Page 78 of The Healer and the Wolf: Part Two

Those gorgeous, deep, heather eyes of hers focused on me and everything else faded away, leaving only the two of us. When she spoke, her voice carried the weight of everything we had been through, the incredible and sometimes impossible journey we’d been on.

“Leo Reihl, I pledge my loyalty to you. You will be my alpha, and I will be your follower. Through war, through famine, we are stronger together than apart.”

Tears pricked at the corner of my eyes, and my inner wolfhowledin triumph. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t shifter. What mattered was that Ven wasVen.Perfect in every way just by being her.

“Then, you, Vanessa Goode, are now our blood.” As would our children be. And our children’s children. We wouldn’t be like her aunt, who always treated Ven as an outcast. She would be protected. Treasured. “I am your alpha and you are my pack. I swear to protect you, I swear to guide you, and Iwillkeep you safe.”

“So mote it be,” she said. Her voice cracked, and tears shimmered in her eyes. God, I loved this woman. Loved how deeply and truly she felt things.

“So mote it be.” I waited a beat, but before people could think things were over and celebrate, I continued. It wasn’t exactly orthodox, but who cared?

“And it is here, with our pack, and our allies, that I claim you as my mate for all to know. Whether wolf or not, whether dryad or not, we are bound by fate.”

I knelt on one knee. It wasn’t quite a proposal, but it was closer than either of us had ever expected. “I only ask now that you claim me.”

“Yes!” The next thing I knew, Ven threw her arms around my shoulders and hauled me up so she could kiss me silly. As our lips locked and cheers erupted all around us, I knew I had truly unlocked the key to happiness. “Forever and always,” she whispered, my enhanced hearing only barely catching it above the happy furor of the crowd.

“Forever and always,” I agreed before kissing her again.

What happened after that was a bit fuzzy, obscured with happy tears and hugs from many people around us, along with congratulations. The abundance of joy continued as our group organically drifted back toward Ven’s house, where multiple tables were set out with quite the feast—and no ancient witch on a quest for revenge would interrupt it this time.

Thiswas what life was supposed to be about. Community. Support. Celebration. The connections we all made together rather than what drove us apart.

And it was all because of Ven.

“Hey, not to intrude, but I wanted to give you something before I forget.”

Ven and I paused our conversation to see Esperanza standing beside our table, looking excited but a bit bashful.

“Hey, you’re back from your studies?” Ven asked, all smiles.

“Well, I’ve got a few more tests to pass, but it’s a special occasion, ya know?” She handed a business card to Ven. It had no words, but it did have a QR code in the middle.

“What’s this?” Ven asked.

“Uh, after I found out about your whole, uh, situation, with being a dryad and all, I did as much digging as I could in online forums. Most people have never actually met any in their lives, but I followed some leads, and that’s supposed to lead to a group of them. It’s by invitation only, but I figured it’s a place to start.”

Once more, I was moved by how thoughtful and connected our allies were. “You found this online?”

“Weeeellllll, I may have had to call in some favors with a couple of mindwalkers I tutored, but, yeah. I can’t say if it works or not, but I figured it might be nice to, ya know, learn about your people.”

“Thank you,” Ven said, jumping to her feet and embracing the young woman. “Thank you so much!”

“It’s nothing, really. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna get more of those ribs.”

Esperanza excused herself, no doubt a bit embarrassed at the overflowing affection, leaving Ven and me to stare down at the card.

“I don’t have to follow this,” she whispered, looking up at me with wide eyes. “I’m happy beingyourpeople, I don’t need to be anything else.”

I closed her fingers over the card. “Ven, you are dryad, human,andour pack. Pursuing more knowledge about a part of yourself won’t make you any less part of the pack. It won’t make you any lessanything.I meant what I said, I’m by your side, forever and always.”

“Forever and always,” she repeated, finally letting the tears spill over.

I kissed her again and held her, assuring her we would always be together, no matter what the future brought.

And I meant every single word.

EPILOGUE

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