The Werewolf in the Woods (Sequel to TWITC)

The Werewolf in the Woods...27

Chapter 27

Third-Person POV

     "So, hey, Dominic? Are you still holding a grudge against wolves?" Loren asked with a smirk.

     Marissa raised an eyebrow, curious about Dominic's response. "Is that true?"

     Dominic shot a glare at Loren. "I hate the wolves that took you, Marissa. I never said I hated all wolves-"

     Amaris interrupted with a smirk. "Oh, but you did. You tried to kill me."

     Marissa's eyes widened in surprise. "You tried to kill him?"

     Dominic blinked, stumbling over his words. "I, uh, I wasn't... I was just..."

     Laughter erupted from everyone, including Marissa. Dominic frowned, feeling a bit left out. He wrapped his arm around Marissa and playfully nuzzled her neck. She responded with a purr-like sound. He playfully licked her neck and pulled back, wiggling his eyebrows.

     Marissa warned with a toothy grin, revealing her sharp canines. "You better not mess with me, Dom."

     Dominic raised his eyebrows, finding himself strangely attracted to her canines. He should have been scared, but damn, they were sexy.

     "Yeah, let's give them some alone time," someone suggested amidst the laughter as they all exited the room, leaving Dominic and Marissa alone.

     Marissa grinned, running her tongue along her canines. "You like them?"

     Dominic groaned. "I love them." He pulled her in for a passionate kiss. "And I love you."

~~~~

     As everyone landed back home, they convened at Ady's house. Since they were a pack, everyone voted and thought it was best if they all lived together. Thankfully, Ady's parents helped out with the funds to get them an estate near the woods and the beach to get a head start on building the foundation to finalize their pack.

     And what do you know, Dominic and Marissa were completely on board with staying with them. "Yeah, I'm stuck with you guys. Ever since you made me the first human to be in your pack, there was no way that you were going to get rid of me," he had teased.

     The following weeks were smooth and easy compared to the time they all had in Italy. It consisted of moving everyone's belongings into their respective homes with their mates, if they had one. Even though Brad still did not have a mate, he was completely fine with focusing on his family and their safety. Besides, he didn't need one. Right?

     One starry night, everyone gathered around a campfire on the beach. 

     "So, what's everyone's plans for tomorrow?" Ady asked, looking around at the group.

     "Jasmine and I are going to go for a run on the beach," Marissa volunteered. As the two newest females of the pack, and of the city, they needed to get acclimated with their surroundings.     

     "I'm going to help Aaron with some repairs around the estate," Brad offered. "I think we should map out how far the estate goes so we can fence it."

     "I was thinking of going for a hike in the woods," Dominic said, nodding. "I also don't know too much about the area, so I think I'll get that situated."

     As they sat there, enjoying the warmth of the fire and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, they all felt a sense of belonging and security that they had never experienced before. Even with the knowledge that there were still threats out there, they knew that they could face anything as long as they had each other.

      "To the Fenri Pack!"

     Ady's sudden toast startled them all into silence, and then they were laughing and cheering. They clinked their bottles together, the drinks sliding down their throats, and for a moment, they forgot about everything else. It was just them, together.

     The fire crackled and hissed, sending sparks spiraling up into the night sky. The stars were so bright, they seemed to press down on them, like a weightless embrace. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was a steady rhythm, a lullaby that soothed their restless spirits. The salt air filled their lungs, cleansing them of any lingering doubts or fears.

     As they sat there, lost in conversation and companionship, they began to feel a sense of peace wash over them. They knew that they had made the right decision to stay together, to build a life together. They were a family now, a pack, and nothing would ever change that.

     But deep down, they all knew that the world was a dangerous place, and that there were still challenges ahead. They would face them together, just as they had faced everything else. Because that was what packs did. That was what family did.

     And so, they continued to sit around the fire, sharing stories and laughter, making plans and dreaming of the future. For in that moment, they were safe. They were home. And nothing could ever take that away from them.

The End.

~~~

A/N:

Trust me, I know this ending seems extremely rushed, but I have plans for a trilogy and/or a prequel, and it's tough trying to start them without finishing this one. This book ending has been a long time coming, and I'm glad I finally finished it. It took me years to get back to it, but I'm proud of what I did finish. I might come back to it sometime in the near future to tidy up this rushed ending, but for now, it'll have to be enough.

Thank you all :)