-Author's note at the end -

*Five Months Later*

Sitting on the side of the street, I pulled out the bottle. I stared at it for a long moment, questioning whether or not it was a good idea to take a swallow. If I wanted to calm my nerves, this was the easiest way. Hell, I had never been a fan of alcohol, but under these circumstances, I felt as if a quick slurp was necessary. I gently shook the bottle, before taking a quick whiff - it wasn't pleasant. I glanced around, surrounded by trees and open land. I was here; I had come this far. Whatever. I tilted my head back and took a quick swallow, feeling the burn all the way down the back of my throat.

With a gag, I twisted the top back on and placed the bottle in my backseat. Then, I turned the rearview mirror, double-checking my reflection. My brown hair was braided back into a bun, which took me almost an hour to accomplish. Mascara cloaked my eyelashes and a berry-colored lipstick covered my lips. My necklace, the one with the letter 'T', given to me by Temp, hung around my neck, falling just below my collarbone where my lace, pale pink dress started. I rubbed my lips together and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear - it was going to have to do.

Nervously, I grabbed my purse and stepped out of my car, balancing in my heels. I rummaged through my purse until I found the invitation, quickly checking to make sure I had the right place. I did. After several moments of hesitation, I headed into the nearest clump of trees, using the trunks of trees to keep my balance. It probably wasn't a good idea to wear heels. I walked and walked, worried that I was going to twist an ankle.

Eventually, my eyes landed on my destination. Yellow lilies. White chairs, wrapped with a green cloth. Since the sun was beginning to set, the lights dangling from the branches really shined. My eyes skimmed over the beautiful setup, before skimming the people. Familiar faces filled my vision, all reunited. The first person to notice me approached me with a beaming smile. Brody. He was wearing a white tuxedo and his hair was much longer now, nearly reaching his shoulders. "You came!"

"Uh, yeah," I managed, before he pulled me into a warm hug. "How are you?"

"Things are getting better," he answered, his smile nearly dropping. "I mean, it's not getting any easier without Cole here, but um, I'm dealing. I have a niece now!" He gestured to Katie who was now approaching me, holding an adorable baby. The baby was wearing a white dress with pink socks and a patterned beanie on her head.

Katie smiled at me, her blonde hair braided back, decorated with flowers. "Hey there."

I grinned. "Hey there - what's her name?"

"Well, I originally was going to name her Britney," Katie told me, gently rocking the baby back and forth in her arms. "But, I decided to change it at last minute." With rosy cheeks, Katie peered down at her daughter, looking happier than I had ever seen her before. "This is Nicole Jay Phillips."

Brody stroked the baby's cheek. "Isn't she beautiful?"

"She has her daddy's eyes," Katie whispered, smiling. I had never met Katie's lover. I knew he had passed away during the fight against the government, but that was all I knew. My smile stretched as I watched the baby start to suck on her thumb. Nicole Jay Phillips. It was fitting. Before I could say anything else, another familiar face filled my vision.

Emma.

Her auburn hair was down, cascading down her shoulders in thick waves. Her makeup was beautiful - red lipstick, brown and gold eyeshadow, and pink cheeks. Like me, she was wearing a lace dress, but hers was a sky blue color with a pair of white heels that were already getting dirty from the dirt. She pulled me into a hug, seeming relieved to see me. "Oh, I didn't think you were going to show up! Thank God!"

"Hey," I laughed, slowly pulling away. "You look amazing."

"I've been telling her that all evening," Ryker blurted, approaching his mate from behind. A tingly feeling overwhelmed me when I watched him slip his arm around her waist, pulling her into his side. She smiled at him, her eyes twinkling -the two of them were clearly in love. Like Brody, Ryker was wearing a tuxedo, except his was black. All black. His hair was swept back with gel, but for the most part, he looked exactly the same from when I had seen him last. "I'm glad you've shown up, Thea. I'm tired of hearing my brother's whining."

My heart skipped a beat. "Whining?"

"Yes, whining," Ryker said, shaking his head. "He's been pacing all day and rambling on about whether or not you'd show up. Quite irritating."

Emma smacked his chest. "Oh, stop. He just misses her."

"He shouldn't have let her go in the first place," Ryker said, looking down at his mate. "I'd never let you go, Cherry. I don't know how my brother let his mate walk away because I wouldn't allow it from you."

