33 Epilogue
HUNTER
Today was Brielle’s first birthday, and the family was gathering at Dad’s.
It had been my bright idea to try and cater the party myself, but thank gods Dellie talked me out of it, saying I’d never enjoy the occasion if I was worried about the food and running back and forth.
And we didn’t want Uncle Arnie to cater it. He worked hard every day, and we wanted him to relax and have fun. We’d relied on him to cater too many times in the past. But he insisted on making the cake, and I had messaged him, suggesting two ingredients that I’d love combined.
Everyone was coming including Treyton and his brother, Madden, who he affectionately called Madd. Uncle Arnie was excited to have them in town and was hoping to convince Madd to move here.
Our daughter’s name meant Hunter, so now there were at least two Hunters in our family which sort of banished the other hunter: Draven.
As I got Brielle out of her car seat and we walked into my dad’s house, I thought of Louisa who wasn’t here to enjoy her great niece’s special day.
My mate had tussled with the idea of reporting her to the police. There was no proof of her involvement with Stefan, though Flint could have spoken to the police chief, his poker buddy, and had her arrested. But there were copies of letters to and from the bank where she’d forged my mate’s signature.
But after lying awake at night and agonizing over whether she should spend years in jail—maybe the rest of her life—he decided banishment was the punishment he was most comfortable with.
It was a family decision as to where to put her. Ranger suggested the panic room.
“No daylight, no sun on her face, never feeling grass under your feet. It’s perfect.”
But Odell thought lack of socialization would be the biggest punishment.
“Other than bringing her food, she won’t be throwing parties in the panic room unless it’s a party for one,” Flint added.
I absolutely did not want to build another panic room. There was nowhere else at the club. If we dug any deeper, the building would collapse.
“I know the perfect place.” My Dellie looked in my direction and our eyes locked. I got it. Right back where she belonged.
“Your old apartment building.” He nodded. “That building is condemned, but the one beside it, which is much the same, isn’t.”
My mate and I inspected the tiny apartment we’d rented. It was a small step up from the one they had lived in as a family, but not by much. It seemed appropriate that Louisa, who’d spent Odell’s inheritance, and tried to kill him, and needled her husband with guilt about money until he got into debt should pay by being imprisoned in a hovel. Basically, she’d be on house arrest until she died.
Louisa would look out the window and see people living their life and never be able to join them. Pack members would come each week, delivering food and leaving it at her door. Odell may or may not visit, but that was up to him. She should be thankful he’d saved her from jail.
It had taken months for my mate to recover from the trauma she’d caused him. The person who was always on his side, who he thought loved him unconditionally, had ripped off the bandaid and revealed what was really in her heart.
We stopped going to work for weeks while we processed the events that led to us meeting. The hatred that had festered in her led Louisa to destroy her family.
Matt and Tony, having experienced family betrayals, helped Dellie. The three of them met twice a week and talked through their experiences. It was their private therapy sessions, and my mate always returned home rejuvenated.
But not wanting thoughts of Louisa to ruin the day, I pushed them away and admired Dad’s porch and doorway festooned with balloons, streamers, and a huge sign that read, “Happy Birthday, Brielle.”
As usual, Dad had gone all out, and we wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“Uncle Dellie, can I play with Brielle?” Lottie met us on the porch. Little Allegra, Matt and Ranger’s daughter who was a few months older than Brielle, toddled out.
“Me too,” chorused Storm and Kendric.
Brielle kicked her legs and squealed, and I put her down. She charged into the house with the others following.
“She’s a leader,” Odell noted.
“Mmmm.” I tucked my arm in my mate’s, and we walked inside and everyone greeted us.
Uncle Arnie and Treyton introduced us to Madd. Arnie must have been pushing him to make the move here because Madd said he was looking for a job. He was an IT guy, and Flint had told him he might have a job for him. Matt’s IT guy who’d helped him in his undercover work had worked for us for a while, but his dad got sick and he moved back to his hometown.
“My head!” Flint mimed a hammer pounding onto his skull as the kids yelled and raced in and out of the room.
“Stop.” Tony slapped his mate’s shoulder. “He’s kidding,” he told everyone.
“I might be, but my wolf wants noise-canceling headphones.”
Everyone laughed.
The food was laid out on a long table buffet style, and everyone got a plate. Trying to get the kids to eat more than a mouthful before they squirmed and wanted to play with their cousins was a monumental task.
Dad shrugged. “They’ll eventually get tired and hungry.”
