by J. K Harper
“Not as brave as you just charging him like you did. As a wolfen,” she added softly, smiling at him like it was the most amazing thing he'd ever done.
They stood there for a minute longer, Bryony with a sappy expression on her face that Wyatt was pretty sure matched his own.
He broke silence by saying, “My little shadow. As always.”
“You—you—” she sputtered, though her smile was still huge.
“Fiend,” he suggested, grinning back at her.
She threw her head back and laughed, a pure, joyous sound that echoed through him, scattering even more happiness. That, and something else.
Even with the blood, even with craziness of the moment, Wyatt sensed something different about her. Yes, she was glowing with excitement, with her own brand of fearlessness that he'd always known about her. Yet something else shimmered beneath all of it. Something real and true he hadn't seen in her before. Until last night, when they'd loved one another again and again. When he claimed his one true mate.
Something about her seemed like—
“Home.” She breathed the word. “I'm home, Wyatt." Her voice was soft but the words rang through the quiet street. “Home." She sounded startled and wondrous at the same time.
She sounded sure.
Hardly daring to ask what that meant but knowing he had to, Wyatt cautiously repeated, "Home?"
An enormous smile blazed over her face, shining through the drying blood visible under the full moon. "Yes." She laughed, sounding delighted. "I've never thought of Serenity as my true home, but I can tell it is. It finally feels right to be here. Wyatt," she abruptly got serious, now looking contrite, "I was leaving. I was leaving you to go back to the life I thought I wanted. And it is a life I want, I can't give up my adventures. But I didn't really want to leave you. It hurt. It physically hurt me to leave you."
She looked wild and free yet utterly his, standing there under the moonlit sky in the quiet suburban street in Serenity, Illinois. Her voice turned so serious he just stared at her.“Most importantly, I didn't want you to see me die, Wyatt. But since I'm not dead,” now her voice lilted with a teasing tone, “I need to face facts. I am your one true mate. And you need me here to help out. Did you hear that bastard?”
Now she glared, ferocious. “He's got another one of my sisters, and she needs help. I can help. That, and....” She slowly broke off and reached out a hand to gently curve it around his cheek.
“And?” He hardly dared to breathe.
“And this is also my one true home, dorky as that sounds. You are my home, Wyatt. Everything else, we can figure out.”
Fierce joy swept him again as he stepped forward to catch her up in his arms and kiss her gorgeous lips until they both gasped for breath, laughing and together.
Together with his one true mate, right where they both belonged.
Epilogue
Bryony smiled as delicious tingles raced through her. “Oh, just like that,” she whispered. “Mm, you know exactly where to touch me.”
Wyatt's deep chuckle down by her feet sounded just as content as she felt. She could hardly believe she'd talked him into giving her a foot massage while reclining in the easy chair in his living room. The living room of his new house, the one he'd just bought—for them both. The man—her hot, sexy, talented wolfen—was a walking miracle. Her miracle.
Her everything, now.
“Everywhere I touch you is exactly right.” She heard the grin in his words as he spoke.
She opened her eyes, laughing as she playfully slapped the top of his head. “So full of yourself,” she teased.
He looked up at her, his smile was about as satisfied male as she'd ever seen. “Damn right. You make me feel like a rock star, Bry. A king. Or just a wolfen with an amazing mate,” he added softly, his face going more serious.
She swallowed hard as his eyes softened and his voice got that sensual tone she'd learned so well in the past week. The week in which her life had changed forever. A week she'd never, ever regret. She'd chosen Wyatt, yes. But she hadn't given up anything. She would still do tours for the adventure company—she and Wyatt had decided that he would just take time off, even if it was unpaid, so he could go along as either an assistant guide or a “client” so he could keep an eye out just in case Khain made good on his promise to find her again. And Bryony had realized she actually did have enough excitement here in Serenity, with the threat of Khain, to keep her occupied during the times she didn't do a trip.
That, and her family and friends here were pretty stoked to have her stay. Not to mention she had sisters now. Sisters, whom she'd already begun to meet and really liked so far. She especially liked Rogue, Mac's mate. Rogue was as badass and fearless and adventure-loving as Bryony.
This being a one true mate thing was pretty cool, really. Also, Serenity was her home after all. She felt settled here, and more than content. She felt genuinely happy and really, truly at home. Especially with Wyatt.
“You're pretty amazing yourself, you know.” She heard just as much seriousness in her voice, along with more than a touch of the very female sensuality he could arouse in her with a single word. “Even without your sexy beard.” She sighed with a tiny bit of regret. After he'd gotten his formal acceptance onto the Serenity Police Department, Wyatt had gone all official again, shaving off his beard.
Just for her, though, he let it stubble out on his days off so he could scrape it against her face, just like she liked it. And between her legs, making her moan with pleasure.
“Glad you still think I'm amazing,” her definitely amazing mate said through a smile, his hands moving up from her feet to her calves while his eyes started to turn the dark blue that meant she was about to get a decadent few hours ahead of her. “I just feel so damned lucky, Bry,” he whispered, his fingers making little circles on her calves.
Something prickled at her eyes. No way. Tears? She blinked a few times. “You know what, Wyatt Walker Watson? Me, too. So lucky I came back to deadly dull, boring Serenity.” Laughter bubbled in her throat.
Then his hands moved up her calves, reaching her thighs. She stopped laughing and sucked in a breath.
“I'll show you deadly dull and boring.” His eyes glittered at her, the look on his face one full of dangerous promise. “Every minute of every day, Bryony. Enough excitement to last you a lifetime.”
“I like that,” she said back, her voice going breathless as his fingers reached the top of her thighs and started to curve in. “Starting right now?”
“Oh, yeah. Starting right now, Bryony. Bryony, my one true mate,” he said, her name like a prayer on his lips before his lips got busy elsewhere.
She smiled, then threw her head back in ecstasy as he proved to her again that she was the damned luckiest one true mate the world had ever known.
Also by J.K. Harper
Black Mesa Wolves
Guardian Wolf
Alpha Wolf
Hunting Wolf
Wild Wolf
Black Mesa Wolves Books 1 - 4
Christmas Wolf Holiday Bundle
Protector Wolf
Fire Wolf
Black Mesa Wolves Collection
Rogue Wolf
Dragon Mates
Dazzled
Thrilled
Burned
Silvertip Shifters
Hunter’s Moon (Black Mesa Wolves crossover)
Mountain Bear’s Baby
Wicked Wolf Shifters
Surrendered to the Pack: Volume 1, Episode 1
Claimed by the Pack: Volume 1, Episode 2
Taken by the Pack: Volume 1, Episode 3
Mated to the Pack: Volume 1, Episode 4
Wicked Wolf Shifters: Volume 1
Ruled by the Pack: Volume 2, Episode 1
Standalones
License to Sass (Sassy Ever After World)
Shifter’s Shadow (One True Mate World)
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About the Author
J.K. Harper writes about paranormal romance because despite a lifetime of wishing, all the cool supernatural book characters of her childhood just don't seem to be real. Besides, it's really fun to make stuff up. She lives in the rugged, gorgeous canyon country of the Southwest, which is a great place to let her imagination run wild.
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