Epilogue
EMME
THE AFTER…
In the days that followed Jewels’ defeat, my alphas and I barely left the house. Constantine departed from Golden Claw to search for any remaining members of the magical community, and Florence and Gerry took some well-deserved vacation days, leaving us all alone.
With nothing to do but bask in the beauty of our bond.
We didn’t talk to anyone. We didn’t deal with the council. No one even worked.
Kellan and Finley had already missed their road games and therefore didn’t need to be back on the team until next Friday, leaving us to spend our days eating, swimming, healing…
and screwing through every bedroom of the house.
Along with the pool, cinema, gym, kitchen…
yeah, okay, you get the point. We christened every room and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
This time together was a gift, and my hardest daily decision was which alphas to sleep beside.
Usually, it was Hunter and Kellan together, and then Slade and Talon together.
Finley occasionally joined Hunter and Kellan, but mostly he preferred to have me alone so he could sleep buried deep inside me.
However I slept though, I was always surrounded by pack and love.
If Kassidy could experience even an iota of the happiness I was currently blissed out on, there was no way she’d still be refusing to see Henderson. No way.
Slade dragged my ass out of bed early the following week. You need to keep training, he said.
He was choosing to mind-speak a lot lately, and I could tell it calmed his beast when we were open in the bond. Along with me wearing my tracking necklace and staying in sight of his million cameras. Jewels might be dead, but there could be more threats.
He was right, and I wanted to grow stronger, so I only complained for half the drive to the training facility. Slade didn’t even growl at me, just wore a damn smirk that told me he somewhat enjoyed my whine.
A ton of enforcers were already on the field, and I ran straight into a battle with Horton, where I beat him two times in a row before he figured out my new strategy and kicked my ass the next three times. I also managed to hold my own with Slade for about two minutes.
On the drive home, we discussed the plans for Kellan’s birthday tomorrow. “Track day again,” I chanted, pumping my fist in excitement. “Is his gift ready?”
Slade nodded, his Lambo picking up speed. Yeah, they were delivered yesterday, along with paper if you want to wrap them.
We kept Kellan from hearing this conversation for obvious reasons, and I was thrilled at how easy it was now to choose who I shared information with. At least with everyone other than Slade, who insisted on knowing everything.
The dragon refused to be excluded from any part of my life, and arguing with him was futile.
Stubborn lizard.
Not a lizard, Snow.
Yeah, yeah. Luckily, there was one part of my life I had managed to keep from him, simply by ensuring all communication about Prank Wars was done via text. It had been harder than expected, but if everything went to plan, I believed we could pull it off.
After Kellan’s birthday.
On our street, the house came into view, along with a familiar Range Rover parked out front. I stared at it as we passed to enter the garage, trying to figure out how I felt about seeing it there.
“What are they doing here?” I finally muttered when we were parked in the garage. “I’m not sure I’m ready to speak to them yet.”
Slade took a second to respond. “You’ve cried a few times in your sleep,” he said softly, meeting my gaze.
His expression was neutral, but his eyes burned.
“I know you think about them a lot. It’s time for some closure—in whatever way works for you.
If you want me to kill them, it’s done. If you never want to see them again, I’ll kick them out of Golden Claw.
And if you want to forgive them, we’ll stand by your side. It’s all in your hands, Snow.”
My wolf howled, and magic surged in our bond as every beast responded.
There was nothing foreign about my magic now, and when it combined with the strength of our quintet, there was a scary level of power available to us.
Cora and Warrick were no physical threat, that was for sure, but emotional was a whole other story.
“Yeah, I think you’re right,” I admitted, while still making no move to open my door and leave the safety of the car. He let me sit for many minutes, until eventually he got out and opened my door. Still, all he did after was hold a hand out for me, just waiting there for when I was ready.
Eventually I found the fortitude to grasp on to his lifeline and exit the car. “I do miss Cora and Warrick,” I admitted. “But I’m not sure my trust in them will ever be the same. Even knowing they were victims too.”
“Just talk to them,” Slade advised, remaining strong and steady at my side.
When we entered the living room, the rest of our pack were there on the long couch. I hadn’t used this room as much since the Christmas tree came down in February. I wished for its cheery glow more than ever today.
Cora and Warrick were awkwardly perched on the small couch. The tension was thick as everyone silently stared into the middle of the room. In the bond, my alphas were exuding annoyance, since anything or anyone who hurt me was on their shit list.
Sorry we didn’t tell you, little mate, Hunter said. They ambushed us, and you were almost home anyway. Figured you could bail if you saw their car.
I almost did, I replied, barely suppressing a laugh.
Hunter grinned, but it wasn’t with happiness. All dark and predatory.
When I moved through the doorway, Cora’s head popped up. “Emme,” she breathed, pushing to her feet.
