Epilogue
Rolling down the drive of the Old Bayou Wildlife Sanctuary, I’m enveloped in a wave of homecoming like nothing I’ve felt before. The sights, smells, and sounds all sing to my tired and battered soul, soothing it in a way I’ve been searching for most of my life.
It hadn’t taken long after I’d woken for the hospital to grow tired of the influx of emotional shifters, and so the minute both Therese Ngono and Aziza had signed off to say they were pleased with my progress, my own doctor had happily discharged me into the willing and waiting hands of Isobel.
My mate.
Aziza had spent a few minutes assuring me that all my bonds were well on their way to being fully healed, but they’d also told me that it wouldn’t hurt to reforge the bonds anew with both Quin and Isobel. Under their watchful gaze, Quin and I had both renewed our blood bonds with each other, but this time we’d also included our new relationship in our vows.
While our bonds may have been reforged anew, I still want to do something to strengthen them further, to make them truly indestructible.
My bond with Isobel has to wait until I return home.
She and Arina were waiting for Quin and me inside the house. Quin and Josiah had arrived to collect me this morning, and apparently the argument between the old cougar and his granddaughter about who was coming to pick me up had been one for the books. Quin had admitted that Izzy had only backed down when he’d asked her to prepare everything for my return. And by everything, he meant by getting the bedroom ready.
“How does it feel, seeing this place after everything that happened here?” Quin softly probes, and I let myself think for a moment before I answer.
The front yard has been cleaned up in my absence, and there’s no sign of the bloody fight that ended my life.
It’s taken me this long to come to terms with the fact that when Tálstrom and I died this last time, had it not been for Aziza and Mizi we would have remained that way permanently. It’s also taken me this long to acknowledge that almost everyone—except for my parents, siblings, and Sila—know how many times I’ve literally come back from the dead.
I don’t feel comfortable talking about it, but Isobel pulled the mate card on me and told me in no uncertain terms, “Simon, you have so many people who love you and need you in their lives. I don’t care if it’s with me and Quin, or with Aziza, or heck, even with Paw Paw. But you will be speaking with someone about your trauma, just as Quin will be speaking with someone about his. And no, you can’t be each other’s sounding boards. You both need an external, impartial ear to help you deal with your new lives and the changes wrought inside you both.”
I’m not stupid.
I agreed.
“It’s a bit strange, seeing it back to normal. But I refuse to allow our pasts to intrude on our future any longer. None of those five deserves any more consideration from us. They don’t get to live rent-free in our heads, and the best way to prove that is to live our lives, right here where they unsuccessfully tried to end them. I’m just glad to be home.”
Josiah finally pulls to a stop, and glares at me when I go to open my door.
“You’ll park your ass right there and wait until I come around and open your gods-damned door, Simon. I don’t care that the doctor cleared you to come home. I know what my Izzy-bizzy has planned for you, although I wish I could scrub that knowledge from my brain. You’re gonna be flat-out exhausted if she has her way, so just conserve your danged energy and let me help you inside.”
I bite down on my tongue but can’t stop the shit-eating grin from splitting my lips. Josiah glares at me some more before grumbling under his breath about “horny granddaughters” and “slick, lucky lions.” He doesn’t mutter anything about Quin, but then again, my brother remains carefully silent regarding the entire topic of conversation.
Quin jumps out from where he’s been sitting in the back and gathers the small carry-all with the clothes and medication I’ve been provided during my stay, while Josiah stomps around the truck to my door. He jerks it open, but his grip is gentle as he helps me from the vehicle and up the porch stairs to the front door. The barrier swings open before we reach it, and there they are.
My girls.
Isobel has her arms full of squirming tiger cub, Arina’s own pudgy little arms flailing and reaching out toward me. I bend over and deliver a swift kiss to Isobel’s lips before scooping Arina into my embrace. Tálstrom settles once she’s nestled happily against my chest, a low rumble vibrating through my core at his happiness.
