EPILOGUE. Paenther stood at the foot of his bed, his arms crossed over his chest, one shoulder leaning against the high post

One week later

Paenther stood at the foot of his bed, his arms crossed over his chest, one shoulder leaning against the high post, a smile pulling at his mouth as he watched Skye. She sat in the middle of his bed, her legs crossed in her brand-new fitted jeans, her slender form and small breasts displayed to fine advantage in the soft purple shirt she’d donned that morning.

On her shoulder, her cockatiel leaned forward to rub its cheek against hers. In her lap, the black schnauzer puppy played with the tabby kitten. Sweet laughter burst from Skye’s throat, and he grinned outright. He’d never tire of hearing her laugh.

They’d been officially mated exactly twenty-four hours, and the Ferals were still showering her with gifts. Tighe, under Delaney’s direction, had bought her two new outfits, including the one she wore now. Hawke had given her the cockatiel. Jag had dropped the kitten in her lap during the mating feast yesterday afternoon while Wulfe had left the puppy tied to their bedroom door during an intimate moment that had been quickly aborted at the sound of the animal’s high-pitched cry. As she’d held the puppy with tears in her eyes, he’d quickly forgiven Wulfe the interruption.

Hell, every Feral had brought her something. Except Vhyper. Vhype spent all night every night fighting draden, usually alone. During the day he rarely left his room. Paenther had tried to talk to him, but each time Vhype had calmly, but firmly, turned him away.

Skye looked up at him, her happiness dimming. “What’s the matter? ”

“Nothing.” Nothing a bit of Feral persistence wouldn’t solve. Vhyper would come around. Paenther would see to it. Meanwhile, he wanted the happiness back at full brightness in his mate’s eyes.

He grinned and shook his head at her.

“What? ” she asked, laughter in her voice.

“I’m thinking we may need to buy a second house just for the animals. Maybe a farm.”

She gave him an impish smile, but the touch of worry was genuine. “Do you mind? ”

“Never.” He sat on the bed beside her, leaned forward and kissed her. “All I want is to see you happy, and animals will always be a part of that.”

She reached for him, touching his face. “All I need to be happy is you.”

He kissed her again, a long lingering kiss that promised to evolve into something far deeper. Until he heard a rap at the door.

“Come in.”

Lyon poked his head in the door. “You ready? ”

“We’ll be right there.”

Skye looked up with confusion. “Are we both going? ”

He stood and held his hand out for her. “Lyon’s gift to you is a little complicated. We’ll be gone all day. Kara’s offered to watch the menagerie.”

“Where are we going? ”

“You’ll see.”

Several hours later, the car Lyon had rented at the airport pulled up in front of Ezekiel’s house.

Skye looked at Paenther with confusion and no small amount of trepidation. Because they hadn’t come alone this time. Lyon, Tighe, and Wulfe were with them, Tighe having flown them to the Outer Banks in his small, private airplane. And all four Ferals were heavily armed with knives.

Paenther squeezed her thigh as Lyon turned off the engine. “Trust us? ”

She pressed her head to his shoulder. “I do. But he’s Mage.”

She felt Paenther’s lips press against her hair. “Not all Mage are the enemy.” When she looked up at him, love shone from his eyes, and something else. Something sharp and expectant.

“What’s going on, Paenther? ”

“I’ll show you.”

The four big men piled out of the car. Paenther held her hand, helping her out, and together they walked up the walk. Belatedly, it dawned on her that the Ferals hadn’t asked her to lead them.

“You can see it? ”

“He’s expecting us, ” Paenther told her.

At that moment, Ezekiel opened the front door and stepped out onto the stoop wearing fresh, modern clothes, his hair clean and pulled back at his nape. As if he’d spruced up for company. Behind him stood the Shaman. A frisson of nervous excitement frayed the edges of Skye’s calm. But as she accompanied the Ferals up the stairs, she felt their tension mount, and her own followed.

Ezekiel smiled at her and she went to him and kissed his cheek. “What you taught me saved the day.”

“I’m glad, Skye. I’m glad. Now go on in. There’s someone here who’s anxious to see you.”

She glanced at Paenther, who took her hand. Lyon and Tighe went through the door first. Not until Lyon nodded did Paenther lead her into the house.

Three people stood in the middle of the living room, a lovely woman with long dark hair, fine features, and tears filling her copper-ringed eyes flanked by two heavily armed Mage sentinels with looks of soft joy on their faces.

Skye stared at them, one after the other, shivers of sweet recognition fizzing beneath her skin. Her own eyes filled with tears as they found the woman and clung.

“Momma? ” Her voice broke beneath the weight of her joy.

“Baby. My Skye.” Her mother’s voice fell on a sob. “It’s really you.” Skye rushed into her arms and was quickly enveloped in a group hug as the two sentinels, her beloved uncles, joined them. One by one, she looked into their eyes, seeing tears and love and warm, caring souls.

Her hands went to them, touching their faces, one after the other, unable to believe this was real. “Inir didn’t get to you.”

“No, ” her mother whispered. “I’ve dreamed of this day for forty-one years, baby. I never thought I’d see it.”

“Me either.” Skye laughed and turned to look at Paenther. “Did you do this? ”

He smiled at her, a suspicious moisture in his eyes. “I’d love to take the credit, but this was Lyon’s doing with the help of the Shaman and Ezekiel.”

She hugged her mother, then pulled away to go to Lyon and place a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”

The big Chief of the Ferals nodded, warmth lighting his amber eyes. “You’re welcome, Skye. But I have to admit, this was more than a little self-serving. Ezekiel? ”

As Paenther drew her back into his arms, Ezekiel explained.

“After you were here, I did some checking and discovered your enclave disappeared soon after the soul-stealing began. About half the strongholds did.” He winked at her. “I may be a hermit, but I’m a well-connected hermit. I found your mother and contacted the Shaman.”

Lyon nodded. “Those Mage who oppose Inir have had to go underground. We’ve agreed it’s time to join forces as we did five millennia ago if we hope to defeat this evil. This wouldn’t have happened without you, Skye. We’d forgotten, after hating for so many centuries, that there have always been good, honorable men and women of every race. Your purity of heart and spirit reminded me of that. Reminded us all. Trust won’t come easily. It never does. But with you as the bridge between the races, I have every hope that it will come.”

“Sometimes you just have to trust your heart, ” Paenther murmured against her hair. He pulled back and looked down at her, pride and love shining from his dark eyes. “And my heart is yours.”