Epilogue

Dane kept the pace back to the Strongblood compound slow, mindful of his mate being heavy with their pup. Spring had come later than expected and to be truthful, he’d kept his family within their cozy den longer than he should have. The time spent in the cave with Remy—showing the omega how much he loved him and seeing their pup grow—had given him the most peace and happiness he’d ever known. It was hard to give it up, and yet now was the time to make sure his mate was in a safe place to whelp.

His trepidation over returning to the pack for good was still there, however. It nestled deep inside his mind, prodding at him when he let his guard down like a dull ache. If he allowed it to, the feeling would overwhelm him, so he kept it under control. His days of running from his past were over. The moment he’d first seen Remy, his fate had literally been sealed. Their tie through their wolves couldn’t be broken so long as they both lived. And he was determined to make sure that their time together would be long and fruitful. Remy deserved that kind of stability and happiness. Dane was determined to give it to the omega no matter the cost to himself.

He caught Merida’s scent before she appeared through the thick stand of trees in front of them. Conan followed, as the two gammas seemed to have become inseparable. He and Remy had speculated how a mating between two dominants would work out, but there was no denying that they would all soon find out. With a yip of greeting, Merida came up to flank her brother. Conan did the same with Dane, and the four of them finished the journey to the longhouse together.

He was relieved to see that no welcoming party waited for them outside mostly because there was still a damp chill in the air and he didn’t want his mate shifting into his human skin until they were inside the warm building. It also gave him a few more seconds to tamp down the instinctive unease that crept into his mind. But the opportunity was no more than a moment in time because just inside the great doors stood Graydon, Celia, Ethan with the alpha heir in his arms, and others ready to greet them.

Dane shifted and gave an encouraging nod to Remy to do the same. The boy’s complete trust in him and his judgment bolstered his own confidence. Before he could even ask, sigmas rushed forward to wrap the omega in a soft blanket. The boy thanked them in a low tone before moving closer to Dane. He put his arm around his mate and hugged him to his side.

Graydon took a step closer. “Welcome home, brother.” He nodded at Remy. “And welcome to my brother by mating. We are glad to have you back and look forward to the new addition to our family.”

Dane put his free hand over the bump under the blanket. The pup inside wiggled at the touch, the feel of it causing Dane’s heart to swell with extra pride. It had been so from the first time it had happened. “Thank you, Alpha. We appreciate the greeting and…are happy to be home.” The words weren’t as hard to say as he’d expected. “Our time in my den was a good one but we’ll both be happier for the healer to confirm that all is well with my mate.”

“Of course. She awaits your visit after you’ve had a chance to settle into the new room we’ve built for you and your family.”

Dane couldn’t stop from showing his surprise. He’d assumed they would be quartered in the one allocated to Remy and Merida from the beginning, the one where their pup had been conceived. Dane expected he would have to build a bigger den himself during the summer months. Apparently, Graydon had ordered something done over the winter.

Before he could ask any questions, however, Wyatt rushed in with a squeal, Kael hot on his heels with a look of exasperation.

“Remy!” The visibly breeding omega threw his arms around Remy’s neck, tugging him out of Dane’s embrace. “I’ve missed you. Are you well? Can I see?”

With a big smile, Remy parted the edges of his blanket to expose his swollen belly. “Everything’s perfect.”

Wyatt giggled. “That pup’s nearly as big as you are.”

Remy reached out hesitantly, his hand hovering over Wyatt’s abdomen. “You’re breeding again, too.”

Wyatt’s expression of joy only dimmed somewhat. “Yes, it didn’t take long for my heat to come, and so far, everything’s fine. The healer says not to worry, to rest whenever I feel the need to. I’m trying to listen to her. And him,” he added jerking his chin toward Kael. “It’s hard.”

Remy pulled the other omega into a hug. “Let’s go see the healer together.”

Wyatt nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, that’s a great idea. Now?”

Remy turned to Dane with a silent question.

Although he instinctively balked at being separated from his mate, he realized it was best to give the omegas a chance to comfort each other without the worry of dominants stepping in to meddle. “Go on. I’ll come fetch you later after the alpha has shown me our new room.”

Remy’s face lit up. “Thank you, Dane.”

Kael sighed. “I’m okay with that plan, too, for whatever that’s worth.” The beta shot Dane a grin over the boys’ heads.

Ethan turned to Graydon. “I need to satisfy your son’s voracious appetite, but please show Dane what you had built for him. Be sure to pay attention to his reaction because I want a full account when you’re done.”

