Page 97 of Cowboy Bear's Hope

And nothing had ever felt so right.

I rested my forehead against his, my fingers threading through the hair at the nape of his neck.

My heart thundered in my chest, but for the first time in what felt like forever, it wasn’t from fear or uncertainty.

It was love.

Dante was everything I had ever hoped for, everything I had ever dreamed of. He was my safe harbor, my greatest joy, the love of my life.

My husband.

My mate.

And I was his.

“Mine,” he said, his voice a low, possessive rumble that sent a delicious shiver down my spine.

“Yours,” I whispered back, my voice trembling with the weight of the truth.

Because that’s what we were.

Two halves of the same whole, bound together by something far deeper than fate or chance.

We were us.

And nothing had ever felt more perfect.

Epilogue 2-Dante

Waking up every morning with my mate wrapped up in my arms was just about as close to heaven as a Bear like me could ever hope to get.

I still couldn’t believe she was mine.

Lucky, that’s what I was.

We’d had a rocky start, but every trial and tribulation had been more than worth it.

Avery snuggled closer to me and I nuzzled her neck, breathing in her sweet scent, and that of the cub growing in her belly.

My Bear pawed at the ground, chuffing happily at the thought of our young. We already had one healthy cub who was growing like a weed and making my heart so full, but to be blessed with another so soon after claiming my mate?

Well, I used to think the Fates hated me, but now I know better.

Making things tough only meant you had to work harder before you could reap the benefits.

I came from a Clan that was backwards and cruel, but my mother had done her best by me.

There were times when I feared I would be nothing more than a monster for that uncouth prick, my former Alpha and his Clan of fucking filth. I heard he got his, and really, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.

Sarcasm intended.

My path had been different, and I couldn’t be happier.

Finding this place, answering Max’s ad, and working my ass off were what turned the tide for me. Still, I was lucky. And I wouldn’t forget it.

I would spend every day for the rest of my life taking care of my girls, and our other cubs, boy or girl, and making sure they were safe and content, blissfully happy.

My mother used to tell me hope was a powerful thing. It kept people loyal even when times were tough.

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