"Rebecca is more than my mate. She's my life. I can't live without her light. I don't want to live without her light, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep her. I'm going to cherish her and protect her, and make her as happy as I can, so I can bask in her glow for the rest of my days."
He kissed her hand, and teary-eyed, she spoke her piece.
"That's River," Reb sniffed. "He can use every dirty word in the book, but he can't use the one that's clean and pure and filled with light. He'd rather tell you it's me.
"It doesn't matter what Fate decreed, River, you were blessed by the moon at your birth. A seed of love was planted in you and even in the darkness, it grew. It wasn't fear that sparked your anger. It was love. It wasn't anger or happenstance that made you do the things you did or take those pups with you when you ran. It was love. Love is why you cared for them. Love is why you mourned their loss. Love is why you didn't take them away from the place where they could find it, too.
"Kat told me what you did for her. You don't take a bullet like that for someone you don't love. Without love, you don't worry about a pack going hungry. Without love, you don't care if they're cold or wet. Up until a short while ago, I thought you were driven by something else, but now I see that something is driven by love.
"Love makes you kind. Love makes you brave. Love makes you handsome in my eyes. Love and light, River, they're two in the same. You give to me what I give to you, light and love forevermore. That's the reason we were meant to be. Here, and with each other."
River kissed her then. He had to. It was either kiss her, or make a fool of himself and cry. While he savored the warmth and softness of her lips, he made a vow to say the words he knew she longed to hear and he, in his heart of hearts, longed to say.
He waited until they were alone in the one room cabin that was meant to be a base camp for the hunting parties that would someday pay them for the privilege. River had made the repairs himself, but it was Ben and Celia who made it special.
"On the condition that it stays this way and next month, Ben and I get to use it," Celia agreed when River asked for their help.
It only took a minute for River to stoke the fire in the pot-bellied stove. It took a few minutes more to light all the candles Celia had scattered throughout the room. They'd borrowed curtains for the windows and rugs for the floor. The white bedding, he was sure, was borrowed from the Alpha and Mate. Someone was sleeping without a mattress, though neither of the pair would tell him who it was. There were roses in a vase and a box of fudge beside it.
"It's perfect," Reb declared. "When you told me where we were going, I expected creaky springs and mice in the cupboards. I would have loved it anyway, just because it was private and away from all that. I wanted you to myself. But this," arms spread, she whirled in a circle, "this is perfect." She stopped in front of him, lifted up on her toes, and kissed him.
"I remembered what Charles did for Kat. I wanted to make it special for you, too."
They kissed, drank cheap champagne, and ate fudge. They talked and laughed and kissed some more as if they had all the time in the world, which in a way, they did. River wasn't going anywhere but here. He was home. He was mated to Reb, or he would be, as soon as he completed the ritual that would bind them together.
He undressed her slowly, and though he'd done it dozens of times before, this time was special. She took her time undressing him, too, and when they were finally under the covers together, they held each other in a momentary awkwardness, both aware that this wasn't ordinary love making. This was the beginning of a new adventure for them both.
Another kiss broke the tension and they laughed realizing this wasn't a new adventure, but a continuation of the one they'd begun at the broken down van. The kiss evolved into the searching of hands and the giving of pleasure, until Reb was on her hands and knees, accepting River from behind.
Heat rising between them in search of ecstasy, River folded his body over hers, surrounding her both physically and emotionally within his protective embrace. He brought her to her peak, and just before he drew blood from the soft spot between her neck and shoulder, he whispered the words.
"I love you."
They weren't hard to say at all, because they were true.
Reb's body shook beneath him as she climaxed. River came with her and for the first time, they were truly together. He could feel her joy and happiness. He didn't have to wonder if she heard the deep truth in his words. He knew, just as he knew how very much she loved him.
To love and be loved. Wonder of wonders.
Holding onto each other, they listened as their wolves sang.
Epilogue
"Nope. You put them right back where you found them." The Alpha stood with his fists on his hips to emphasize that he wasn't kidding.
"But River, they're a hundred years old. They're nothing but dust collectors and need to be thrown out."
"They aren't that old and as your Alpha..."
"Oh poo. It's only been three days since my father put aside the mantle and you're already tossing the title around." Reb waved away his declaration away.
"I like the title. It suits me."
"It does," she said, giving in to a laugh. "And with your new magic, I definitely like being the Alpha's Mate." She stretched her neck up for a kiss.
"Ha. Leave it to you to reduce everything to fudge."
