Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Emma sat on the porch of her temporary home, sipping a cup of hot coffee and watching out the window as young kids played. Something she never thought she'd be able to do again.

The past two weeks had been a blur of settling in and getting to know her new home, but now that everything was starting to feel normal, she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever truly get used to this place.

The safe haven was like a bubble untouched by the outside world. Undamaged and unchanged by the hell that broke loose three years ago. It was as if time had stopped before the bombs exploded inside these walls. People still laughed and smiled, going about their daily routines as if nothing had happened. There was even a supermarket and a bookstore, though Emma knew that at some point, they would run out of books to read if things didn't become like this all over the world.

Emma closed her eyes, blocking out the world for a moment as she took another sip of the piping hot beverage. It scalded her tongue, but she welcomed the burn, needing something to wake her up from this surreal dream .

Even the commanding officer agreed to send for Shadow and Bo with next to no fuss. There'd been little concern about sending a helicopter to grab the dogs and she was admittedly slightly jealous their journey wouldn't be as long or eventful as hers.

The other unit wasn't thrilled with losing their unit, but they'd agreed they would send the dogs to make Emma happy. For a bit, she'd been worried they'd demand Chris and the men swap with the dogs, but they hadn't.

She looked down at the pregnancy test in her hands, surprised to see that it was negative.

The daily pregnancy tests had come back negative, but the doctors had assured her it meant nothing considering how recently they'd been intimate with all five men. The thought of carrying one of the men's children thrilled her. A part of her wasn't ready to become a mom, but another part knew this was what her journey would end with.

She couldn't shake the small worry that without carrying one of their children, she'd get separated from her men. The thought haunted her dreams every night.

The thought of being separated from any of them sent shivers down her spine. They were everything to her now. They were her home, her life, and without them she didn't believe she'd function.

"Emma," William's voice was a whispered hiss seconds before the door closed.

She hadn't heard him come in, but couldn't smile when her eyes met his. His eyes had sparkled with life the last few weeks, but they were dim again, the way they'd looked after he got hurt trying to train her the first time.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked softly, reaching out to touch William's armor-clad chest that seemed to rise and fall faster than usual. "Did something happen?" She hadn't seen him in gear since they'd arrived.

Without a word, he pulled her into his chest, wrapping strong arms around her tiny frame and pressing his lips against her forehead in a gentle kiss before pulling back slightly to look into those hazel eyes that mirrored his own so well. "We have to leave," he murmured, dropping a kiss to the top of her head before pulling away. "We have to leave. There's no time."

William moved away, darting back and forth, creating a pile of things on the couch every time he returned. He barely paid her any mind, moving as if time was not on his side. Loud rustling filled the small space as he frantically collected their belongings, darting back and forth like a man on a mission. She could almost taste the determination in the air.

As if cued, Bash and Alex burst into the house like twin tornadoes, whirling around with a flurry of energy. Both men met her stare, but said nothing. There was something in their eyes that told her it wasn't just an ordinary errand they were rushing off on. Both equally as tense as William.

They didn't ask any questions, just worked in tandem with each other as if they'd done this a million times before. Their determined glances met hers, their eyes filled with a fire she had never seen before. This was different from their usual banter and teasing.

The air was tense, electric with adrenaline as they all hustled around her small home that had become their sanctuary over time spent together. The sound of zippers flying open and closed echoed off of every wall; little jars rattled against larger cans making music for their ears only they could hear amidst all the chaos unfolding around them.

She watched as Alex and Bash packed opposite of what William gathered, focusing on weapons and food.

"What's going on?" Emma whispered nervously, her voice shaking slightly from uncertainty.

No one answered her.

They were too busy taking care of business at hand. She watched as they moved effortlessly through the room, no words exchanged between them but an unspoken understanding that made their actions all the more synchronized; it was as if they'd rehearsed this dozens of times before. It was both fascinating and frightening to witness such unity in such dire circumstances.

Bash appeared at her side again, grabbing her hand gently in his own before pulling her toward the pile of belongings that now covered most of their living space.

"We need you to hurry up," he growled softly under his breath while still maintaining eye contact with her, his gaze never leaving hers until she nodded slowly in understanding. His large hand let go of hers only long enough for him to grab another bag before entwining their fingers once more—showing her that he wasn't going anywhere without her by his side.

Alex moved next to her side then, his touch was gentler than usual but firm enough to make it clear that he meant business too. He leaned down close enough for only Emma to hear him murmur huskily into her ear.

"We don't have much time left." His breath tickled against her cheek as he spoke those dangerous words. Then, he was off again like a shot flinging open drawers or cabinets looking for anything else they might have forgotten about.

The sound of the heavy door closing echoed through the small room as Liam entered with Ranger. Her dog's fur was matted and dirty, his tail wagging slightly as he caught sight of Emma, but there was an air of desperation around him. Liam must have had him out training.

"We don't have much time," Liam said urgently, his blue eyes pleading with her to understand and conveying the same energy the other three entered with. "We need to leave. "

"But Bo and Shadow will be here next week, and why? What's going on?"

Liam swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing visibly in his throat as he fought to keep his emotions in check. Without saying anything else, Liam pulled her into a tight embrace, their cheeks pressing against each other as they breathed heavily through their nostrils like animals sensing danger lurking nearby. He kissed her softly.

"Do not distract me right now, Liam." Emma pushed back, angry with him for the first time since they'd met.

"Bo and Shadow will have a wonderful life here. And I love you, Emma. And you love me. And we all love you and you love all of us."

Liam's babbling set the hair on her arms on end.

"Trust us and please we need to pack. Or maybe Ranger needs a bath," he tugged at his hair and let out a small snarl. "This wasn't the time."

Emma pressed her lips together and nodded, feeling a lump forming in her throat.

She glanced at the door when she heard it open a third time, already assuming it was Chris.

His jaw was clenched tight as he looked into the distance, not at her, but not anyone else in the small room running back and forth either. He seemed to be looking for something or someone, his focus in the distance.

Emma's heart hammered in her chest as she looked between them all. "What's going on?" Her voice was a mere whisper as adrenaline pumped through her veins. Tension rolled off all of them like an ominous storm cloud, and it made her stomach churn with unease.

Chris stepped forward, his presence towering over them all. He ran a hand through his hair, the outline of the star tattoo on his shoulder blade visible where it peeked out from his tank top sleeve.

"We can't stay here any longer," he said solemnly, his voice low and raspy like gravel scraping against steel.

"Chris, what's going on?" Emma demanded, her voice shaking with fear and confusion.

Chris's steely gaze softened as he looked at her. "I wish I had time to explain, but I need you to trust me. We're no longer safe here. We have to go. Will you trust us enough to take you back into the danger we swore we were saving you from?"

Grappling with her emotions, Emma glanced at Liam's retreating form and quickly made eye contact with William, then back at Chris. This was the man who had promised to protect her, and deep down, she knew she had to trust him.

Emma gave Chris a nod, her heart threatening to jump out of her chest. "Come here, Ranger. We have another journey to go on."

The road ahead might be long and treacherous, but Emma knew she wasn't alone.

And she would face all the shadows with her saviors .