Someone began clapping slowly in the audience, and another followed. More joined in until the sound of applause was deafening. Some walked out, and some looked angry, but the cheering overwhelmed the jeering. Cora Wright nodded her head slowly as she clapped, eyes on Quinn with something akin to pride in her eyes. The Blue-Haired Ladies in the front were whistling and cheering, and Moira stood leaned against a side wall, a smile stretching her face. Even Mayor Randolph was clapping.
And when she looked toward the door, a man with dark hair and sparking gold-green eyes stood stoically. The corners of his lips turned up in a slow smile. He offered her a small wave and mouthed well done. She recognized him from the photo albums Ma had showed her. Bruiser Keller had come to show his support after all.
And from the way Ma was sobbing with her hands over her mouth at the end of the row, her shoulders shaking with emotion and her eyes locked on Bruiser, she’d seen her adopted son, too.
Rory squeezed her hand even tighter as tears streamed down her face, matching Quinn’s.
And Dade. Her Dade. Her tall, confident, steadfast mate was staring at her with such adoration in his eyes. He blinked hard and cupped her cheek. “You’re amazing,” he whispered, and she glowed under his tender touch and hushed compliment.
Leaning forward, he pressed his lips against hers, settling the rest of the remaining nerves that fluttered around in her stomach.
Easing back, Dade rested his forehead against hers. She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent as the pad of his thumb traced little circles across her cheek.
For as long as she lived, she was in this with him.
He’d saved her life, then given her so much more. Her bear, love, friendship, a family. A home.
From now on, no more hiding. No more fear.
For the rest of always, she would stand tall beside her crew in the arms of the man who had proved worthy of her heart.
Epilogue
“You can do this. Just open yourself up to her,” Dade advised.
He sat on the porch cuddling two very happy-looking doggies in his arms. Daffodil and Beans now followed Dade wherever he went. Arms tingling with nervousness, Quinn jumped up and down in front of Dade’s cabin, naked as a jaybird and covered in gooseflesh from the chilly wind.
She snorted a laugh as Dade bent down and kissed one of the pink bows on top of Daffodil’s head. He didn’t have a shirt on, and his scars stood stark all over his body. His eyes were bright because he was on the verge of needing to Change, but that didn’t stop him from cuddling the frilliest dogs on the planet.
“I can’t even take your advice seriously with you cuddling those dogs like that. Big tough guy. Just a werebear and his yorkies.”
“Bear shifter,” he corrected. He set them down and herded them inside.
Her dogs listened to Dade way better than they did to her. If she told them to go inside like that, they’d look at her like she needed to make them bacon first.
“I only get to play with Tank when I work my forty-eight hour shifts, woman. In between, I get time with Daffodil and Beans.”
She snorted a laugh at their ridiculous names in his deep baritone voice.
“Now stop messing around and focus. You were the one who wanted to Change today.”
“Yeah, because Bruiser is Changing with everyone else, and it’s hard for all of us to get together. I don’t want to be left out.”
“Well, Bruiser has a flight to catch. He’s missing Diem and needs to get back to the Ashe Crew, so chop chop. They’re probably all waiting on us.”
“You’re rushing me.”
Dade hooked his hands on his hips and arched his brows. “I told you I’d draw your bear from you, and you said you didn’t want the help.”
“I’m scared.”
He sighed, tossing his head back and glaring at the lone rain cloud above. “Then let me do it for you this first time, and you won’t have to be scared anymore.” He settled his gold gaze back on her. “Deal?”
“I got a sticker in my foot.” She plucked the little thorn from her arch and pouted. Not because it really hurt, but because it was funny watching Dade shake his head with an utter look of defeat.
He gritted his teeth and pulled her waist against him, then kissed her hard, tongue pushing past her lips and brushing hers. A soft moan wrenched from her throat as she slid her hands up his chest and around his neck.
He rolled his hips against her, his denim brushing her sex. He bit her bottom lip and pulled on the backs of her knees until she encircled his hips.
A soft growl rattled her chest, and she eased back, feeling her animal stretch awake inside of her. “Oooh, I see what you did there.”
“Well, don’t fight her, woman. Let her out.”