“You’re mine, honey,” he vowed right before sinking his teeth into her neck.
“Forever,” she cried out as they both climaxed, sealing their mating for the rest of eternity.
Epilogue
Aspen held back tears as she hugged Nash as hard as she could. It wasn’t time to cry, because what she was about to do was her destiny.
“You know you can always come home, right?” Nash asked, squeezing her tighter.
“I do,” she sniffled. Damn it. She promised herself she wouldn’t cry. “But this is what I want. I want to live with Booker.”
“You have the alpha gene, and you don’t need me,” he reminded her. “It’s okay to start your own pack.”
“I know,” she replied, finally releasing him.
It was going to be different once she finally moved in with Booker. He was her mate, and she didn’t need to be close to Nash to live.
The door opened and she felt those tears welling up in her eyes when Mason stepped inside, closing the door softly. His head was down, and she knew he was going to have a harder time letting her go than her oldest brother. She and Mason were close.
“So, you’re all packed into the plane,” he said, clearing his throat. “I’m ready when you are.”
He didn’t look ready at all.
“Oh, Mason,” she cried, crossing the room to wrap him in the same embrace as she’d done with Nash. “I love you. I love you all so much.”
“We know, Aspen,” he replied, gently taking the tops of her shoulders to push her back just the slightest bit. He leaned over and looked her deep in the eyes. “If something happens and you want to come home, I don’t care if it’s in the middle of the night, I will come for you.”
“I know you will,” she said, finally giving over to her tears.
Both of her brothers met in the middle of the room, taking her into their arms. She cried tears of joy, sadness, and loss. “This is my destiny, and I love him with all of my heart.”
“And he loves you,” Nash reminded her. “If someday, you and Booker take in a new pack member, I will be here to give you guidance. It’s what our parents would have wanted for both of us.”
It was, and she’d known that day would come from the time she was old enough to understand the meaning of having her own alpha genes. With the new information they’d received from the bears, Aspen felt hope, because she, and other alphas, were able to give their blood to any shifter if it was in need of a new pack, pride, or clan.
The black bears had become their friends, and that made things a little easier for everyone. The last two weeks had brought with it a lot of new information…information they’d hidden themselves from for the last ten years.
Isaac Duncan had come by two days prior and sat with her to talk about the responsibilities of being an alpha. Even though bears were different, the black ones still ran their clans like wolves ran their packs. They needed an alpha. Nash had learned information about the clan that had killed their family, too.
Grizzlies didn’t need an alpha, because they were made differently. That was something scientific that not everyone understood totally, but the black bears didn’t hold much weight to it. The clan that killed their family had been nomads passing through. No one knew where they were, but everyone was on alert in case they returned.
With Aspen and Booker claiming territory around his land, the land mass of the three shifter groups would be marked, and any other shifters coming across their lines would know it was occupied by three different families. They had their lands secured.
“Booker is waiting for you, and we shouldn’t keep him,” Mason said, interrupting her thoughts.
“Yeah, I should go,” she agreed.
“Everyone is waiting for you in the lobby,” Nash offered, holding out his hand to indicate she should go.
Before they reached the door, she felt his hand on her shoulder. “Hold your head high, Aspen Ward…soon to be Aspen Dupree, alpha to the Dupree pack. The next journey in your life has been chosen by the gods. It’s time to start living it.”
“Thank you, Nash,” she said, straightening her shoulders and holding her head high as she reached for the door.
It was time to live her life and say goodbye to her old. She’d dreamed of the day when she could start her own pack, and that day was finally here.
About the Author
About Theresa Hissong:
Theresa Hissong is the bestselling author of the Rise of the Pride series. She writes paranormal romance, rockstar romance, and romantic suspense.
She enjoys spending her days and nights creating the perfect love affair, and she takes those ideas to paper. When she’s not writing, Theresa spends her free time traveling and attending concerts all over the United States.
Look for other exciting reads…coming very soon!
Other Books by Theresa Hissong:
Fatal Cross Live!
Fatal Desires
Fatal Temptations
Fatal Seduction
Fatal Intentions
Rise of the Pride:
Talon
Winter
Savage
The Birth of an Alpha
Ranger
Kye
The Healer
Dane
Booth
Noah
Taze
Storm
Morgan Clan Bears
Mating Season
Mating Instinct
The Ward Wolf Pack Novella Series
His Lost Mate
Incubus Tamed
Thirst
Standalone Novella
Something Wicked
Book for Charity
Fully Loaded
Club Phoenix
The Huntress
Cycle of Sin on Tour
Rocked (A Rockstar Reverse Harem Novel)
Her Protective Mate (The Ward Wolf Pack Novella Series, Book 3) Page 7
