“Give me a list and I’ll get on it,” Silas offers.
“Wait...” Jackie says, stopping everyone. “I have an idea.”
We all turn to hear her out.
“Since we have two ships, we can lower the prices for the cruises. And maybe I can give quarterly seminars to the less fortunate, still help women who can’t get on Wintermoon?”
Kade sucks in a sharp breath and looks at me. “So he can sink my ship again? Oh hell no.”
Damon rolls his eyes and everyone falls into laughter. “That sounds like a lovely idea, Jackie,” he says once the laughter dies down. “We’ll work out the logistics after you deliver your cub. The ships won’t be here until next summer anyway.”
She smiles at that, then breaks away from me to pull Damon into a hug. The vampire looks surprised at first but then embraces her gently.
“You were so sweet to me when I first arrived,” she tells him. “I was so scared and sick from the teleportation. You made me feel like a woman. Like family.”
Damon smiles down at her. “You are family, Jackie. All of you are.” He plants a kiss on her forehead and then steps back. “Go back to your clan and let us know when you’re ready.”
Jackie walks back into my arms and looks up at me with the most loving smile I’ve ever seen from her. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
I just smile back at her, my heart full. I want to give her the world, and I’m going to try. This is just the start.
25
JACKIE
Epilogue—Wintermoon Cruise 2.0
Three Years Later
Igive a few of the women assistance with their makeup, helping them find the right shade for their complexion. The cruise ship’s lighting is unforgiving—too harsh and bright—but that’s what makes my seminars so valuable. If you can make your foundation blend here, you can make it work anywhere.
“Just like that,” I encourage, leaning over Monet’s shoulder as she struggles with her blend. I take her brush and demonstrate the correct motion against her medium chocolate skin. “Circular motions, not straight lines. The key is building up thin layers.”
“Thank you,” Monet says, her eyes meeting mine in the mirror. Her voice drops to a whisper. “I cried when I learned you were fated to a bear shifter. I thought I wouldn’t see you again.”
I smile, squeezing her shoulder. “Mother Fate found a way for me to be here.”
“I just want to be ready for my wedding,” she confesses. “And I will now, thanks to you.”
Pride swells as I complete my circuit around the room, offering final tips before wrapping up the seminar. These women come from different economic classes, different backgrounds, but in my class, they’re just women who want to feel beautiful. And that has always been my mission.
After dismissing the class, I make my way out to the docks. The lake stretches out before me under the summer sun. The light dances across the surface, and I feel myself relax.
I close my eyes, letting the gentle breeze caress my skin. Jabari is somewhere around on the ship with our son, Omari, who’s quite the handful. At three years old, he’s already showing his bear temperament—stubborn, playful, and fiercely protective. He’ll be starting at the academy soon, and I’m going to use my quarterly seminars on the cruise ship to keep busy.
These moments of quiet are precious to me now. A chance to reflect on the whirlwind my life has become. A thriving business, a big, beautiful family that spans beyond my shifter clan, and now I’m a mother. I haven’t gotten pregnant again, though not for lack of trying. I have a hunch as to why.
Jabari’s bear.
I laugh to myself, shaking my head. I’m the one doing the chasing these days.
The air shifts around me, and I smile, feeling Jabari’s hands come around my waist and pull me back against his chest. The solid warmth of him grounds me.
“I was waiting for you to come and hover,” I say, not opening my eyes.
His deep chuckle vibrates against my back. “How was the class?”
“It was good. Everyone caught on quickly.” I turn around to face him, running my fingers over his clean beard. He keeps it trimmed now—one of my small victories.
