Page 73 of Untamed

He turns and lowers us to the bed. “You don’t have to go to class here ever again,” he growls.

My thighs clench at his promise. So far, he’s fulfilled every single one he’s made me. He kept me safe. I’m leaving the Academy. And when we do escape this place, we’ll be going to his cottage in the woods.

He places his lips on mine, kissing me slowly, taking his time exploring my mouth when I open for him. Fate knew what she was doing when she mated Jonah and me. Right now, she’s probably looking down on us and thinkingIt’s about fucking time.

I couldn’t agree more.

Epilogue

The sun shines on my dirty hands, warming them through my worn gardening gloves. I use the spade to free some posies from the dirt and repot them in white ceramic.

A shadow falls over me, and I lean backward, peering up at my hulking mate who’s blocking out all my sun. “Hey.”

He grins down at me. “You need help moving these out front?”

“Yeah, the posies bloomed, and I know people have been asking for them. Your mom’s going to go nuts.” I smile at the thought of my most enthusiastic client. She single-handedly helped me get my little business off the ground.

He runs his fingers through my hair and kneels next to me. “She’s so proud of you.”

Cindy has become like a second mother. With all the rumors squashed, my parents are welcome at parties again, which the Livestrong’s orchestrated. By their acceptance, the other Lunar couples were happy to see them return.

“Wasn’t Lee’s wife also wanting posies for her front yard? I’ll have to take some to work tomorrow.”

I stand, brushing my hands on my gardening pants. “We’ll set one aside.” Reaching in, I pick a white pot up and carry it in my arms as Jonah steers the wheelbarrow toward the road. His parents sold us half their property a month ago, and we plan on reinvesting the profits of my roadside stand into building greenhouses off the path that leads to our little cottage.

I watch Jonah as he steers, his bulky muscles poking out from under his short-sleeved, black shirt that boasts the Livestrong Security logo. “You’ll get dirty,” I warn.

“When has that ever stopped me?”

I bump into his shoulder, and he beams at me again, his brown hair reflecting the sun’s strong rays. Despite our rocky start, Jonah is the perfect mate. Bonding to another shifter so completely is everything they’ve ever told me and more. I cringe about all those times I wished I wouldn’t bond with anyone because I can’t imagine never havingthisin my life. Someone who loves fully and openly, and who accepts me and my flaws like they’re his own. Our love comes as easy as breathing; as easy as the flowers that blossom in the sun.

I don’t pretend to believe it’s all fate, though. Jonah and I are so wonderfully matched that it can’t possibly be all nature. It took some nurture, too.

“Dad thinks it’s time that I start at the security business full time.”

“Yeah?” I grin. Jonah’s been waiting for this. Brixton isn’t his thing. “That’s great.”

He sets the wheelbarrow down, and we line the flower pots up in the spot I cleared earlier. A car pulls over while we’re working, and I sell a whole flat of petunias before turning to Jonah. He’s sitting on the table, feet dangling over the ground, and watching me with a soft expression.

I stride toward him and pop up on my toes to brush my lips over his. “I’m so proud of you.”

He cups my head, deepening the kiss in the way only my possessive mate can. It turns out, he never really got past that territorial phase, but that’s fine by me. In my mind, I feel all his emotions. They ricochet through me, and I send them straight back to him.

He’s so proud to be able to provide for us. Full-time work at Livestrong Security means full-time pay, and with my growing side business, we’ll be doing just fine. He purrs in the back of his throat. “We’ll be able to get those greenhouses up by next summer.”

I bite my lip, toes curling in my shoes. Before, I never allowed myself to actually think about what I wanted. I was just trying to avoid people and going Feral. Once I opened myself up, the answer became clear. I haven’t set foot in an academy since I left Greystone. I never even attempted to go to Brixton. It’s not what I want.

What I want is this right here. My mate. My flowers. And one day, maybe some pups running around. But dear lord, I still have to have a talk with Jonah’s mom about birthing shifters the size of the Livestrong’s breed out of me. That might change my mind.

Jonah squeezes my hips and yanks me to him. His face is flushed, eyes drilling into me. He must have picked up on my thoughts. “Yes,” he growls, scanning my length. “All of it. The life. The babies.You.” He jumps from the table and throws me over his shoulder. I squeal in mock protest, but in actuality, this might be my favorite thing about Jonah. Molten heat pools in my core, and my thighs shake in anticipation.

With one strong arm around me, he runs back to the house so we can start working on our happily ever after.

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