They stood there for a few moments longer, not quite sure what had just happened. Glancing out the window, Luna saw Caleb and the others peeping inside, looking as confused as she felt. She gave them a wave to signal that everything was okay,and Caleb acknowledged it with a nod, before they all wandered off to presumably give Luna and Henry some space.
Turning back to Henry, she slid into his waiting arms and leaned exhaustedly against him, closing her eyes and resting her head against his chest, and listening to the slow, steady beat of his heart. Now that it was all over, it was probably soon going to start sinking in just howabsolutely insanethe past couple of days had been.
And here I thought coming to Girdwood Springs for a small-town festival would be my chance to have a break from high-stress assignments!
She reveled in the feeling of his hand stroking her hair for a few minutes, just letting it soothe away her troubles.
Is that it? Is it really over?
Of course, in many ways, it was only just beginning. She’d come here to write about food, not to fall in love with a quaint country town and find out that she was fated to be the mate of an amazing, caring, extremely handsome man who could also turn into a ferocious hellhound, albeit one that actually looked like it might also be quite cuddly.
It was clear that she was going to have to reevaluate alotof things about her life that she had always just assumed were set in stone. But that was okay – better than okay. Even if itwasa bit scary.
She was ready for a new chapter in her life.
Despite how much she wanted to stay curled up against Henry’s warm chest forever, she pulled herself away from him with an effort, looking up into his gorgeous eyes.
“I don’t pretend to know exactly what just happened,” she said. “But I do know that I’d like to get out of here for a while. And I’d like to check that our curses reallyhavebeen lifted.” She smiled, all tension gone from her body. “Would you like to go have a wander around the festival with me? No bad luck,no crazed animals, no worrying about work. Just you and me, having a nice time.”
Henry smiled back, his whole face lighting up in a way she never could have imagined when she first met him. “That sounds amazing.”
He’s mine. He’s all mine. And I’m his.
Forever.
She took his hand, and together they stepped out into the sunshine.
Epilogue
Eight months later
“Fillmore! Fillmore, get back here!”
Luna sighed as Fillmore bounded through the front door of Sylvie’s Sweets and Bakery – probably less because he wanted to see Sylvie herself, and more because he knew that Sylvie would bring him a treat. He had grown used to the people of Girdwood Springs, but he still didn’t reallylikeanyone except for Luna herself… and, of course, Henry.
It’s nice to know that he likes Henry for Henry’s sake, and not just because a curse told him to.
She followed him through the door, Henry close behind, and watched as Sylvie came out from the back room bearing a small bag of doggy treats. Fillmore happily bounced around Sylvie’s ankles as she crouched down, telling him things that were objectively untrue likeWho’s a very well-behaved little man, hey?andYou’re just cute as a button, aren’t you?before filling her palm with treats and presenting them to him. Fillmore,delirious with joy, gobbled them up from her hand, then flopped onto the ground, satiated.
“Sorry, now that that’s dealt with, I can tell you both how great it is to see you again!” Sylvie laughed as she stood, going to the sink to wash her hands. “Where was it this time? India? Kenya? Scotland?”
“South America,” Luna replied. “A whole bunch of it. A month wasn’t nearly enough!”
And it hadn’t been. There was so much of the world to see, and so little time. Doubly so, when she also felt the pull of Girdwood Springs.
This town had become her home base over the past eight months – hers, and Henry’s. Her article about the festival had been so well-received that she’d been offered a promotion to a role that involved actual proper travel writing, not just numbered lists with catchy titles, and it was a dream come true.
It was even better than a dream, because somehow – perhaps, she thought, through a certain dragon’s luck – her editor had been willing to hire her a bodyguard, so that she could safely go to locations that might otherwise be considered too risky. Traveling with Henry was the most amazing experience, especially since he had never really been anywhere before – his sense of wonder had renewed the joy of travel for her as well, reminding her of just why she had gone into this line of work in the first place.
The two of them had gotten back last night, but they’d taken their time, heading back to their little cottage for the evening to rest, recuperate, and…otherthings… before picking up Fillmore from Kieran and Natasha this morning.
Sylvie pulled her in for a hug. “It’s so good to have you back.”
“It’s good to be back,” she said truthfully.
“Likewise,” said Henry. “All of this travel is amazing, but it’s good to know that there’s somewhere you belong.”
It had been cautious going at first, but Girdwood Springs had embraced Henry as one of their own, despite his hellhound aura. It seemed like it could be overcome after all, once people got used to it – and it helped, Luna supposed, that beloved town residents like Sylvie and Gale, Caleb and Kira, and Kieran and Natasha had been the ones to introduce him around.
