Epilogue—Sweeny

Sweeny rubbed the spot between her brows with the pad of her finger. Signing up to take her GED had been her first priority when everything settled down in Abita Springs.

She just wished it didn't require so much paperwork.

Good thing she smelled Lucas nearing the house. His shadow drew over her, and then his rough hands began working the knots in her shoulders. "You haven't shifted since Mena, you sure you don't want to come with us?"

Sweeny gestured toward the laptop. "I need to finish this. Maybe tonight, and without the others."

Lucas turned him to face her. "Why you being so shady, yeah? You haven't ran with us in weeks."

She took in his shirtless torso and wanted nothing more than to go run with him, just not with the pack. Things felt different since everything that happened with Mena. It wasn't that they treated her bad, but she felt guilty, and not part of the team.

"Lucas, I don't feel like I'm part of the pack. I feel—just like a little sidekick, ya know?"

Lucas lifted a dark brow. "A sidekick, Sweeny? What does that even mean?" Sweeny lost eye contact, but Lucas drug her chin up and stared at her. "Cher, you aren't a sidekick, you're my Luna. Do you know what that is? That's the alpha's mate, the woman that keeps him sane and in line. You're just as important to the pack as I am."

Sweeny knew that wasn't true but appreciated Lucas trying. "Okay. I really do need to finish this and then I promise I'll run."

Lucas winked and kissed her mouth before jogging out the front door. Sweeny finished her application, and poured herself a cup of tea before walking onto the front porch.

Not ten minutes later, an old pickup pulled into the driveway and Patrick got out of the driver's seat. Sweeny swallowed her tea, but didn't get up to greet him, she let him walk onto the porch and stop.

He wasn't wearing his Van Helsing cape, and actually looked like a normal person. "No cape today?" she asked.

Patrick leaned against one of the pillars. "I only wear it when I'm hunting."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes. "What's up with the impromptu visit?"

"I wanted to extend a peace offering."

Sweeny waved her hand for him to continue.

"I know your mother didn't tell you about me, and kept a lot of things from you, but you need to forgive her."

Sweeny eyed him over her cup. "This is about Momma?"

He shrugged. "Kind of. This is about you getting to know both of your parents."

"I'm open to the idea," Sweeny mumbled.

He nodded slowly, his dark eyes intense and most importantly honest. "Good. We'll set something up."

"Are you going to try and kill my mate? I mean, I'm one of them now, too."

Patrick glanced out into the distance. "Speaking of," he said. "Looks like the pack is on their way. I better get my bow—"

"Funny," she said, standing when Lucas raced toward the porch. Luckily, he had shorts on.

He judged the situation hesitantly, but offered his hand to Patrick. "Good to see you, sir."

Patrick shook his hand and smirked. "You, too. I'll give you a call, Sweeny. We can arrange something, and you can bring the wolves if you want."

Sweeny didn't know much about Patrick, but figured that was the best invitation she'd get from him. "What was that about, cher?"

Sweeny turned to meet his gaze. "Just an invitation to hang out with him and Momma."

Lucas smiled. "It'll be good for you, yeah?"

"Yeah."

Lucas tossed Sweeny over his shoulder, and she slapped his butt with her opened palm. In the midst of her laughter, a crow cawing caught her attention. "Let me down," she said.

Lucas let her down easily, dropping her feet to the porch and she turned to see a crow sitting on the power line. "Seriously?" she said.

The rest of the pack made it back while Sweeny had a stare down with the crow. "Attracting animals again, Sweeny?" Jaxson said. "You probably need to shower."

Sweeny ignored his crabby attitude. Since Cathy Ann had been scarce of him since he kissed her senseless, Jaxson walked around with a corncob up his butthole. She didn't take it personally.

"What does it mean?" Lucas asked.

She shrugged, looking down at her palms. "I could try it, right? I mean, Mena took my power, and I shifted into a wolf, but I could try?"

Lucas shoved his shoulder into hers. "Give it a try, yeah?"

Sweeny walked out into the field next to the house, and stared at the daunting forest. A vehicle approached the house behind her, but she didn't look back, she stared into the forest and braced her palms outward.

"Here goes nothing," she whispered.

And there went nothing. The bolts of light didn't shoot from her hands, and she didn't feel any different. She turned and shrugged at Lucas who pointed at Cathy Ann getting out of her vehicle.

Sweeny made her way back to the house, ignoring the tinge of disappointment of not having her powers. Cathy Ann slowly walked toward Jaxson, her fingers interlaced behind her back as she bit her lip and kicked at rocks. "So—"

She started talking but Sweeny watched the crow watching her, cawing and flying in small circles. Jaxson swept Cathy Ann into an infant's cradle; her giggles seemed light-years away.

Sweeny eased toward the bird until she stood almost directly underneath it. Lucas called her name but she stood entranced at the sight of it. Sweeny pointed toward the bird, wishing it to be still, and she gasped when it landed on the power line.

No flipping way.

Sweeny raced toward the bayou, ignoring the scene in front of Lucas' house. She stopped when she got on the dock and stared out at the water. She closed her eyes, and imagined the gator that attacked them to emerge. It felt like a long shot, but she waited.

Lucas stopped behind her, resting his palm against her waist. "You gonna tell me what you doing?"

Sweeny opened her eyes to a calm bayou. "Nothing," she said, turning toward him. "I thought—I thought that maybe my powers were back, but it's just a cranky bird."

"You regretting saving Hattie?"

"No," she said. "I don't regret that. Having a wolf is enough, heck, before I moved here I wasn't anything but a normal girl."

Lucas chuckled. "You'll never be normal, cher. Now come on, Cathy Ann and Jaxson are declaring their love for one another."

They walked back to the front yard, hand in hand, and found Jaxson nuzzling his mouth into her neck. Sweeny felt relieved she put him out of his misery, because frankly, she was tired of hearing him whine about it.

Theo barreled out of the forest moments later. Sweeny was surprised to see him happy for once. Theo walked over to Cathy Ann and started smelling her.

Jaxson dropped her and shoved Theo backward. "What are you doing?"

"She smells—what is that smell? Where have you been?"

"Piss off," Jaxson warned.

Theo shoved Jaxson back. "It's not her, it's something on her. Where have you been today?"

She thought about it. "At my cousin's house—"

"Who is your cousin? Where does she live?"

Cathy rambled off an address. "Thank you God," Theo said, taking off his shirt.

"Wow, wait a minute," Lucas said. "You need to bring some clothes. We don't want a repeat of Jaxson."

Theo didn't listen, he shifted and disappeared down the road before they could think twice about it.

"I think he found his mate," Sweeny mumbled.

Lucas laughed and tugged her toward the house. She followed him up the stairs when Cathy screamed. "I mean, I know y'all are wolves, but do you keep alligators at your disposal?"

Sweeny turned to see the gator from the bayou sitting beside Lucas' house, the scar from where Lucas pried his mouth opened, zigzagged down his face.

Her heartbeat doubled against her ribs.

"Cher?" Lucas asked.

"I didn't lose my powers," she whispered. "I got them back."

Lucas looked at the gator. "Regarde-toi, cher. Et vous pensiez que vous n'etiez pas une luna?"

"Huh?"

He chuckled. "Look at you, cher. And you thought you weren't a Luna?"

The End.