Page 46 of Walker

“I thought you weren’t asking.” I raisedan eyebrow.

“Anya,” he warned.

I smiled and reached up to grab his biceps.“Of course, I’ll marry you. But if you ever close our bond down again, you’llsleep outside for a year.”

His deep chuckle filled the bathroom ashe pushed me under the water.

“Deal.”

We crashed into each other, kissingpassionately and for once I could just be a newly mated girl in love and carefree. No worrying about the world ending or evil monsters coming after myfamily. I still didn’t know if I was the Matefinder again or if that somehowgot lost when Gavin and I switched back, but it didn’t matter. Gavin and Iwould find our way, together.

EPILOGUE

It had been two months since Gavin and Ikilled Mukesh. The pack had moved back to Mount Hood and the humans were forthe large part, going through the proper channels to apply for their familymembers to be changed. The government was worried with so many changed wolvesthat the scales would tip in the supernaturals favor, but there was really noother peaceful solution. Since changed wolves have gifts, it was going tocreate quite the interesting race in about fifty more years. My father had had awonderful funeral service for Alexa and Nahuel on Mount Hood. Hundreds ofshamans and warriors had shown up for the service and all of them introducedthemselves to Gavin, paying their respects. Gavin and I had a city hall weddingmuch to the anger of my father. We were already mated so a fancy ceremony wasn’tneeded and we really only needed the paper for the Canadian government. Gavinand I also decided to forgo wedding rings and instead got tattoos on ourfinger. We both got a tiny heart.

Today was moving day. We had just settledinto Nahuel’s cabin. Lina’s family was kind enough to go through all of histhings and donate most and put the rest in storage for us. Gavin and I movedall of our furniture from the Mount Hood house up here and I already had somepaint colors picked out for the new master bedroom. It felt right to be livingin this home.

I opened one of the boxes in the livingroom and smiled. It was one of the sage bundles Nahuel had given me. Pulling itout, I brought it to the gas stove and set it alight. Nahuel would want us tocleanse this place. Out with the old energy and in with the new. I walkedaround the house letting the tendrils curl up toward the ceiling and tried tofocus on my energies of calm and peace and cleansing. But if I was being honestwith myself, one thing was still bothering me. Growing up as the Matefinder, Ifelt special. Yes, I was compared to my mother my whole life, which sucked, butI was unique. Then I became this half witch, half light keeper, bear shifterthing, and I was really special. Now … I was just a wolf. Half witch still, butmy mom confided that she thought my Matefinder abilities should have shown upby now. There were so many new wolves at the funeral that I shook hands with.Not one vision. I felt ordinary. I was still an anchor for Lina’s cousin, butthat didn’t really require much except staying alive and meditating. I hadn’trealized how much I valued being the Matefinder and following in my mom’sfootsteps until now.

The doorbell rang just as I was finishingthe upstairs sage smudging.

“Babe! Neighbors are here to meet us,” Gavincalled.

I put the sage out in the sink andhurried downstairs. As I came into the hallway I recognized the man Gavin wasspeaking to. He was the local alpha my dad had called to ask his permission forme and Gavin to live here but stay a member of my dad’s pack. I’d never met himbut my dad showed me his picture and said he was a good guy.

As I approached, the young man, wholooked to be about twenty-five years old with wavy blond hair, stuck his handout. “You must be Anya. I have a lot of respect for your dad and what he did tohelp the wolves. I’m Joey.”

I smiled warmly, taking his hand, butbefore I could speak, I was pulled into a vision. I saw his mate, a pretty girlwith dark brown hair and blue eyes. She was a fashion designer in London. Hadjust joined a new pack there after living in a small pack in Italy. I knew herapartment address and the name of her local alpha. It was hard to explain how,but it was … just transferred to me. Just a knowing. Then I was pulled out ofthe vision and saw that Gavin was shaking my shoulders and Joey looked alarmed.

“Anya!” Gavin screamed.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts andsmiled at Joey. “I know who your mate is.”

His jaw dropped at the same time as Gavingrinned.

“What?” Joey asked.

Gavin spoke proudly. “She’s a Matefinder.Like her mother.”

I gave Gavin a smile. Everything workedout in the end. All was as it should be.

THE END