Page 20 of I Don’t Believe In Fated Mates!

Cole's laughing so hard he can barely breathe. "Oh, I'm framing it."

The Frostbane Alpha—Darius Frost—folds his arms. His lip lifts in a sneer. "Quite the spectacle, Alpha. Are you still Alpha?"

Jesse lets out a low, rumbling growl.

Cole walks over to a table and jumps on top, almost knocking over a gravy boat. "Attention!" he shouts. "Our Alpha has enough integrity to keep his word even in a case where it might cause embarrassment. Does anyone question whether he is still Alpha? Because, personally, I think that no wedding is complete without a quick death match."

Dax nods vigorously. "Agreed."

The thing is, I think Cole was kinda kidding about that last part - but Dax was deathly serious.

And then Jesse turns toward me, his expression softening instantly, as if the entire world just faded away. He strides across the grass, barefoot, powerful, and still half-wild, until he's standing in front of me.

He takes my hand, eyes glowing faintly amber. "May I have this dance?" he asks.

"This dance, and every dance for the rest of our lives."

Epilogue

LANE

Two months later…

The Ward family dining room is twice the size of my entire college apartment, and somehow still feels too small for the sheer personality inside it.

A massive, glossy oak table stretches nearly wall-to-wall. The chandelier overhead is made from antlers. The walls are hung with framed pack history—old photographs, worn maps, painted portraits of past ancestors.

The scent of roasted meat and herbs fills the air—along with something briny and oceanic that makes my stomach turn.

Jesse's mother, always elegant, sweeps in carrying a silver platter piled high with fresh oysters. "Lane, darling, we got these for you. I remember how much you love these."

I swallow hard and shake my head. I'm not quite ready to say what needs to be said. So instead I say "Oh—no thank you."

Her brows lift.

"Jesse," I interject. "What did you say about Dax and that girl his family wanted to arrange a mating contract with?"

"Oh, right, the Cornerstone pack. Completely unsuitable." Jesse regales us with tales of how, even though they're very wealthy, complete insanity runs through that pack, including a great-aunt who likes to strip naked on the full moon and run through town – human towns.

We laugh until we're crying.

All is well until Marion brings out a bottle of wine and expertly uncorks it. Deep red, fragrant. Delicious.

"Oh, not tonight."

"You love reds." Marion gives me a puzzled look.

"Oh, I'm just not up to it tonight."

Now the entire room goes silent.

Jesse glances around, looking baffled. "Why is everyone staring at me?"

His mother, passing behind him, flicks him on the back of the head.

Jesse glares at her. "Mom! I'm not a cub any more, thank you very much."

Cole, who is sitting on the other side of him from me, nudges him immediately afterward, then punches his arm. "Seriously?"