Epilogue.

Leon

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"Can I try tying the tie?" Bella asked and I turned around from the mirror where I was just getting ready to tie my tie.

Bella was looking up at me with hopeful eyes, chuckling again as I bent down to her height. Bella grinned at my silent approval before her small hands took hold of the tie. My wolf and I were laughing internally at the concentrated expression on Bella’s face as if she was working on a project to save the world.

"What brought this on?" I asked and Bella smiled sheepishly.

"I want to tie Xander’s tie after this." Bella said and giggled when I immediately scowled.

"Are you using me as a dummy?" Bella nodded shamelessly before screeching in surprise when I pretended to lunge for her waist.

"No! Daddy! You'll ruin my dress!" Bella laughed as I tickled her sides, bending over in laughter when I didn't relent. "Daddy, no!" Bella protested between laughs and I finally let go when I felt satisfied from the tickle torture.

Tickle torture? She's lucky we haven't thrown that kid out yet. My wolf growled and I chuckled at him.

We can't do anything. They are mates, after all.

If only. My wolf sighed and I chuckled out loud as I straightened Bella’s blush pink lace dress.

"Here you go. See, it's fine." I said, about to ruffle Bella’s hair when her hands reached out to cover them before I could touch a single strand.

"No, daddy! Grandma said no one is allowed to touch them." Bella almost decreed as if reiterating my mom word by word. I chuckled and reached for her hair again when the door suddenly opened.

"Leon, have you seen—oh, there you are. Jennifer's looking for you, Bella." Alice said as she entered the room. Bella immediately ran over to her, pointing her finger at me in accusation.

"Aunty Alice, daddy's ruining my hair!" Bella accused and Alice pretended to gasp.

"No! Leon! Do you know how long it took mom to set her hair like that!?"

Okay, she wasn't pretending.

I almost scowled but I knew I couldn't. Bella's hair really did look amazing with the flowers in her braided hair which were tied into a bun at the back of her head.

"Okay. I'm sorry, Bella." I said and Bella grinned before running out of the room.

"You should've been ready by now." Alice said as soon as Bella left and I sighed.

"Bella wanted to try to tie my tie." I said in defence but Alice only looked at me in amusement.

"Were you going to be late for your own wedding because a six-year-old girl?" Alice asked and I grinned slightly.

Yes. Today was my wedding day.

It had been a few months since we received the note about the supposed ‘King of Rogues’ but ever since all the packs had been on alert for any signs of them.

Things has finally settled down after a month of Blake's execution since we all decided nothing much could be done until either Bella or Xander turned eighteen.

A few weeks after that, I had asked Jennifer to marry me.

The proposal in itself had been nothing special that I could have planned as extensively as I wanted to. But because I knew Jennifer, I had decided to keep the proposal simple on the Disney Wonder.

Ahm... simple, right?

After the Blake incident Jenifer said she wanted to take the kids somewhere to get their minds off the whole upcoming war debacle and Nicole had suggested the Disney Cruise since both Bella and Xander were huge Disney fans.

It was there on a candle light dinner that I had popped the question to Jennifer while Nicole looked after the kids since she knew what I had planned for the night.

I'm man enough to admit that I had my heart in my throat the whole night because I wasn't sure if the timing was too early for us or if she wasn't ready to tie the knot as yet. But when I had gazed into those violet eyes that night throughout the dinner, I could feel a kind of reassurance from her as if she was sensing my nervousness (which I'll admit was very probable).

She had gasped and cried when I went down on one knee and jumped in my arms as soon as I had pulled out the box from my pocket. Even before I could say the word ‘will’. Needless to say, both my wolf and I were very happy that we had timed it right and thought no one was happier than us.

Boy, was I wrong.

Bella had screeched down the whole deck we were on from happiness the next morning. So much so that people came to us in worry something was wrong with Bella and laughed realising she was just excited about our marriage.

"Um, Leon? You'll be even later than the bride at this rate."

