Ainge's Changes, Epilogue
#30 of Ainge's Changes
July 2013
"I now pronounce you both officially mated. Thomas, Ryan, you may now kiss."
As the full moon shined down on them both, Tommy took Ryan's muzzle between his paws and planted a long, passionate kiss on his mouth, while the entire pack looked on and cheered raucously.
They had been waiting for this moment for years. In the eyes of the pack, Tommy and Ryan had been mated years ago, but it took much longer for the rest of the world to catch up. Once the courts had overturned the state ban on their union, though, plans were immediately made for the ceremony to be held, and another summer gathering was planned specifically for the event. Just a month after the ruling, Tommy and Ryan were exchanging vows with one another, as a Paladin presided over the marriage.
The families of both grooms were there to witness the event, of course. Tommy's father, now sporting a fur coat that was a fair bit grayer than he once had, was there to give his son away, while Linus did the same for his son. After the chaos years ago that had caused two of them to be turned, Tommy's mother and the rest of Ryan's family remained human. They were still part of the pack, though, and even Ryan's sister - now fully grown and attending college - was involved in pack activities. The involvement of the Paladins to serve as liaisons between werewolves and humans aware of their existence worked remarkably well, and it allowed everyone involved to breathe easier, now that there were no longer any threats to the safety of the pack, from Paladins or other sources.
The pack itself had grown over the years. Once numbering about 80 werewolves when Tommy first joined the pack, the number had now swelled over 120. Benny remained as pack Alpha for another decade and a half, until he decided to step down and focus more on opening more locations for his restaurant. The current Alpha - Andy's father - led the pack into the new decade, and Andy would go on to help out the current Junior Alpha with all of his responsibilities. The pack had enjoyed a resurgence of childbirths, born into the pack after several years of successful proliferations - and in something of a miraculous turn of events, nearly a third of the children were girls, thus offering a much greater chance of the pack sustaining itself for the next generation. Ryan would be meeting them all in due time, as they would all pass through at least one of his English and Creative Writing classes at the local high school.
Tommy had been busy as well. It wasn't that long after the winter of '92 that Tommy's family finally got themselves a computer. Tommy's interest in video games naturally led to an interest in programming, and in a matter of time Tommy had started making little computer games of his own. By the time he graduated high school, Tommy was building webpages for many of the business owners in the pack, and the growth of the internet quickly led him down the road of website design. Even amidst the tumultuous years of the dot-com boom and bust, Tommy had managed to make a name for himself as a premier web developer, and although he never made a site that he could sell for billions, he was able to parlay his expertise into a small design business that not only gave him the chance to do what he loved every day and get paid reasonably for it, but also the freedom to take that odd night off when the situation called for it.
The wedding reception wasn't that much different from a typical pack gathering, except for the cheesy disco music that played for anyone interested in dancing and the large wedding cake that complemented all the typical gathering fare they enjoyed. Of course, Tommy and Ryan were quick to find a reason to excuse themselves from the party, and spend the night alone - in the same clearing where the two of them had joined together years ago.
As a gentle breeze passed through the trees and ruffled their fur, Ryan snuggled up against Tommy shoulder and let out a contented sigh, looking up at the moon that was smiling down on them.
"Well..." he said softly, "...this is it. We're married now. I don't know about you, but I have no idea what we're supposed to do after this."
Tommy looked his new husband in the eye and grinned. "We could always adopt."
That elicited a laugh from Ryan, who playfully swatted his mate on the shoulder. "You're not really the impartial observer there, are you."
"No, but I still think back sometimes to how things were for me when I was younger, and how I was so lucky to have parents who accepted me. I just want to do the same for someone else now that I have the chance. Same thing with you and your parents."
"I know, but..." Ryan said, "our situations were pretty unique. I don't know if there's really another wolf that needs our help like that."
"Maybe it doesn't need to be a wolf."
Ryan did a double take, giving Tommy a serious look.
"You don't think it's a good idea?" Tommy asked.
"I just worry," Ryan replied. "Two werewolves, adopting a human child? What would the rest of the pack think? Will the kid be able to keep us a secret? Will they even know how important it is to keep a secret when they're all busy posting selfies of themselves and spilling their guts on social media every day? There are a lot of variables to worry about here."
"I guess. I just want to find a way to do for someone else what my parents did for me. Besides, you know me - I'm always looking for ways to change things up."
"I know, Tommy. I'm not saying we can't do it. Just... let's not rush into things."
Tommy smiled again. "We won't. I promise."
Tommy and Ryan looked into one another's eyes, and held the gaze for several seconds. As if called upon by a higher power, they found themselves kissing once again, and those kisses quickly grew into something far more intimate.
Their mating would continue until dawn, but their love endured for the rest of their lives.
== THE END ==