Epilogue

The Issacs family were found buried under the foundation of one of the newer barns. It broke my heart all over again hearing the news. Part of me had hoped that they had found their happy ending far away from that vile place.

Apex had to call in every favor and marker they could think of, from friendly law enforcement officers to private investigators. Even a motorcycle club chipped in to help keep the truth from the media. Never again would we let targets be painted on people’s backs just because they had a little extra sparkle in their DNA.

The freed captives and the pregnant women in comas were hidden away until they had a chance to heal and build a better, safer future for themselves. I’d received a letter from Jack, of all people, thanking me again. Not just for saving him, but for restoring his faith in humanity. I didn’t know what to say to that, but if it meant he was healing, that was all that mattered.

I’d even managed to return to the shelter, with Crew and Wilder standing dutifully behind me as I hugged a crying Mallory. Their threat about never letting me out of their sight again wasn’t so much of a threat as a promise.

The sadness and sense of loss hung in the air for days and weeks––the aftermath of what went down was a difficult truth to accept. Yet, instead of blaming each other and tearing each other down, we all pulled tighter together. I kept my gift locked down, knowing we all needed to grieve in our own ways. And we did so by leaning on each other. We cried on each other’s shoulders and eventually, we started the slow process of healing. We said our goodbyes in the orchard when the trees were ripe with fruit and the smell of wildflowers perfumed the air.

Both Avery and the baby were fine thanks to Salem, and though we all felt incredibly blessed that they’d survived, not everyone made it back safe and sound.

Two black slate stones lay in the peaceful silence, the perfect memorial for two fallen soldiers. We had scattered Nash’s ashes in the stream that ran across the far edge of the property, setting him free in death the only way we knew how.

There was nothing left of Hendrix to bring home, but Apex didn’t need a body to bury or ashes to scatter to remember their love for one of their own.

Goodbyes are always sad, anything with a finality is, but we sat around as a family in that orchard reminiscing, while the children ran around chasing each other. I listened to their stories, saddened that I never got to meet Hendrix, but glad that Nash walked into my life and touched it in such a profound way.

“Woah.” Avery grabs my wrist from where she’s sitting beside me. Rufio, who is laying across my feet, lifts his head to see what’s going on.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“The baby moved.”

“Really? Can I feel?”

“Of course.” She yanks me over, making me laugh as I collide with her.

Rufio gets up and walks over to Greg, who is laying on the grass a few feet away with a book in his hand.

Avery places my hand on her bump and lays her hand over mine.

I wait for a minute, but when nothing happens, I start to pull away. That’s when I feel it– the tiny fluttering that almost feels like wings against my palm.

“Wow.”

“I know, right? Little Bean is a miracle. So why do I feel so damn nervous all the time? I keep waiting for something bad to happen because it always does, and?—”

I send a wave of calmness over her, easing her fears and worries.

“God, you’re better than Prozac.”

“Should I be worried about you two?” Creed asks as he comes to sit on the other side of Avery, kissing her temple.

“Yes, she’s the love of my life, and we’re planning to elope.”

“Like fuck,” Crew bellows from somewhere behind.

Creed grins. “Can I watch?”

Crew dives on him.

“Why must you wind him up?” Avery sighs.

“Because it’s funny,” Creed admits as he ducks a punch.

I get to my feet and break them up by squeezing between them––which I know wasn’t the smartest move––and planting a kiss on Crew’s lips.

He doesn’t waste any time picking me up and tossing me over his shoulder.

I hear cheer and applause as he carries me off to our place, and yes I can say our place now that I’ve officially moved in with them.

We barely make it through the door before he sets me down and we’re stripping each other’s clothes off.

As soon as I’m naked, he lifts me up and pins me to the closest wall before gently easing inside me. We both moan.

His hands slide under my ass, he starts fucking me hard and fast.

I dig my nails into his shoulders and hold on for dear life as my teeth find his neck.

I bite down and suck making him shiver and his grip tightens.

“Fuck, you feel so good, like hot silk,” he groans before taking my mouth with a scorching kiss.

I let go with abandon, giving myself to this man in every way and with zero regrets.

When he hits a particularly sensitive spot inside me, I come hard, throwing my head back which collides with the wall. I’m so lost in my pleasure that I don’t even feel it. And when Crew comes inside me moments later, I know I’d happily wear a few bruises as a badge of honor.

“I love you,” I whisper against his lips making him smile.

“I’ll never get tired of hearing you say that.”

“Good because I’ll never get tired of saying it.” I pull back and look around. “Where’s Wilder? He was supposed to meet us in the orchard.”

“Probably still napping. Want to go wake him up?”

I grin. “Time for sexcapades, round two?”

He smiles at me as he lowers me to my feet.

I watch for a second as he pulls the condom off that I never even saw him put on before he slaps my ass making me squeal.

I yank his T-shirt on as I run from him to the bedroom we all share and slip inside.

Spotting Wilder, I smile and climb onto the bed beside him. I trail my lips over his bare shoulder, making him smile.

“What soft lips you have, Crew. New chapstick?” he teases, earning a pillow to the face.

“That will teach you.”

“Oh, it’s gonna be like that, is it?”

