“I know.” Jacqueline turned around and kissed him. “Our family. Our pack.”
“And you.” Arlo cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again, slow and tenderly. “My precious mate. My love. None of this would have happened without you.”
Jacqueline wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. The ocean stretched out around them, enveloped by the protective slopes of Hideaway Cove.
She’d been paralyzed with fear for so long, she’d forgotten what it was like to take action and ride the consequences through, whatever happened. But she’d finally done it. Everything could have gone wrong—but instead, it was going so, so right.
She kissed Arlo hard.
I know what I want. And this is it.
Not just a fresh start—a whole new world to explore.
With my mate.
Epilogue
Arlo
“You’ll get it all sweaty!” Kenna chided him.
“Ahh!” Tally added. “Yuck!”
Arlo clenched his fist around the small circle of metal. Kenna tsked at him.
“Give it to me!”
“Give what to you? Arlo, what—”
Jacqueline’s voice broke off in a gasp of amazement as she rounded the corner. Arlo spun around, clasping his hands together behind his back. Kenna immediately started prying his fingers apart.
Arlo was too distracted by the sight of his mate to care.
It was three months since Jacqueline had come to Hideaway Cove and Arlo’s solitary life had exploded. The bones of their house at the bottom of Lighthouse Hill had been built: a strong foundation for what would soon be the bustling home for their pack, half tucked into the hill, half stretching out over the water. Jacqueline had split her time between Dunston and Hideaway… until now.
Arlo drew in a deep breath. The white button-down shirt he’d borrowed off Harrison scratched at his throat. He’d told Jacqueline he had something important to talk to her about tonight. Had she guessed what he was planning?
She was wearing a flowing dress that made her look like a mermaid who’d just stepped out of the waves. Her hair was held off her face in a tumble of glossy curls. But it was her eyes that shone the brightest as she took in Arlo in his scratchy suit, the four children gathered around, and the covered table behind them.
“What’s going on?” she asked, her lips curving into a smile. “Dylan, you said you had a surprise to show me before the party at Caro’s?”
She was talking to Dylan, who’d led her in, but her eyes were locked on to Arlo’s. He swallowed. Kenna pushed something back into his hands: a small box.
Eric cleared his throat. “We’re going to head to Caro’s soon. But first…”
They were standing on what would one day be the living room of their pack’s home. Right now, it was more like a deck overlooking the water, with tarp-covered stud walls outlining where the walls and doors would one day be. Eric nodded to Kenna and they each expertly flicked the tarps away, revealing strings of glittering fairy lights wound around and between them.
Jacqueline gasped and Arlo’s heart swelled. The kids had all made huge strides in their control of their telepathic abilities, but they couldn’t keep their pride from leaking out as they watched Jacqueline take in their decorations. They had turned the work site into a magical grotto.
“This is amazing,” Jacqueline breathed.
“We’re going to head off now.” Kenna tossed her head and sent Arlo a telepathic command so brusque and no-nonsense that he couldn’t help a sudden bark of laughter. “The Menzies are doing a big sleepover after the party so we’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
She hugged Jacqueline and gestured for the others to all do the same. Arlo waited as Jacqueline hugged them all goodnight. She picked Tally up for a cuddle and a kiss, before handing her to Kenna.
Jacqueline raised her eyebrows at Arlo as the kids headed back to the main road to walk to the restaurant. “What did Kenna say to you?”
“You noticed that?” Arlo rubbed the back of his neck.