Graydon kissed his mate’s forehead. “I will.” He looked at their mother as Ethan left. “Shall we?”

Celia shook her head with a smile. “I think it best for you and your brother to do so alone.” She looked at Dane. “Our evening meal will be a celebration feast. It’s good to have you home.”

Dane couldn’t speak past the sudden lump in his throat. He could only incline his head and watch her leave. Then he was alone with his brother. “I didn’t expect you to do anything special for us, but I thank you all the same.”

Graydon clapped him on his back. “I would do anything to make your homecoming, and staying, easier. Come and see. I won’t be offended if you want to change anything.”

Dane doubted he’d care enough to alter what had been done, but Remy might want something different. It was critical that the omega feel comfortable as he waited for the whelping. He was surprised, however, as he followed his brother farther into the longhouse than he’d expected. The living quarters were adjacent to the front portion of the communal spaces, yet they went well past them into the area near the kitchen and storage places. When he judged they were as far back as the wooden structure went, Graydon stopped them in front of a door at the far corner.

“We—our mother, Ethan and I—thought you’d be more comfortable away from the main portion of the longhouse. It’s quiet here.” He flung open the door and stepped aside for Dane to enter first.

He nearly gasped. His family had gone to a lot of trouble to not only build a two-room area with an open arch, but to also make the large space feel cozy with fur rugs scattered around the hard-packed dirt floor, a wide pallet in the far room that had a rock wall, and lots of pillows. There were tables with oil lamps already lit, giving the space a warm glow, and cubbies with clothing neatly stacked inside. And there was a shelf with books. It was like being in their den, except it was all lodged deep inside the safety of the longhouse.

Dane walked in slow circles, taking it in. “You did all of this while I had Remy and me in my forest den?”

Graydon scratched the back of his neck. “Well, I did the planning. The rest was done by others. Everyone had ideas about the details.”

“It’s amazing. Thank you, brother.” Dane pulled Graydon into a hug without thought. His heart raced with emotion and…shit, he had to blink back tears. When he had himself under control, he pulled away.

It was possible, but probably more a trick of the light, that the alpha’s eyes looked a bit shiny. “I wanted to make it as easy as possible for you to remain.”

Dane heaved a large breath. “I’ll never leave my mate and pups.”

“I know. Still, you can’t be expected to put all of your past behind you so quickly. That’s why I insisted on this.” The alpha went to a thick hanging on the wall and pushing it aside, revealed another door. He threw back the deadbolts and opened it, then moved away for Dane to see.

Dane went to stand at the threshold and looked out at the back corner of the compound. A few bounding steps and he’d be at the tree line…and freedom. He turned away from it. “You thought of this?”

Graydon shrugged. “I imagine you might need the opportunity to go for a run on your own quickly. This way you don’t have to travel through the longhouse or go far from your family. It’s the best of both worlds, I hope.”

Dane once more had to work to get himself under control. “It is,” he finally managed to say, his voice rough with emotion. “Just knowing I can straddle the two worlds will be helpful whenever I get…”

“You won’t fail Remy or any of us, I’m sure of that. But we all wrestle with our past. Celia wears dresses some days, still. And I have to control my impatience at wanting to breed my mate again. Our pup isn’t ready to be weaned entirely and Ethan loves nursing him so much, yet all I can think of is filling the pack with my pups.” He shook his head. “It’s hard to unlearn the lessons of our puphoods, but we are better than our sire. Our families will have happy lives. We can give that to them. I’m sure of it.”

Hearing his brother’s own doubts helped his own somehow. Dane shut the outer door and bolted it. It was there if he needed it, but he would try not to. “I want to see my mate. Not having him by my side is making me twitchy. He will love this, by the way.”

Graydon grinned. “Of course. He’s such as sweet omega.”

“He is that.”

Graydon peeled off in a different direction once they left the room. Dane had no trouble finding his way to the healer’s room. Laughter met him before he even entered. Remy and Wyatt were sitting with their heads close together on a waiting pallet.

The healer nodded to Dane. “All is well, beta.”

“Dane!” Remy bounced up as quickly as his bulk would allow and would have run to him if Dane hadn’t closed the gap first. “Our pup is fine. So is Wyatt’s. Everyone’s healthy. Isn’t that wonderful?”

Dane hugged him close. “It is. And wait until you see the den the pack has given us.” He cupped Remy’s face with his hands. “We’re going to be happy here, baby.”

The omega’s face lit up. “Of course we are because we’ll be together. That’s all we need.”

Dane kissed him gently before pressing his cheek against his mate’s soft hair. “You’re right. My sweet and smart omega.”