Lucas Epilogue

A few years later…

"Papa, tell us again how you and Daddy met!" Alessandro demanded, bouncing on our king-sized bed while his brother nodded enthusiastically beside him. At five years old, they were bundles of endless energy, especially during bedtime stories. This particular tale had become their favorite, though Marco and I heavily edited certain parts for obvious reasons.

I exchanged an amused glance with my mate, who was pretending to read reports at his desk but was actually listening intently. He always did when this story came up, probably to ensure I didn't reveal too many details about our actual first meeting. Only a handful of people knew, of course.

"Well," I began, pulling both boys onto my lap, "I was working at a very special club called Nightshade-"

"Where Papa was very responsible and only served water," Marco interjected with a smirk, finally abandoning any pretense of work to join us on the bed.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Yes, lots and lots of water. And then one night, this very old man walked in-"

"I wasn't old," Marco protested, making the twins giggle. "I was distinguished."

"Distinguished?" I teased. "Is that what we're calling it now?"

Matteo, always the more observant of our sons, looked between us with those intelligent eyes he'd inherited from Marco. "But Daddy, you did think Papa was old, didn't you?"

"I did," I admitted, running my fingers through Matteo's dark curls. "I thought he was ancient."

"And now?" Marco raised an eyebrow, pulling Alessandro onto his lap.

"Now I know better," I smiled. "He's absolutely ancient."

The boys erupted in laughter as Marco launched a playful attack, tickling both them and me until we were all breathless and disheveled on the bed. These moments, so far removed from the violence and danger that still occasionally touched our lives, were precious beyond measure.

"But you fell in love anyway," Alessandro stated confidently, snuggling between us.

"We did," Marco confirmed, his eyes meeting mine over our sons' heads. After all these years, that look still made my heart skip a beat. "Because sometimes the best things in life come when you least expect them."

A knock at the door interrupted our family moment. Antonio stood in the doorway, his expression apologetic. "Boss, there's a situation that needs your attention."

Five years ago, such an interruption would have filled me with anxiety and tension. Now, I merely nodded, already moving to get the twins ready for bed. We'd developed a smooth routine for handling these situations, one that kept our family life as normal as possible despite the occasional intrusion of cartel business.

"Story time's over, piccoli," I announced, ignoring their immediate protests. "Time for bed."

"But Daddy-"

"No buts," Marco cut in, his tone gentle but firm. "Listen to your daddy. I'll come check on you once I'm done with work."

As I herded the twins toward their room, I caught snippets of Antonio's report—something about territory disputes and rival families. The usual drama that came with our life, but nothing that seemed immediately threatening. We'd learned to differentiate between routine business and genuine dangers.

Once the boys were tucked in, their room protected by state-of-the-art security systems and guards posted nearby, I made my way to Marco's office. He was deep in conversation with Antonio and Salvatore, but immediately held out his hand for me to join him.

"Everything okay?" I asked, settling into my usual spot beside him. Never thought that I would be doing something like this, joining them in preparations for something cartel-related.

"Just some upstarts thinking they can pressure our smaller operations," he replied, pulling me closer. "Nothing we can't handle."

I nodded, studying the reports spread across his desk. Years of living this life had taught me to read between the lines, to understand the complex web of alliances and threats that made up our world. "They're testing us again, aren't they? Seeing if we've gone soft since semi-retiring?"

Marco's proud smile warmed my heart. "Exactly. They see us spending more time with the boys and think we're not paying attention to business. They should've learned their lesson a long time ago."

"Then let's remind them why that's a dangerous assumption," I suggested, already formulating plans. The college student who once thought he wasn't cut out for this life was long gone, replaced by someone who could hold his own.

Later that night, after the situation was handled (firmly but without bloodshed—we tried to save that for special occasions these days), we checked on the twins one last time. They slept like rocks, unaware of the complex balance their parents maintained between family life and criminal empire.

"They're getting so big," Marco murmured, his arm around my waist as we watched our sons sleep. "Sometimes I look at them and can't believe how much has changed."

