Epilogue
T hree months later
I smooth down the front of my pencil skirt and take a deep breath.
“Do I look okay?” I whisper softly.
“You look fucking phenomenal,” Chase says, reaching his hand out to brush against my jaw.
I can feel his and the other’s pride through the bond. The four, healed, white bite marks I have on my shoulder and the base of my neck are obvious with the off-the-shoulder blouse I’m wearing.
According to Charlotte, this kind of style of clothing is really popular among bonded omegas. I can see why. I like showing them off.
I also like how the four of them have taken to wearing their button-up shirts with a few of the top buttons left open to reveal their own bite marks I left on them during that chemically induced heat I had.
While the start of that heat may not have been what I wanted, I’m always going to cherish that heat because it marked the start of the rest of our lives together .
“You’re going to do great,” Archer murmurs, brushing a hand down my back. “No need to be nervous.”
“Yeah,” I take a deep breath.
I’ve come a long way since the scared omega they found in one of their train cars, terrified of any and all alphas.
The big wooden door opens, revealing a tall alpha with tanned skin, dark hair, and these piercing green eyes. His suit is impeccably pressed.
“Hello Mrs. Ward,” he nods.
The omega part of my brain preens at being called by the pack’s last name. Well, my last name too, now that the bond is official.
I sense the guys’ amusement at my satisfaction and I fight the urge to react.
“Hello Councilman Graylock,” I nod in return.
“Please, call me Killian.” He extends his arm, gesturing me into his office.
I wave goodbye to my bonded mates before following him inside.
“Are you settling in well?” he asks, his eyes drifting towards the bite marks on my shoulder.
“Yes, very well. Thank you for working with me.”
“Your experience was an unfortunate one. One that’s brought to light many unfortunate aspects of our current system.
Your testimony in the upcoming trial and knowledge are invaluable.
I really should be the one thanking you,” he says, sitting back behind his desk and lacing his hands together. “Are you nervous for it?”
I take a deep breath, nodding. “I’d be lying if I said I weren’t, considering the… history I have with ex-councilman Leclair, but considering how important my testimony is, I would never imagine not being a part of it.”
Councilman Graylock gives a solemn nod.
“So, what brings you to my office?”
“I wanted to propose some reforms to the laws around omegas,” I say, pulling out a folder outlining my proposals.
“This covers my recommendations in more detail, but I really do believe there’s a negative stigma that needs to be addressed when it comes to being an unregistered omega.
There’s an awful lot of regulation for everything when becoming registered. ”
“There definitely is,” Killian nods.
“After some of my first experiences being taken away from the Ward pack and being forced to go through the selection process because I didn’t have any family backing, that regulation runs the risk of hurting omegas rather than helping them.”
His lips pull into a tense smile at my mention of the selection process.
That night was when Officer Stone first introduced me to the rest of his pack, including Killian Graylock, one of the councilmen leading the push against the corruption that was revealed after Niall’s—or I guess technically, Nikolai Leclair’s—arrest.
Killian reaches for the folder I’ve slid across the tablet to him and starts flipping through the pages.
“Walk me through some of your proposals.”
I take a breath before diving into all the reforms I think should be made.
I leave the meeting with a big smile on my face. My four mates instantly stand from the bench they’ve been waiting on.
“How did it go?” Kane asks.
“Good, by the feel of it,” Madden chuckles, referring to the buzzing sort of happiness that’s definitely making its way through the bond right now.
“It went wonderfully!” I say, smiling brightly up at the four of them. “We ran a little late, though, he was really interested in a lot of my plans and suggestions.”
“No worries, Moonlight,” Chase says. “I ran back and picked up the food we’re bringing over to my sister’s house while you were in your meeting. They’re in the car now. ”
“Thank you! You’re awesome.” The five of us start heading out of the building and to our car.
“No need to thank me, the last thing I’d want to do is pull up to my sister’s house after her giving birth empty-handed. She’d probably throw a dirty diaper at my head.”
“Charlotte wouldn’t do that,” I laugh. Actually, on second thought, she might. “She wouldn’t do that if I were standing in front of you.”
“Are you offering yourself up as a human shield against my sister?” Chase teases, helping me climb into the car.
“Hopefully it doesn’t come to that, considering we’re not going over empty-handed,” I laugh.
Madden drives us over to Charlotte’s gorgeous home in one of the hillier, more wooded areas of town. It’s still surprisingly close to the hospital, which seems to be a non-negotiable for Charlotte considering her job as the only omega Ob-gyn in Riverwell.
Carter, one of Charlotte’s bonded mates opens the door with a smile. He pushes his glasses up and extends his arm out to Chase to do that bro-hug, pat-on-the-back combo.
“Hey, man! Good to see you!” He says to Chase.
“Good to see you too! Fatherhood looks good on you.” Chase jerks his thumb behind us to point at the rest of my guys who are each holding platters of food. I’ve enjoyed learning how to cook recently, and I’m happy to be able to share my food with other people. “We come with tribute!”
“It’s nothing fancy,” I say, offering him a little wave. “Just a few casseroles that you guys can pop into the oven whenever you want to eat. I thought it’d be helpful since I know Charlotte’s focused on the baby.”
“That’s awesome! Thank you so much. Here, come in and set those down. Charlotte’s waiting for you,” Carter says, waving us in.
“Hey guys!” Nolan, one of Charlotte’s other mates says, waving to us, his hands full with a couple of trash bags. “I’m on trash duty, but Charlotte and Dawson are in the nursery waiting for you guys!”
Carter leads the way down the hall and to an adorable little nursery, the walls painted with cotton-candy pink clouds.
“Hey, everyone,” Charlotte says, bouncing her little bundle of joy in her arms. It’s been a couple months since she’s given birth, but she and her pack wanted to have quality time with their baby before they started inviting people over, which I one hundred percent support. “Meet Viviene.”
I feel my heart squeeze at how adorable and small she looks.
“Oh my god, she’s gorgeous,” I let out a soft gasp.
“Heck yeah she is, she got the good genes,” Chase jokes, flexing.
“I’d punch you for the insult if you weren’t right,” Dawson chuckles under his breath. “She does take after her mother.”
“Oh stop it, guys,” Charlotte says, rolling her eyes. She looks up at me, standing from her rocking chair. “Do you want to hold her?”
“Me?” I blink. “Really? What—what do I do? How do I hold her?”
“Of course, you,” Charlotte laughs softly. She has this sort of maternal glow that takes my breath away. “Here, it’s easy, let me show you.”
She shows me how to position my arms and passes a cooing Viviene over to me. I let out a gasp as she blinks up at me and my eyes well up.
“She’s absolutely precious,” I say, starting to sway back and forth like I saw Charlotte do in her chair.
“Look, see? You’re a natural,” Charlotte says.
“Oh, looks like she wants her mom back now!” I say, handing Viviene back to her when she reaches for Charlotte.
“Let me take a look at my niece,” Chase says, bouncing excitedly.
Archer steps up behind me, his hands resting at my hips .
“It looked amazing seeing you hold a baby like that,” he murmurs softly. “Maybe we should follow in their footsteps and get you pregnant.”
“You—you think I’d be a good mom?”
“I fucking know it,” he growls.
I giggle in his arms, spinning around to kiss him.
“Then maybe we should,” I murmur against his lips.
Because I know I can face anything as long as I have my pack by my side.
THE END