Epilogue

DILLON

Nine Months Later

In the hospital room, the light is soft, the air tinged with the faint scent of antiseptic. I look over at the bed and watch as my mate sleeps soundly, her chest rising and falling with each breath. Our tiny, absolutely perfect son lays swaddled in a blanket nestled against her.

Relief cuts through me, and I'm so goddamn happy the worst is over. The birth was long and hard, each moment an eternity, until finally, he arrived, filling the room with his strong, pissed-off cries. His little wrinkled face already wears the Bearly smirk.

The door opens softly, and I look up to see the familiar faces of Wrenlee, Gianna, Bethany, and my mother peeking in. "Have we waited long enough?" A few weeks ago, I sat my entire family down and let them know I wanted time with my mate and new child before they descend on us.

I grin and wave them inside, careful to keep my voice low. "Come on in and meet the little guy," I say, pride threading through every word as my inner bear celebrates our accomplishment.

They enter quietly and approach the bed. Wrenlee is first, her eyes wide with awe as she takes in the tiny bundle cradled in Emilia's arms.

"Oh my goodness," Wrenlee breathes, leaning over to get a closer look. "He's so handsome."

Emilia stirs at the sound of her sister's voice, blinking sleepily before smiling up at the gathering crowd. "Hi," she whispers, her voice soft and full of warmth.

Wrenlee decided to move to Glacier Pass after her last semester ended, which relieved my mate greatly. We're letting her stay in the extra apartment until she decides her next move.

Gianna, with her bright, infectious energy, peers over Wrenlee's shoulder, her gaze transfixed on our son. "Wow, look at him!" she exclaims, just barely keeping her enthusiasm contained. "He's got your smirk, Dillon."

"And Emilia's nose," Bethany adds with a gentle smile, reaching out a hand to lightly touch the baby's small fist. "He's absolutely perfect."

I feel a swell of pride so powerful it almost chokes me. Here before us is tangible proof of our bond, a new life we created together.

My mother steps closer and smiles down at me with tears in her eyes. "He's so adorable."

Tilly turns to me. "The men decided to go over to Clay's house and help him out with his little girl, and I imagine they're having quite the adventure. They wanted me to tell you they can't wait to meet Gavin, but they'll wait until Emilia and the baby get home."

I chuckle at the thought of my dad, Gabe, and Grant juggling Clay's very spoiled baby girl while likely arguing over who has to change the next diaper. "I'm sure they're managing just fine. At least until she screams the house down."

"My child definitely has a good set of lungs," Bethany laughs.

Emilia shifts and offers the baby to me, and I take him carefully, cradling his sturdy little body against my chest.

"Hey, little chunk," I say softly, holding him close. He looks back at me while attempting to shove his entire fist into his mouth.

Wrenlee sits on the edge of the bed, grinning as she watches us. "I can't wait until I get to babysit my nephew."

"I get the first shot at him," my mother cuts in.

And that starts the argument over who gets to babysit him first. "Don't fight, ladies," I tease. "You'll all get equal chances to watch him."

A while later, Bethany, Gianna, and my mother decide to go with me to pick up lunch, letting the two sisters have time together.

When we return, I push the hospital room door open and hear Wrenlee laugh. "I can't believe some woman was dumb enough to marry Jay. When I heard about it, I looked her up on Facebook and she actually looks normal. I guess there's no accounting for taste."

"I know. She must be really desperate," my mate laughingly agrees. "But I'm not complaining. At least my former stalker is someone else's problem now."

My inner polar bear rumbles to life at the mention of the human who dared to stalk my mate, but I hush the fucker, reminding him I'll protect Emilia no matter what.

After the Harold situation, I added extra security to our estate and hired a security firm to keep an eye on my enemy. So far, it's all been unnecessary since Harold took Sheriff Bolden's suggestion and moved clear across the country.

Without him around to worry about, things have settled down for us. Business is better than ever, and I love working every day with my mate. Plus, now it appears I won't ever have to worry about my mate's past stalker causing any trouble in the future.

"Here's your lunch." I walk over to my mate and place the cheeseburger and fries from the diner on the bedside table. "You need to keep your strength up."

"Thank you." She smiles up at me, and I see intense love shining from her aqua-blue eyes. "I'm starving."

"We're going to leave so you can eat and rest." My mother corrals all the other women, and they head for the door. "We'll come by and see you guys once you get home," Mom promises as they step out.

After the women leave, I look down at Emilia and Gavin. "We're so lucky," I say softly, bending to press a kiss to Emilia's head, feeling the soft strands of her hair beneath my lips. "We found each other, and our family is crazy about our new son."

"We definitely are," she agrees, reaching up to cup my face, drawing me in for a lingering kiss. "Although, you do realize they're going to spoil him rotten."

"I have no doubt."

Holding my family close, I sit back and close my eyes as my bear congratulates me on a job well done. Life doesn't get any better than this.