Uncle Arnie brought out the cake, coated in pink, yellow, and blue buttercream frosting. He’d decorated it with edible roses like the ones at our wedding.
“I asked Uncle to bake it with honey and wildberries because that was what we ate the night I cooked for us in the forest.”
Odell clasped my face with both hands and kissed me. “I love that, thank you.”
“Can we corral your daughter long enough to blow out the candles and cut the cake?” Ranger asked.
Dad always put an additional candle on a birthday cake as a look toward the year ahead and a wish that only good things would happen.
Odell caught Brielle as she stormed past. “My darling girl, look what Uncle Arnie made you.”
Brielle’s eyes grew wide as Dad lit both candles.
My mate said he needed a video for us and also to send to Uncle Stan, and Treyton snapped one. Stan had been to our home for meals, and we’d invited him tonight, but he said he preferred the quiet life. I suspected he refused because he would be intimidated by my family. Just like with our wedding, he asked for a slice of cake. And lots of pics.
We all sang Happy Birthday, the kids in their parents’ arms, straining to swipe a fingerful of frosting.
I stood beside my mate, and we leaned forward to help our daughter blow out both her candles.
“On three. One, two?—”
“Whoa, who jumped the gun?” Matt asked.
“Not me.” I glanced at my mate.
“Nor me,” he echoed.
We stared at our daughter as she struggled to grab one of the edible flowers while everyone cheered.
“Come to me, Brielle.” Dad took our little girl while Uncle Arnie and Odell cut the cake.
“Was that…?” Tony looked at my brother.
“I think it was,” Flint answered.
“Was it a fluke?” Madd asked.
“Doubt it,” Ranger replied.
Everyone was talking around us. Our daughter was one but she blew out those two candles with such force, the flames appeared to be running away from her.
“You’re all talking in code,” my mate said while licking frosting from his fingers. “Is something wrong with our daughter?” He took Brielle from Rudy and hugged her. Maybe our little one sensed her daddy was upset and she cuddled into him.
“The opposite. You said she’d be a leader, and she’s showing shifter traits already,” I explained.
“Is it bad?” There was fear in my mate’s eyes, and I wanted to banish it.
“Absolutely not. She’s showing us who she is earlier than most other kids.”
“Okay.” He rested his chin on Brielle’s head. You had me worried for a minute.”
Dad came up to me. “Hunter did that too as a baby.”
“What?” Ranger’s brows shot up. “No way. I would have remembered.”
“You were a child, Ranger.”
“I don’t recall that,” Flint said.
“You weren’t old enough to be paying attention and were busy exploring the world, darling. You wouldn’t remember your little brother’s exceptional abilities,” Dad told him.
“Ha. See, Ranger, Dad said exceptional.” It was so good to brag.
“Bah!”
“You sound like my wolf. But if you want to pit your skills against mine, I challenge you to a cook-off.”
“No way, ‘cause I’d kick your ass, little bro.”
“Kick your ass,” the other kids chorused.
Matt elbowed his mate. “Now look at what you’ve done.”
“Present time.” Dad lifted the sheet covering the wrapped presents, and Brielle tore through the wrapped paper. There were toys, games, clothes, and books, but the most significant gift was one our daughter would appreciate in a few years.
Dellie and I had had a charm bracelet made, and my family were all contributing charms. Flint and Tony added a tiny wolf to the bracelet, Ranger and Matt attached a heart with the La Luna Noir logo, Dad and Uncle Arnie had a moon, while Treyton and Madd’s charm was a tiny compass.
“It’s because she’s full of adventure,” Treyton explained.
“What about yours?” Flint asked me and Odell.
“We’ll do ours at home,” my mate told him as we shared a glance and a kiss.
After we toasted Brielle and everyone had cake, the kids were tired and cranky. Madd and Treyton offered to clean up so we could all head out.
“You should stick around.” Ranger clamped a hand on Madd’s shoulder. “We love people who tidy up after us.”
“Good to know.” Madd grinned.
Brielle fell asleep on the drive home, and when she was in bed, I brought out my charm. It was a replica of my wolf’s paw print.
“She’ll love it,” Dellie noted as I attached it to the bracelet. He got the charm he’d had made. “An acorn because it represents strength. It also has significance for us, her parents, because acorns start small and grow. Just as we did.”
I took him in my arms. “We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for your strength.”
“And yours.”
“Pfft. It was all you, Odellicious.“
He rolled his eyes. “Are we going to argue about this forever?”
“Yes, forever.”
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