Epilogue
Seven Years Later
Trahern cradled his baby daughter in his lap as he watched Eli and Eddie play cricket with some of the other children on Stonefire. They were on the same team as Jasper and Theo—Dawn and Blake’s twin sons—and struggled against the opposing team’s bowler, Lucy Hartley-Gray.
Every time Lucy threw—or bowled—the ball, the boys were a half-second too late in swinging to make contact.
He’d tried to teach them how to time their swings. But seven-year-old boys weren’t as interested in physics and mathematical equations as he was.
His daughter, Ceri, squirmed, and he focused on her. She was nearly a year old now and had been frustrated she couldn’t play with her brothers.
However, Grace said Ceri was a “daddy’s girl,” meaning she would calm down for him and no one else. So he’d taken her and described the physics of hitting a ball as she sucked her thumb and stared at him.
By the time he’d finished, the game was over. Lucy’s team had won, and even though Eddie and Eli shook hands like gentlemen, they dragged their feet, their pupils flashing, and muttered as they approached Grace and Dawn’s table for drinks and snacks.
Trahern stood, holding Ceri against his chest with her facing out—she was curious about everything, and Trahern thought she might end up a doctor or scientist like him—and headed over to his family.
While he wished Emily hadn’t returned to Clan Seahaven last week with her mate since Grace and the boys had gotten along with her and her sons, he understood her home was in Scotland and not here.
At least he liked Emily’s mate, so he didn’t have to worry about her.
His dragon spoke up. Emily is happy, as are we. She invited us up to Seahaven for the holidays.
I know. But she’s like my sister, and Grace likes her too. Distance makes it difficult to establish times with Emily, her boys, and her mate.
But we have lots of friends, both here and in Wales, as well as with many of Antony Holbrook’s team.
It was still strange for him to accept that fact, given his childhood.
However, as Grace caught his eye and beamed at him, he forgot about everything but his mate and children. As soon as he reached the table, Eli sighed and said, “Please don’t go over more equations, Dad. I know my swing is off, but right now, I just want to avoid Lucy and her team.”
He nodded over his son’s shoulder. “They’re right there. And Lucy isn’t arrogant. If you ask her, she’ll teach you better than I can.”
Eddie slapped his brother’s shoulder—even older, they were nearly identical, except Eddie kept his curly hair short and Eli liked it longer and braided into rows by his mother—and said, “You want to avoid her because you fancy her.”
“I don’t fancy her!”
“You do.”
Sensing they would keep arguing, he merely stated, “It takes a strong person to ask for help, I know. But will you benefit more from being stubborn, or by finding a way to improve something, no matter how difficult it is?”
Eli sighed even deeper. “I know, Dad. You’re right. I’ll ask Lucy in a bit, but for now, I’m starving.”
Grace finally jumped in as she handed the boys a snack. “When aren’t you?”
Eli stuck out his tongue, and Grace laughed. Then she leaned over and kissed Eli’s forehead before he could run away.
“Mu-um!”
Grace shrugged. “Your parents love you, and we don’t hide it.”
She then kissed Eddie’s cheek, and he merely grunted.
Eli glanced at Trahern. “You’re not going to kiss me too, are you, Dad? Please don’t.”
Trahern had been learning about young dragon boy pride, although still struggled to understand why it was embarrassing to find ways to improve or show affection for those you cared about.
Still, he readjusted Ceri and held her out. “Kiss your sister and then we won’t kiss you anymore in public today.”
Dragging his feet, Eli moved until he could kiss his sister’s cheek.
Eddie did the same without asking, and then the boys darted off to the other team, and the rest of the children followed.
Dawn and Grace shared a look before Grace came over to him.
She kissed him quickly, then their daughter, and Trahern moved Ceri to one arm and wrapped the other around his mate’s waist.
He murmured, “I love you, Grace. And you, Ceri.”
His mate met his gaze, her eyes full of love, and she replied, “I love you more, Trahern.”
The urge to argue the point receded as Grace leaned against him and placed a hand over his arm, hugging both him and Ceri.
His dragon hummed, and Trahern held his mate and daughter close, watching as his sons played in the distance, and couldn’t believe he had a family of his own to love, and who loved him back.
Thanks for reading Grace and Trahern’s story!