“Get your cuddles in now, boyo, because I’ll be taking the little cub-cub home with me shortly to give you three the chance to get reacquainted. Not that I want to know what y’all will be getting up to, but I won the roshambo battle, and my son and his boys will be nursing their balls for the next few days.”
I snuggle Arina into me further, inhaling her soft, sweet scent deep into my lungs. A question niggles at me from Josiah’s statement, so I ask for clarification.
“Roshambo? Why would Dave, Dillon, and Dane be nursing their balls over a game of rock-paper-scissors?”
Josiah grins wickedly, and both Quin and I blanch at his response.
“I play it South Park style. No hands needed. Just a set of steel balls, and a willingness to kick your own kin in their nuts as hard as you can. I guess the stakes were high enough this time for Dave and the others to forget just how gods-damned competitive I can be. Now, hand my great-grandcub over and get inside. I don’t want to see neither hide nor hair from any of you three until dinnertime tomorrow night.”
Knowing when to argue and when to obey, I kiss Arina’s dark thatch of hair before passing her over to Josiah. He lingers only long enough to allow Quin to press a kiss to his daughter’s head and take Arina’s nappy bag from Isobel before he’s striding back down to the truck, securing Arina into her baby carrier, and then hopping into the vehicle and driving away.
None of us moves until the last sounds of Josiah’s truck fade away into the distance. Then, it’s as if we’re all galvanized into action. Quin swoops down to give Isobel a raw, filthy, open-mouthed kiss before releasing her to walk into the house. The moment he’s past her, she leaps.
I catch her.
Her legs wrap around my waist like a steel band, squeezing me between her luscious thighs. My cock hardens as I slam my mouth to hers, my lips and tongue devouring her, our teeth nipping and clashing in our urgency to touch and taste each other. I bury one hand in the thick, unruly mass of her hair, the other cupping and gripping her ass as I grind myself into the soft apex of her pussy.
“Get your asses in here and stop giving the wildlife a show!” Quin bellows from within the depths of the house, and I stumble my way through the door, my feet finding their way back to the bedroom from sheer memory. It’s only as I breach the bedroom doorway that I stop and pay attention, letting Isobel slip from my arms to stand next to Quin as I take in the room.
It’s not how I’d left it all those weeks ago.
Before Quin’s parents had arrived.
Before I’d killed Catherine.
Before I’d died.
Previously, Dave and Patrice had rearranged the room for Isobel’s return after giving birth to Arina. The rocker, rustic table, and rag rug have all disappeared, as has Arina’s bassinet. The old queen-sized bed and nightstands are gone, and in their place is an enormous Alaskan king bed. The headboard is a single slab of walnut encased on the bottom and up the two sides with cast iron. The top has a live edge, and the wood has been sanded to a warm sheen. Attached to the cast iron frame are two walnut nightstands, and the entire bed has been made up with natural-colored fabrics. Chunky brown, gold, gray, and cream patterns decorate the pillows, sheets, and duvet, which all glow invitingly in the sunlight.
I can picture all three of us waking each morning in this bed.
To complete the bedroom suite, an L-shaped wardrobe rests against the wall opposite the bed with a matching dresser set between the windows. There’s enough space for three people, and I almost choke on the lump in my throat. This isn’t just a bedroom for Quin and Isobel anymore. It’s a bedroom meant for the three of us.
“We needed something to keep us occupied while we were waiting for you to wake up,” Quin quietly intones, his hand landing gently on my shoulder and gripping me.
“Josiah, Dave, Dillon, and Dane all came in and renovated the bedroom and bathroom. Arina’s nursery has also been extended. We wanted this to be your home as well as ours.” He takes a step from me, his hand falling back to his side.
“Do you like it?” The uncertain quaver in Isobel’s voice tears my heart to shreds.
“Like it?” I rasp, biting back tears. “No, Isobel, ‘like’ is too inadequate a word to describe my reaction to all of this. The way I’m feeling right now, ‘like’ doesn’t even begin to cover it.”
