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Epilogue One

Mabel

Thorne makes good on two promises at once. “I can’t believe you got tickets to the Pushing Daisies concert in Las Vegas.” I cuddle up as close as the first-class seat allows. Luckily, this is only a two-hour flight because I freaking hate airplane bathrooms and this pregnancy has me rushing to the bathroom almost hourly.

We had to wait three months before taking our belated honeymoon to give me time to get over the morning sickness from hell. My poor Bossy Bear almost lost his mind with me puking several times a day.

“I promised you I’d replace your Pushing Daisies t-shirt and give you a human wedding.” My mate lifts my hand to his warm lips and places a soft kiss across my knuckles. And I always keep my promises. No matter how much it pains me to sit through three hours of the hard rock band howling on stage.

Thorne’s unspoken grumble flashes through my mind, and I smack his shoulder. “They do not howl. They sing loudly,” I defend my favorite band.

“I still can’t get used to you knowing my thoughts.” A couple of weeks ago, we discovered another neat side effect of pregnancy hormones—the ability for us to speak to each other telepathically.

“Does it bother you?” I hope my mate doesn’t feel that I’m intruding on his thoughts.

“Not at all. I love sharing everything with you. Everything,” Thorne reassures me. “Well, almost everything. Papa Bear taught me how to shield my mind in order to keep special surprises from you.” That will be a handy trick at Christmas time.

Once I started sensing his thoughts, Thorne explained to me that most bear shifters can communicate nonverbally with their bear shifter mates, but he had no idea if it would also be true with our shifter-human mating.

“And another thing. That band howls louder than a cat on a liver truck.” Bossy Bear gives a fake shudder to demonstrate his point.

The next night, I stare down at the diamond ring on my finger. Earlier today, we had a short, simple wedding ceremony, and Thorne surprised me with the two-carat emerald-cut diamond ring.

I love you. I communicate to Thorne, wondering if he’ll hear my unspoken words over the loud music on stage.

I love you, too, sweet girl. Bossy Bear wraps his arm around my shoulder and hugs me close. I’m not going to lie; I kinda feel silly standing in the empty pit with just my mate.

Thorne went overboard in his effort to make me happy. Bossy Bear bought every single pit ticket so I could be close to the stage without taking the chance that some wild concertgoer might bump into me and hurt the baby.

I really think you went a little crazy. Buying two hundred tickets to this concert was too much. Thorne waited until we arrived and found the completely empty pit to tell me what he’d done. I’m truly shocked that he managed to shield his secret from me until tonight.

Nothing is too much for my sweet girl. I live to make you happy. Bossy Bear’s words melt my heart, and I feel tears forming in my eyes. Darn pregnancy hormones.

Then we’re a perfect pair because you mean everything to me. I lean against my husband, hoping this concert ends soon so we can go back to our hotel room and I can show him just how much.