** You have reached the end of what I hope is a beautiful love story.  There were parts that had some fantasy/fairy tale elements.  This chapter is full of them.  It's my way of giving them a 'Happily ever after.' **

The years passed faster than they would have liked. Gideon and Toru went on to have a set of twin boys; just as the Elder had warned her and one more girl.  The twins were courtesy of her first heat almost a  year after giving birth.  All of their Pups grew up to be fine, well adjusted Primes and True Alphas. The Elder had pulled Toru aside one day after Gideon had given birth to their twins. She told the him that his Prime was very very special and had one more secret to share with him. What that secret was, he would have to find out from his Omega. But she was a rare and beautiful gem.  The Elder also told Toru that one day he would need to 'wake up!' before it was to late.  Toru asked what she meant but again, she told him he would have to find that answer for himself.

More years passed for the Mates.  Years filled with joy and heartache for both of them. Since Gideon was a Prime, her lifespan was longer than most as was Toru's from being her Mate.  

Hani and Miko were indeed Mates and later found each other once he went off to college.  Miko had moved away when she was 10 but neither seemed upset about it.  Gideon knew they could link each other so they would always keep in touch.  Gideon and Toru eventually sold both of their businesses after the last of their Pups moved out; Toru's real estate business went to Rei and the cafe to Kenji.  As for Gideon's younger brothers, they both landed jobs with the Sanada Corportation and quickly rose through the ranks.  Her dad retired and he and Yua spent time traveling and enjoying being Mates. 

Both of them lost loved ones in the coming years. For Gideon, the lost of her Father and Kenji, who died in a motorcycle accident, never left her. Those, almost ended her.  If it wasn't for the support of her Mate, they would have. For Toru, the lost of his Auntie and Uncle was also painful as they were the last of his family outside of his Mate and Pups. Years later, all those that Gideon had called uncle or brother, had passed, some before their time.  Each passing touching her deeply.

They were old now, their kids, grand-kids and great grand-kids were all happy and had their own lives now.  Occasionally Hani and Odori would visit them.  Hani would bring Miko and Odori her Mate as well.  Sometimes all of the kids would visit, filling the house with laughter.  As they sat out on this quiet evening, Gideon could sense that her Alpha's life would be ending soon. Before that happened, she had one more gift to give him. Looking out over the courtyard, she snuggled into him as she always did.

"Toru?"

"Gideon my dear?"

"If you could run as a wolf forever; strong and young, would you?"

"Only if you were by my side my beautiful Omega."

"Mn. We have had such a beautiful life together my dear."

"That we have. I have been thankful for every second of it. You have given me so much my dearest."

"And you have given me just as much. My life with you has truly been a wish come true."

"Why are we having this talk babe? Ahh...you must know my time with you is almost at an end? I could never hide anything from you."

"Yes my Alpha, I know. But my dear, I have one last wish for you, for us."

"Wish? What kind of wish Gi?" Toru looked at her with a questioning gaze.

"We are old my Alpha, for the simple fact that we have not taken the final step in our bond."

"I think you have gone mad babe. We are bonded through and through. I am almost 110 and you're no spring chicken! How much more bonded could we get?"

"Oh my silly Alpha. You should pay more attention to that which is around you! Do you remember that old book Odori found, years ago?"

"Oh the fairytale book about wolves?"

"It was no fairytale!"

"Gideon....wolves are not immortal."

"Speak for yourself Alpha!  Your mom!  Need I say more?"

"Gi...."

"Good grief...I mean the part about the Great Alpha!!  You really are clueless sometimes. Why do you think all of our Pups have been Primes or True Alphas?"

"Uhhhh.....I have amazing genes?"

Gideon bopped him on the head and growled in frustration at her dense Alpha.

"How have you not realized what you truly are after all this time!!?  Did you not read what the book said?  The moment I read it, I knew!"

"What are you babbling on about old Omega?"

Gideon stood, hands on hips and eyes red she snarled at her Mate.

"You old fool! You're a Great Alpha!"

Toru burst out laughing. He laughed so hard that he almost wet himself. After he managed to settle down, Gideon was still mad that he didn't believe her.   Without saying anything, Gideon pulled him off the decking and out to the middle of the courtyard. It was a beautiful night and the moon was full.

