Epilogue Thoren

(Three and a half years later)

" D ecisive could've been his middle name," I murmur to the tiny karkoyl in my arms.

He's beautiful with shiny obsidian eyes that watch me as closely as I watch him. We're in our human guises today. When I shifted into my human form, I created his disguise as an extension of my own glamour until he learns to shift on his own. One of his brothers has already learned how, so the rest of the nestmates will figure it out soon enough. We'll have to officially name them when they do, otherwise the human staff at the mansion will be confused, but that's tomorrow's project.

Today, my mate stands before a human judge with all the confidence of a man on a mission as he finally, legally, changes the name on his birth certificate. It was important to him that his birth record should reflect the name he's chosen, so today he's officially becoming Decius. He decided he didn't want to change how people call him, only that he should have a proper name. I advocated for December, but he said since he wasn't born in December that wouldn't make sense, so from this day forward he will be Decius Clive Scion.

Along the row next to me and in the row behind me, our family watches as the judge declares my mate's new name and decrees that his birth record should be changed, and with the banging of the gavel, we celebrate, quietly, with a low rumble of happiness.

Dec thanks the judge, speaks to his lawyer for a moment, and then joins us in the hall, holding out his hand for the baby in my arms. "Gimme," he says, smiling widely as I hand him the little one. "Hello, my love, Uncle Dec finally has a proper name!" he exclaims, tickling the little one.

The baby giggles, and I take the opportunity to lift Dec's chin and peck his lips. "Congratulations, Decius. I'm so proud of you."

Dec beams at me with love pouring through the bond we share. "Thank you. It feels so right."

And it does. The rightness of the name sings through the bond. Our family crowds around us, each offering my mate their own congratulations, trading babies with him until he's hugged and kissed each person in our family, including all seven of our newborns.

Seeing my mate with our nephews fills my heart to bursting with love and joy. I know this is barely the beginning of our many, many years of companionship, and I am overflowing with anticipation of every day we get to share. I brush another kiss to his temple, holding him close as I whisper, "I love you, sweetness."

Dec turns his face to mine, pecking my lips as our bond sings with his earnest love. "I love you too."