Epilogue
Finnegan Nash - Three Months Later
"Y ou're doing great darling," I say, popping an ice chip in Riley's mouth.
She does a fantastic impression of an alpha growling and snarling at me. "I'm never doing this again," she grumbles, stretching back into the pillows.
"That's fine," Killian says, brushing a huge hand over her soft cheek. He's leaning through the gauzy curtains and if he's not careful they'll come down around his massive ass.
"We'll just see how you feel when you hold the baby," Jasper says, lounging sideways in one of the uncomfortable chairs.
"Are the girls okay?" Riley asks Cannon.
"Yes, they're being overindulged by two grandmas who will likely return them spoiled rotten and high on sugar," Cannon says, pocketing his phone.
"All is good," Killian says, crawling into the nest.
Riley insisted she didn't need one of the omega birthing rooms, after all she's done this twice before without the luxury.
However, we rented the space, just in case.
Lo and behold we walked into the hospital and she blushed sheepishly asking if it was too late to register or if there were any available nests.
Occasionally, I do know my wife. Fine, our wife. We married under family pack law, so I have to share her equally with these blokes. I don't mind a bit. Both Riley and I had a strong craving for the family we were lacking.
In a pack you're never alone. You've got someone at your back through the good and the bad. They're also quite stuck up your ass even when you'd rather they weren't… but that's life.
"It's getting close," Riley says, sucking in deep hits of Killian's scent. "They aren't lying about that being a natural pain reliever." She slams her nose into his neck, sucking in deeply through her contraction.
Killian rests his hand on the giant belly, it's quite precious. I snap pictures of the beast who fell in love with the beauty. He wasn't kidding when he swore she wouldn't be alone, not a single step of the way.
Granted, I think both Riley and her doctor were equally horrified when he tried to follow her into the toilet to give a urine sample for the pregnancy test on that first visit.
Riley put on a good show, but I know for a fact she didn't mind.
She might complain here or there, but she's always been on her own.
We might drive her crazy with our over-the-top hovering, but she never has to question how much we adore her.
She never has to face anything without her teammates at her side.
"Lyra, Ayla, or Cora?" Jasper asks, crawling inside the gauzy curtain and wiping her face off with a wet rag.
"Can't do Cora with a C or Lyra, because then it would be two to one on first name letters. Kora with K…" Riley hums. "Maybe. We need to see her to decide."
"Agreed," Cannon says, grabbing the cup of ice chips out of my hand. "Would you like some more?"
"Hell no," Riley hisses. "Then I'll have to pee." She's truly foul-tempered. We all grin. We're used to the moodiness after the past several weeks.
Riley swears she was never this big or miserable with the other girls. Killian heard that and actually had the audacity to beam. He swears that means the baby is his.
Tough luck mate, because even if his DNA got lucky, he's still only one-quarter the dad. We'll ignore the genetic impossibility of that fact for now.
The nurse enters the room and checks the monitor. "Those are right on top of each other," she says, still studying the paper. "Won't be long now."
Three hours later we welcome a sweet eight-pound, four-ounce baby girl.
"How do you feel about Sage?" Riley asks, she's curled up in her nest of blankets on the hospital bed. They moved her from a birthing nest into a private room not too long ago.
Cannon sits at her side, grinning down at the baby. He nods. We all give our agreement and Sage Nash officially joins the family.
There's no telling which of us is the biological father and frankly, that's the way I prefer it. It might become apparent one day down the line, but Cove and Lily are just as much ours as Sage is.
Some packs take the omegas last name, but Riley suggested taking Cannon's instead of hers.
Jasper whined, but quickly agreed. Killian grunted his assent, and I just grinned.
Being a lonely lad, the one thing I craved more than anything was this.
I'd do much worse things to keep Riley happy.
She said it just makes sense, considering he owns Nash's.
It's also thanks to Cannon's pushy nature that any of this came together to begin with.
Jeremy Northbrook got eight years in prison. Not one of those cushy, soft, white collar ones either. He'll never touch Riley or our girls again and that's about all that matters to me.
Riley stuck with therapy for just shy of a year.
Once she came to terms with things, she decided she didn't need it anymore.
We plan to watch her closely after the baby is born, just to be sure the hormone fluctuations don't give her any trouble.
Her therapist agreed Riley could discontinue sessions, but that was her one request.
