Epilogue
EPILOGUE
BENNETT
If my sole task in this life is to keep Seth and June from bouncing off the walls and each other, causing chaos — I’ll do my due diligence happily.
June throws her head back with a loud laugh as Seth picks her up and plunges them both into the heated pool. They surface a moment later, spluttering before June splashes Seth with water. They’re being a little rowdy for this to be considered a relaxing spa vacation , but I can’t help my grin as I sit on the edge of the pool, watching them.
She’s in a little brown bikini that I packed, Seth in a pair of matching shorts. Mine are purple — not a color I’d normally choose, but I think Seth slipped them into my bag. Leaning back on my arms, I watch them roughhouse, play fighting between lingering pecks.
It’s been a long few years.
I remember when Arin flew us out when he was working on the sale of this place, before it was a sprawling spa. I even remember finding him and Theo together in one of the saunas — the kiss this morning was not a shock to anyone with eyes — but I don’t think they ever would have recognized their own desire for each other had the last two years not happened.
“Bennett!” June bobs in the water. “Are you getting in?”
Seth treads next to her. “Are you going to be a stick in the mud?”
I splash them both with a hand. “The mud here does have restorative properties .”
Seth laughs as he mockingly covers her from the spray, spinning her away from me again as her arms come up to tangle in his hair. She kisses our beta, my heart singing with the flare of our shared bonds, both of them intertwined with my heart.
I didn’t know it could ever feel like this. The moment I bit her, my DNA rewrote itself — I am theirs and they’re mine. As I slip into the water, I let the heat sink into my muscles, carrying the stress away. The last few years have been tiring, between building mine and Seth’s business up to where it is now to the busyness of pack life.
The two people in front of me make me want to retire early — to spend the rest of my time in our kitchen, chopping basil and making dinner. I want to be free to pull June into my arms at every opportunity, to kiss her instead of rotting away on conference calls.
Swimming up to them, I slide an arm around Seth, kissing his cheek before doing the same to June. She looks up at me, her voice soft. “You came in.”
“You two were having all the fun without me.” I pull away, chewing on my tongue. “I need to ask you both something.”
Seth’s eyes cut to me as June nods immediately, reaching out and cupping my jaw. “Anything.”
“What if I decided to take a step back from working? Would that be okay?”
I’m surrounded by both of them in an instant, twin hugs encompassing me. Laughing, I hold onto them both, whispering, “I want to be at home. I want to make sure our family has dinner every night. I still want to work.” I direct the words at Seth. “But I’m so tired of meetings. You were better at them than me anyway, and there’s no reason for everyone on the board to default to my opinion because I’m the alpha. You’re so brilliant.” My voice softens as I touch Seth’s cheek. “I’m ready to make that change if you are.”
His smile breaks my heart. Our lips touch as he nods. “Absolutely. Beginning the next calendar year, you’re officially on sabbatical. I think they’ll survive if they finally have to listen to all my ideas.”
June hums, her eyes brightening. “If you’ll be home more we can take cooking classes!”
I know she gets lonely sometimes. All of us know Arin will never stop working — he enjoys it too much to truly step away — and June has the same streak in her. The idea of getting out of the house with her more, since her job is so insular, makes me smile.
“I’d love that. And if you’d still like to do some traveling before you start writing your next book, I’d be happy to go with you.”
She drags us both into her arms, chattering excitedly. “Arin and Theo are going to be so jealous. You and I can just leave and go wherever we want, whenever.”
Seth whines, “ I’m jealous.”
Laughing, I kiss him again, bond warm as I let him go and then turn to do the same with June. Her wet hands rise, holding my face to hers. “I’m proud of you, Bennett.”
We exchange a smile as Seth wraps his arms around us. “I love you two. Look at us, we’re living proof that yet another one of my schemes went off without a hitch.”
June laughs, shaking her head at him and splashing him with water. “Without a hitch is a stretch , Seth.” She dives away before he can catch her, and I plunge forward, shoving Seth out of my way to see who can get to our omega first.
I’d never admit it in fear of making his ego even larger, but Seth is right.
He deserves all the credit — our futures are this bright because of his impulsivity.