Worth Fighting For

Epilogue

With a pop, the cork came out of the champagne bottle. Misty looked around blearily, still trying to dispel the passion Cody had stirred up moments before the group had shown up on their porch steps. No doubt the rumpled clothing when they’d gotten around to answering the door told everyone exactly what they’d interrupted. But at the moment, Misty couldn’t summon the energy to be embarrassed.

“To a successful day,” Jason said, raising his glass in the air as his mate thrust one into Misty’s hands.

She smiled at Samantha before drawing the bubbles into her mouth, savoring them, and swallowing. The taste lifted some of the haze from her mind.

“Guys, this is too much,” she said, gazing at the champagne and cake they’d brought over.

“Nonsense. Besides, I feel a bit guilty for getting you into this in the first place,” Julie said as she sat on the stool beside her on the kitchen island. Her mate, Brendan, growled in frustration across the room, but held his tongue. Judging by the glare he threw Julie’s way, Misty guessed they’d argued over her guilt.

After the trial, Jason had stayed behind to help question the hybrid woman. They’d been forced to use drugs to discover the whole truth, but they’d gotten the story out of her, beginning with her brother and the reason she resented the foxes and wolves so much. Charged with conspiracy, attempting to overthrow the council, and the kidnapping plan she’d been a part of, she’d been sentenced to the same fate as her brother. She was probably sitting in a cell somewhere.

But Misty didn’t have one thought to spare for Stella. She’d been given a second chance at life, and she wasn’t about to waste one moment on the woman or her brother. Time was too precious.

“Don’t be silly. No one is to blame but her and her brother, and in the end, she paid for it. Now that our problems are finished, it’s time to get on living!” Misty declared. Raising her glass in the air, she toasted, “To solving problems.”

“Not to rain on anyone’s parade, but we’re not problem-free quite yet. Apparently, the protests and riots in the area have drawn the attention of some government officials. The council believes an undercover agent has moved into the cabin off route 70. Since our two communities are the closest around, we’ve been asked to make sure they don’t discover something they shouldn’t.” Jason looked around the gathered group. “We need to figure out how to approach this and find out what is known. And keep the wrong information from getting out.”

“Well, that’s easy enough,” Misty said, drawing everyone’s attention. “There’s only one unmated woman here. Laurie will just have to seduce the agent.”

“Oh, no…” Laurie began, but Jason cut her off.

“The agent is a woman. Although she is young enough something like that might work.”

No one spoke for a minute. The logical conclusion hit them all at the same time. As one, their eyes swung to Danny, Jason’s unmated brother and the only single man in the room. He swung his head around, taking in everyone’s stares directed at him.

“Shit,” he said.