Page 77 of Wolf Marked

Now, with Astrid at his side and the twenty-fifth Blue Moon behind them, there were so many things ahead of him. And he couldn’t wait to experience them all.

As he dipped his head to kiss her, she met him most of the way, crushing her mouth against his for a kiss so heart-stopping, it confirmed that his days alone were over.

With an entirely new assurance in himself and the future, Erec tilted his head back and let out a resounding howl. Beside him, Astrid did the same, her higher pitch mingling with his deeper tones in harmony before rising up to the moon and filling the night with its beautiful song.

As more and more howls from the others in the campsite joined the symphony, Erec’s chest swelled with admiration and pride. He was finally part of a family. A pack.

He was home.

Epilogue

Astrid leaped over a rotting stump and sprinted along the riverbank, loving the warm breeze combing through her fur and the feel of the smooth stones under her paws. A chorus of noisy crickets filled the forest, and newly bloomed flowers fragranced the air in sweet perfumes.

Nights like this were her favorite—warm, peaceful, and full of promise. Now that it was mid-spring and the colder months were behind them, life had returned to the woods and lush greens replaced the once stark whiteness. It was hard to believe she had come so close to never seeing another warm season again or experiencing the blissful freedom of shifting and running as a wolf, unbound by the moon.

Usually, she tried very hard to forget the night of her twenty-fifth Blue Moon, of her last moments before death, and of the gruesome battle with Jerrick’s pack that followed, but recently, especially on nights like tonight, she couldn’t help her thoughts from wandering back.

More specifically, back to her brother.

Mila had said his injuries had been too great; he had died peacefully in his sleep. Although months had passed, the guilt of not being with him in those final moments was crushing. She missed him so much. The pain of losing him was still a twisting dagger in her chest.

When they were young, they would run up the river in their human forms or as wolves, just like she was now, and chase the wind until they reached the waterfall at the very end. There, they would sit, talk, and watch the birds circle the canyon below. Tears sprang up in her eyes, knowing she would never be able to share that with him again.

Memories—that’s all she had now.

Astrid shook her head, forcing the tears back, and concentrated on running through the tall river grass. She should be happy the worst was behind her. Erec was alpha; they both were alive, and the threat of Jerrick was gone. His mother, Eva, had joined their family. Erec had seemed a bit hesitant at first, but he was enjoying having a mother in his life again.

Even her father was doing a little better. His illness was still there. Astrid didn’t think he’d ever be the same again, but she had noticed his forgetful moments were becoming fewer in number. Maybe that was her just being hopeful, but no matter what happened, she’d make sure to help him remember all the wonderful stories of their pack, of her, Filip, and their mother.

Everyone in the west-side pack was finally safe now. With some encouragement from Erec, Henrick had left with some of the other survivors to start his own pack. It was Erec’s idea to start regrowing their kind’s numbers again. It wasn’t fair for one pack to control most of the land, and now they had a strong ally again to the east. The future looked hopeful. She should be optimistic.

I wish Filip were here to see all of it.

She didn’t want to go back to Svanna Rock, not yet anyway, so she curved with the bends in the river and headed farther west. The sudden sound of another set of paws pounding against the ground snapped her attention to her right. Cedar and smoke, a flash of blond fur, and the otherworldly nudge of her mate’s aura confirmed it was Erec. He was running parallel to her, his wolf like a gold phantom among the trees. He was enjoying the chase; she could feel the excitement vibrating from him.

Now that her wolf had fully accepted him as its soul’s mate, his presence wasenough to send her heartrate skyrocketing and her spirits lifting. Maybe he had sensed her sadness and had decided to find her. It wasn’t a far-fetched concept. Not anymore. A lot of things had changed since the Blue Moon. The enhanced connection took some getting used to. Things like shared dreams and sensing when he was in trouble were just two. It was as if she and Erec were now one—a single soul—instead of separate beings.

Or maybe she had just been away from Svanna Rock long enough to worry him. That was possible, too. Either way, she was happy he had come for her. She could use the company.

As they continued to dash downstream, Erec closed the distance until he was running alongside her. Their footfalls fell in time, and every once in a while, he teasingly nudged her with his massive head, pushing her closer to the water. She snapped at him and shoved him back. His tongue flopped out of his mouth, and even in his animal form, she saw the smirk hidden underneath.

When they entered the familiar clearing, they slowed to a trot, continuing to rub against each other, nip, and play. Ahead, the earth ended sharply, dropping off into vast nothingness. On the other side, a series of large twisting structures had been carved into the canyon wall, an abandoned city once great enough to hold hundreds—maybe thousands—of people but now only occupied by foliage and crumbling stone.

They stopped at the waterfall, close to the dangerous cliff, and looked out. Millions of blinking stars dotted the night’s blackness, and the moon, round and full, stared back like an old friend. Erec started to shift first, and Astrid followed soon after. Once smooth skin replaced the fur, gentle hands wrapped around her middle and pulled her back. Her bare back pressed against his chest, and together, they sat in the grass, taking in the clear night and holding each other close. They said nothing for a long time, just sat in silence, enjoying the nearness and the sound of their heartbeats synced as one.

Finally, Erec let out a loud, contented sigh.

“It’s beautiful tonight,” he said, his tone soft yet careful. “I’m glad you let me join in your run.”

She smiled, but there was a heaviness lingering in her chest. As much as she wanted to put all the pain behind her, the loss of her brother was too fresh. Being here, at the exact place they used to come to when they were young, made his death even more real. They would never be able to visit the waterfall together like they had done so many times before. It had been their special place to run to, theirlittle hideaway. She’d never hear his voice again, hear him call her Ash or tease her.

There was no hiding her grief from Erec, not with their bond, but she forced humor into her voice anyway when she replied, “I didn’t really have a choice, did I?”

He hesitated, most likely reading her true emotions, but he didn’t say anything about it. He continued on as before. “I’ve passed here many times, but I’ve never thought to stop and take it all in. It really is amazing.”

She realized what he was doing. Just like before, he was being patient and waiting for her to reveal her feelings in her own time. But if she had learned anything from withholding her thoughts over the last couple of months, it was that every day was precious. Tomorrow was never promised.

“I used to come here a lot with Filip,” she confessed, her throat tight.

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