Epilogue
Aspen
My fingers flew across the keys of my keyboard, finalizing the story that I’d been working on.
It was a Faces of Pine Ridge series where I interviewed influential people in the town.
It was incredible hearing their stories, writing down the history, and showcasing what made Pine Ridge so important to so many.
Tapping out the final line, I hit enter, smiling to myself at finally finishing the piece I’d been spending a bit too much time on lately.
My hands immediately went to my swelling belly, rubbing it gently, knowing that I was only a few days away from finally meeting our baby.
If I stayed here any longer, the guys were bound to kill me. They had made me promise to finalize anything I had going on here while they snagged groceries.
Last Christmas was interrupted by a heat, and this one might be interrupted by me going into labor. We were destined to exchange our presents late, but it was always worth it.
Hell, Cole even missed the company-wide Christmas party this year. It was only one party, that mixed the executives and the rest of the company, but just as lavish as the one I crashed. They all earned it and I was so proud of Cole for pushing for more equality within his company.
The changes to Pack & Co. had mixed reviews, but Cole stuck to his guns and the company’s intended values. In the end, with Jack’s help budgeting and his presentation to the board, they approved the extension office.
It only took a few short months after last Christmas to have us all settled into the estate where we belonged.
I missed Karina, but they came home as soon as I hit six months pregnant, refusing to stay away when their family was growing.
In the meantime, they’d had crews building a second estate. Not quite as big, but just as lavish as this one. Little by little, she turned those bare bones into a home.
What started as a rocky relationship with their fathers, turned into a family I was proud to be a part of. They truly had embraced family life, ensuring they were around when it counted and even on quiet moments. We had support and it was nice to have weekly dinners or gatherings.
We’d spent another holiday season enjoying all of the little things that make it perfect.
Though, tonight we’d finish the tree and exchange presents, officially kicking off the holiday. That meant, this would be my last chance to be in the office until we were ready for me to go back to work.
I’d already arranged for Grady to step in during my maternity leave, but this was my project and I couldn’t let it go unfinished.
The front door of the Pine Ridge Gazette pushed open, and my pack walked in. North and Jack seemed exasperated, but amused, while Cole was narrowing his eyes.
He glanced down at his watch and back up at me. “Five minutes, omega. We’ve given you long enough.”
“You’re supposed to be on bedrest,” North reminded me.
“I’m relaxing,” I hedged. “You had to run to the store anyway.”
They didn’t even bother to entertain my protests. Jack was already going to the back room to start closing down and locking up, while North helped me pack up anything I needed for the next few months.
Within those five minutes Cole gave me, I was packed and shrugging on my coat.
“Sorry, Alpha,” I offered as I finally waddled up to him. They’d given me thirty minutes to quickly do as I needed, knowing I wouldn’t settle until then. We were scheduled to show up to the hospital in two days if my labor didn’t kick in before them.
Talk about cutting it close.
Cole simply shook his head before placing a kiss on my forehead, one hand caressing my pregnant belly.
“I’m just trying to keep you safe, omega,” he said. “Can we go home now? We have a tree to finish decorating.”
I’d gone through a nesting frenzy, needing everything to be perfect for our little Christmas surprise. Which meant I also got a fresh set of ornaments to put on.
Karina was by my side the entire time, helping me decorate and shift things, ordering around all of our men when needed. She was invested in being a part of our lives and our babies’ lives. We officially had a village to raise our baby and that meant everything to me.
I couldn’t believe we’d come this far in only a year.
Somehow, the universe had aligned, a single year after meeting my pack and spending Christmas with them, here we were, welcoming our first baby into the world.
Just as I was stepping out onto the sidewalk, a trickle of warm liquid trailed down my thighs. My eyes widened, and I looked up. Cole was already there, steadying me. My fingers curling into his coat as we both looked down at the puddle forming.
“Alpha… it’s time.”
Thanks to the snow on the ground, it took us a minute to get to the hospital, and the contractions were already starting.
When we finally arrived, we were swept to the maternity ward, and after pushing for a few short hours, my sweet baby was laid across my chest.
“Congratulations, Pack Hawthorne. It’s a girl.”
“Welcome to the world, Noel,” I said before placing a kiss on her tiny forehead.
Thanks to them, Christmas had become my favorite holiday, and this was just one more reason that rang true.
My pack gathered around, teary-eyed, and placing their own kisses on our baby’s head.
“You did so good, omega,” Cole praised, his voice cracking as he leaned in and kissed me, too.
Once both of us were in recovery, and our whole pack was in the pack bed with our baby in our arms, I could finally breathe again. Their scents surrounded me, and I could just barely detect the first notes of Noelle’s.
It was a sweet winterberry scent, fitting of her birthday and name.
“I’m not sure anything could top this Christmas,” I whispered as I rocked her to sleep.
I held my baby close, breathing in her newborn smell, the bond echoing with pure love and devotion.
“Maybe not,” North said, “but you know we’re going to keep trying every year for the rest of our lives.”
“Christmas is kind of a big deal for us,” Jack teased.
It truly was. What I thought was going to be a quick escape turned into finding my pack.
Cole had saved me from being dragged back into that wedding, and then he gave me everything I could’ve ever wanted.
Our sweet baby might be my Christmas miracle, but so were they.
The End