I leaned into him, understanding exactly what he meant. "Remember when you thought having babies would make you weak?"

He chuckled softly. "I remember you proving me very wrong about that. Several times, quite dramatically."

"Someone had to knock some sense into you," I turned in his arms, pressing a kiss to his jaw. The silver in his hair had spread over the years, but it only made him more handsome in my eyes. "You were quite stubborn about it."

"I was stubborn about a lot of things," he admitted, leading me back to our bedroom. "Including falling in love with a much younger omega who turned my whole world upside down."

"Best decision you ever made though, right?" I teased, closing our door quietly.

"Second best," he corrected, pulling me close. "The best was asking you to be my mate."

I smiled, remembering that day, the ceremony that had followed, and everything that had led us to this moment. "Even with all the chaos it brought? The rival cartels, the territory wars, the midnight feedings?"

"Especially with all of that," he said seriously. "You gave me something I never thought I'd have - a real family. Someone to fight beside, not just fight for."

"We do make quite a team," I agreed, thinking of all the battles we'd faced together, both literal and metaphorical. "Although I have to say, I prefer our current semi-retired status. Less gunfights, more bedtime stories."

Marco laughed, the sound rich and warm. "You're the one who insisted on keeping enough business to 'stay interesting.'"

"Well, we couldn't go completely soft," I shrugged. "What kind of example would that set for the boys?"

"Speaking of examples," he grew serious, "have you thought more about Alessandro's questions about what we do?"

I had. Our oldest was getting increasingly curious about our "business," asking pointed questions about why we had so many guards, and why people treated his parents with such deference. "We'll tell them when they're older. Just enough to keep them safe and aware, but not so much that it overshadows their childhood."

"Like we discussed," Marco nodded approvingly. "Let them be kids first. There's time enough for everything else."

As we prepared for bed, I caught him watching me with that intense look I'd first fallen in love with at Nightshade. "What?"

"Just thinking about how lucky I am," he said softly. "That night in the forest... I went out to investigate reports of an intruder in our territory. Instead, I found my future."

"A future that included an omega who refused to be intimidated by you," I reminded him with a grin.

"Thank God for that," he pulled me into bed, his arms wrapping around me in that familiar, protective way. "We would have missed out on so much if you'd been easily intimidated."

I settled against him, listening to the quiet sounds of our home—the distant footsteps of guards on patrol, the soft whir of security systems, and the occasional murmur from the twins' room through the baby monitor we still kept on out of habit. This was our normal, our perfect blend of family life and underworld empire.

"Marco?" I whispered into the darkness.

"Hmm?"

"Do you ever regret any of it? The danger I've been in, the risks we've taken?"

His arms tightened around me. "Never. Every risk, every fight, every moment led us here. Besides," I could hear the smile in his voice, "you've saved my life as many times as I've saved yours. We protect each other. That's what family does."

I closed my eyes, feeling the truth of his words in my bones. That nervous college student gawking at the dangerous older man seemed like a stranger now. These days, when I looked at Marco, I didn't see the age gap or the power dynamics that once made me hesitate.

I saw the way he taught Alessandro to tie his shoes with infinite patience, how he checked under Matteo's bed for monsters every night, and how he still looked at me like I was the most fascinating puzzle he'd ever encountered.

The years between us had melted away like morning frost, leaving behind something raw and real and uniquely ours. However, I still enjoyed reminding him he was practically ancient, especially when he complained about his knee acting up during our morning runs.

"I love you," I murmured, already drifting off. "Even if you are ancient."

His quiet laugh was the last thing I heard before sleep took me. "I love you too, brat. Always will."

In the morning, we'd wake up to twins jumping on our bed, demanding breakfast and stories and attention. We'd handle whatever business needed handling, maintain the delicate balance of our world, and continue building the life we'd fought so hard to create. But for now, safe in each other's arms, we were just Marco and Lucas—mates, parents, and partners in every sense of the word.

Age gap and dangerous lifestyle be damned—we'd proven that love could flourish in the most unexpected places, between the most unlikely people. And I wouldn't have it any other way.