Epilogue

CORAL

“Okay. Our teatime has definitely been upgraded,” Lyra laughs.

I grin. “Having additional company is really nice.”

Iris winks at me. “I think that teatime has become my new favorite thing.”

I blush. “Me too.”

The three of us have been connecting around our tea for a while now. Well. Iris and Lyra have been coming over, and they’re often here when I test out new ideas. Like right now.

I’m working on a new concept for tea. I grow all the herbs still, and all the flowers, but instead of just sitting at a table, I made a couch out of lush mounds of willows, woven together and padded with a cushion of daisies.

“How do you even think of these things?” Iris waves to the room around her.

Shrugging, I sip my tea. “It just comes to me.”

“It’s amazing, Coral. It really is,” Lyra says.

I agree.

Since Nolan and I found out that we were fated mates, my powers have gone absolutely haywire. I’m able to do much more than coax plants to grow. Now, I can pretty much make them do whatever I want.

Unfortunately, I am a royal faerie. As such, I’ve been added to a whole network of faerie royals and retainers that I really couldn’t care less about. A pair of water spirits, apparently the traditional heralds of faerie royals, the same two who apparently issued the favor to Thorne, confirmed it about a month after the attack on Oakwood. They also brought us news about the group behind it and the attack on my hive in Seattle.

Well. They tried to bring us news.

Neither of the herald-water spirits understood at first. It took a lot of listening, and a weird increase in the humidity in the room, until Thorne was able to clarify that it was a hit listed on the dark web.

So clearly not a faerie, as none of us can really use computers, as evidenced by the water spirits who kept referring to the ‘human plague’ in their statement. They meant the internet. Faeries don’t use it, let alone the dark web.

Eventually Thorne and Nolan figured it out. There are mages who target fae royals, of which I am one, which was kept from me until it could be confirmed. I was supposed to be tested a long time ago, I just never did, because I just managed to perfectly evade the testing process on my travels. My parents, airy as they were, kept forgetting to reschedule the test. The water heralds told me that I was lucky.

It’s hard to feel lucky when everyone I knew died in this process.

The pain of that is settling for me, though. I never thought that it would. Parts of it never will, but I can feel it healing, slowly, scabbing over like a cut on the side of a tree.

Oakwood is helping.

I wanted to remain alone for so long, it feels… odd, to be part of a community again. But being part of the pack is healing me. Slowly, but surely.

I miss other faeries a lot, now that I’m emerging more into the social world. I’ve talked to Nolan about going to other hives, to visit. Or, if there are others who were targeted by the mages, I want them to come here. With us.

Nolan, of course, agreed. Thorne is on board, too, as long as we can make sure the pack is safe.

I can definitely make sure. It’s part of the perks of being a royal faerie, I guess. They will answer to me.

I tried it out on the heralds, and both water spirits immediately started jumping up and down when I commanded it. They were weirdly delighted, because it’s kind of intrinsic that faeries respond to a royal. Still, the water spirits did the official power test, confirming that I am, in fact, a princess, so that it can go in the records. They offered to take me with them, so I could learn from other fae royals how to act. I wouldn’t be able to take Nolan with me, however.

My mate had a lot to say about that. As did I. I told the heralds that they could bring other faeries here, but I wouldn’t be leaving my mate.

The other faeries were annoyed, but they ended up leaving and promised to spread the word in case there are others like me who need somewhere safe to go. I think they’ll follow up on it. I commanded them to. It felt odd.

I won’t say that I like commanding other faeries, but it was helpful in that moment when I wanted them to leave.

Until we can establish a new hive, for those who have been targeted by the mages, I’m content to be part of the Oakwood pack. I have, however, decided to try my hand at being a little more productive with my new powers. Hence the furniture sets.

Recently, I worked with the foxes to make a playground for the young pups in the pack. Unlike the ugly metallic monstrosities you can find in human communitas, my playground is completely organic. It has no carbon footprint and is built to keep all children, shifter and any others, safe from harm.

Once the kids figured out that the willows would literally catch them if they fell, they made a game out of it. It’s fun for all of us.

If Nolan and I are lucky enough to have children, I’m certain that they’ll have just as much fun—and the thought makes me happy.

Lyra sets her tea down, and I notice for the first time that there’s a furrow in her eyebrow.

“Everything okay?” I ask.

She nods. “Yes. I’ve just been trying to compete with the bar for being the go-to social event space for singles in the pack.”

I raise an eyebrow.

Iris laughs. “The library and the bar are two very different things.”

“Listen, we do a very fun Midnight in the Stacks night. I think that it definitely competes with the Wild Haunt.”

“Is that the bar?” I’m still getting used to the names around Oakwood.

Lyra wrinkles her nose. “Yes. I mean, it’s just a bar. Nothing special. I’m not sure how they’re making it so enticing for everyone.”

“Maybe because some people are not nerds who like to drink at the library?” Iris gives her a gentle smile.

“That’s what my mate says, too,” Lyra mutters.

I give her a hug. “I don’t think you’re a nerd, and I love the library. I think you should just live and let live. They can attract their crowd, and you can attract yours.”

Lyra sighs. “Maybe. But I have to get going. Can I take the flowers to put in the library?”

I nod, and she grabs the bouquet of roses I prepared earlier.

Iris also stands. “I have to go, too. Thorne wants to plan another Moon Party, and I just don’t even know where to start.”

“Maybe with a nice moonflower arrangement?” I wink at her.

She laughs. “I’m glad you’re taking more of a role in the pack, Coral.”

Saying goodbye, Iris walks back to her car. Lyra smiles.

“You’re really hanging out with the bigwigs now. The Alpha’s mate? That’s pretty socially huge, Coral.”

I wrinkle my nose. “I like Iris. I’ve always liked her.”

“I know. But still. Okay, time for me to go.” Standing, Lyra gives me one last look.

“I’m happy for you, Coral. I really am. You deserve all of this and so much more,” she says.

I smile back. “Thank you. I’ll come to the Midnight in the Stacks when you host it next.”

“You better. Because if you go to the Wild Haunt, I’ll probably cry myself to sleep.”

Lyra laughs and waves at Nolan, who is pulling up right as she leaves.

I watch him get out of the truck, and my heart thumps against my ribs.

He’s so handsome. So incredibly, totally, handsome.

A butterfly lands on him, and he smiles before looking my way.

I missed you.

I jump up, setting my tea down. I run, as fast as I can, before leaping into Nolan’s arms.

When I kiss him, I don’t have to say anything. The bond between us resonates with all the joy I’m feeling.

I missed you, too.

I might be a princess, but that’s not the happy ending I care about.

For me, it’s Nolan. Nolan will always be my happily ever after.

And I will always be his.

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