I gather Isobel back into my arms, peppering her face with soft, quick kisses. My gaze briefly lands on Quin’s, and he nods, acknowledging the gratitude dwelling inside me. He reaches out and tugs at the hem of Isobel’s sweatshirt, pulling it up until it catches under her arms. I release her, allowing Quin to swiftly divest her of her clothes, while I hurriedly strip out of my own.
While shifters aren’t strangers to nudity, we aren’t necessarily exhibitionists, either. But I feel no shame or awkwardness being naked around Quin. It feels natural… it feels right to stand next to him, both of us completely nude, while our attention is wholly centered on our mate.
Quin moves Isobel so she’s facing him, his fingers trailing gently over the swells and curves of her body. I shuffle around so my chest is pressed to her back, my cock rising to attention once more as the creamy globes of her ass brush against my heated flesh. My hands roam down over Isobel’s belly, brushing over the slight swell that she hasn’t lost since having Arina, before lowering to cup the moist heat of her pussy. I stroke my middle finger along her slit, the digit coming away wet and glistening with her cream.
Fuck me.
She’s already dripping, ready and waiting for either Quin or me to slide deep inside her and fuck her until she’s coming over our cocks.
“Oh, gods, Izzy, how the fuck did I ever survive without having you in my arms?” Quin groans as he palms Isobel’s tits and squeezes, the wet tip of his leaking cock brushing against the back of my hand. I don’t jerk back at the touch, instead I grip his cock and slide it down along Isobel’s seam, using it to part the lips of her pussy before notching it at her entrance. She rocks in our arms, chasing the sensation, and Quin doesn’t disappoint her. He thrusts forward, burying his cock to the hilt, swallowing her moans as he devours her mouth with his own.
I nestle my own cock in the crease of Isobel’s ass, the combined movements of both her and Quin causing her ass-cheeks to envelop and stroke along my rigid flesh like a glove. I move one hand back down to the top of her pussy, seeking out that little cluster of nerve endings with my fingers. Then I proceed to drive Isobel into a frenzy as I strum her clit, the slickness of her arousal coating my fingers and easing the glide of my movements. Her gasps and cries rise in intensity, Quin gripping her hips in his hands before slamming his cock into her in greedy, violent thrusts. I up my own pace, torturing her with pleasure until she erupts in our arms, screaming and thrashing as she comes all over Quin’s cock.
His movements become even more erratic as he reaches his own climax, his snarl vicious and triumphant as his fangs elongate before he snaps forward and bites down on my fucking bicep!
Tálstrom snarls inside me at Quin’s actions, but it’s not in outrage. No, he recognizes what Quin is attempting, to have that additional cord of steel tether me to my blood brother. But he has to wait his turn, because first, we need to reconnect with Isobel.
Quin releases my bleeding arm from his mouth and eventually slows his thrusts, his chest heaving and covered with perspiration. We silently communicate with each other, our time together as captives as well as our blood bond granting us that extra ability. He gathers Isobel into his arms, his cock slipping free as he cradles her so that she’s resting against his chest. Her ass juts out slightly, just enough so that when I bend my knees, my cock slides straight into her warm, tight cunt.
Isobel gasps as I lazily roll my hips, taking my time, allowing us both to readjust to the sensations of being so close again. I litter her shoulders, back, and neck with biting kisses, licking and sucking away the sting of my teeth and leaving visible marks behind on her pale skin.
“Does your mate feel good fucking you from behind, Bel? Do you want him to go harder and faster, or do you prefer him sweet and slow?” Quin purrs in Isobel’s ear, and I groan as her pussy clenches down on my cock in reaction to his words.
“Yes, yes!” Isobel pants, and I grip her hips in my hands as I slowly draw back before slamming my cock back into her depths with a swift, hard jab. I repeat this maneuver over and over again, increasing my pace with each savage thrust until she’s screaming out and clenching around me, the walls of her pussy pulsating and strangling my cock as my balls draw up tight. Tálstrom comes forward enough to lend me his fangs, and as my cum erupts into Isobel’s depths, I lurch forward and bite down on her neck, directly over the same spot that had once borne my mark.
