"Decebel, I'm like a walking billboard for you, my sweet fur ball." She couldn't hide her excitement at the sight of the little box.

He sat on the bed and pulled her into his lap.

"This is for you, my precious one," he whispered as he handed her the box.

Jen held her breath as she pulled the lid up, the hinges stiff with newness. She let out a small whimper at the sight before her. She looked up into his eyes and, to her surprise, they were moist with unshed tears. Her own weren't so shy as they rolled down her cheek.

"Thank you, it's perfect." Her voice was soft as she pulled the ring from it cushioned resting place. He took the ring from her and gently slipped it on her left ring finger. Jen held it out to examine it. It wrapped around her finger like a vine, with all the matching points of the markings on her skin. Decebel had had a platinum ring made in a replica to the marks on their skin, marks that would fit together like a puzzle piece, completing the design the way Decebel completed Jen and the way Jen completed him.

"I don't know what the future holds, Dec. I know it's going to be rough and dangerous and filled with tons of smart ass comments via yours truly. But as long as you will stand with me, as long as you are here with me, I can deal."

Decebel smiled at his mouthy, blunt, yet fiercely loyal mate.

"There is nothing in this life or the next that can keep me from your side." Decebel's lips were so close to hers that they brushed when he spoke. "I love you, Jennifer."

Jen closed her eyes as she let his words pour over her and through her. She pressed her lips to his and let her actions speak for her.

Their life together was just beginning and the world of the Canis lupis was changing. Jen had defeated death and fate would demand a price; a powerful Alpha had been defeated and a new one instated; an evil witch was on the loose with a vendetta on her hands; history was seeping its way up through the dusty cracks of time, the result of which was a mystery yet to come. They were preparing for the worst, just as Peri had said – preparing for the worst, hoping for the best.

But tonight, tonight the world could wait. Tonight was for them. A time to forget the fears and worries, and remember that they had walked through the darkness and it had not defeated them. They had come out of the darkness together, emerging whole on the other side.