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He was everything to her, too.
Epilogue
Thetinkingof a metal knife on the side of a champagne flute echoed through the barn.
Timber stopped talking to Corey long enough to cling onto her new husband’s suit-clad arm and pay attention to Damon, who seemed to want to make a toast.
There were plates of delicious food in front of them, and on her right, Sasha sat in her forest-green maid of honor dress. Next to Sasha was Wreck’s mother, who had become so extremely important to Timber over the last few months as they had recovered from the war, and transitioned her to being comfortable in her new shifter life. Beth had been open with wishing to take the maternal spot in Timber’s life, and had filled the hole inside of her with love and light and a healthy relationship. She’d been instrumental in planning this happy day for Timber and Wreck. The ladies of the Fastlanders sat just down the table, clad in beautiful forest-green dresses. They had all become dear friends—more like family.
Wreck had Gunner as his best man, and the rest of the Fastlanders as his groomsmen. Owen had been over the moon during the three months it took to plan this thing, and had even planned the bachelor party…and made them all matching friendship bracelets for it. Wreck even sometimes secretly wore his, when he wore long-sleeved shirts and the guys wouldn’t see it. Timber saw it though.
She knew what was coming, and she wanted to watch Wreck’s face when Damon made the announcement. She hoped he would be happy about it.
Her dreams had absolutely come true because of Wreck. She wore a pretty diamond on her ring finger now, she was clad in a pretty white dress, and she was surrounded by family.
She. Was.Surroundedby family.
This was the best day of her life.
No one who had hurt her had been invited, and the entire day had just been her getting ready with the badass women she adored.
But…she knew what was coming. Their lives were about to get turned upside down, but she had a really good feeling about it.
Damon stood and smiled at Wreck, lifted his drink, and then addressed the audience, sitting at the round tables in the barn, eating their food from the wedding buffet they’d had catered.
“I’ve been waiting for this day,” Damon said.
“Why’s that?” Timber called out. Oh, she knew. Sheknew.
Damon grinned at her, offered her a wink, and addressed the audience. “From the moment I met Wreck, I knew he was special. I knew what had happened, and what he’d gone through, and I just had a feeling he would do good things. I also knew he could be the death of me. He could be the death of everyone if he didn’t find an anchor to this world. When Lucia came to me last year and said she’d seen a partner for him, I was happy, but also worried. The mountains were headed for a hard stretch, and the timing wasn’t great with the war Lucia saw. We’re all still healing from that.”
“Not me!” Owen called out. “I think I can fly now, and probably shoot laser beams out of my eyeballs.”
The audience laughed, and Damon himself chuckled.
“But…” Damon continued as he nodded his head and looked to Timber with a small smile. “It turns out I didn’t need to worry about Wreck—or as his mother and his new wife and matecall him, Josiah. As it turns out, he’s a good one. He can destroy, and he can heal, much like all of us possess the power to do to others.” He lifted his champagne flute. “Timber. You were meant to be a part of these mountains from the start. You were meant to be in Wreck’s life. You were meant to make him happy, and he was meant to protect you.” Damon licked his lips and looked down at his mate, Clara, and then up to Wreck. “After today, you won’t be a Fastlander anymore. I needed to see which way you would go. Whether you would be protective, like the young man I first met, or whether you would be like your father and destroy.”
A slow frown took Wreck’s face. “I don’t understand. I am a Fastlander. You chose that for me.”
Damon stepped around the table he was at, grabbed a packet of paperwork that Clara handed him, then headed toward Wreck. He handed the packet to Wreck. “I had a plan for you all this time. I just needed to see what kind of man you would grow into.”
Wreck glanced at Timber, then opened the folder and skimmed the first page. “I…I don’t understand. Why are you showing me a deed to land? This is a lot of land.” His frown deepened as he read through some of the first paragraph. He looked back up to the blue dragon. “What is this?”
“My dragon is restless, and needing more territory. You are going to claim it on my behalf. You will be the Alpha of the next Crew of my mountains.”
“What…” Wreck looked at Timber, and her smile couldn’t get any bigger even if she tried. “Did you know about this?” he asked her.
“Yes,” she said thickly. “Damon made sure I was up for moving before he brought it to you. He knows I have found a family here. He was very kind, and gave me a lot of time to think on it.” She nodded in encouragement. “The Fastlanders knowtoo, and the girls will be FaceTiming me anytime I need it. And Sasha is going with us. She’s already getting everything together to transfer to a local hospital there for work. Your mom? She’s moving near us. We’re going to do this, Josiah. You’resupposedto do this. You’re supposed to be an Alpha.”
Damon said, “You will need your support system with you, because the shifters you will have under you will test you. Sometimes you may need to put them down. I need someone strong enough to do it.”
Wreck frowned. “Who do you have in mind for the Crew?”
And that ol’ dragon got a wicked glint to his eyes. “Have you ever heard of the Cold Foot Prison?”
“Of course,” he gritted out. “The worst of the worst shifters are sent there, buried underground, and the world is safer for it.”
A devilish smile stretched across the dragon’s lips. “I am going to bust it open, Wreck. I’m going to free some of our people who shouldn’t be there. You were never meant to be under anyone. You’re meant to be an Alpha. We’ll see how many you can save.”
