Epilogue #2
Dante sits up on the other side of Hero, running a hand through his buzzed hair. His green eyes are bright and alert, despite the early hour. "What do you want to do today, Petal?" he asks, his gaze flicking between the three of us.
I think for a moment, then smile. "I want to go to the beach. Swim in the ocean. Feel the sun on my skin." I pause, then add, "And then I want to come back here and fuck until we can't move."
A slow grin spreads across Dante's face, and he leans in, capturing my lips in a fierce kiss. "Your wish is our command, Petal," he says when he pulls back, his eyes dark with desire.
Hero chuckles, his fingers still tracing patterns on my skin. "Always so demanding," he teases, but there's no real complaint in his voice. He loves it when I tell them what I want, when I take control. I love giving it to them.
Levi presses a kiss to the back of my neck, then rolls out of bed, stretching his muscular frame. "Come on, then," he says, holding out a hand to me. "Let's feed you and get to the beach."
I take his hand, letting him pull me up from the bed. Hero and Dante follow, and together, we eat gut busting breakfast of blueberry pancakes, fruit and scrambled eggs. Then we make our way out of the bungalow and onto the private stretch of beach that comes with it.
The sun is warm and bright, the sand soft and white beneath my feet. The ocean stretches out before us, a vast expanse of blue that seems to go on forever. I take a deep breath, feeling the salt air fill my lungs, the sun warm my skin. This is what freedom feels like, I realize.
We spend the morning swimming and laughing, splashing each other and playing in the waves like children.
Levi chases me through the shallows, his laughter booming out across the water as I shriek and try to evade him.
Hero and Dante watch from the shore, their eyes filled with warmth and love as they take in the sight of us together.
Eventually, we make our way back to the shore, collapsing onto the sand in a tangle of limbs and laughter. I lie back, letting the sun dry my skin, feeling the warmth of it seep into my bones. Beside me, Levi does the same, his hand finding mine and twining our fingers together.
Hero sits up, looking out at the ocean with a thoughtful expression on his face. "You know," he says, turning to look at me, "I've been thinking."
I raise an eyebrow, propping myself up on my elbows to look at him. "About what?"
He hesitates for a moment, then says, "About the future. About us."
My heart skips a beat at his words, at the seriousness in his voice. Beside me, Levi sits up as well, his gaze fixed on Hero. Dante, who's been lying on his back with his eyes closed, opens them now, looking at Hero with a questioning expression.
"What about us?" I ask, my voice barely more than a whisper.
Hero takes a deep breath, then says, "I want to make this official. I want to marry you, Brookes. All of us, together. I want to make you ours, forever."
I stare at him, shock and joy warring within me. I never thought, never dared to hope, that they would want this, that they would want me, forever but here they are, offering me everything I've ever wanted, everything I never thought I could have.
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, and I blink them back, a smile spreading across my face. "Yes," I say, my voice choked with emotion. "Yes, I want that too. More than anything."
Levi lets out a whoop of joy, pulling me into a tight embrace. "I love you, Bloom," he says, his voice rough with emotion. "So much."
Dante sits up, his eyes filled with warmth and love as he looks at me. "I love you too, Petal," he says, his voice soft. "Always."
Hero smiles, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "I love you, Heart," he says, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Forever."
I look at them and I know that this is it. The beginning of the rest of our lives, together and I can't wait to see where it takes us.
As we make our way back to the bungalow, hand in hand, I can't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over me, settling in my bones like the warmth of the afternoon sun.
This, this feeling of belonging is what I lost the day my father slammed the door in my face, his disgust at my Omega status permanently etched into my memory.
This is what I thought I would never have as I struggled to survive, a scared teenager on the streets, curling up in doorways and saying yes to things I shouldn't have just to make it through another day.
This is what I thought I found, at least temporarily, when I met Charlotte.
She became my first real shelter after the storm, offering me friendship without conditions when I'd grown used to everyone wanting something from me.
Even with her fierce loyalty, I was still missing something, something I had been told repeatedly I wasn't worthy of.
Love. Acceptance. A family. A pack to call my own.
I glance at Levi, his dimples appearing as he catches me looking.
At Hero, whose hazel eyes hold such quiet understanding.
At Dante, whose powerful presence has become my safe harbor.
Their scents, vanilla, sandalwood, and cedarwood, mingle with the ocean breeze, the fragrance synonymous with home to me now.
Life has a way of giving you exactly what you need at the right time, doesn't it?
Yeah, I had to walk through hell for it.
The kidnapping, the assault, the nightmares that still wake me sometimes.
I would do it all over again, never changing a thing to get right where I am.
I'd endure every moment of pain, every tear shed in dark rooms, every scar visible and invisible, for this. For them.
Soul-deep love and everlasting joy in these three wonderful protectors of my heart. My Alphas, my mates, my future husbands. My forever.
-The End-