Alice's voice snapped me out of remembering the time and I quickly went to finish my outfit.

I would never admit to anyone, not even myself that my legs shook as soon as I heard the starting notes of the song Jennifer had decided on in place of the classical Bridal March.

I felt the hairs of the back of my neck race and soon understood that Jennifer had entered the room. I resisted the urge to turn around and capture a sight I knew I was about to remember forever but Elder Edgar, who was presiding over the wedding, gave me a small smile.

"Patience, Wolf." He said and despite his words I turned around and tried not to gasp out loud.

Jennifer looked devastatingly gorgeous.

Her dress was a simple V-neck, A-cut satin dress with a white floral patterned tulle skirt. Her veil was thin enough that I could see the minimalist make-up she had gotten done with her hair flowing down her back in waves. I almost chuckled when I saw the jasmine bouquet in her hands.

I saw Jennifer smile as she felt emotions that I was letting her know through our bond. So that she knew I was gobsmacked and feeling as nervous as she was despite how composed I may look on the outside.

I reached my hand out to her as she neared me and my dad who was given the honour to walk Jennifer down the aisle chuckled at my impatience. Jennifer took my hand after giving my dad a kiss in his cheek in thanks and stepped up to the podium beside me.

Elder Edgar smiled at us almost as if saying congratulations before he started the ceremony.

I'll be honest here. I didn't remember most of what happened next.

The reality of what was happening, that I was finally, finally, marrying my mate instead of some stranger. I felt so overwhelmed, that even in my disbelief I felt Jennifer give me a reassuring squeeze as if reminding me I wasn't dreaming but it was really happening.

It got even worse when we turned to each other to say our vows. As I looked at her through her veil, her eyes shined like amethysts but with a happiness I knew I was reflecting in my eyes.

I said my vows as if on autopilot because that happiness that was shining in her eyes, it told me that this was real. That she was ready just as much as I was to stick together for the rest of our lives.

I know I was mostly repeating the same things to myself, but I couldn't help it. Since the day she stepped into my office, I felt like I hadn't grasped the reality that my mate was here. That she was with me. That despite being human she had accepted me and my wolf. That even though my being had unintentionally put a target on Bella's head, she was still willing to be with me. That she was willing to marry me. I just couldn't believe it until she had walked down the aisle looked so breathtakingly (literally) beautiful that the suffocation had made me realise that it really wasn't a dream.

"Do you, Leon Wolf, Alpha of the Imperial Hearts pack, take this woman, Jennifer Grace Jenkins as your wife and your Luna?" Elder Edgar's voice finally snapped me out of my trance and I immediately replied.

"I do."

"Do you, Jennifer Grace Jenkins, take this man, Leon Wolf as your husband and your Alpha?"

"I do." Jennifer said and I smiled.

"And do you promise to rule the Imperial Hearts pack alongside your Alpha as a Luna should?" Elder Edgar asked. Even though Jennifer had been named Luna already in the Luna ceremony, it was necessary to ask the question again if the Alphas ever held a wedding for their human mate.

"I do." Jennifer said and smiled. I gave my head the barest of shakes when I saw Jennifer getting tearful.

"As one of the Elders of the Werewolf Council, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Elder Edgar announced. I ignored the cheers and I immediately pulled Jennifer into a sizzling kiss after lifting her veil.

"You killed me even as I breathed." I whispered against her lips before I pulled away. I smiled as I saw the confusion on her face before a blush took over when she understood what I meant.

"Flatterer." Jennifer mumbled and I gave her a wink before we turned towards our guests.

"Your Alpha and Luna, Imperial Hearts!" Elder Edgar announced and the guests cheered once again. "I bet you're pleased now, Marco, Charlotte." Elder Edgar joked and the whole room burst into laughter.

Jennifer was hiding something from me. And it was my wolf who noticed it.

Of course I did. A wedding and even the Alpha becomes a human in front of his bride. We wolves don't have to deal with that kind of stuff. He grumbled and I mentally sighed in defeat as I reached for my glass of champagne.

