36. Chapter Thirty-Six Epilogue

Chapter Thirty-Six: Epilogue

Z oya

“Twinkle, twinkle, little star…” I sing, my voice mingling with the gentle babble of the little orcling in my arms. Marissa’s daughter, Thalia, gurgles happily, her chubby green fist waving in time with the melody.

“You’re a natural.” Marissa grins at me from across the bakery counter, where she’s artfully arranging a platter of pastries. “She’s totally smitten with her Auntie Zoya.”

I bounce Thalia gently, my heart melting as she rewards me with a gummy smile. “The feeling is entirely mutual. Marissa, she gets more precious every day.”

“Yeah? Tell me that at two in the morning when she’s wailing because her toofies hurt. You think teeth hurt when they come in, wait until you have a babe with tusks—or fangs.” She’s smiling as she complains, though. Ever a doting mom.

The bakery is a hive of activity, a colorful whirl of ribbon-cutting preparations and last-minute decorating. The air is thick with the mouthwatering scent of fresh bread and sugary glazes, underscored by the bright laughter and chatter of our nearest and dearest.

It’s been two years since that fateful day Lash and I said “I do” in front of our mismatched, wonderful family. Two years of laughter, love, and more happiness than I ever dreamed possible. And now, as I stand on the cusp of opening Zoya’s Delights, my very own piece of heaven here in the Integration Zone, I’m filled with a bone-deep sense of belonging.

“Tired of holding one of my favorite orclings? She looks heavy, you should take a break.” Lash says as he emerges from the kitchen, a streak of flour on his cheek and a wide grin on his fang-filled face. He makes a beeline for me and Thalia, dropping a kiss to the baby’s downy head before capturing my lips in a sweet, lingering kiss.

“Mmm, you taste like cinnamon,” I murmur against his mouth.

Lash winks, swiping a thumb over my bottom lip. “Had to do some quality control on those snickerdoodles. Can’t have my mate serving subpar baked goods.”

“Hero,” I tease, shifting Thalia to my hip so I can run my fingers through his tousled hair. “Whatever would I do without you?”

“Knowing you? You’d be up to no good, love.” He steals another quick kiss before scooping Thalia into his arms, cooing and making faces just so he can hear more of her musical giggles.

My heart squeezes, some deep, primal part of me expanding at the sight of my strong, fierce wolven being so gentle and playful with the adorable green orcling. It stirs a longing I’ve been harboring for a while now, an ache for something more.

He returns to the kitchen, Thalia comfortably on his hip as though she rode it every day.

“He’s going to make an amazing father.” Marissa flashes a knowing smile, as if reading my thoughts.

I swallow past the sudden lump in my throat. “He really is. I’ve been thinking… maybe it’s time to try for our own little miracle.”

Marissa’s face lights up. “Zoya! That’s wonderful!” She pulls me into a tight hug, her smile brighter. “You two are going to be incredible parents. That pup is going to be so loved, it won’t know what to do with itself.”

Tears well in my eyes, happy anticipation swelling in my chest. I’m about to respond when a joyful yip cuts through the air.

“There’s my best girl!” I coo as Miska trots into the bakery, a ribbon matching the ones adorning the windows tied jauntily around her neck.

Fang follows close behind, a huge grin on his face. “Found this little lady outside charming the socks off passersby. She’s going to be swarmed by admirers once those doors open.”

I scoop Miska up and press a smacking kiss to her furry head. “That’s because she’s the official bakery mascot and goodwill ambassador. Aren’t you, pretty girl?”

Miska yips in agreement, her tail wagging a mile a minute. As I set her down, a notification pings on my cell. The headline screams “Maximillian Danvers sentenced to twenty-five years for assault and kidnapping.”

I had to testify at his trial, so this comes as no surprise, although I’m glad he got more than the minimum sentence. A shudder ripples through me, an icy tendril of the past threatening to intrude on this perfect day. Lash must have gotten the same notification because he’s at my side in an instant, his strong arm wrapping around my shoulders.

“He’s never going to hurt you again, Starlight,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my temple even as he keeps Thalia on his hip. “He can’t touch us, or this life we’ve built. Too bad it took so long for him to finally be brought to justice.”

I turn in his embrace, anchoring myself in the unwavering love and certainty shining in his silver eyes. “I know. There were bad things, but they led me here, to you. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

The chime above the door jingles merrily as the rest of our friends pour in, a raucous tornado of hugs, laughter, and well-wishes. Chief Brokka, Marissa’s firefighter orc mate, and Stealth have their arms laden with flowers, filling every spare inch of counter space with riotous blooms.

Bold is right behind them with a bottle of champagne in one hand and a protective arm around his very pregnant human mate, Jasmine. Courage, trying to keep the craziness to a minimum is bounding around with Miska in the small side yard we fenced off just for her.

Jasmine turns back to the open doorway and secures a bright red ribbon across it, keeping what looks to be the rest of the Zone neighborhood out on the sidewalk. Orcs, minotaurs, nagas, wolven and humans mingle and talk and laugh.

It’s chaos, and it’s family, and it’s perfect . My parents will arrive in two days, I didn’t think their first taste of the Zone should be a bakery crammed with Others. This way, they’ll have time to get used to things at their own pace

“Alright, everyone!” I clap my hands, unable to contain my giddy excitement. “It’s showtime!”

Hand in hand, Lash and I approach the front door. My wolven beams down at me, pride and adoration written in every line of his face.

“Ready to make your dream a reality, Starlight?”

I stretch up to kiss him, pouring every ounce of love and gratitude into the caress. “With you by my side? I’m ready for anything.”

He flicks out his sharpest claw, I grip his wrist, and together we slice through the shimmering ribbon to the whoops and cheers of our beloved pack and half the neighborhood. I’m filled with the unshakeable certainty that this is exactly where I’m meant to be. In the heart of the Zone, in the arms of my mate, surrounded by love and laughter and the promise of a future brighter than the stars.

Let the next adventure begin.

Protected by the Wolven is part of the Mated to the Monster : Season Two multi-author series. Each book is a standalone story and you can read them in any order.

Get all the books:

MATED TO THE MONSTER: Season 2

a monster romance series

PROMISED TO THE SATYR

by Andie Fenichel

PROTECTED BY THE WOLVEN

by Alana Khan

FALLING FOR THE YETI

by Karla Doyle

FATED TO THE GARGOYLE

by Lisa Carlisle

THE PIXIES’ CHOSEN

by SJ Sanders

BONDED BEYOND REGRET

by Ember Davis

BIDDING ON HER ORC BOSS

by Evangeline Priest

INCU-BLISS

by Matilda Martel

FATED TO THE GRIZZLY

by Debra Elise

ECHOES OF ETERNITY

by YD La Mar

SASQUATCH’S CLAIMING

by AC Ruttan

THE GOBLIN’S MINE

by Vivienne Hart