Eternally Loved

Epilogue

Pepper's PoV-

We were in the market getting groceries. It had been a few months since we broke the curse on the vampires, and I haven't seen hide nor hair of Rudolph. Tony kept trying to cheer me up, as did our parents, but I really just wanted Rudolph back. My heart ached to be with him again, and thoughts of him kept me up at night.

I was in the butcher's shop right now. I had split off from my parents and Tony, nearly fed up with their pitying glances. Looking through the selection of meats, I heard someone come up behind me. Turning to face them, I noticed a tall, dirty blonde-haired boy with emerald eyes. Judging from the bloodied apron he was wearing, he worked here. He gave me a gentle smile and I gave him one back.

"Do you need any help, my lady?" His accent was thick, but it wasn't a Scottish accent. It almost sounded Romanian. "Uh...yes actually. Do you have any venison or lamb chops?" I asked him, glancing down at the list Mom had given me. His smile got bigger, and he nodded, gesturing for me to follow him. I did as he asked, and he took me to the other side of the store, where a large variety of meat was. "The lamb is here, and the venison is there." He said, pointing as he spoke. "Thank you." I said, looking at the meat.

Suddenly, a smell infiltrated my nose, causing me to pause. I felt my stomach growling violently, and I turned to face where the delicious scent was coming from.

It was a piece of meat. The tag in front of it was an animal I had never heard of. I licked my lips as I walked over to it. "Uh...what animal is this?" I asked, the hunger growing. "That? That is what we call Wolfsbane." He stated, walking up beside me. "Wolfsbane? I thought that was a plant?" I said, confused. "Ah yes, it is. This is the meat of a very rare animal. My grandfather passed down stories about it. He told me it was used to lure in werewolves, as it is their favorite food, and no other predator alive can eat it." He explained. "Werewolves? Do you believe in them?" I questioned and turned to face him. He nodded, a serious look on his face. "Of course, I do. And I know a werewolf when I see one." He said, looking into my eyes. I felt my heart rate pick up. There's no way he can know. He smirked slightly, his eyes flashing gold. I gasped, taking a step back. "I've never seen a female werewolf before. You smell...different.... more interesting than others." He growled out, stepping towards me. There are others? I'm not alone?

"Pepper! Pepper, come here, you won't believe it!"

Tony's voice brought me out of my head, and I glanced from the door to the golden eyed boy in front of me. Before he could say another word, I was out in the street, rushing towards where Tony's scent was.

He was standing in front of a young, blonde-haired girl who looked very familiar. "Hey Tony, who's your friend?" I asked breathlessly. Tony furrowed his brow, confused, but the girl looked like she was holding back laughter. "What do you mean? She's Anna!" Tony grinned. My eyes widened. "Anna?" I asked softly. She nodded. I jumped up and down excitedly, and with a squeal, I picked her up and hugged her. She let out a laugh. "I'm so glad you're ok! The others, are they alright too?" I asked, putting her down. "Yes. They're perfectly fine. They're at our house right now." She said, laughing as she spoke.

"Well, most of them."

My heart stuttered at the slightly smug voice that came from behind me. Two sly smirks appeared on both Tony and Anna's faces. I slowly turned, only to come face to face with a peach skinned, brown haired, and blue-eyed boy. A smirk was perched upon his lips, his ocean eyes glittering in mischief and happiness. His shaggy brown hair nearly hung over his eyes. Freckles dotted his cheeks and nose.

"Rudolph..." I breathed out; my eyes wide. A gentle smile spread across his face, and he took a step closer, pulling me into a hug. He shuddered as he held me, and I could smell salt in the air.

He's crying....

The thought brought tears to my eyes, and I hugged him back just as tightly. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get to you, my love. Could you ever forgive me?" He whispered, his voice shaking. "You're already forgiven." I sniffled, nuzzling into his hold. Rudolph pulled away slightly, just enough so that he could press his lips to mine in a sweet kiss.

After a minute, we both pulled away, looking into each other's eyes. "I love you, Pepper Thompson." He whispered, making my heart jump. "I love you too, Rudolph Sackville-Bagge."

End of Book 1