Epilogue
Harper
“Your hair is getting long,” I tell Cora, brushing through her curls in front of the mirror. “You’re overdue for a trim.”
“I like it long,” she says softly.
“I know, but we need to make sure your ends stay neat.” I part her hair down the middle and start braiding it, watching her face in the reflection.
She’s growing so much, becoming more herself and leaving behind the trauma that haunted so much of her life, but every day I look at her and I see my sister.
She’s starting to look so much like her. Sometimes she does this thing with her face that Jade used to do, and it hits me in the chest every time.
It’s not fair that Jade isn’t here to see her daughter thriving and doing so well.
I’m grateful that Cora is happy these days, but the grief is always there too.
I’m so glad that I can be there for Cora, to take care of her the way she deserves, but the only reason I have to do it is because Jade is gone. It’s a complicated mix of emotions.
But then Cora meets my eyes in the mirror and smiles at me, showing off the gap where she lost a tooth last week, and that definitely helps soothe the moment.
There’s a knock on the doorframe, and I turn to see Lincoln come in. He stops and scans his eyes over me, reading me immediately. He’s so good at doing that, getting inside my head and figuring out what I’m feeling.
And it makes sense for him to be familiar with this. He lost someone too, and he understands the particular kind of grief that lives alongside happiness without canceling it out.
“You’re doing the best you can for her,” he says softly. “And it’s the best thing you can do for Jade’s memory.”
“I know,” I whisper back. “But thank you.”
He leans in to brush a kiss over my mouth before Cora breaks free, bouncing around the room with excitement. “I’m ready, I’m ready, let’s go!” she says in a rush.
That breaks the tension and the mood of the room lifts immediately.
Lincoln laughs and picks her up. “We’re all ready, just waiting for you, little miss.”
He carries her downstairs and we all head to the courthouse.
It’s a day of more complicated emotions, but as we walk into the room where we’re directed, I decide that happiness should be the one I lean into. Today is the day I adopt Cora officially, making it so that no one can ever take her from me.
All three of the men are there, dressed sharply and standing behind us to lend their unwavering support.
Cora insisted on wearing a bright yellow dress for the occasion, and she holds my hand while we go through everything.
It’s mostly just paperwork, me signing forms and waiting while the clerk makes copies for my records.
All in all, it takes about twenty minutes and then it’s done.
It’s simple, quick, and undramatic, but having a folder of proof that Cora is mine now feels enormous. I let out a shaky breath when the clerk hands it over and smiles at me.
“Congratulations,” he says warmly. “All the files will be on record here, and you can request copies if you ever need them.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course. It’s my pleasure. Have a great rest of your day.” He smiles at Cora and nods to the men before filing out, leaving us alone in the small room.
Overwhelmed, I grab Cora and hug her tightly. She hugs back with the same force, burying her face in my hair. I breathe in the scent of her, closing my eyes against the flood of emotions.
My heart is so full right now. I can barely hold it together, tears spilling down my cheeks. But they’re happy tears.
When I look at the men, they’re looking back at us. Lincoln and Everett wear matching soft smiles, and Cash blinks away wetness from his eyes, giving me a lopsided grin when I catch him at it.
There’s no shame here, not when we’re all so happy.
We take some time to compose ourselves and then head over to the bar where we’re meeting Lainey, Dolly, Lincoln’s parents, and a handful of other people from the town. It doesn’t stop surprising me how many people here care about us. About me.
There’s food from the diner, pies, and cakes, and the bar is full of laughter and warmth.
Cora is at the center of it all, showing off her new dress and chatting with people she recognizes.
Most everyone in the town knows her by now, and they offer their congratulations and tell Cora she looks very pretty in her dress.
It makes me emotional all over again to see her talking and laughing and looking so carefree. She eats pie, delivered to her by Dolly herself, getting blueberry all over her face, but careful not to spill any on her dress. She’s so much more like a child should be now, and I’m so glad to see it.
