Epilogue

FREYA

1 year later

H e swallows each moan I give him. I can't get any closer, but damn if I don't keep trying to dig my way beneath his skin. Ronan's tongue twirls with mine, placing little nips on my lips every time our tongues retreat for just a moment, because then we're devouring each other once again.

"That is so indecent for the middle of the sidewalk."

I snort, pulling away from my pack alpha to smile at his brother. "You wouldn't be saying that if it were your lips making my panties slick," I tease.

Lucas groans, adjusting himself. "Freya, you can't say things like that in public," he whines with his head tilted to the midday sun.

"Oh my god, Freya," Casey gasps, coming over to us and yanking me away from Ronan. "You're going to crinkle the pages if you aren't careful."

"Or spill your latte on them," Elliott adds, riling Casey up and sending me a wink.

Casey fingers the two books in my arms, checking for any damage the make-out sesh might have caused. Grumbling to himself, he complains, "I don't know why you won't just put them in a damn bag until we get them home."

I scowl and tug my new books away from him. "Putting a paperback in a plastic bag is just asking for the pages to rip or bend," I argue.

"You could at least let me carry them," Elliott tries to soothe.

I shake my head. They don't understand. These are mine. I picked them. I don't want them ruined and I can take care of them myself.

"The drama," Lucas groans. "They're just books."

Now I gasp along with Casey. Tucking my books closer to my chest, I step away from the alpha who would say such a horrific thing.

"Oh look!" Ronan deflects. "No cars, go stand right up there and let me take your picture."

"Here, I'll hold your stuff," Lucas tries.

I scowl. There's no way I'm letting him touch my babies after that comment. As much as I don't want my picture taken, I do it just to put more space between Lucas and my books.

Stomping into the middle of the road, I set my iced coffee from work on the ground along with my books. Looking up, I see Casey staring wide eyed at the little stack like he can't imagine why the hell I would put them on the ground.

"They're fine, Case," I say and blow him a kiss just as the wind blows a strand of hair across my cheek.

I brush it away while picking up on Elliott's dirty words whispered in his beta's ear. I smile, leaning into the common sensation of my omega merging with me, heightening everything around me. She's like a gentle weight resting on my shoulder and holding my hand.

Both of us guiding each other through our life of freedom. She shows me the complexities and hidden beauty of the world through her instinctual senses, while I give her the space to just... be .

"Beautiful," Lucas murmurs, looking over Ronan's shoulder.

I laugh and stride back over to them with my coffee and books. "Always with the pictures, Ro."

In the past year, Ronan has taken up photography. Not of the world, but of us, his pack.

He drops a kiss to my temple, soothing the headache building from the blinding sun and heat today. My mates' touch and presence are like a balm to my hurts. I'm no longer a mate suffering through rejection, I'm a mate constantly healing in the presence and acceptance of her pack.

"Everything about you tells a story, Freya. And I'm just the lucky bastard who gets to capture it."

It's turning out to be a pretty epic story, too.