"Look at me Alpha!". Gideon for the first time ever used her Alpha voice on her Mate. Toru looked at her shocked that she did that. The old Omega held both of her Alpha's hands and stood close to him. Her eyes changed to a most beautiful shade of violet.

" Gi...your eyes!!"

"I know, yours are the same color my dear."

"Whats going on babe? I feel weird?"

"Tonight Toru, we have a choice. Your time is at an end, once you die, I will follow you. Or....we can run together as Mates forever. Like we did our first time up at the cabin. You as my handsome Alpha and I as your beautiful Omega. But, we will be as wolves a majority of the time. Only able to shift into our human form on nights of the full moon. That my Alpha, is my last wish for us."

Toru stared at her for a few minutes.  Thinking back to the book that Odori had found, the description of Great Alphas did sound like him, but he blew it off as it wasn't important at the time.  Then the words of the Elder hit him.  All those years ago, she must have known.  That is why she pulled him aside to stress how important and rare his Omega truly was and what she meant by him being 'asleep'.  

It had been so long since they ran together, decades in fact. But he still didn't believe what she was telling him and she could sense it. Gideon stepped back away from him and removed her robe, right before his eyes stood his beautiful Omega once again. Eyes now violet, her curves and muscles had returned along with her youth. Toru began to weep. To spend eternity with the love of his life; his Mate, young and free, able to gaze upon her never fading beauty...there was only one answer.

"Yes!! Oh yes!" He went to her and embraced her. The strange feeling taking over him. He looked at her, now with both of them nude he grabbed her hand and dashed to the bathroom to look in the mirror. There, looking back at him, was himself. As young and handsome from the first day they had met.

"It's true!"

"Yes, my Great Alpha. You have been asleep far too long.  It was never my place to wake you from this 'sleep' Toru.  You had to be the one to do that, that's why I never said anything to you about it until now.  You as Great Alpha and I as a Prime, together we have the power to make all of this possible. I told you once that the Elder was like a fairy Godmother. This was my last and final wish for us. To run together till the end of time as Mates."

"Oh Gideon, God how I've loved you all these years. Now, our love will never end."

The two walked back through their home one final time.  Hand in hand, they looked at all the pictures and memories. Gideon couldn't help but get teary eyed when they stopped to gaze at the pictures of their Pups once last time.  God she was so grateful for each and every one of them.  The two did have such a wonderful life together.  Standing out in the courtyard once again,  they turned back to the house one last time, both catching glimpses of their lost and beloved parents. Toru seeing his mother and Gideon seeing both of her fathers. She smiled as she fought back tears at finally being able to see her real father.  One more tender and deep kiss and the Great Pair shifted into beautiful wolves. Toru was as snow white and actually larger than his Omega now that he had finally awakened to his real self.  The two trotted out of the gate and through the town. Enjoying the memories of their lives there. Those that were awake at such a late hour, caught a glimpse of the ethereal scene of the large Great wolves. In a blink of an eye, they were gone into a thick mist that mysteriously blanketed the town.

Rumors started around the small village soon after of the great white wolves that could be seen running and playing happily deep in the forest. To see them meant great luck and happiness. Often, young couples would venture up to the small cabin area to see if they could catch sight of them. If they were lucky, they would see a flash of white in the dense woods, that was all. Sometimes those that dared to venture to the cabin at night would catch a fleeting glance of a loving couple bathing in the hot springs, their bodies golden and illuminated by the moonlight.

Hani and Odori were frequent visitors to their childhood home.  They wanted to spend one last time there before Ha-neul turned it over to his son, Toru. Yes, he named his first son after his father.  The siblings still remembered the day that their parents 'left'  as they liked to call it.  Since they never found bodies, just empty yukatas in the middle of the courtyard, they always referred to it as they simply left.  Sure they had heard the rumors, but could only hope that the two wolves were in fact their parents.  Hani always knew they were both very special.  Every since that day Gideon had held him in the restaurant, he knew she was no ordinary Prime.  The brother and sister sat on the deck, like they had done so many times before with their parents.  Gideon would never admit it to any of them, but Ha-neul and Odori were her favorites.  They were her firsts;  first Pup and first born Pup.  The rest of their brothers and sister were busy with their own lives now but the two of them always made time to return to their home in the mountains.   Sitting there sharing stories about their childhood; two large, white butterflies played in the breeze, both coming to light on each of them briefly then flying away. 

Hani smiled.

Oh how the beautiful butterflies reminded him of his loving parents...