Forever Mine

EPILOGUE

Roxy's breath was shaky, her hands trembled and her legs knocked against each other as she walked. Winter had well and truly arrived, the snowfall they'd had overnight blanketing the once brown grass in a sea of white. Even through her boots, the cold of the snow bit her feet through the leather. The train of the cloak she wore dragged a trail behind her and she wrapped the shawl of it around her bare shoulders tighter when she shivered. The cloak was made of the beautiful leaves which had tumbled from the trees' branches during autumn; a stunning mirage of red, orange and yellow. The children and elders of the pack had weaved the stems of the leaves by hand for the ceremony, along with the crowns. Luckily they'd managed to scavenge enough before winter had consumed them. They could've waited until spring, when the territory would come alive again with blooming flowers and the weather would be slightly warmer, but they didn't want to wait. After a tumultuous three months Roxy believed the pack needed a day of celebration.

'Are you trembling from fear or the cold?' Roxy jumped when Trent spoke lowly in her ear. It was customary for the Alpha of the wolf leaving their pack to give them to their soulmate in the bonding ceremonies. 'And don't tell me it's the cold because we're werewolves – we barely feel it.'

She forced moisture into her mouth as they loomed on the edges of their destination, the forest which surrounded the Moonlight Ridge houses. 'I'm fine.'

Trent halted them, moving around to look at her. 'No, you're not. Roxy, if you're not ready for this...'

'I am,' she said determinedly before giving a faltering smile. Her hands gripped the stems of her flower bouquet, which would match her crown, tightly. 'It's just not how I imagined it to be.'

Trent's eyes softened. 'Then don't you want to wait, until it's how you want it to be?'

Roxy chewed her lip, her wolf able to navigate Isaac's precise location amongst the woods. Maybe Trent was right. Maybe they should wait until things had calmed down, rather than worrying about making everyone else happy. But despite this, the thought of delaying the bonding ceremony made her sadder than the thought of things being different. The Alpha waiting for her beneath the arch was still the same wolf she'd fallen in love with. Despite the venom which now pulsed through his veins, he still loved her and made her smile. Not once, like everyone had feared with her decision, had he ever frightened or harmed her.

It'd been three months since the battle. Three months since Isaac's transition. Three months since the wolves who'd witnessed it lives had changed, since they'd been bound to keep a secret which could have them prosecuted if it was ever discovered. Roxy hadn't expected them to be okay with the idea of Isaac being turned into an illegal creature – one of the very creatures they'd watched their fellow pack members get killed by. But the thought of losing their Alpha had broken the hearts of Moonlight Ridge, and Saltwater Woods hadn't been able to stand the thought of one of their own being condemned to a life of heartache. Olivia and Iris of Big Sky had been the ones to show the most hesitancy. Roxy hadn't blamed them, the blood wolves had been the ones to destroy their pack after all.

Just when Roxy had thought she'd really have to say goodbye to the love of her life, she wasn't going to go ahead with the transition if a single wolf objected, Olivia had stepped forward.

'Alpha Winters is someone I look up to and he is the only person who can understand what I'm going through. I need his guidance. I need him in my life, to help me be the best Alpha I can for my pack.' The young girl had said, her saddened eyes constantly glancing to the lifeless body of Isaac's wolf.

Roxy had to admit she'd been hesitant herself about the decision she'd made. After seeing the carnage the blood wolves had caused, how ruthless they'd been during her and Cleo's imprisonment, she wondered why she'd want to turn Isaac into such a thing. Already he saw himself as a monster, traumatised by his parents' deaths, and she feared that while she'd be keeping him alive it was out of selfishness. Isaac was sensitive and an Alpha of great pride. Surely he wouldn't like being turned into the creature which had caused so much pain to the werewolf community throughout the years, the ones who'd kidnapped his soulmate so they could use her to breed with. But Tobias' words had continued ringing through her ear, which had led her to the drastic decision.