Howl (Monster Boyfriends #1)

Epilogue

TWO MONTHS LATER

“ W hat do you think the chances are of me finding my mate if I walked into that camp right now?”

I give Joanna a once over from where I’m sitting in the passenger seat right as she parks her car in front of the entrance. She’s wearing a T-shirt with a graphic of a chicken nugget dancing on a stripper pole.

“Take that shirt off, and I’d say it’s pretty good.”

We both whip our heads to the back seat where Jamie is texting absentmindedly.

“Don’t say that!” I scold, playfully slapping his knee.

Joanna raises one eyebrow. “If he thinks it would work.”

I scowl.

“Only because that shirt is ridiculous,” he says. “No one will take you seriously.”

Joanna humphs . “Nevermind.”

Jamie shoves his phone into his pocket and leans forward to rest his chin on my shoulder. “Layton said his niece pretty much has the run of the place already.”

At the end of the year, Jamie finally decided to hire someone else to work full time at the coffee shop. He only goes in three days a week now, and it’s given us plenty of extra time together.

To be honest, since Halloween, Jamie and I have spent way more time at home than anywhere else. It’s been nice having the relationship to ourselves for a while, but by Thanksgiving it was time to make our relationship public.

Joanna was thrilled, Aidan was not surprised, and Kiki and Kendra both shrieked ecstatically when we told them, doing the job of letting the rest of the town know about the exciting news.

We’ve started going on walks around the neighborhood in the evenings, and we were able to introduce ourselves to the ghost family. Turns out they do eat cookies, so I made them several batches of chocolate chip. We’ve even had them over for dinner a couple of times! I asked about their dog, and they said they found him wandering around town and took him in.

I need to remember to tell Joanna to keep her eye open for any ghost animals without a home.

“She seemed to intimidate the shit out of Casey. Are they getting along?” I ask.

Jamie shrugs. “Casey’s easy. They do whatever Layton and I say without a fuss. I don’t think they’d give another manager a hard time.”

“Yeah but, they looked extra scared when she came into her interview that day. More timid than usual.”

Joanna rubs her hands together. “Ooo, is this a work drama? I wanna know?”

“It’s not drama,” Jamie retorts, shutting down her excitement. “Yet.” He plants a kiss on my cheek and then pulls away to open the door and step outside into the cold winter night.

I crack the window. “Please stay warm,” I plead to him through the inch wide space I’ve created. The harsh wind cuts across my cheeks. I hate the idea of him being out in the snow all night, but he’s assured me, as always, that he’ll be fine.

“Cuddle with the boys if you need to!” Joanna calls to him. Ever since learning about Jamie, Jo has developed a fascination with werewolves and pack relationships. She’s also obsessed with the idea of finding her own mate.

I guess it would be fun for her to date one of Jamie’s friends. I could see us going on double dates together. I’ve tried a few times to force Joanna and Aidan to be friendly, but they’ve held a bit of a grudge against one another since their first encounter. Jamie says they’ll get over it, but I want them to get along, seeing as they’re our two best friends.

Jamie rolls his eyes at Joanna’s comment and blows me a kiss as he slides his index finger between the gap in the window to tap my nose. “Tell Cleetus to keep my spot warm until I get back.”

I smile widely. At least those two are getting along. It took a month of side-eyes and empty threats, but Jamie eventually got used to my second favorite boy taking up space. Secretly, I think he’s smitten. I totally caught them curled up peacefully together on the couch one night, but I kept it to myself.

I roll up the window and watch Jamie jog off toward camp. I spot Rhett waiting just inside the entrance wearing his new sheriff’s uniform.

I guess the whole ordeal with Patrick and Banks was too much for Twitty Simmons, because after he found out I was almost stabbed in the middle of the Founding Day Festival, he stepped down as sheriff. He said the job was more than he signed up for. I guess his hopes of policing an idyllic small town were shattered when he realized there was actually crime to deal with. Personally, I think it’s great that we have a werewolf in a position of power in Shadow Hills. It’s about time things changed a little, and I know Rhett will be great at the job.

He handled everything with Banks way better than I thought. After an unsuccessful attempt to see eye to eye, Rhett ended up exiling him from the pack. He and Patrick picked up and moved to Florida. When I found out, my only reaction was ‘good riddance!’

“Let’s get out of here. I need sustenance.” Jo turns out of the drive and back onto the road.

Since reconnecting, we make it a point to get together once a week and have girl time. And on the night’s when Jamie has to shift, she comes over for a sleepover. Our friendship has become just as important to me as mine and Jamie’s, and it’s been nice having someone else to talk to about ‘womanly things’, as Jamie refers to it.

It’s taken some time, but I think we’ve all finally reached a new semblance of normal. Jamie even decided to register himself legally as a werewolf, but we both were surprised to find he’d already been registered. His mother did it on his behalf the first day they moved here, and secretly, I think she didn’t tell him because she wanted to give him time to accept what he is on his own terms.

We’ve both learned more about ourselves and grown thanks to what happened. I feel more confident and secure in my choices, and Jamie seems to feel truly happy embracing his wolf. It’s brought us even closer together, and as hard as it was, I couldn’t imagine things happening any other way.

Jamie and Raegan’s story might be concluded, but you will see them again in the next Monster Boyfriends book, HUNT: A Small Town Vampire Romance !