Healing The Alpha Collection (21 page)

"You will return, will you not, alpha?" another female asked.

"Of course," he said with indignation. "What makes you think I won't?"

"I saw Leena putting out clothes for you," she admitted. "I was afraid you might get another taste of human life and decide to go back."

"Don't worry," Aster said, laughing. "That'll never happen, ever again. I was born a wolf and I'll die a wolf, just like the rest of you."

He smiled confidently as a cheer rose up from his pack. He'd tried human life once, but it just wasn't for him. He was an alpha wolf and he was king of his pack. He had once been broken, but the love of his mate had healed him. Aster was complete now and forever.

Chapter 27

Rowan's footsteps reverberated through the house as he walked out of his bedroom and into the open kitchen. He loved the sound his boots made on his solid oak floors and made sure to stomp around in them any chance he got. Of course no sound from his boots could ever replace the wonderful sound of his paws crushing through the dried leaves as he had prepared to bring down Thanksgiving dinner—or at least part of Thanksgiving dinner.

While hunting yesterday Rowan had found the most delicious-looking wild hog. The big black creature had been rooting around in the dirt with its gleaming white tusks. Rowan knew he had to avoid those tusks, but as he crouched down he could feel his mouth watering as he thought about what he could cook up to feed his friends the next evening.

The boar never knew what happened. One minute it was rooting about and the next, death had descended upon it, burying its teeth in the creature's soft neck flesh and twisting until Rowan heard a satisfying snap from its bones. It had been heavy, but he had easily dragged it back to the house and quickly set about cleaning it and preparing it for dinner.

Now he looked at the remains of his kill sitting on the counter in front of him: ham, bacon strips and sausages, all laid out and ready to be cooked.

I've still got it,
he thought as he smiled and looked at his handiwork.
I'm the apex predator of this damn forest. Aster can kiss my ass. He has to hunt with a party. I hunt alone.

Rowan turned and looked at the big house he lived in. The ceiling was high and the living room was open to the dining room and kitchen. It was so big and so empty. He rubbed his arms as he almost felt a chill making its way through the house. That was absurd, though; this house had better insulation than most in the city. Still, it gave him the chills when he thought about how empty it was.

He turned back to the counter and began to make a mental checklist of what he needed to do to get all this meat cooked when he heard the front door fly open behind him. It happened so suddenly that he jumped, spinning around and expecting the worst to be coming through the door.

"Can you help me with some of this stuff?" Eva demanded, her arms full of grocery bags. "And have you checked on the turkeys?"

"Of course I can help, beautiful," Rowan said, rushing forward and pulling the bags out of her arms. "Are there more?"

"Just one more," she said.

"Then I'll get it too," he said, leaning over and kissing her quickly on the lips. "The turkeys are fine. I was just getting ready to start on the boar."

"Sounds wonderful," Eva said. "I still need to get the table set up and ready."

"Well, I'll help with that too," he said, still smiling at her. "This was a wonderful idea, beautiful. I can't wait to see everyone."

"Me either," she said. "I just hope they come with clothes on."

Rowan rolled his eyes. "I told them all."

* * *

Eva looked around at everyone who had joined them for dinner and felt her heart swell with love. Everyone who had played such an integral part in her life changing for the better was present and accounted for. It took everything she had not to cry as she took her knife and clanged it against her glass to get everyone’s attention.

Everyone looked up from their food expectantly as Eva stood and straightened the beautiful red and black dress she was adorned in. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out.

“Go ahead, dear,” Rowan said, patting her on the back of the leg.

She looked down at Rowan and smiled. He was the man she’d loved since the moment she had first met him. Originally she had thought he had kidnapped her and was holding her against her will. But in the end she had found out he was rescuing her, not just from Satan’s Angels but from her life. She had spent her entire life up to that point never feeling the love of her parents.

A string of bad relationships had rocked her to the point she didn’t think she’d ever be able to trust another person again. Rowan had changed all of that.

When she had told him she didn’t want to move into a den and live like a werewolf, he had spent a few days trying to figure out a solution that was amicable for both of them. And here it was: a cabin in the woods, secluded from the world.

Eva didn't have to give up her modern conveniences and Rowan could still hunt and explore like he was meant to. He didn’t have to do this, she realized. He could have tried to force her into the wilderness or he could have simply shattered her heart and left her for good, but he hadn't done either one of those things. Rowan was always finding the best situation to make Eva happy and this time he had done it and managed to maintain his own happiness as well.

She looked across the table at her best friend Rain and the giant gruff bear Beorn. She hadn’t seen Rain in so long and she’d nearly fallen over with excitement when she saw that Rain was carrying her own little one. Rain had grown a lot and she deserved happiness, as did Beorn. They had found it in one another.

Her gaze then turned to two empty spots at the table. The lonely chairs were reserved for Hawk and Ciara. Neither had shown up despite Ciara promising they’d be there. Hawk had stubbornly stuck to his promise that he was done with wolf life and done with other wolves. It hurt Eva to see the empty seats, but Hawk and Ciara had their own lives and they had to blaze their own trail.

Finally her eyes fell on Aster and Leena. She hadn’t gotten to know them very well because everyone had split shortly after Leena was rescued, but to hear Rowan talk about them with such love and reverence, she knew they were special people in her heart. Their three children all sat around the table with their big, wide eyes staring up at Eva. They’d definitely inherited their mother’s beautiful eyes.

There were so many special people and so much love in the room, it made her heart swell.

“Thank you all for coming to Thanksgiving dinner,” Eva said. “I know that you all have a lot going on, but it does me good to see all of you again. It’s been too long.”

“Here, here,” Aster said, holding up his glass.

“Let’s do something about that,” Rain said.

“How about Thanksgiving every year?” Eva asked.

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and murmured their approval. Eva smiled and rubbed her hand on her stomach, looking over at Rowan. She hadn’t told him yet, but she knew there was no better time.

“I have an announcement,” she said.

She looked back at Rowan, who was now leaning forward in his seat, nodding his approval. Did he know? She felt her face grow hot and red as she realized he had probably smelled the change in her body. He was probably waiting for her to tell him, but he had to know. No matter, this was when it would become official.

“I’m pregnant, everyone!” she said, her voice raising and growing high-pitched at the end.

Everyone was on their feet, walking up to Eva and patting her on the back. There were congratulations and hugs flying from all directions and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Eva’s life had been difficult, but now she had a life she wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. Wolves were loyal and loving. They were misunderstood in movies and considered monsters, but she wouldn’t want to be a member of any other society. She was a Bucklin Wolf.

THE END

      
The Bucklin Wolves Are Finished But Jessica Isn’t

I hope you all enjoyed the Bucklin Wolves series as much as I loved writing it! This was a new experience for me, one I wouldn’t trade for anything else. I’ve been writing the Bucklin Wolves since June 2014. As I sit here writing this it’s been six months, 12 serialized novels and four collections.

The evolution of Jessica Ryan as a writer will continue. I will continue to write some serials. I know there are readers who hate the idea of a serialized story, but there are just as many who love it.

However, 2015 will be a year of change for Jessica Ryan Books. I’m going to introduce a new pen name: J Ryan, to write non-romantic fantasy, urban fantasy and so on. I’m also going to release more serials and also full-length novels.

So if you don’t enjoy the serialized style of storytelling, then don’t worry, I’ll be releasing some full-length works as well.

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