Epilogue - Olivia

Veronica's screaming fills the medical bay, and Byron grips my hand tight, closing his eyes. Percy has been practically inconsolable for the past three days since Veronica went into labor.

Chase Lawler, the paranormal doctor, arrived in town a week after the Christmas party, and has spent his time monitoring her pregnancy and running her through the different paranormal medical emergencies he's encountered. Now, he's in the room with her, assuring Percy it's normal for paranormal labor to last longer.

"Shifters already run over 24 hours," he'd said, before she even went into labor. "So, with this case—vampire and shifter, we'll focus on monitoring her vitals and getting her what she needs."

We've been cycling in and out of the medical bay for days, while Maisie and Chase have hardly slept, constantly monitoring Veronica. Chase also has several vampire-specific specialists ready to video chat, but they require translation, as they're all located overseas, where the vampires are a little more sophisticated than in the United States.

"Coffee run," Zane says, walking into the medical bay with two cups in his hands. When he disappears inside, I lean over to Byron, my lips nearly touching his ear as I speak. I watch him shiver from the touch, and it sends a wave of arousal through me.

Will that ever go away? I make a point to ask Linnea the next time I see her. Then again, I'm not sure I want to know what my Alpha is up to in his free time.

"Has he said anything else about joining the pack?" I ask Byron. We could use our mental link, but lately, we've been saving it for more…intimate interactions, where it feels the best.

"Aris invited him," Byron says, his voice taking on that tense tone it gets any time we talk about his brother potentially joining the Rosecreek pack. "But he's yet to make up his mind. I don't know if he thinks I still have reservations—I've made it clear that we want him."

But despite the invitations, Zane still makes sure to leave strategically so he doesn't accidentally integrate too far into the pack. So far, he still has the scent of a rogue floating around him, and nobody is really sure what he does when he's gone—not even Byron.

When Zane emerges, his eyes narrow on us.

"Stop talking about me," he says, to which I shake my head way too fast.

"We weren't!"

"Gods, Olivia," Byron laughs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Are you ever going to learn how to lie to him?"

"It's the rogue scent," I mutter, giving Zane a look. "It puts me on edge."

"Good," he says, clearing his throat. "So it keeps you sharp."

"Does that seem sharp?" Byron asks, before returning his attention to his laptop.

Despite the fact that the commander is no longer part of the picture, there's still plenty to worry about with the vampires. Rafael and the rest of the team have been working hard to try and identify any other shapeshifters, and to educate the pack— and even the humans in the area—about the dangers of believing them, and how you can identify them.

Aris has also increased the training for everyone in Rosecreek—including those in the special ops team, all the way down to little Maisie, who was told she had to learn to shoot a gun. As far as I know, she still has yet to start her training, too terrified to practice.

"How's it going?" Aris asks, rounding the corner and walking into the hallway. He's majorly beefed up, but there are bags under his eyes. It seems like all he does is train or work—and Byron explained the reasons to me. That Aris might worry about protecting the pack if he can't stand up to a challenger.

"She's doing okay," I say, clapping my hands together, "but no baby yet."

"Hey, love," Linnea says, walking up to Aris and putting her arms around him. After they embrace, she turns to us, waving us along like we're kids loitering in the hallway.

"We've got it for a while," she says, "Bigby and Rosa will take over in a few hours."

Aris nods and sits down on the bench with Linnea, who immediately takes out a knitting project. It looks like she's making something for the baby already, and its adorable. Linnea herself looks close to bursting, but since Veronica went into labor early, she'll beat her.

When Byron closes his laptop, slips it into his bag, and takes my hand, my heart rockets into my throat. I think to the results, those little pink lines, and swallow my anxiety down.

He'll be happy. I just have to find the right time to tell him.

"You want to finish that game tonight?" he asks when we emerge into the bright sunshine. I squint my eyes across the street, where Zane is wheeling a big box into the bakery.

"Is that your brother?" I ask, and when Byron looks, he laughs, too.

"You know what?" he says, shaking his head and tugging me along toward the apartment. "I'm not even going to ask."

"That's so weird—you think him and Lisa?"

"No," Byron says, immediately, "Zane knows better than to go after a human."

"Whatever you say," I laugh, rolling my eyes. "And, to answer your question—yes, I do want to finish the game."

We've been working on a multi-player game for weeks, and we're so close to finishing. We've been on the boss level forever. I bite my nails as we climb the stairs, and it's when we're standing outside the apartment that I can't hold it in anymore.

"I'm pregnant," I blurt, which makes Byron jump and drop his keys. He spins around, eyes wide, staring at me like I just yelled fire!

"You—"

"Is that okay?" I ask, breathing hard. "Shit, I should have thought of a better way to tell you, like with a bun in the over or some—"

He steps forward, wrapping me in his arms and spinning me around, and when he sets me down, he has the biggest smile on his face. He brings his hands to my cheeks, then presses a kiss to my forehead.

I let my eyes trail up to his head, where his hair is blue again. In an effort to distract him in the weeks leading up to Veronica's labor, Byron asked Percy for help with his hair again, and this time, for some reason, it stuck.

"This is the best news," Byron says, letting his forehead fall against mine. And then, after a moment, he says, "I just have one question."

My heart beating wildly in my chest, I take a breath, thinking about everything we've been through, his thoughts on family and kids in the past. I wish, hope, and pray that he's not having second thoughts now.

"Yes?" I ask, feeling like I might be sick, until he opens his mouth and speaks again, grinning as he settles his hands on my hips.

"Do you think the baby will have purple hair?"

*****

THE END