Epilogue

Alaric

I held her hand and never left her side during labour. I helped her walk when she needed to straighten her back. When she needed to drink or be massaged, I was with her. I placed ice-cold clothes on her face to wipe away the sweat and cool her down, but when I watched her scream and strain as she pushed our son into the world, it decimated my heart to think I looked upon humans with such disdain. My blood mate was not weak, she was a fucking lioness. Her eyes wouldn't leave our son, but I didn't want to leave her side until our second baby was born.

"Take him once he has been cleaned up," she said, looking behind me.

I glanced back and saw the nurse wrapping him up. Since Christian went AWOL, Damien had been searching for him. We didn't have protection to go into the hospital, so in the end, I decided to have a home birth but with all the human medical staff present.

"Mr Charon, the next one is crowning, and it will be quick from the looks of things," the doctor said.

I kissed Gemma and scooped our son from the nurse but returned to his mother's side to hold her hand.

"You can do this, sweetness. I will never leave your side," I murmured, kissing her hand.

She smiled at me before she grimaced and gripped my hand.

"Breathe, baby, you got this."

I ignored the staff's interactions and focused on Gemma. Thankfully, within ten minutes, our second son was born. Only then did I truly study my patient boy, who had remained peaceful lying against my chest. I handed Gemma Leon before I went to check on Theos. When he was cleaned and checked, I cradled my younger son to see they were identical.

Gemma held Leon against her chest, stroking his hair and cheek before kissing his tiny cheek. I passed her Theos before turning to look at the doctor.

"It's pretty amazing that she doesn't need stitches. The contractions remain, so we will wait until the placenta detaches. As you have requested, we will leave them in the waste disposal boxes you provided us with," she said.

I nodded to her before looking at Gemma's exhausted yet pleased face. I paused to take them in because I never thought I could have this. A family other than my brothers. I took Theos from her as she loosened her top to feed Leon. My son instantly began to search for food as she held him against her without the blanket. Theos began to move his fists, and his face scrunched up. I gently rocked him as his mother fed Leon.

I smoothed Gemma's hair away from her face and kissed her over the sound of my son sucking and gulping the milk from her breast. I could smell the sweetness from her milky breast in the air. As soon as she could travel, we would return to our island.

I would take no chances over their safety. If anyone found out, I had children or a mate. It wouldn't be long until people tried to exploit them. I had lived too long and seen too many kingdoms fall. Theos suddenly let out a tiny cry but stopped himself with a mid-cry yawn, and I looked down at him to see his dark eyes blink.

"Hello, Theos. Do you remember your páppa's voice?"

I smiled when he paused to listen to my voice. I began to speak to him, telling him some ancient tales about his uncles as I held Gemma's hand. I'd come a long way from when I met Gemma in the art gallery. The love I felt for all three of them made me feel a little less monstrous.

After a while, Gemma glanced over at Theos before looking at me.

"They look like you. Look at the shape of their hairline and cute button noses. They might have my lips—I think," she said, caressing Leon's tiny hand and fingers.

"How can they be so perfectly formed?" I asked in wonder as my eyes took in every detail of Leon's fingers and nails.

"They are so beautiful," she said with a sigh as she looked at Theos with longing in her eyes.

I placed him in her other arm but helped her position him against her breast before I checked in with the doctor. I wanted them all out of my home.

Eventually, her placenta came out with ease, and I kept it because I wasn't about to waste a single drop of Gemma's precious blood.

∞∞∞

I didn't relax until I had them back on the island. Spending my nights with Leon and Theos filled my dead heart with life. I'd become an expert in breastfeeding them on their mother while she was half asleep or completely oblivious to us. Since I required very little sleep or rest, I was able to look after all of them day and night.

I understood why Samuel killed Nicholas. I would have done the same if any vampire had threatened or touched my blood mate. There was a lot of change happening with all of us, and it made me uneasy for my family. Damien found his blood mate. Christian contacted us to let us know he was alive and well. The positive was that no major incident had been reported to our Coven. We didn't need to intervene in taking down Duncan because members of the London Coven took care of it.

I held my sleeping boys in my arms and kissed each forehead before putting them in their basket. I wanted to hold their Mother tonight, but I waited to ensure they remained asleep before I eagerly climbed into bed to hold Gemma. She still had a round, plump belly, which I loved. I knew no baby was inside her, but I loved touching it. She wasn't so keen.

I wanted a baby girl like Gemma. The thought of breeding her again made my balls ache. I had weeks of abstinence left yet, and it was killing me, but I knew she had to heal and recover. I pulled her into my arms and wrapped my arms around her. Listening to the three heartbeats in the room.

I didn't need my heart to beat as long as theirs never stopped.