Epilogue

CRESSIDA

Growing up with just my mom and dad, I'd never really been part of a pack. But that all changed when I mated Aaron, and we decided to take Keane up on his offer. Having the other members of The Wilderness Pack to lean on every day was a blessing.

Especially since our first pup was due very, very soon. Or at least I hoped we had a pup since raising a unicorn was a scary prospect. Being pregnant, I finally understood all my parents had gone through when they found out that I wasn't a leopard like my dad.

Standing by the food table, I debated if I really needed another helping of Leyton's smoked chicken. It was so good that I'd already had two plates full. All of the meat cravings I'd been having made me almost certain the baby I was carrying was going to be a wolf like his daddy since unicorns tended more toward the herbivore side of the food spectrum.

"I see you eyeing the buffet," Aaron said, sidling up behind me before wrapping his arms around my waist, his hands resting on my rounded belly.

"I'm wondering if I need another round of Leyton's chicken."

He leaned over, breathing into the shell of my ear. "I have something else if you're hungry."

I turned slightly to swat his shoulder. "I know I got a little wild with you that one time when the adrenaline was riding high after all that crap went down, but I'm not going to have sex with you in the forest when our pack is nearby in the middle of a party."

"There are plenty of big trees," he said with a laugh, his chest rumbling against me.

"You're terrible," I replied but couldn't help melting into him.

I still got butterflies every time he touched me, no matter how long we'd been together. And my hormones had been even worse since I got pregnant. I could probably have sex twenty-four seven and never get tired.

Which Aaron didn't seem to mind either.

"Do you want to sneak off for a little bit? I know a spot…"

Although I'd told him I wouldn't do it, he didn't even have to finish his sentence before I took his hand and headed off toward the woods.

His laughter followed us. "Do you even know where we're going?"

"I figured you'd stop me when you wanted." I grinned over my shoulder.

He halted, pulling me toward his strong body as he leaned against a tree. "This might not be the exact spot, but I can't stare at your ass any longer without touching it."

He growled, palming my butt cheeks between his big hands. I sighed, leaning into his chest, feeling his heart beating loudly against my ear.

His hands trailed from my butt, barely covered by my dress, down to the front of my underwear. I was already panting with need, spreading my legs.

He chuckled. "Already so wet and ready for me."

"Always for you, my mate," I murmured, capturing his lips in mine.

"I'll never get enough of hearing you call me that." His fingers worked between us, already building me to the brink of ecstasy as I sighed into his mouth. "Or the feel of your tight pussy. Sweetest thing I've ever tasted."

I'd had plenty of orgasms, especially with our bond, but something was different about this one. A deep ache simmered low in my body, followed by a gush of what I assumed was arousal.

I leaned back, staring down at the puddle now lying in the fallen leaves. "Did I just squirt?"

Aaron pulled his soaked hand back. "Or your water broke."

My eyes widened as an excruciating pain started low in my back, rumbling toward my stomach. "Oh crap."

Aaron charged toward me, holding my stomach as the wave of pain slowly subsided, and I gulped in deep breaths of air.

"I think the baby's coming," I gasped.

"Let's get you to the hospital."

He held my stomach, arm around my waist, as he helped me shuffle back through the woods.

We bypassed the party and headed straight for the gravel drive, where all the cars were parked. There were a ton more vehicles than were normally around since several people from Timber Ridge were here—including both of our families. My mom and dad had visited shortly after Aaron and I had taken care of the men who'd tracked me down, and it was the first of many times they'd come to see us.

Another wave of pain shot through my stomach, but this time, it was just as heated as Aaron's grip on my waist.

"Some asshole is blocking my truck," he growled.

"Hey, no need to call names," a deep voice bellowed.

I couldn't even catch my breath or turn around as our beta sauntered toward us. Leyton came to a halt in front of me, eyes widening as he looked down.

"Is she okay?"

"No, she's about to have a baby, and you're blocking my truck," Aaron growled.

He pulled his keys out of his pocket. "Okay, then, let me drive you guys. It's the least I can do, and then you can focus on your mate instead of the road."

Aaron started to protest, but I shook my head. "Just let him do it. The sooner this pain is over, the better."

Aaron shut his mouth and nodded before helping me into the truck for what would hopefully be a quick ride to the hospital. Luckily, Leyton had nerves of steel because he had to put up with my screams the entire way there. The only time he'd seemed rattled was when a nurse ran out of the hospital to help me into a wheelchair, barely noticing him.

It was a good thing she was hyper-focused on me because she was able to get me in a room with a doctor to help deliver our boy only minutes later.

"You did so good, sweetness. Andrew is perfect," Aaron murmured, running his hands over our son's cheeks, looking even smaller against his large fingertips.

His birth might not have gone how we expected, and I was pretty sure we scared Leyton out of ever wanting to get someone pregnant, but he was here.

As I watched my mate look down at our little boy with so much love, I knew there was nothing wrong with timing. It was all about how you made it work. And we sure as heck had done that to the point of perfection.