I close my eyes as I swallow down her blood, the brilliance of our bond flaring in a blinding starburst of crimson fire. Tál roars with feral joy as we’re once again fully connected, although it feels like this time our connection runs deeper than before, if such a thing is possible.
I open my eyes just as Quin reaches a hand up and lovingly strokes Isobel’s hair away from her face, and Tál pounces. In the blink of an eye, his fangs are out of Isobel’s neck, sinking deeply into the muscles of Quin’s wrist. I ignore his hiss of pain as his blood coats my tongue, instead concentrating on the warmth suffusing me as his presence settles over my shoulders like a warm, comforting blanket.
I feel a tug in my chest, and when I open my eyes, I’m stunned to actually see a cord of braided light emerging from it. The cord splits into two, with one disappearing into Isobel, and the other connecting me to Quin. The strands are a blend of red and green, with the third strand reminding me of fiery agate, my mother’s favorite gemstone. The three strands burn like the sun, and they pulse in a rhythmic staccato reminiscent of the throbbing beat of a heart.
It’s magnificent, it’s real, and it’s final.
I’m home.
***
A sense of disquiet disturbs my sleep and I wake with a start, Tálstrom pacing inside our psyche in an unsettled manner. I reach across the bed for Isobel, but when my fingers brush Quin’s hairy forearm, I realize she’s no longer in bed with us.
I sit up, searching for her, but the bathroom is dark and still, although I can still smell faint traces of the body wash that Isobel favors on the air. After cementing our bonds, we all showered together before tumbling, exhausted, into our enormous bed.
But Isobel’s nowhere in sight.
Shaking Quin’s shoulder roughly, I ignore the potential fight as I rouse him from his own slumber.
Luckily for me, his fight-or-flight instincts remain dormant as he wakes.
“Wha—” Quin stretches and yawns, his jaw cracking with how wide it goes. “What’s the matter? Why did you wake me?”
He blinks at me blearily before twigging that a very important part of our triad is missing.
“Where’s Izzy?”
“I don’t know,” I murmur, but Tál is urging me out of bed, chivvying me to go to the front of the house. There’s something tweaking at the edge of his senses, and he wants me to check it out.
“I think we need to go outside,” I distractedly state, and rummage around in the dark for a pair of sweats. I pull them up my legs and over my bare ass, barely noticing when Quin follows my actions.
We walk through the darkened house, slowing as we approach the front door. It’s standing open, and Isobel’s scent lingers in the air. It leads us outside, but she’s nowhere to be found.
“Fuck! Where is she?” Quin panics, calling out for our mate.
“Izzy? Izzy! Where are you, sweetheart? Please, are you okay?”
He pauses, listening for her voice, but the only answer he receives is the garbled, gravely yowl of a cat. I almost dismiss it as the call of a stray until I spy the small form creeping out from under the stairs.
The cat looks just like so many other domesticated tabbies, with the well-defined black and brown stripes of its fur allowing it to blend seamlessly into the shadows. However, it’s slightly larger than a domestic cat, with a stockier build, and its tail is thick and bushy in comparison. But the thing that has me gasping in shock and grabbing at Quin are the eyes.
Staring at me from the face of the cat are Isobel’s beautiful, hazel green eyes.
I feel for her along our bond, and she’s there, confused and panicked.
“Isobel?” I whisper, and the cat yowls once more.
“Izzy?” Quin gasps in surprise and awe, before letting out a stream of cursing under his breath.
“Fuck, Izzy, you had us worried! You know Josiah’s gonna pitch a fit when he finds out you’ve shifted but have taken after the Cattanach side of the family and not the Calhouns, right? A Scottish wildcat among cougars… well, it’s a good thing your mates are fucking beasts, otherwise they’ll all be carrying you around like a kitten. C’mon, let’s see if we can get you shifted back, and then back into bed.”
Looking up at me, Quin winks as he scoops our yowling mate into his arms and carries her inside.
“We’ll hold off on sharing the good news until tomorrow. I can’t wait to see the look on your brothers’ faces when you shift and own their asses while less than a quarter of their size.”
I chuckle and follow my mates inside, closing the door behind me.