A/N: Here is is... the epi... Again, this is unbeta'd, please forgive my mistakes. See ya at the bottom! ENJOY!

EPILOGUE

Three Months Later

"You don't have to do this, Edward. Everyone says so." Bella's brow wrinkled with concern. She had a death grip on my hands as if she could hold me to her just by holding my hand.

"We've been over this before, Bella. I know I don't have to do this, but I want to do this. This is where I belong. This is what Alicena meant, this is what the Divine Ones were telling you. This is my new destiny."

As I spoke, tears fell from her stormy eyes. I understood her fear, my choice wasn't without risk. There were huge risks, but Bella had a hard time believing she was worth it. It was hard for her to see that I was giving up nothing and gaining everything.

"I know… you're right. I just worry." She snuggled close to me. I wrapped my arms around her.

"I know, baby and I love that you worry about me. But I want to be with you and this is way I want to do it."

I felt her head nod. Nothing I was saying was new. The only difference was everything we wanted was framed in terms of 'one day'. Now that day had come and Bella was having a hard time letting me go. We stayed curled up in each other, swaying while I rubbed Bella's back. I knew there was nothing I could say to abate her fears. She wouldn't relax until I came out the other side of this whole ordeal.

Our intimate moment was broken by Carlisle coming into the room. "It's time, Edward."

Bella let out a broken sob. "I love you, Edward. I'll be waiting for you."

I kissed her, soft and tender, I poured my love and faith that all would work out. "Love you, too baby." As I followed Carlisle out of the house and into the woods, it was hard not to look back at how far we've both come.

With the bind removed, Bella could shift like every other born wolf, easily and without much effort or thought. Under Esme's tutelage, Bella flourished. In a matter of weeks, it was if Bella had been shifting her whole life. Bella turned out to be an excellent hunter and tracker. So much so that Carlisle was angling to have Bella be one of his enforcers. Esme of course was fighting just as hard to have Bella as her beta and therefore as part of the main hunting group for the pack.

Bella was putting off deciding where she wanted to be in the pack until she felt she had a better grasp on pack dynamics. So, it wasn't odd to see her hanging with a different wolf learning their role and place in the pack. Her work ethic was admired within the pack. Deep down I knew Bella felt she had to prove her place, she couldn't see that she was completely accepted.

As Bella worked with the pack, I was left giving my life some serious contemplation. There were never any new plans to bring me to the Guardians. Everyone was busy helping Bella acclimate to life as a shifter, so I was left on my own. I didn't mind, it gave me a chance to figure out my own destiny.

After Granny Rose died, the last thread to anything in the human world was gone. Granny was my rock in the world. She kept me from being another sad statistic and pushed me to be something other than a hoodlum. But if I had to give it all up to stay with Bella, I would. The only issue was being a human in a world of magic. I wanted to feel as if I was part of this world, not just a permanent visitor. Cue Esme and her little nugget of information that not all wolves were born.

I sought her out about a week after everything went down. In typical Edward fashion, I didn't beat around the bush, I came right out with my questions.

"So, if not all wolves are born that means that they can be bitten, right? So, what does that all involve?"

Esme laughed at my forthrightness. "I told Carlisle it wouldn't take you long to come seek me out. He didn't believe me. He doesn't see the way you and Bella look at each other." She patted a spot on the couch next to her. "Let's talk, Edward."

Esme revealed that she was a bitten wolf, by Carlisle. He was in the human world for supplies and for potential males to turn into wolves. Carlisle understood the importance of broadening the gene pool. He understood to keep the pack strong, there needed to be a variety of males and females to breed born wolves. It was during one of these trips that Carlisle meet and fell in love with Esme. As an alpha, he was destined to mate for life and it turned out that Esme was his fated mate.

"It was love at first sight, Edward. He found me and brought me to his world and I never looked back. When he explained what he was and asked me to be his mate, I never gave the thought of being bitten a second thought." She paused and looked up at the ceiling. Questions swirled about the whole process, but I had been around Esme enough to know she was gathering her thoughts. When she ordered her thoughts, she looked at me. The seriousness in her eyes told me it was time to get to the nitty gritty.

"The choice to be bitten is serious and one not to take lightly. Things do go wrong. It's a long and painful process. If you want this, you'll need to Carlisle to agree as only the bite of an alpha has the power and magic to make a wolf. I would also suggest you talk to Bella. I have a feeling Carlisle won't agree unless Bella agrees."

Esme was right. When I talked to Carlisle about the option he said he wouldn't even entertain the idea until he knew Bella agreed. It took several weeks of talking to Bella, us talking to Carlisle and Esme, the local pack doctor, Em and the other bitten wolves in the pack. When Bella finally agreed, then the process started of arranging the logistics.

That was how I found myself following Carlisle to a one of the most sacred sites of the pack. It was believed to be the spot where the Divine Ones created the first wolf. Their legends held that a person bitten at that site, on a full moon, would be blessed to survive the change. Carlisle explained the full ritual to me and to say I was nervous was an understatement. But as I told everyone I spoke to, I would do it all for Bella.

So, it was with her in mind, that I bathed nude in the near by stream as Carlisle murmured prayers and blessings to the Divine Ones. My body was rubbed with herbs and oils said to help bring out my inner wolf. I was also fed foods to give me strength and courage to survive the transformation. When it was all the prep work was done, Carlisle transformed into his wolf and bite me right over my heart. Pain like I had never felt exploded over my whole body. I screamed out and then darkness beckoned me and I answered.

Everyone said I was out for only four days, but to me it felt like four years. Even in the blackness I could still feel the pain, it was everywhere. I heard bones break and reform, I heard howls that morphed into screams that morphed back into howls. I dreamt I was running as wolf, then I was exploding in a million pieces. I begged for someone to put me out of my misery. I cried out for Granny Rose and then Bella.

When the pain finally receded, and I became aware of my surroundings, I realized how much I could sense even with my eyes closed. Sounds and smells were magnified. I could feel each blade of grass and rock that was beneath me. More than that, I could sense the power that resided in me. There was a restlessness that wanted to break free and so I gave into it.

I opened my eyes and saw everyone was there, but I was looking at them from a lower vantage point. Confused I looked down at the ground and that was when I saw the paw. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was looking at MY paw.

Holy fuck!

Looking back up I spotted Bella and ran over to her, jumping on her and trying to lick her. Her laugh made me bark which made her laugh even more. I jumped and yipped all over the area, Carlisle and Em looked on with amusement. The raw power I felt was heady. I wanted to run, just to see what I could do. Of course, Em had to check me out first. He manipulated my legs and joints, checking that everything was as it should be. When he declared be fit and a full wolf, everyone cheered. I of course barked and for he hell of it, howled because I could.

"You ready to run, Edward?" I looked over at Bella and barked. She laughed in the blink of an eye, she shifted. Carlisle, Em and Esme shifted as well and broke out in a run. I trotted over to Bella and nuzzled her. She returned the gesture and then looked over to where everyone had disappeared. She barked once and then took off. Without hesitation I followed her, ready to start my new place in this world.

A/N: There it is... Edward is now a wolf... Thank you to everyone who faved, read, reviewed. I loved reading your thoughts. If you still have questions, let me know.

To Annie- what can I say.. it was soo cool to write this for you. I hope you enjoyed it! I can't wait to hear your thoughts. Also, did ya catch my nod to you? Love you soul sista!

Please leave me some love. Until next time...

WVG