“Are you going to tell me what that is?” I said.
Anders sighed, then let out a low chuckle. “Well, I’d wanted to bring you home to a warm welcome. I made sure to spread the news that you were alive and safe, and that you would be coming back as my mate. The whole town will be there. Most of them anyway.”
I stopped walking and raised an eyebrow. “You werethatsure I’d say yes?”
His eyes slid away from mine, and he looked at the ground. “Well, honestly, the town doesn’t know what’s going to happen. They’re ready to see me come back with you at my side, or for me to officially announce that you are no longer a member of our pack.” When he looked at me again, his face was that of a shy boy instead of a powerful alpha. “I had high hopes, though.”
“Huh.” It was all I could say. Everything felt surreal. Part of me truly thought I might wake up any second and find myself back in bed with Levi. Shrugging, I allowed Anders to lead me on toward a new future.
When we finally exited the forest, I was greeted with a roar of approval that had me physically flinching back in surprise. Hidden Grove was less than a quarter of the size of Idlewild, and I’d been there long enough that I’d gotten used to the quaintness and the calming quiet of being tucked into the forest. Seeing the paved streets, buildings, and people—somanypeople—was a bit shocking.
The joy of seeing my grandparents again dwarfed my surprise. They rushed forward, shoving people aside on their way to me. Tears blurred my vision as I opened my arms and embraced them.
“My girl,” Gran said, pressing her face into my shoulder. “Oh, my darling girl, we were so worried about you.” She shook with sobs as she crushed me to her.
Grandpa wrapped us both in his embrace, resting his chin on my head. “I knew you’d come back to us. I always had faith,” he said, whispering the words so only we could hear.
“Long time no see, asshole.”
Looking up, I found Beatrice walking toward me, her eyes red and puffy.
“I thought I’d never see you again,” she said.
Extracting myself from my grandparents’ embrace, I hugged her. “I’ve got a hell of a story to tell you.”
Beatrice punched my shoulder playfully. “Damn right you do.”
“All right everyone,” Anders said, raising his voice.
The crowd went quiet. He hadn’t been lying. It looked like all of Idlewild was here. It was hard to deny a request from an alpha, especially one as headstrong and moody as Anders.
“I promised you a big day,” Anders went on, a huge smile on his face. “And I have delivered. I’ve returned from the Shadow Forest and brought Juniper Hollis back to us. Rescued her from the Demon Wolf and returned her to her rightful place in Idlewild.”
As the crowd roared, I shot him a sidelong glance. He hadn’trescuedme from Levi. I hadn’t needed rescuing. Though, it probably made him appear more impressive to the pack. Plus, most people here believed a lot of the old stories and legends about Leviathan Cross. I kept my mouth shut and decided to let him have his story. I wouldn’t correct him unless it grew more outlandish.
Anders took my hand and led me closer to the crowd. The crowd was still applauding and cheering as Anders pulled a jewelry box out of his jeans pocket.
“Long ago, my family used to pass down a set of very special items. Alpha to mate, and so on for generations. I would like to do the same here and now.” He opened the box, and I let out a little gasp of surprise. Inside was a pair of earrings and a ring, all an exact match for the infinity necklace Levi had given me. I still had the necklace in my pocket. Anders had returned it to me, and I’d yet to have it fixed. There was no doubt that these items were part of a matching set. How had Levi given the necklace to Naphele if it had belonged to Anders’s family?
“Juniper Hollis,” Anders said, facing me. “I accept you as my mate, if you will accept me as yours. What do you say?”
As I glanced around, I was struck by how strange all this was. I’d always been a bit of an outcast here, and now every person looked like they were hanging on my every word. Weird.
“Uhm.” This was what I’d always wanted. The entire reason I’d gone into the forest to search out Levi to begin with. Why was I hesitating?
I cleared my throat. “Idoaccept.”
Anders grabbed my hips and pulled me close, kissing me. An actual, honest-to-God kiss. FromAnders.
Shocked and utterly surprised, I stood frozen and rigid for several seconds, before finally letting go and allowing it. The kiss wasn’t as gentle as Levi’s, more urgent and forceful, much like Anders himself. I would grow used to it, I was sure. Each person was different.
Another roar of approval slammed into me, like a concussive blast. I pulled away from the kiss, laughing in surprise at the sheer volume. Anders fastened the earrings at my ears, then slid the ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly.
Anders held up his hand for quiet. “I think June here has another surprise for everyone.” He winked at me. “Wanna show them?”
It took a moment for me to realize what he was talking about. Then it struck me. I could shift now. The whole town knew I couldn’t shift. It was one of the main reasons Anders had initially rejected me before his change of heart. How would they react when they saw what I could do?
Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward and glanced at my grandparents. They looked intrigued and confused. I couldn’t suppress the grin that came to my face when I thought about what they were about to see. I hoped they’d be proud.