Warrick stood as well, his eyes very dark and shiny as he looked me over. “I’m glad to see you’re okay,” he said, and there was genuine relief in his voice.
I had to press my bottom lip between my teeth to keep it from trembling, as the very sight of them triggered feelings of panic and fear. “Why are you here?” I asked, relieved that Slade remained solidly at my side, his hand wrapped around mine.
Cora swallowed roughly, looking briefly at Warrick before returning to me. “We’re here to apologize. We don’t expect you to forgive us, but we owe you a very large apology and explanation.”
Like Warrick, there was nothing but sincerity in her tone, and a part of me appreciated that even not expecting forgiveness, they’d still come to deliver the apology.
“Okay, it is time that we talked,” I said, stumbling over to the couch where the rest of my pack waited.
Slade released me so I could sit between Hunter and Kellan, who both reached out to touch me, offering their support. Slade joined Talon against the wall, fulfilling the role of dragon sentinels once again.
Cora and Warrick sat as well, turning to face me. “We never wanted to betray you,” Warrick said first, the deeper rasp reminding me of the first day I’d met him.
It felt like a million years ago with everything that had happened between now and then.
“When I came to your street during the battle to save Cora, I had no idea that Jewels had returned to our house. It wasn’t until all the enforcers left, and they took Marcus’ body away, that she revealed herself and her plan.”
“She wanted to hide away right under your noses,” Cora said, sounding tired. “She wanted to create a nest at our house, where you’d never think to look. We tried to fight it at first.”
Warrick nodded. “Yeah, I spent days in my wolf form attacking as she wove her shield. I fought as hard as I could, and tried to tear it all to pieces, but her magic was too strong. We ended up under her spell and under her control so fast it was terrifying.”
Cora pressed a hand to her chest, which heaved as if the memories were choking the breath from her. “We couldn’t even kill ourselves to stop her from moving forward with her plan… and trust me, Warrick tried.”
As they described the true depravity of what they’d been through, a ragged sound escaped my constricted throat. To reach the point where taking your own life was the only option to escape…
“She hurt Richard and Sierra badly,” Warrick continued. “They’re still with the healers, but apparently there’s a shortage of spells, and we’re not sure how or if they’ll fully recover.”
Cora leaned forward until the tears streaking down her cheeks splattered on the floor.
“We’re so sorry that we almost cost you your life and pack.
We’re so sorry for the part we played, and as soon as we felt the wavering of her magic, we did what we could to save you.
We would never have betrayed you of our own free will. ”
Warrick grasped his mate’s hand, holding it so tightly that his knuckles were white. “I’m sorry I showed up at the hockey. She controlled our actions. I tried to drive my car into a building, but I couldn’t even manage that.”
Hunter’s hand flexed in mine. “It sounds as if there was no way for you to warn us about what she was doing.”
They both shook their heads. “No way,” Warrick said. “She controlled our actions and words outside of the house. Basically, when we were with you, it was Jewels speaking.”
Cora batted at her tears, clearing her throat. “With all of that being said, we’re still really fucking sorry. We should have found a way to help you.”
“You did help me in the end,” I said, remembering their wolves leaping through the doorway. They’d had no idea that I was all powered up and about to take the bitch down.
I stood, my alpha’s hands slipping off me. “You risked your life to save me, even when you’d been suffering under her hold for weeks.”
Cora stood as well and took two steps toward me before halting, as if she’d suddenly remembered that we weren’t back to hugging. Only, it felt like a hug was exactly what we needed.
I closed the final distance and wrapped my arms around her, my chest aching as she froze in my hold for a beat, before her arms gripped me like I was the last anchor in her world.
As we stood there, Cora wasn’t the only one sobbing. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Emme,” she whispered over and over.
“I forgive you,” I finally managed to say. “Though there’s really nothing to forgive. You were victims too, and for much longer than me. I have really missed you both, and I’m sorry about Richard and Sierra. We will do everything in our power to make sure they’re okay.”
I didn’t know shit about healing, but I’d learn if it saved them.
Warrick leapt to his feet and threw his arms around us both, and even with five alphas growling, none of them tore him away. At least not for the first ten seconds.
When we pulled apart, I was surprised by how quickly the healing had started between us. “Be at the racetrack tomorrow,” I said on a whim. “Bring your best car and driving skills. It’s Kellan’s birthday and he’s out for blood.”
Golden whooped as he fist-pumped. “I’m going to kick all your asses tomorrow,” he hollered. “I can already taste the birthday victory.”
Warrick drew Cora against him with one hand, while the other wiped at the tears on his cheeks. “We’ll be there,” he said.
Cora nodded. “Thank you.” There was a brief hesitation before she added, “I love you, Emme. I promise to make this up to you, and no matter what it takes, I will never betray your friendship again.”
As far as I was concerned, they hadn’t betrayed it in the first place.
There was nothing left to forgive.