Epilogue
Violet
Sixty Years Later
The grill sizzles twenty feet away, and the smell of cooking meat filters through the air, threatening to make me gag.
Bryant’s breeding kink is hot, but all it got me was pregnant with twins.
I smile, running my hand over my stomach. It took half a century for me to decide maybe I might be open to the idea of kids one day and another ten years before my heart hurt any time I saw a baby.
I still can’t believe baby fever got my ass, but I couldn’t be more excited to meet my girls.
Hazel, ever the tactful creature that she is, blurted it out the first time she saw me after I missed the post-heat cramps.
Not menstruating was a good sign that I was actually knocked up, but she siphoned across the room, planted her hands on my stomach, and blurted out, “Gods, Violet. You’re pregnant with twin girls. ”
I was in shock, so all I could do was blink. Fergus laughed off his annoyance while Bryant’s frustration spilled into the bond. He, more than me and Fergus, wanted to be surprised.
Oh, well.
There’s always next time.
If I ever decide I want to put myself through this insanity again.
I haven’t seen my feet in two weeks, and I’m craving real food. It’s bizarre and unsettling, but my mother recommended giving the babies what they were asking for, so I’ve done my best.
The hot dogs and hamburgers will be delicious once they’re finally on my plate, but I swear the smell is about to make me hurl.
I cut my eyes over my shoulder at Fergus as we sit beneath the shade of a massive oak tree on Bryant’s family’s pack lands.
Flint, the asshole wolf who attacked me back in Black Cove, came after Bryant’s brothers shortly after he healed.
Apparently he wanted access to one of the female wolves who was being protected by the pack.
It didn’t take long for Bryant’s brothers to wipe Flint and his enforcers off the map, and the whole ordeal happened without us even hearing about it.
A heavy breeze wafts through the air, bringing back the cooking-meat smell.
“Can you maybe redirect the wind? I’m getting pukey from the smell.” I point at the grill, and Fergus laughs.
“Anything for you, my love.” He kisses my temple, swiping a hand through the air.
Squeals and joyful screams come from the nearby field, and I smile as I spot Bryant on all fours, chasing his nieces and nephews.
His brothers were ready for kids much sooner than we were.
Between the four of them and their two mates, they have kids ranging from late-fifties to toddlers. Having access to my pheromones was just what the pack needed to explode population-wise. Not all the births were girls, but there were enough to give hope, where it was bleak before.
We don’t live here full-time.
I couldn’t handle that kind of chaos, but we do try to visit at least once a year to help increase the chances for anyone wanting to conceive. The only reason we made the trip now is because Bryant’s family wanted to throw us a baby shower.
We have another in two days with my family. Then I plan to head to our home in Washington and not leave until the girls are a few months old.
Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but after so many years of traveling, I’m finally ready to settle in one place.
Bryant jogs over. His T-shirt is covered in sweat, and there’s a wide smile on his handsome face.
He puts himself down on the grass next to us, and his hand immediately comes to rest on my stomach as he leans over to kiss me.
His sweaty smell hits my nose, and I have to fight the urge to ask him for his T-shirt.
“The food should be done soon if you’re hungry,” Bryant says, running his fingers over my belly. One of the babies rolls or kicks, and he leans closer. “I think that was a yes.”
“Their mother is less enthused with the cooking smells,” Fergus says with a laugh.
“This is true,” I admit. “But I’ve got my eye on the cake.”
Bryant chuckles. “I’m pretty sure they have plans to save that for after you open your gifts, but I’ll be happy to sneak you a slice.”
I groan, nodding. “Please.”
“How quickly the tides change,” Fergus says, laughing as he kisses my temple.
They’re not wrong, but I’m excited to see what the future holds.