Epilogue

EPILOGUE

SEREN

S queals follow the loud thumping of feet across the corridor.

“Can you both please be careful?” I call out, my voice a bit higher than usual. “Someone is going to get hurt.” I listen for a moment, but all I hear are giggles and guffaws.

“You get ready, my love,” Theron says playfully.

“Don’t worry, Mama, I got it,” Leon yells from the bottom of the stairs, still a few feet ahead of his father, who’s hot on his tail.

As the sound of joyous laughter echoes through our home, I know someone’s won their game. Soon there’s only one set of footsteps approaching, and I shake my head, smiling.

“Look what I got for you, Mama.” My son leans down from his father’s shoulders, one hand on Theron’s ear as he hands me a bunch of wild roses–Leon’s favorite.

“Aww, thank you, sweetheart.” I kiss his palms as I take the flowers, and he giggles .

“Mama, when is Grandpa Dan coming? I still haven’t told him about my dream,” my son asks.

Last night my son dreamed of a white wolf. He believes it’s his wolf. Theron is on the fence, since Leon is not even five yet, so meeting his wolf in a dream isn’t likely…but you never know. And Leon thinks his Grandpa Dan would know for sure. The stoic man that I’ve known for a decade has turned into a warm, loving man since he met Leon.

“He’ll be here in the evening, my little wolf. But remember what we discussed?” I ask him with a raised eyebrow.

“That I can only tell him about it. No one else.” He parrots back my words exactly.

“That’s right,” Theron says as he places him back on the ground.

I glance at the big clock on the wall. “You both have ten minutes to get ready. I don’t want to be late.”

Leon and Theron exchange mischievous grins. “Alright!” they shout in unison.

“And Leon, don’t forget your shoes, my little lion. We’re going to be out in the forest,” I try to remind them, but the door to the bathroom is already shut.

A wave of excitement washes over me as I think of the evening ahead. It’s been two years since Theron marked me as his luna, and like last year, we’re hosting the entire pack for a special event tonight.

I decide to go check if all the gifts have been loaded into the main truck. As I’m walking back, a strong arm wraps around my waist.

“Titan,” I whisper as soft lips kiss the mark on my neck. Sparks dance all over my body. I moan as his teeth graze over it. “Where’s Leon?”

“Kitchen,” he whispers breathily. I can feel his excitement through his pants.

Knowing we’ve got at least five minutes, I turn in his hold. “So, what do you suggest we do?” I ask, teasing him.

“I can think of a few things,” he says before pecking my lips.

“Like?” I ask, grazing the back of his neck with my fingernails, knowing that’s his soft spot. He closes his eyes and leans into my touch.

“Wait,” he says, pulling back slightly. “You forgot something.”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a familiar blue box, his eyes sparkling.

With a tender smile, he carefully removes the necklace, the amethyst pendant and Venetian beads as beautiful as the first time I saw them.

I grin as he gently fixes it around my neck before placing a kiss on my forehead.

I had forgotten about that necklace—the one I broke before leaving the estate. I didn’t know he had kept the pieces with him until he gifted it to me last year. He’d worked with a designer to have it repaired just for me.

“My mama is most beautiful,” my son announces as he runs in with two of his friends from the pack.

I straighten his hair before doing the same for his friends. Leon extends his wrists toward me, and I giggle before dabbing a little perfume on the sleeve of his shirt. Two more pairs of wrists extend, and I swiftly give them the same treatment .

“Let’s go, or we’re going to miss the entry of the alpha king and queen,” I remind them, before they ask for pocket squares from Theron. We can’t be late, since these little guys are part of the welcome squad.

After we bundle the kids into the back of the car, Theron drives us to the pack grounds. My phone beeps, and I smile at the two names on the messenger app.

Ella, who’s been in touch since her mate’s health improved, is arriving for the celebrations tonight. I’d insisted she stay with us for at least a week, and while she refused for a while, I’ve finally convinced her to spend a few nights at the estate. Hope tonight and tomorrow is okay.

I shake my head and swiftly text back. Absolutely. Can’t wait to see you!

Jane’s message has me dialing her back right away for a quick call.

I fucking did it—I made PARTNER!

Her married life with Gunner has turned out to better than we expected. I guess they needed those little bumps in their life early on, so they now know what to avoid. Her kids are thriving, and now she’s made partner at the same firm she started at.

My work life is far removed from how it was in New York. I started my own firm, and now I have a mix of big and small clients. The biggest one is Blackwood, and I charge them ten percent extra. It works beautifully between Theron and me, since that way we don’t step on each other’s toes. And I still manage to attend pack meetings and contribute to how to grow our assets and keep them safe.

Everything has worked out well these last couple of years .

A year ago, Landon was found mysteriously dead in his jail cell. There were rumors about it being an inside job ordered by Senator Adams to keep him from taking a plea deal, but we don’t know for sure. The alpha king took Landon’s pack under his control, which means there’ve been zero attacks since.

As we arrive at the venue, Theron offers me his arm. I take it with a smile, and hold my baby’s hand on the other side. Leon’s friends stand beside him.

“Ready, my love?” Theron asks, kissing my ear.

I nod with a soft, “Always,” and we walk in.

We run into Luke and Pema right by the entrance.

Luke pulls me into a soft hug before moving to his best friend, while I reach out to Pema.

“Guess who’s expected to arrive in the next two minutes?” Pema asks as we’re pulling away from the hug.

“Whoa! Twenty minutes early,” I whisper, realizing she’s talking about the royal couple.

She shrugs.

I remember Lana mentioning the royal couple adopting a little girl a few weeks back. They’re already taking her on trips with them, wanting the whole world to know she’s family.

That detail makes me smile. As we enter the premises, a hush falls over the pack grounds before cheers ring out. And I know I wouldn’t change a thing about my life. I’m very happy with my family: a family with exactly 7,223 members. After being alone for my entire life, I’ve been embraced by more people than I ever thought possible.

I’ve found my happy ending .