Chapter 64: Epilogue

"Want to go for a walk today?" Dash asked.

I offered him a small smile. "I think I can manage today."

I'd been in constant pain since the Pandora shattered, and I got some of the liquid on my jeans. That was a week ago. Walking had been hard. Dash tried to help ease the pain with his Alpha power, but he ended up using too much on me and knocked me out. So we stopped experimenting with Alpha power.

Astra, my Mother, had come over to visit quite often. It was still weird, but she was trying, so I had to try to make things work too.

"Did the results come back?" I asked Dash as we walked around his yard.

Dash nodded. "Yes. Your Dad caught wind of what we did. He's coming over."

"What?"

"He said he had something important to tell you. I couldn't not let him come over."

"What if he's pissed?"

"He didn't sound like it."

"Okay, what did the results say then?"

A doctor took a sample of my burn to discover what burned me.

"Yeah, they don't know what chemical it was. It was lethal, though. You got lucky, sweetheart."

I had a huge burn mark on my thigh for my troubles. Gunner, Kaleb and Dash went back to the Dark Wolf Forest the next day. They discovered Gabriel's body. He was burned badly. They found fragments of the Pandora in the water. They managed to get every piece, and the glass was burned later on.

However, the muddy water from the night before had turned into purple crystals. They had to break Gabriel out of the crystals. The Pack witch confirmed that the crystals contained small doses of magic, but nothing major. The glass that I broke was a powerful source, which was why the pieces were burned to dust.

"Looks like Max's here," Dash said.

I bit my bottom lip. "Let's get this over with," I murmured.

Dash squeezed my hand. We went into the house and settled in the living room. I couldn't read his expression.

"You could have told me what you were going to do," he said.

"You wouldn't approve," I replied.

"It's not about approving. It was a dangerous mission. Word has it the serpent organization is in shambles. Most of the members have fled others are missing. It's chaotic. Imagine if they decided to come after you all?"

"We thought about it. Gabriel was the leader of the group, and his death was naturally going to send the group into a spiral. We captured a lot of his workers, and most of them gave us the information we needed. We have the names of each member. Some of them are Alphas," Dash explained.

Max's eyes went wide. "All the names? That's incredible."

"We threatened to release them to the supernatural public. They couldn't afford that," Dash said.

"That's a risk."

"One we had to take."

I took Dash's hand and squeezed. No one was threatening us anymore. The world was our oyster! The work on my bed and breakfast was nearly complete. Dash was on top of things while I was recovering. I had a new business, I might get a new car and go back to school.

Gunner had broken up with Lilah and committed to co-parenting with Cassidy. He accepted that nothing could ever happen between us. I loved Dash, and I was looking forward to the life we would build. Kaleb and Zelda were planning their mating ceremony! They were coming over so we could help them plan it.

"I'm good as long as you're safe, Zora. That's all I ever wanted. I have to go back to my wife."

I nodded. "Before you go. Tell me what was in the Pandora? You studied it for years, I'm sure you know."

He nodded. "Of course." He exhaled. "You smashed the box. It was meant to be open during a solstice. The liquid that formed the crystals you found was dormant magic because the box had not been opened ritualistically. It was truly a powerful object. The glass was created by the tears of the moon goddess's sister."

"Gabriel said it contained her soul," I commented.

"That's true. However, the box was shattered, so whatever was holding her was gone. I think she escaped."

"Gabriel wanted to alter the werewolf line. There was no scenario where we could keep the Pandora. It needed to be destroyed."

"I understand. I just wish I had a chance to hold what I spent my life searching for. I knew the location, but it was too dangerous for me to unearth it."

We both stood. Dash and I walked Max to the door. Before he left he looked at me in the eyes.

"I may be leaving, but I won't stay away. I would like to be your Father someday if you let me," he said.

I offered him a small smile. "That would be nice, someday."

"Someday," he reassured.

***

The doorbell rang several times. I groaned.

"Zelda, is that you?" I yelled.

"No," Cass replied when I opened the door. She had a huge bottle of wine in her hands.

"Cass. You can't drink! You're pregnant!"

"You think I don't know that? Morning sickness is killing me."

"Who's the wine for then?" I asked.

"It's for Zelda. We have a long day of wedding planning to do. I can't believe my brother's getting married before me."

"Your best friend's next," Dash called.

Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I smiled. My hand instinctively went to the mark on my neck. The night Gabriel rejected me, Dash marked me unknowingly. I think it was a habit for him. Dash said he knew Gabriel would be killed, and the effects of losing a mate would hurt more than rejection.

We're officially chosen mates!

Cass gasped. "Why didn't you tell me Dash proposed?"

"Maybe because he didn't tell me either," I said through gritted teeth. "You're insane."

He took me into his arms. "I love you, sweetheart. I want to make it official."

"It's so sweet it hurts," Cass groaned, but she was smiling. "Two weddings to plan and I'm pregnant. It's going to be a long year for me."

Dash closed his lips on mine in a tender kiss.

"I want to be yours forever, Dash," I said.

"What did we walk into?" Zelda asked.

Kaleb was right behind her.

"Looks like Dash proposed," Cass replied.

Zelda squealed. She pried me away from my mate and squeezed me.

"I'm so happy for you! We can do a double wedding!" she gasped.

Kaleb and Dash shared a horrified look. "No," they said at the same time.

"Come on, guys, we have a mating ceremony to plan!" Cass said, waving the bottle of wine in the air.

Life was perfect now. It might not always be this good, but as long as I have my people around me. Everything would be great. The future was promising.

The End.