He was dressed in the attire I had become so accustomed to seeing him in - dark skinny jeans, olive-green t-shirt, black coat, and the familiar necklace holding his mother's ring around his neck. My lip quivered and I felt my heart jump in my chest as I broke into a sprint. In seconds, I collided into his firm chest, jumping into his arms. His hands circled me instantly as my legs wrapped around his waist. I kissed him hard on the mouth, passion flowing into the simple touch. His warm, soft lips moved in sync with mine with a hunger that was reciprocated on both sides, my fingers winding through his dark curls.

The cotton-candy taste of him took over my senses, making it impossible to focus on anything else but Matei. Over and over, I kissed him, not even caring who was watching. The man I loved was back...and that's all that mattered. When we were finally out of breath, he gently set me down and pressed his forehead to mine. With tear-filled eyes, I gazed up into his face.

"You found me..." I breathed out, almost choking on the words as his hands caressed my face lovingly.

"I'll always find my way home..." he said softly, that deep velvety voice sending those familiar shivers down my spine.

I leaned in and connected my lips to his one last time before grabbing his hand in mine.

"Well...now that you're home... There's someone that's been dying to meet you." I told him softly and a slow smile lit up his face as I dragged him back towards my hut, ignoring the stares of the others at a 'tame' wolf being here.

I stepped inside the small hut, pulling Matei by the hand along with me. It was dark inside but small candles I'd lit earlier made it a bit brighter. Deirdre smiled over at me and nodded once before exiting the hut to give us time alone. When I glanced over at Matei, his chocolate-brown eyes were glued to the baby crib in the corner.

"Come on..." I said gently, stepping up to it.

Carefully, I pulled out the gurgling little infant and I heard Matei's sharp intake of breath. Cradling her in my arms, I walked over to him.

"Matei, meet your daughter... Fallyn." I smiled, tears filling my green eyes at the meeting.

A thousand different emotions swam in those dark eyes as he gazed down at the small child in my arms - uncertainty, anxiety, fear, enthusiasm, but most of all, love.

"She's..." he started, pausing briefly as he looked at her, "She's so beautiful, Jem..."

I smiled, nodding, "The most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life,"

"Gets that from her mum, so I hear," he laughed and I shook my head, grinning.

My eyes met his then in the candlelight and I bit my lip, "Would you like to hold her?"

Brown eyes widened slightly and ever so slowly, he nodded. Cradling his arms in the correct way, I gently placed Fallyn in her daddy's arms. He sucked in a breath briefly before letting it out shakily, enthralled by the beauty of her. Just like I had been when she was first born... Walking across the room slowly, he sat down on the bed gingerly and I sat beside him, resting my chin on his shoulder as we gazed down at our baby girl. Matei caressed her tiny face with his fingers, feeling her warm soft skin and sighed.

She latched onto one of his fingers then, trying to put it in her mouth and we both laughed. Just then, her eyes flashed amber and Matei's eyes widened up at me. I chuckled at his expression.

"Yeah, she gets that from her dad, so I hear." I shrugged slightly, laughing.

He laughed too, shaking his head down at Fallyn, "She's amazing, Jemma..."

My eyes took him in then - smiling down at our daughter in his arms - and my heart swelled with this immense amount of love for the man before me. He'd brought me so much happiness...so much more than I'd even thought existed. There had been a time in my life that I'd thought I would never be happy. That for the rest of my existence, I would forever be that lost unwanted girl with no future ahead of her. And if it hadn't been for that chance meeting in my backyard...I still would be. And...and I had so much to be thankful for in my life.

As these thoughts swirled around and around in my head, I positioned my cheek against the soft material of Matei's coat, the dark curls at the nape of his neck tickling my skin.

"She gets that from her dad, too."