Epilogue - Willow
I'm lying wedged between Dravik, Rhune, and Cin, half asleep, when Kevin scrabbles through the gap in the hide door-covering. Racing across the room, he throws himself onto the bed, landing right on Dravik’s stomach and knocking the air from him.
“Gods. Why? I treat you so well. Why do you hurt me?”
Kevin eyes him, releasing a soft bleat, then nuzzles his flat face against my chest as if to say, it’s because you’re not Mom.
I release a giggle, running my hand over his scruffy tan fur. “Be nice, Kevin.”
He snorts, as if that is a ridiculous idea.
Rufus eyes the antethorpe, seemingly satisfied that he was able to cause so much damage to his master—and that only makes me laugh harder.
Noox readjusts himself from where he is lying curled around my shoulders, while Sasu raises his head, trying to see what the commotion is all about.
“It’s okay, guys. My mate just likes to see me in pain,” Dravik grumbles.
“No way! Willow is not cruel like that,” Rhune says indignantly.
“I don’t know…” Cin adds with a smirk. “I’ve seen some darkness in her.”
I laugh, slapping him lightly on the chest as Kevin curls up at the foot of the bed and starts grooming himself. I’m about to retort when Nyx steps into the bedroom, waving a piece of parchment in the air.
“Delivery!” he says in a singsong voice. Circe releases a low yowl, following at his heels. “It’s from Dagny.”
“Oh! Gimme!” I reach out, and Nyx places it into my waiting palm as Circe jumps into my lap, nuzzling her fluffy head against my chest.
“Careful, pup.” Rhune eyes the way I’m tearing into the letter. “I don’t want you to get a paper cut.”
I giggle at Rhune’s sweetness, then promptly finish opening it—paper-cut-free, mind you. My eyes pore over the words on the paper, taking in the messy scrawl. Dagny's handwriting is unusually cramped, like she wrote it quickly.
Dear Willow,
You will not believe the mess in the Southern Isles. Vhalthor brought home a woman—a damn HUMAN. He wanted a mate, and I guess meeting you and me convinced him it should be a woman from Earth.
Well, the twin kings from Frostmoor took one look at her and decided they wanted her, too. They were totally fine sharing her attention with Vhalthor, and things were going great—they even bonded to the woman!
But then, The Hollow King entered the picture. Apparently, he stole her right out from under their noses and took her back to his castle. Now, he’s planning to make this poor woman marry him in order to force an alliance between his kingdom and the other two.
Long story short… Vhalthor and the twins want our help bringing her home before this turns into a full-out war with The Hollow King.
Bring the boys. We're going to need the muscle.
Your friend,
Dagny
I read it twice, then carefully fold the note back up. Cin shifts, glancing down at the parchment. “Well? What is it, angel?”
I look between my four mates, their eyes locked on me with rapt attention. “Anyone want to help Dagny and me save a poor, kidnapped human woman?”
They just grin.
The End