’s what you wish. What matters to me is that we’re together through it all, every day and night. Flying away on your brother’s back was torture because it separated me from you. I never want to be apart from you again. We can rule an alpha tribe or be Hunters together or just live like hermits in the woods. As long as we’re together.”

She threw her arms around his neck and her body shook. He clutched her to his chest, and she buried her face in his neck, her body relaxing for the first time since she’d sent him with Knox. She couldn’t let him go. Never again.

She squeezed her arms tighter and snorted into his ear. “If I’ll have you? Well, that depends, doesn’t it. Will you put up with me not knowing which type of animal I am at any time? I may go from scared to mad in the blink of an eye. I may scream or try to fight you.”

“Ah, the spice of life. I’m looking forward to it, love,” he said with a chuckle.

She leaned back and glared. “I’m serious. There’s no one else like me, and I don’t know if this will ever feel normal. Life with me will never be peaceful, Wulfric. Is that something you can do day in and day out?”

He leaned back and laughed. She frowned and put her hands on his hips, but he just pulled her closer, lifting them both until she was sitting on his lap sideways on the bed. He stroked her cheek and shushed her with a chuckle.

“Hush, I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing because my life has never been predictable or calm. I went from the shop to the tavern to the army to the Growlers. I’m always managing people, solving disputes, and fixing problems. If you come at me swinging, well, that’s a problem I can solve. Life with you won’t be peaceful, but it will be an adventure. What do you say? Will you marry me?”

She leaned back, her eyes clear for the first time. She’d not felt like this in so long, well before the curses changed her life. It was as if the weight of the world had lifted from her shoulders. He brushed his thumb over her cheek as she smiled.

“That’s dumb. We’re already mated.”

He shrugged. “Let me retain some of my humanity. I want to marry you, build a house and a community and a home for our babies.”

She rolled her eyes and smiled. “Fine, we’ll get married. But no darning socks.”

He chuckled. “Deal.”

“Now will you kiss me already?” She leaned forward as he chuckled.

The future was still unknown, but for the first time in months, she didn’t feel the pressing need to go find a cure for her curses. And for the first time in years, she felt blissfully happy. Like Grandma had said, she was settled because she was finally accepted exactly as she was. She was home, exactly where she belonged—fighting the world by his side.

She could be a handful, but he was the indomitable Growler who refused to give up on her. Together, they’d faced challenges unlike any she’d experienced before. And if they faced the world side-by-side, she knew their love would be stronger than any magic an evil wizard might throw at them.

It was the last thought in her head before their lips met, sweeping her into animalistic pleasure to make her heart race.

Epilogue

Hanzel vibrated with energy as he glared at the Dragon Claws squad in front of him. “What do you mean, the mirror was shattered by a chandelier? You’re saying there’s no one trapped inside it?”

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