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  As one, the animals bowed their heads. Even the trees seemed to dip in deference to them. Then, as one, the creatures turned and disappeared into the mountainside beyond. Sound returned to the glen and the breeze whispered through the trees once again.

  “A sign from the gods,” Tala whispered. For them? “What does it mean?”

  She turned to Marrok, whose eyes blazed blue. A smile tugged at his lips. “It means, mate, our union was always fated. We no longer have that lie hanging over us. Everything else…we’ll figure out as we go.”

  With a sigh she sank into a sweet kiss she never wanted to end.

  Her wolf, however, was eager to accept her mate at last. Tala pulled back with a grin. “Run with me.”

  This time she didn’t worry as she shifted, as happy to finally let their wolves run together as her wolf was. Within minutes they stood together, white and black wolves. Tala gave her mate a playful nip before she took off into the forest.

  With a joyful yelp, he followed.

  Epilogue

  Delilah smiled at her phone, knowing Tala and Marrok would be all right now. Sometimes a person couldn’t see what was under their nose. It took a neutral—well, mostly neutral—third party to see the truth more clearly.

  That and some pretty wicked skills when it came to seeing the future.

  She’d known when she’d suggested the arranged mating that all roads would eventually lead to this point. Of course, as stubborn as Tala and Marrok were, they’d taken the longer path to get here. But their bond was strong, and their leadership would guarantee that Banes and Canis clans, eventually, would not only find peace, but also harmony.

  A soft knock at her door pulled her out of her thoughts. “Come in,” she called.

  Her assistant, Naiobe, entered with Rowan MacAuliffe. The redheaded witch in her custody was still a problem. After being forced to use her powers against the nymphs at Tala and Marrok’s mating, Rowan was in deep trouble. The Covens Syndicate that governed all magic users had set one of their best hunters on Rowan’s trail, and Delilah couldn’t keep her hidden much longer.

  Blood was in the water, and the sharks were circling.

  Despite all that, Rowan had refused to share much of herself or how she’d become involved in the attack. Not only that, but the Syndicate seemed to have no record of her, which was, in and of itself, fascinating.

  Rowan needed help, even if she refused to accept it.

  Delilah waited until the other woman took the chair across the desk from her—feet crossed at the ankles, hands in her lap, making herself small with her shoulders hunched forward and gaze trained on the ground.

  Leaning forward, Delilah waited until Rowan finally lifted her gaze and met her eyes. “So you still don’t trust me?”

  Rowan glanced around the room, wary as a cornered mountain lion, but nodded. “Don’t take it personally. I don’t trust anyone.”

  You’re not the only one. Delilah allowed herself a small smile as she brought up the case file that had given her an idea of what to do next with Rowan. “Be that as it may, I’ve managed to get to the truth of your situation.”

  Stunning gray eyes focused on her with narrowed distrust. “And?”

  “And I can help you. If you’d like.”

  The plan she had in mind was damn risky, especially for Rowan. But she suspected the witch was no stranger to risk. Or deceit.

  Will she agree to my proposal? For once, the future wasn’t as certain as Delilah liked.

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  Acknowledgments

  No matter what is going on in my life, I get to live out my dream surrounded and supported by the people I love—a blessing that I thank God for every single day. Writing and publishing a book doesn’t happen without the support and help from a host of incredible people.

  To my readers (especially my Awesome Nerds Facebook fan group!)… Thanks for going on this ride with me. Sharing my worlds with you is a huge part of the fun. Tala and Marrok were a blast to write, with both of them needing to make the relationship work, but hard to do when you’re both an alpha. And phew, the heat! I hope you loved these two wolf shifters as much as I loved writing them. If you have a free sec, please think about leaving a review. Also, I love to connect with my readers, so I hope you’ll drop a line and say “Howdy” on any of my social media!

  To my editor, Heather Howland…This is book number ten or eleven together, and I loved working with you on every single one. Thanks for being the best and making my writing sparkle!

  To my Entangled family…best team in the business! Love you all!

  To my agent, Evan Marshall…my voice of reason and direction. You’re the best!

  To my author sisters and friends…you are the people I feel most me with, and you inspire me every single day.

  To my support team of beta readers, critique partners, writing buddies, reviewers, RWA chapters (even with the blowup), friends, and family (you know who you are)…thank you, thank you, thank you.

  Finally, to my own partner in life and our awesome kids…I don’t know how it’s possible, but I love you more every day.

  About the Author

  Award-winning paranormal romance author Abigail Owen grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. She loves to write witty, feisty heroines, sexy heroes who deserve them, and a cast of lovable characters to surround them (and maybe get their own stories). She currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own personal hero, her husband, and their two children, who are growing up way too fast.

  Don’t miss the Brimstone Inc. series…

  The Demigod Complex

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