She raised an eyebrow. "You wouldn't allow it?"

"I'd force you to stay."

"Even if I was miserable?"

"You'd never be miserable with me," he countered, confidently. "Because you love me." She rolled her eyes and he suddenly started obnoxiously kissing her neck, tickling her and causing her to burst into a fit of giggles. Smiling, I stumbled away in my heels, happy that they were happy. I spotted Drew standing in front of all the chairs, his hands clasped below his waist, speaking with Caine. Both of them appeared very handsome and mature.

Finally, my eyes landed on the person I wanted to see most. Ethen was standing there, calm and elegant, watching me. Like his brothers, he wore a black suit, sharp and handsome. His black hair was combed back and his emerald eyes burned into me - he was staring at me as if I was an angel. Maybe I was to him. Feeling the aching pull, which had weakened tremendously from the distance put between us, I carefully walked over to him. I didn't know how I survived without him during the last five months. There were several weeks where I had felt downright sick and horrible.

"You look beautiful," he complimented, as I stopped in front of him. "As radiant as the sun."

I grinned. "Now, that's just cheesy."

His smile, the one I missed, appeared on his face. "Maybe a little bit." A soft breeze blew and I caught a whiff of his cologne. So good. Instead of asking how I was or any other questions, he held out a hand. "Want to take our seats?"

I hesitated, then placed my hand into his, feeling the sparks. His smile stretched and he led me over to the chairs, choosing two in the second row. Slowly, everybody started taking their seats and quieting down. As music started playing, I glanced over at Ethen next to me, feeling butterflies in my stomach. After everything we had been through, we were still alive and together again. Things were much better than how they were a couple months ago. Currently, the government and werewolves were still coming up with a reasonable alliance. Therefore, werewolves were no longer in danger and there was peace between humans and werewolves, finally.

For now, I could just focus on Ethen.

Everybody rose to their feets and quietly turned, looking at the approaching bride. Nora came walking down the aisle with Caine on her arm. She looked beautiful, wearing a long, silky white dress that hugged her petite body. Her hair was in a bun, sprayed with sparkles and decorated with white lillies. She gripped her flowers in her hands nervously, then gave a small smile to Drew at the end of the aisle who was struggling not to cry at the sight of her. She also appeared rather emotional.

When Caine handed her over, everybody sat back down and he took his seat next to Ryker.

"We are gathered here today to witness the union of Drew Wyatt Caldwell and Nora Marie Myers, in holy matrimony. . ."

I looked back over at Ethen, jumping when I noticed that he was watching me. His emerald eyes were glowing as he gazed at me. He licked his bottom lip and reached over, snatching my hand. When I didn't pull away, he gaze it a small squeeze and I entwined my fingers with his. I was ready to start over. My grieving was done. I was falling back in love with myself, just as much as I was falling in love with this man. Maybe I was going to get my happy ending.

". . . you may kiss the bride."

Everybody leaped to their feets and clapped their hands as Drew kissed Nora, passionately. I glanced around at each and every one of us, noticing how everybody was happy and shining. Five months ago, all of us were split up, separating to heal in different ways for our losses. Ryker and Emma disappeared together. Caine left. Ethen and I split. Drew and Nora took off somewhere. Katie and Brody stuck together. Now, we were all back together after receiving word of the wedding.

And, I had a feeling that nobody was going anywhere.

We were staying together.

As one large family.

Forever.

Hey!

My trilogy is finally finished and I'm not afraid to admit that I cried a little bit while writing this chapter. For anybody who writes their own stories, you probably understand how easy it is to get attached to your own characters - to the point where you start considering them real people. This happened to me with this trilogy, which is why I've been procrastinating these last few chapters. I didn't want my story with these characters to end yet. If you've been following me for quite some time, you know that I started The Alpha's Possession at the start of my freshman year and now, I'm graduating this Sunday and I've finished Marked!

This trilogy was literally my life all throughout high school - for four years, I devoted myself to these books and I'm so happy that I could share them with you! But, it's time for me to let go of these characters. I finally have them where I want them and I don't want to touch them any further. They've become who I've wanted them to be and I'm putting them at rest. The Volkov Trilogy is officially finished and I hope you all continue to support me in my future works!

Checking out one last time on this trilogy,

~ Lissa