Epilogue
Mandy
“Mandy Paige. Mandy.”
“Over here, Mandy.”
“Mandy, can we have a quick word?”
“How’s the book release going?”
“How’s it feel to be bonded to two of the Scented Scorpion players?”
“Will you be writing any more sports romances?”
The press bombards me as I make my way through the stadium entry on my way inside to watch Axel and Chase play again.
It’s been a few months since my heat, and though I’ve spent time with the guys here learning the ropes and the ins and outs of their game, I haven’t publicly attended a game. I’ve been so busy writing and editing my manuscript that it’s been hard to find any spare time.
Today is release day, and after a wild morning spent at Lust the guys just chuckle and keep leading me forward.
The gravel turns to grass beneath my feet just before Axel places his hands on my shoulders and spins me around.
“You can take the blindfold off now.”
Reaching up behind my head, I quickly untie the blindfold, letting it fall from my face and catching it in one hand. Chase takes it from me and shoves it in his pocket as my eyes adjust to the sunlight and I process what I’m seeing in front of me.
We’re standing in front of the old Victorian mansion Chase rented for our private prom. It looks different in the daylight, more homely and welcoming. But that’s not what draws my attention.
In front of the house is a large for-sale sign I didn’t notice when we were here last. Maybe that’s because it was nighttime when I arrived and I was falling into my heat when we left, but either way it’s here now.
And splashed across it on a large, neon green sticker, is the word ‘SOLD’.
“What? I don’t understand.” I can’t process what I’m seeing, or piece together why we’re here and looking at this.
My hands fall to my lower stomach, cradling the small bump beginning to become more noticeable.
Chase wraps his arms around my waist, placing his hands over mine and nuzzling his cheek against mine.
“We thought you might like a place we can make our own. A place with enough room for this little plum—” he pats the hand on my stomach “—and all their future siblings. When this place came on the market days after you told us we were going to be parents, it felt like a sign. What do you think?”
“I don’t know what to say.”
A sob escapes me as tears roll down my face. Dammit, I’ve been so emotional lately, crying at the drop of a hat.
“Hey, hey. It’s okay. If you don’t like it, we can keep looking,” Axel says with a soothing purr, kneeling in front of me.
“No, no, it’s not that,” I say, swiping at the tears trailing down my cheeks. “It’s perfect. It’s so goddamn perfect.”
Axel grins, and Chase plants a kiss on my cheek before releasing me from his embrace.
“Come on,” he says, gesturing toward the house. “We have one more surprise inside.”
The guys lead me inside, and straight up the central staircase, to a door opposite the one Chase and I spent our time in last time we were here.
“We can hire some interior designers to freshen up the rest of the place, but Chase and I wanted to create a space just for you,” Axel says, his hand resting on the doorknob.
“Your writing is your livelihood, and we know you’ve been craving a separate space for it since your last heat, somewhere with no distractions, so we created it for you. It’s been soaked in scent neutralizer so that it’s all yours,” Chase says, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
With that declaration, Axel swings the door open, and I take a step inside, gasping at what they’ve created for me.
It’s an office space, but it’s been personalized just for me.
They’ve both clearly been paying attention to how I write and what I need in this space.
The floor is covered with a thick pink carpet.
One wall has been converted into built-in bookshelves, empty for now, but soon to be filled.
There’s a large corner desk off to one side, with a window overlooking the gardens surrounding the house.
There's a large beanbag next to the desk with a little side table, and on top of that, there’s a hammock hanging from the ceiling.
It will be the perfect space to work on my second hockey romance novel.
“Thank you,” I say, spinning around and facing my two bonded alphas. “Thank you for all you’ve given me. I can’t say I expected to end up here when I first entered Pinnacle Arena, but I’m so glad we did.”
“Our story is just beginning, Mally. We’ve got so many more chapters ahead of us,” Axel purrs as Chase nods.
And he’s right. We’ve only just begun, and we have a lifetime of chapters left to write.