Epilogue
Maya
My statement still stood true. Some people just didn’t fit in this world.
I suppose it was a good thing I wasn’t part of that world—I was part of something much more special.
Before experiencing this new world, I never believed that a singular moment could change everything. I assumed that life would be similar to living in the basement, slow-moving and monotonous.
It had been a little over a week now, though—Monday, very late at night—and I sat in the darkness of the kitchen, drinking tea and thinking about everything I’d learned.
One week, and I had found out I wasn’t human.
One week, and I’d found an affection and connection I didn’t think was possible.
One week, and I’d removed the abusers from my life—all three—only to have one come back.
God. Seeing him had been torture.
Truly, it had been horrible. His face was as cruel as I remembered, and facing him, knowing the pain he was capable of inflicting…I’d frozen. Completely. I’m not sure what would’ve happened if my mates hadn’t been there.
The twins seemed distressed. Atlas and Sai bore heated anger. Croy was concerned and sleeping in my bedroom, waiting for me, no doubt. Marco and Henry were in his office, talking quietly about human legal constraints they could put on him.
I’m not sure it mattered.
My father was terrifying, more so than my mother in some ways, because he, in his mind, hadn’t been cruel with his encouragement of my mother's beatings. In his mind, it had been ‘God’s mission.’ But now that he’d admitted to knowing I was a shifter?
Things were coming into question. I needed to know more about the first eighteen years of my life, but I wasn’t positive there was a way to uncover the details without asking him.
Either that, or I would have to go back to the church and see for myself from my new perspective. Something I wasn’t willing to risk.
“Angel?” Atlas asked as two muscular arms came around either side of me.
Atlas. The protective and intense dragon had made me feel a sense of security since that first sleepover, and still did. My body hummed as I leaned into him and looked up, those metallic eyes darkening on my expression.
“You should be sleeping,” he murmured.
“I know.” I pressed my lips to his gently, then he helped me up and wrapped his arms around me.
“Promise me something, Maya,” he whispered.
“What’s that?”
“Don’t go anywhere by yourself for a bit. I don’t trust him.”
I grinned. “Do I ever go anywhere by myself?”
Atlas chuckled and picked me up, taking us towards the stairs. My eyes flicked past each half-closed door as I considered the amazing men in my life. I snuggled closer to Atlas, and a content yet still concerned feeling washing over me.
Croy was in my bedroom, and as Atlas placed me on the bed, the wolf tugged me forward. Atlas moved behind me, and despite both of them being huge, I’d never felt more comfortable in my life.
“Goodnight, sugar,” Croy murmured.
“Goodnight,” I whispered.
“We won’t let him take you anywhere,” Atlas said, and like they were somehow the magic words my body had been looking for, I relaxed. Everything inside of me lulled to a peaceful state, and I closed my eyes.
The thought that permeated before dropping into the abyss of dreams?
I hoped he could keep that promise.
I wasn’t positive I could survive as I had before now that I knew this type of love existed.