“Really? What could beat that?” Hunter asks as he carries me home, leaving the chaos behind us.
“If you joined me, of course,” I giggle sheepishly, wanting nothing more than to cling to this joy of finally admitting our love for each other, especially after being stuck in all that darkness tonight.
We're hardly in the clear, even if we defeated the dark energy tonight, and Gwen is still unconscious. But I won't allow myself to become consumed by dark energy, dark thoughts, or any sort of darkness that threatens to steal my joy.
Hunter is my light at the end of the tunnel, and Goddess knows I need some light right now.
Epilogue - Hunter
One Week Later
Rubbing Delilah's shoulders as she stares into the room where Gwen is being kept, I can feel her shivering with worry as she gnaws on her bottom lip.
“I just wish I knew if she was okay…” Delilah whispers with a heavy-hearted sigh. “Mentally, I mean.”
“Considering what you described in her mind when the dark magic was inside her, I can't imagine that she'll be the same when she wakes up.” I turn Delilah around and stare deeply into her eyes. “But we'll deal with it when she wakes up.”
“Ifshe wakes up,” Delilah murmurs with a pout, prompting me to wrap my arms around her.
“I’m just glad that I got you back, D,” I sigh, tightening my arms around her. From the first time when Delilah and Gwen’s minds were connected, the dark magic threatened to harm my mate. That’s how Delilah was infected the first time—when she used a ritual to prove Gwen’s innocence.
But that night, when the witches overpowered the dark force and dissolved it out of Gwen with white magic, Gwen fell unconscious, and she hasn't woken up since.
Delilah, her mother, and Arianna have all tried to use rituals to wake her, talk to her, but Gwen refuses to let anyone in, too traumatized by the events that occurred that night to even open her mind and allow Delilah to speak to her. She probably blames herself for inflicting harm on us, though subconsciously, and won’t let Delilah in after doing more harm than good.
It's going to take time for her to heal, and for now, she's just choosing to stay closed up behind walls of her own making. The pack healer is only there to make sure that Gwen's body is nourished, and all we can do is visit to check up on her.
“Hey, Hunter…Delilah…” Arthur greets us as he comes into the clinic with a bouquet of mixed flowers in one hand.
“Hey, Arthur…” Delilah and I both return in unison, exchanging glances as Arthur heads inside Gwen's room and replaces the old flowers in the vase with the new bouquet.
“Poor Arthur…Gwen's gonna break his heart…” Delilah murmurs as she stares at the gentle giant inside Gwen's room.
“Why?”
Delilah sighs and takes my hand, and we leave the clinic together.
“She likes him, but she's afraid that she doesn't love him the way she's supposed to.”
“Well, that might be a good thing,” I chuckle nervously as we head toward Delilah's parents’ place. “That night when hell broke out at the cottage, the panic led Arthur to discover his fated mate.”
“What?!” Delilah exclaims when we stop at the porch. “Are you serious? Then what is he still doing visiting Gwen?”
“Turns out his mate is the healer,” I chuckle, and Delilah's hand flies to her mouth, her eyes glittering with amusement. “Plus, Arthur is a big softie; he still cares about Gwen as a friend.”
“Gwen has a lot of people who care about her. I just hope she wakes up.”
“Well, I hope we can find the dark lord and the witches working for him before they wreak havoc on us again. Things are awfully quiet, and it's unnerving.”
“Let's just enjoy it for now,” Delilah offers with a shiver. “I could use a little more quiet time.”
“Yeah, me too,” I say as I step forward and press a kiss to her forehead while simultaneously opening the front door. Delilah pulls back and offers me a warm smile, not letting go of my hand as she enters her parents’ house.
Alpha Gabriel and Luna Layla are already waiting at the dinner table for us, playfully jabbing at us for being late. Delilah and I take our seats at the table, and dinner begins with Alpha Gabriel telling us that he has some important news to share.
“In light of your marriage and the subsequent events of last week…” he begins, reaching for his wife's hand and glancing at her with a firm nod. “I have decided to retire as Alpha of Shadow Fang.”
My eyes widen in surprise just as Delilah's jaw drops.
