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“You look stunning,” she whispered. “I’m so happy for you.”

I gave her a fierce mental hug rather than a real one, knowing she’d scold me for mussing the dress or my makeup. “It’ll be your turn next.”

She laughed. “Not for a few years yet. I’m planning for your daughter to be my flower girl.”

I grinned. “Have you told Monty about this long engagement you’re planning?”

“Not yet. But he wants to get a house and new car first, anyway, so I can’t see him complaining.”

She stepped back, slipped her arm through Michael’s, and the two of them headed out. Leaving me and Ashworth.

I smiled, took his hands in mine, and squeezed them lightly. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for us. Thank you for being here for us. Thank you for becoming the grandfather and father I never really had. I know you are going to be the absolutely best great grandfather our daughter could ever have.”

“Ah, lass,” he said, blinking rapidly. “You’re going to make a grown man cry.”

“Before you do, let’s get out there.”

I released one hand and turned to face the garden. He cleared his throat and then, as one, we stepped out onto the patio and followed the twinkling line of fairy lights down to the bottom of the garden. Aiden’s gaze followed me every step of the way, warm and loving.

When we reached the end of the seats, Ashworth kissed my cheek and then sat down beside Mom. I walked the remaining few steps toward Aiden alone and stopped in front of him.

“You look glorious,” he murmured.

I smiled. “So do you.”

He caught my hands in his and then glanced at the celebrant, who immediately began the ceremony. It was a simple thing—a promise to cherish each other always, to honor and sustain each other, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, and tobe true in all things until death alone parted us. We placed the rings on each other’s fingers, the celebrant declared us married, and as the cheers began, we kissed.

Then Aiden whispered, his breath warm against my lips, “You are my heart and my soul, my reason for living, as necessary to me as the air that I breathe. I love you, Elizabeth Grace, and I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you and our many,manychildren and grandchildren.”

I half laughed, blinking back my tears of happiness, and then kissed him again, long and slow.

This wolf—this stubborn, sometimes frustrating, big-hearted, beautiful wolf—was mine, now and forever.

Who’d have thought, all those years ago, that the frightened teenager who’d left Canberra as a powerless failure would not only come into her own, magic wise, but also find the family she’d never really had and the love of a man who she absolutely adored, and who in turn adored her?

Fate, it seemed, played a long game and held her cards as close to her chest as the wolf in front of me. But in the end, both had come through.

Spectacularly.

“Shall we go celebrate?” he asked softly.

“We should.”

He twined his fingers through mine, and as one, we headed into the throng of well-wishers.

Taking the first steps toward our long and happy life together.