“Congratulations to you too,” Helen says, coming over with a smile to hug me. “You must be so happy.”
“I am, yeah. She’s been mine for a while now, but it’s nice to make it official.”
Dolly hugs me next, coming by with a plate of food piled high for me. “I can see you’re having more emotions than food right now,” she says. “But you need to eat.”
“Thank you, Dolly.”
I’m struck then, by a memory of the conversation we had about Silver Falls making space for her.
Looking around at all the people gathered here to celebrate us, I can feel the full breadth of what the town has become to me and Cora.
It’s amazing, really, the way everyone has welcomed us, and it’s something I never expected.
Lainey comes over and kisses my cheek happily. “You know, I always wanted a sister,” she says, her eyes glistening. “And I’m very glad the universe saw fit to put you in my life.”
I laugh at that, touched in that bittersweet way. “I didn’t think I’d have a sister again,” I tell her. “So I’m pretty glad too.”
Her face goes soft as she hugs me tight, and I try to think of a way to tell her how grateful I am for her, but come up short. Something tells me she knows, though.
The celebration winds down as it starts to get late, and we head home with Cora so she can get ready for bed.
The guys take her through the bedtime routine they’ve established, and even though she’s still excited about everything and buzzing from the party, by the time I come into her room, she’s falling asleep.
She looks small, surrounded by these three protective Alphas, who rearranged their whole lives on a whim for a little girl who isn’t even biologically theirs.
I feel a rush of love for all of them, and it hits me hard. For Cora. For my guys. For this specific, unlikely, perfect family that we’ve built together.
When the men leave the room, they barely make it to the doorway of our bedroom before I’m grabbing them and kissing each of them in turn. It’s like I can’t keep my hands off them for another second. Each kiss is hungry and full of feeling.
They kiss me back, running their hands over me and taking their time with it.
“Pregnancy hormones must be something else,” Cash murmurs, nuzzling against my neck. “You’ve been insatiable lately.”
And he’s right. Ever since I got pregnant, I’ve been ravenous for them. Desperate to have them on me or in me or however I can get them, all the time.
But really, it’s more than that. It’s me needing to be as deeply connected to them as possible.
Everett scoops me up easily, carrying me to the bedroom. He lays me out on the bed and they all take their time stripping me out of my clothes. Their hands and mouths trail over my skin, and I close my eyes and enjoy the feeling.
It’s like they want to worship me, caressing every inch of my skin and making sure I know how beautiful and desirable they find me, and it turns me on even more.
By the time they pull back, my core is throbbing, and my pussy is soaking wet.
“Please,” I moan, looking up at each of them.
“You don’t have to beg,” Everett says.
“Even if it is beautiful to hear it,” Lincoln adds.
Cash smiles, spreading my legs with his hands. “We’ll give you anything you want.”
They live up to that promise, even though it feels like I can’t get enough. Even with them this close, their hands on me, their cocks hard and ready for me, I’m starving for them.
Everett and Cash work themselves into my pussy, taking their time and stretching me wide around their cocks. I cry out for them, but it’s not enough until Lincoln starts slicking my ass so he can press inside as well.
Being full of them feels so good, and I throw my head back and moan, letting them know how much I love it. How much I crave it.
My body wants more and more, the need for them riding me as I take everything they have to offer. It’s like being in heat all over again, the desperation for it mounting high.
The three of them make me come again and again, until I’m completely wrung out. We collapse together once their knots go down, messy and exhausted.
“We have to do this as much as we can before the baby is born,” Cash says. “I don’t know how we’re going to find the time with two kids to take care of.”
“We’ll make the time,” Everett says, like there’s no argument there.
Lincoln rests a hand on my stomach and grins. “We’ll find time to take care of you, mama.”
Hearing that makes my heart swell with emotion, and I kiss his cheek as best I can without moving. I feel boneless and sated and so happy. I drift off not long afterwards, falling asleep sandwiched between them, warm and safe.
Exactly where I belong.
Thank you so much for reading Protecting Their Omega!
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