Epilogue
“Alright, so we wanted to make sure everyone was here for the announcement. I’m pregnant!”
The entire kitchen erupts. Jett and Kastian jump up from the table, and throw their hands in the air, cheering.
Odessa’s eyes go wide with excitement as she bounces on her toes, and Fox gets up to shake Daemon’s hand, and Beatrix promptly bursts into tears and has to lean against the counter to hold herself up.
A wide smile spreads across my face, as I cross the room to envelope Alix in a hug. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks,” Alix beams. “I heard it could take ages for Fae, but I guess being human has some advantages. I’m a few months along already. We’ve seen a Fae healer, a human doctor, and a sea oracle, and they all think I’m due around the end of the summer.”
“Why so many doctors?” Beatrix asks anxiously. “Is everything alright?”
“Yes. You can blame him.” She jerks her head at Daemon.
“He’s over-protective and stressed. I thought he’d be excited, but instead we skipped the happy stage and went straight to doomsday prepping.
Yesterday, I went for a walk on the grounds and discovered that he bought an entire flock of sheep.
There’s like two hundred of them up in the field by the lake. ”
“Why?” Odessa asks, wrinkling her nose.
“Children need a lot of clothes. Wool is good for clothes,” Daemon says, as if this is completely rational.
Alix raises her eyebrows as if to say: “See?”
“I think you might need more sheep, Daemon.” I comment, looking down at Alix’s stomach. “I think it's twins.”
Alix’s eyes widen, and her hands fly to her stomach. “Really?”
Daemon looks alarmed. “None of the healers said that.”
I shrug. “I don’t know for sure, but…I’m usually a good guesser.”
Alix beams, but Daemon looks a bit pale as if he might pass out.
Fox and I stay and eat dinner at the manor, since Kastian and Odessa are visiting and everyone is celebrating Daemon and Alix’s news.
We usually eat at the manor a few times a week anyway, but now that we have our own kitchen, it’s often easier to stay in.
Not that dinner is ever quiet at our house—or rather, tower.
When we returned from Thermia several months ago with an entire pack of new soldiers in tow, it was obvious that the barracks wasn’t quite big enough after all and some new housing would have to be built.
I took the opportunity to build Fox and I our own house, which has somehow become the favorite haunt of the entire wolf pack.
“How many people do you think will already be in the tower when we get back?” I ask, as we walk across the grounds of the Ashwater estate. The moon is large tonight–not quite full, but bright enough to cast a cool glow over the dark grounds.
“I don’t know, what do you think?” he asks.
“I asked first.”
He scoffs. “I know better than to bet against you.”
“You’re no fun. What if the prize was something you’d like?”
He looks sideways at me. “What is it?”
I grin. “I don’t know yet, but I promise it will be creative.”
He rolls his eyes. “Seven.”
I grin, biting my lip. “Eight.”
When we reach the tower, I push open our heavy oak door, and the clatter of dishes and laughter spills out from our kitchen.
Kai leans against the counter, gesturing wildly while Luka rolls his eyes.
Inga sits cross-legged on our table, braiding one of the children's hair while three others chase each other around her. I glance around the table, counting.
“Hmm, only seven,” Fox says in my ear. “I guess you’re not a seer after all.”
“Hmmm. I guess not.” I toss him a wink over my shoulder, as I make my way over to the table to sit beside Inga, who is sporting a fresh claiming mark on her throat.
Fox looks after me, with wide eyes, then switches into his alpha tone. “Everyone out.”
“I thought you didn’t like being the alpha,” I comment, as our friends scamper, offering hasty goodbyes.
“I’ll admit, it has its advantages,” he grumbles, ushering me up the spiral stairs to our bedroom.
At the top of the landing, he pauses to kiss my throat, his lips hot against my skin. A shiver travels though me when he drags his tongue over my healed bite mark.
“I realize I started this, but I was expecting to wait until after dinner,” I say, my voice sounding breathy even in my head.
He growls against my throat. “Are you complaining?”
“No.” I tilt my head to give him more access. “I just wondered if Daemon and Alix’s news was giving you ideas.”
He freezes, hands and mouth stilling against me. “Why? Is that what you're thinking?”
My heart picks up with excitement, a flutter beneath my ribs. “I don’t know. I suppose I could stop taking the potion, but with all the effort we've been putting in, I'm sure we'll have more kids than Inga and Kai.”
He snorts a chuckle, but doesn't argue with me.
“It's up to you,” Fox says finally, his pupils dilating as his gaze darts to my stomach for the briefest moment, the corner of his mouth lifting into that crooked smile that makes my heart skip.
I turn in his arms and wrap my arms around his neck. He picks me up instinctively, and I wrap my legs around his waist. I lean in, my lips grazing the underside of his jaw. His pulse quickens beneath my lips.
“Let's just see what happens,” I say against his skin. “Whatever we do, I'm sure it will be an adventure.”