He yanks me down and rolls on top of me before he starts tickling me.

I squeal and laugh, bucking my body, as I try to get myself free. “Oh my God, Wilder, I’m gonna pee. Get off me.”

“Not my kink, darling, but I’ll try most things once,” he jokes.

“Ewww. Crew, save me from this heathen,” I yell.

Wilder smirks at me, clearly confident that Crew won’t do jack shit until he finds himself being dive-bombed and knocked off the bed. He looks up, dazed, at Crew, and laughs when he sees me climbing onto Crew’s back and clinging to him like a koala.

“I see how it is. Just you two wait. I’ll get my revenge when you least expect it,” Wilder threatens.

“Telling us you’ll get your revenge when we least expect it makes us expect it, nut sack,” Crew laughs, offering Wilder his hand.

He takes it and lets Crew yank him up. Clearly forgetting he’s naked.

“For fuck’s sake, dude. Put that thing away before you take someone’s eye out,” Crew complains.

Wilder looks at him evilly before shaking his ass and doing some hip thrusts. Crew backs up so fast that he almost drops me. I can’t stop laughing, so much so, that I’ve given myself hiccups, making it hard to hold on.

“Permission to abort,” Crew yells at me as he reaches the door.

“Permission granted,” I yell, but instead of taking me with him he flings me off and tosses me onto the bed.

“Sorry, gorgeous, but it’s every man for himself.” He blows me a kiss and runs off.

“Dick!” I yell as Wilder jumps on top of me and pins me to the bed.

“Dick you say? Funny you should mention that because I have a dick here with your name on it.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me, making me snort, but it quickly turns into a moan when he rubs his cock against my clit.

“Can I take you bare? I want to watch my cum leaking out of you.”

I nod rapidly. “I’m on the pill. I want that too,” I tell him, my voice hitching with need as he strokes my clit before slipping a thick finger inside me.

“You’re all swollen, Lara. Have you and Crew been fucking?”

“He fucked me against the wall. I’ve never had wall sex before. Ten out of ten. I’ll recommend it to all of my friends.”

“Ten out of ten huh? Let’s see if I can do any better.”

He takes his time working me over with his fingers mouth and tongue until I’m a writhing mess that’s on the verge of sobbing.

By the time he slips inside me, I’m so damn wet I’m soaking us both.

He fucks me with deep, hard strokes, his cock brushing against the tip of my cervix. The tiny bite of pain adds another layer to the pleasure, and my already oversensitive body overloads from the stimulation.

I wrap my legs around him and come with a choked plea as I squeeze him tight and feel him erupt inside me.

Easing out of me, he scoots down the bed and slides his finger inside me, gathering his cum and using it to circle my clit.

“It’s too much,” I gasp.

“One more, Lara. Give me one more.”

“I can’t,” I cry, gripping the sheets because despite what I said, I can feel another orgasm looming on the horizon.

When he flicks my clit and reaches up to pinch my nipple hard at the same time, and I come again, my voice hoarse from screaming.

“That had to be an eleven at least, right?”

I throw a pillow at his head before rolling off the bed and stumbling to the bathroom.

I take a quick shower––so I don’t smell like sex–– and dry off before walking back into the now empty bedroom to get dressed, slipping on a clean pair of panties, jeans, and a white tank top with a built-in bra.

Once dressed, I leave the bedroom and head toward the kitchen. I hear their voices getting louder as I approach and smile.

“I’m heading back out, you coming with me?” I ask as I slip my sandals on.

They both nod and finish getting dressed before the three of us walk back to the orchard together.

“Clean clothes and shower fresh. What could you possibly have been doing?” Hawk teases as we approach.

Crew tackles him, so I walk around them. Wilder sits beside Greg and Rufio, and absently runs his hand over Rufio’s fur as he starts egging them on.

I walk back over to Astrid and Avery, who eye me knowingly.

“Why are the children always so much better behaved than the men?” Salem asks as she walks over to join us, dodging the fighting men.

I hear a tiny war cry and grin. “I think you spoke too soon,” I say as Bella and Delaney throw themselves on top of Crew and Hawk, who immediately pretend they’ve been knocked out.

I look around and see Noah with Oz, who is attempting to get a large kite in the air but the wind doesn’t seem to be strong enough. In the end, Oz gives up, picks Noah up, and flies him through the air like an airplane, making Noah giggle. I smile at the sight, my heart warming that Noah is coming out of his shell.

My eyes keep moving until they land on Alfie, who is lying in the grass under a huge oak tree, away from everyone else.

“Be right back.”

“Sure thing,” Salem replies, taking Aries from Astrid as I walk over to Alfie.

I see he has his headphones on. He’s either listening to music or one of his audiobooks, so I don’t try to make conversation. I just lie beside him and stare up at the leaves above me.

The last few months have been hard. The sadness at times has been overwhelming but there has also been happiness and love.

One day, this peace will be threatened again. People will come, if not for The Lost Ones, then for their children. The history of what happened before will be lost with the dead, but they’ll learn the hard way that we will never back down and we’ll never give up.

After a few minutes, I feel Alfie’s hand as he wraps his pinkie finger around mine, reminding me that no matter what, we can face anything as long as we do it together.

As a family.