We were outside the Alpha’s mansion where we had arranged our reception so that the whole pack could attend even if they couldn't attend the wedding.

Jennifer was having her Father-Daughter Dance with her father.

Even though we had invited her parents to our wedding, Jennifer didn't feel close enough to her father that she wanted to walk with him down the aisle. In fact, she was insisting that she'll walk down the aisle herself. It was mom who finally convinced Jennifer to let my dad walk her down the aisle. Surprisingly, Jennifer's father was okay with that but said the Father-Daughter Dance would remain between them.

During our First Dance, Jennifer hadn't let go of her bouquet, which I thought was really strange but I didn't want to press her for any questions in case it spoiled the mood, but she had happily left her bouquet when she went with her father to dance. I stared at the bouquet on the table as if it held some secret, and even mom laughed at my behaviour when she noticed.

I got up form my chair when the song ended and walked towards the father-daughter pair.

"May I cut in?" I asked and their eyes turned towards me. I was surprised when I saw Jennifer stiffen for the slightest moment but she relaxed as soon as she saw I noticed it. She sighed and nodded at her dad who gave her hand to me. I pulled Jennifer in my arms as soon as the next song started and swayed us lightly. "What's wrong? Any regrets?" I asked and Jennifer smiled.

"None." She said and wrapped her arms around my neck. I sighed as I pulled her closer to bury my face in her neck and closed my eyes.

Leon...

Hm?

Oh, Moon Goddess, Leon, snap out of it and breathe! My wolf shouted and I almost grumbled but realised something was off about Jennifer's scent. The scent of jasmine from her was as pleasant and relaxing as ever, but there was the barest hint of another scent mixed with it. I stiffened and pulled away, only to see Jennifer smiling slightly at me.

"Charlotte said it'll take you at least a day to notice it without the bouquet."

"Sweetheart, what...?" I trailed off and Jennifer blushed.

"I wanted you to realise it after we were alone." She said and chuckled when I stayed motionless. "What are the reasons a scent changes?" Jennifer asked instead and I frowned.

"When they're born, when they shift for the first time their scent becomes stronger though, it doesn't change. When they're marked by their mate." I replied.

“"And?" Jennifer probed.

"When they're..." I trailed off and my eyes snapped to her stomach in disbelief.

"Pregnant." Jennifer whispered, tears in her eyes. "We're pregnant, Leon." She whispered again as she hugged me tightly.

You're joking. My wolf said through the bond and Jennifer chuckled.

I'm not.

You are.

I am not. Jennifer said chuckling through the bond as I started swaying us again to not alarm our guests of the bombshell Jennifer had dropped on us.

"Charlotte said it's too early to detect through technology but after being around pregnant ladies for so long, she said it's the subtle changes in the scent that starts first. She was the one who told me the news."

"It's not true." My wolf and I both said this time. I could feel Jennifer frown through the bond. "If you really were pregnant, the pack would've known before we did." My wolf and I said and Jennifer laughed.

"That's true. But what I'm saying it true too. I made a deal with her." She said and pulled away to smile at me. "Why do you think I've been AWOL from our room the last three days?" Jennifer said but I pulled her closer, placing a kiss on her temple.

"It's the best news to start a new chapter in our lives." I whispered and heard Jennifer chuckle.

"By the way, don't think I didn't see you spacing out during the ceremony." She said and I chuckled.

"I couldn't help it. You were dazzling." I said and whispered in her ear.

"My Awaited Mate."

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AN: This is it... The end of AAM. Thank you for those who have supported me by voting and commenting throughout the updates. I know it was a little abrupt to end it so soon but like Leon said, there was time till both Bella and Xander grew up.

I am lucky enough that the story is also  on Goodreads. Not the story though, just the profile. 😊 But it was a surprise when it got listed on Goodreads.

Thank you all for the support once again.

Hollow xx