Page 89 of Wanted By the Wolves

His scent helps with the nausea, and I focus, closing my eyes so I don't see the world spinning. Briggs’s purr kicks in, and finally my body settles enough to peek out. We’re alone in theclearing, but just up a hill is a small cabin, smoke puffing happily from the chimney.

“Where are we?”

“Home, little star," Gage says. “I think we’re home.”

Epilogue

Summer—Nova

“You’re a brave woman,” Vandera says, obviously amused as she watches me fumble through the back door of her shop.

“Not you too! It’s one box of herbs,” I grouse. I’m six months pregnant, not incompetent.

Briggs stomps his boots off at the door, calling, “See? The witch agrees with me.”

“Wrong.” Vandera cackles. “It doesn’t take my gift of sight to know an alpha will act a fool when it comes to being protective of his pregnant mate.”

“Thank you!” I roll my eyes, setting the offending crate on the wooden island that runs along the back of her workshop storage area.

“Happy to be a fool in love.” My good-natured alpha throws me that smirking grin as he sets his stack of crates next to mine. It’s the secret smile I swear he saves just for me.

The bond pulses with fondness and this ooey-gooey feeling I can’t even name. I feel my face flush as my scent swells.

He leans in and smacks a kiss on my lips. Before I can sink into it, he pulls back. “I’m going back to the truck for the others.”

I watch his ass in those tight jeans his entire way to the door.

Vandera’s warm chuckle draws my eyes back to her. “You got it bad, girl. That, too, is predictable.”

“So true. But I can’t help it.” I hand her the moon-dried rose petals she’s been waiting for and dig around in another crate until I find the satchel of rose thorns.

“These are perfect, thank you.” Vandera brings the ingredients to her table near the window.

I get to work unpacking the crates and restoring the workshop reserves while Briggs makes another two trips. He sets the last crate on the table and snakes a hand around my waist, spinning me into him.

“I’m heading to training. Gage is over at the clinic. Dex should be back with his patrol in a few minutes and is planning to pick you up here, but if you need anything, call.”

“I know. It’s the same as last Tuesday and the one before that,” I tease him.

Briggs doesn’t look chastened. “I will never apologize for caring for you, pretty wolf.” His big palm rubs across the rounded curve of my belly. “Or these two.”

He brushes a soft kiss on my lips before bending to do the same on my stomach, talking in a low voice to the babies. Whatever pretend annoyance I had at his hovering melts into a puddle at my feet. My eyes water, but I force myself to pull it together.

Briggs gives me another of those knowing grins as he exits through the front of the shop.

Vandera pretends to ignore my almost blubbering as I return to the comfort of my task. I’ve been stocking the store from our pack’s garden for months, and we fall into our usual routine. We chat about the latest news and the preparations we’ve been making for the upcoming summer solstice celebration.

It took me a while to settle into Moon Lake Valley, but now I feel like I’ve found my groove. For the first few months, I stuckto our cabin outside of town and didn’t go anywhere without my mates.

The brothers easily accepted their roles as pack enforcers, working with the Alpha King—I still can’t call him Fennik, and every time I see him, I feel a little green around the edges—on patrols and security, including training. Gage and I—no surprise there—took more time.

The first time Gage healed someone, it was because of Dex. He had been on patrol, and a younger alpha got hurt. After that, word spread, and people kept coming. My reluctant healer couldn’t turn them away. Watching him fall back in love with his calling has been food for my soul.

It helped push me to talk to Randi and Vandera about taking on responsibility for the valley's herb and flower gardens. The other farms focus primarily on food, and I could see how they were struggling to keep up with the demands of the increased population. Now, Gage and I work the herb gardens together, though he spends several days a week at the clinic in town.

I get sunshine and herbs, with a few of the people sprinkled in too. It’s the best of both worlds. Sometimes, the weirdness of living among others in community again hits me out of nowhere though. It’s almost strange to think about wishes coming true.

Dex interrupts my daydreaming, his deep rumble traveling from the front of the shop.

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