"Sage?" Jasper asks, leaning over the small baby cart that sits at Cannon's side. Jasper gives up, wheeling it out of the way and sits on the very edge of the bed. "I love it. Is it official? Can I text my family the news?"
"It's official," Riley agrees, grinning.
* * *
Sixteen Years Later
"Do you know where to acquire a tranquilizer gun?" Jasper asks me, raising his eyebrows like this is a serious question.
"Fuck no.” I snort. "We should have been more prepared. This is what Google is for…"
"Alright, it's going to take all three of us to have a hope of holding his ass back," Jasper says, rubbing his hands together.
"I'm fine," Killian growls. Swiping a hand over his face, he continues pacing the floor bare near the front door.
Our sweet Cove is flying the nest, taking off into the world. It's simultaneously fucking terrifying and fills me with an unmatched level of pride. She's twenty now and quite ready to branch out on her own.
To be fair, we did for the most part get to keep her far longer than some families. I attribute that to the fact, we're fucking awesome. Yes, I borrowed one of Lachlan York's favorite sayings.
"Cove will be fine," I assure him.
"She's going to be trapped on a goddamn tour bus with four dipshits! One of which is convinced she's their omega," Killian hisses.
"Ravvi has been quite consistent in his dogged determination to get her to love him," I say, laughing behind my hand. "Not many blokes can say they found the love of their life at the ripe age of six."
Yes, fine I see Killian's point. Ravvi and Damian aren't bad kids… Love's twins? Dear God, that's an entirely different story.
Cove absolutely inherited her uncle's musical talent. She's become quite the songwriter and with a bit of voice training, a very respectable singer.
"At her age our wife had two children," Jasper says, laughing. "Cove has been dating since she was sixteen. You made sure she knows how to protect herself."
"You're not helping," Cannon says, walking into the room.
"Should have had the boys first," Killian grumbles. "Could have sent Jake or Alec off with them."
"Yes, that's just what every twenty-year-old wants. Her two brothers mean-mugging anyone who gets too close," Riley says, laughing. She heads straight for Killian. He easily lifts her, wrapping her around his body.
"We've done our part," Cannon says, flopping down on the couch. "She's smart, knows her worth, and how to throw a solid punch."
Riley nods her agreement. "We've laid a secure foundation," Riley says.
"She was always going to venture out into the world.
We've made sure she's strong enough to survive anything that comes her way.
She knows we're here and ready to welcome her home with open arms, but we also can't stifle her forever. "
Riley kisses Kills deeply, and I briefly consider having an equal tantrum, so she has no choice but to kiss me like that to calm me down too.
"I know," Killian grumbles.
Cove, Lily, and Sage come skipping into the room.
"I'm scarred for life," Cove grumbles, spotting Killian still with a handful of Riley's ass.
Sage snorts. "How do you think Mom got five kids?" she asks, rolling her deep blue eyes.
Killian thought Sage was likely his due to Riley's unbelievable belly when she was pregnant. In the years since it's become quite clear she's Jasper's.
"Good one," Jasper says, fist bumping Sage.
Lily curls up at Cannon's side on the couch. "They're so gross , grow up children," she grumbles, faux gagging.
"We're here if you change your mind or even if you just want to come home," Killian says, putting Riley down and pulling Cove in for a hug.
"I know Kiki," Cove says, hugging him tight. "And I love you for it."
The doorbell rings and Alec and Jake bolt down the stairs into the room. They're thirteen, and there's no doubt about it—Killian's their dad.
"We got this," Jake says, opening the door and shoving his way outside. Alec is hot on his heels.
"Dear God, control your children," Cove grumbles.
We all laugh at the look of exasperation on her face.
A whole lot of years ago, a down on her luck single mom of two found herself stranded on the island. A perfect storm of fate? I'm not sure, but I do know without her our lives had no true joy.
Life is chaotic, the house is never quiet, there are always dirty dishes in the sink—but the walls echo with our laughter as I pull my wife into my chest.
"She'll be fine," I assure her as she watches Cove peek out the window.
"I know," Riley says with a nod. She has a few small laugh lines around her eyes and mouth and occasionally she freaks out when she spots a new gray hair. She's still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.
I pull her to me for a filthy kiss and Cove shrieks in disgust. Riley and I grin through the kiss.
"Is no one seriously going to stop the twins?" Cove asks, frowning out the window.
Killian looks too and sighs. "Aww shit," he grumbles and bolts for the door. "Someone get the ice packs."
Life is never boring. That's for damn sure.