He complied with her unspoken request, but only so he could snatch the orange sneakers from her hand. He set them back on the dresser next to the Christmas tin that stood on its side so the picture would show. The box was empty now, but served as a backdrop for his collection of the little mementos of those he loved. Next to Reb's sneakers was the latest addition, a pair of baby shoes that his son had outgrown. Reb's bracelet was secured in the laces.
Reb huffed as he carefully arranged the ragged shoes. "I hate those things. I always did. I only wore them to irk my mother."
"Do you ever wonder what Charlie will do someday to irk you? Where is the little devil, anyway?"
"He's gone fishing with his grandfather. He showed up an hour ago, right after you left. Father said it was time the pup learned the gentleman's art of fly fishing and now that he was retired, he had plenty of time to teach him. According to Father, fishing and philosophy go hand in hand."
"He'll change his mind when he gets one of those fancy flies hooked in his ear." He shifted his eyes to the door. "Where's your mother?"
"With Darla, arranging a celebratory tea for the latest pregnancy. I told them they should leave the table permanently set. There are going to be a lot of pregnancies now that you're the Alpha." Five years had deepened her girlish giggle into a throaty and deeply sexy chuckle.
River kicked the door closed with his foot and took his Mate in his arms. "Roland off with Charlie, Margaret busy with Darla, Ben off with one fishing party, Scar off with another, Toby and Quentin taking the final rafting group out..." The list could go on all day, but he came quickly to his point before this precious time ran out. "We've got maybe a half hour before someone comes knocking on the door, Babe. What do you say to making sure that Alpha's touch still works?"
Reb wished River was kidding about the time, but he wasn't. The business had flourished. Every weekday, weekend, and holiday was booked, even those that fell on the full moon when only wolvers were accepted as guests.
No one was surprised when Roland put aside the mantle in favor of the wolver he looked upon like a son. River had slowly taken over more and more of the Alpha's duties as they'd agreed five years before. River needed maturity and seasoning. Roland, acting as friend and mentor, taught and counseled the young wolver in wisdom. They argued, and sometimes they fought. Margaret and Reb weren't bothered by it. Polished teacher and rough cut student, the two wolvers loved each other and Roland was the one to say River was ready.
"I'd like a few years of freedom," he told them and laughed. "Yes, the yen for freedom isn't exclusive to the young. Poor Margaret's never had a moment to hersel
f."
Reb was determined to make the most of her time with River.
"Have you ever known me to turn down fudge?" she asked him now.
River leaned back, taking her with him, to turn the lock on the door.
"I love you," he told her before his lips took hers.
Reb's wolf sang at the sound of the words that came so easily to her mate's lips. River used them often; to her, to their son, and to the other pups in the pack. He couldn't yet say it to adults, her mother being the exception, but the pack felt it in everything he did. They felt it in the way he cared for them and worked beside them. No matter how dirty the task, River was always first to arrive and last to leave. His decisions were fair, and while his temper never cooled to the point of her father's, he used it judiciously and only when pushed.
He was an Alpha and she was his Mate and this was what Fate meant them to be. Together.
###
For my readers,
Thanks for reading Wolvers Reward. I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like an advanced announcement of dates for coming books I’ll be happy to add you to our Newsletter list. Just email me at [email protected] or sign up at my website http://www.jacquelinerhoades.com .
On a more personal note, if you have read and enjoyed one (or all) of my books, and would be so kind, please leave a short review saying so on the site where you purchased it. Multiple good reviews and word-of-mouth are the lifeblood of Indie authors like me.
Thanks in advance and, as always, Bless you,
Jackie
About the Author
Jacqueline, known as Jackie to her friends, lives in rural southern Ohio with one lovable husband and two spoiled dogs. She believes coffee is a food group and always has a pot brewing. When not writing, she can usually be found with her nose in someone else's book or working in her garden. She also spends a great deal of time chasing deer and rabbits who apparently also like gardening.
Jackie loves hearing from her readers and is always willing to chat. She can be reached through her website,
http://www.jacquelinerhoades.com/ or at [email protected]
Other Books by Jacqueline Rhoades
Available at All major retailers
*Paranormal Romances *
The Guardians Of The Race
Guardian's Grace
Guardian's Hope #2
Guardian's Joy #3
Guardian’s Faith #4
Guardian’s Patience #5
The Wolvers
The Alpha's Mate
The Alpha's Choice
The Alpha’s Daughter
Rabbit Creek Santa (novella)
Wolver’s Gold
Wolver's Rescue
*Sci-Fi Romance*
Women of Earth
Roark
*Contemporary Romances*
Hidden Mountain Series
Preston's Mill
Changing Times
Wolver's Reward Page 31