Epilogue - Jenny
Two years later
Soft morning light streams through the curtains of our bedroom as I rock three-month-old Elaine in my arms. She's finally drifted off to sleep after her early morning feeding, her tiny fist curled against my chest, dark eyelashes fanned against plump cheeks that are the spitting image of her father's.
"She's out?" Beast whispers from the doorway.
I nod, slowly rising from the rocking chair to place her in the bassinet beside our bed. "For now. She'll be hungry again in a couple of hours."
Beast crosses the room in three strides, wrapping his arms around me from behind as we both gaze down at our daughter. Named after his mother, little Elaine Murphy-Bradley is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, a perfect mix of us both with Beast's dark eyes and my stubborn chin.
"You should get some rest too," Beast murmurs against my hair. "I've got to head to the clubhouse for a meeting, but I'll be back by lunch."
I lean back against his toned chest. "I will. King said it's just a routine check-in, right? Nothing serious?"
"Just club business," he confirms. "Nothing to worry about."
Those words would have concerned me two years ago, when the war with the Iron Eagles was still raging.
But those days are behind us now. Vulture's club is no more, their territory absorbed, their remaining members scattered to the wind.
Blackwater Falls is peaceful under the Savage Riders' protection, as peaceful as a town run by a motorcycle club can be, anyway.
Beast kisses my temple before reluctantly pulling away.
I turn to face him, taking in the sight of him in his cut and jeans, beard neatly trimmed, hair shorter than when we first met.
There's a softness to his eyes now when he looks at me and Elaine that no one else gets to see, not even his brothers in the club.
"Tank and Amelia still coming over for dinner tonight?" he asks, buckling his weapon holster around his waist.
"Mhmm," I confirm. "Anna's excited to see the baby again. She's already decided she's going to be the best cousin ever."
Beast chuckles, the sound still sending a pleasant shiver down my spine even after two years together. "That kid's growing up too fast. Seven already."
"She's thriving," I agree. "Amelia says she barely remembers her life before Blackwater Falls."
Some scars remain, of course. Anna still flinches at certain loud noises, and she's more cautious than other children her age. But the love and security provided by Tank, Amelia, and the entire club family have worked wonders.
"I'll be back soon," Beast says, leaning down for a proper goodbye kiss that quickly deepens until I have to push him away with a laugh.
"Go," I tell him breathlessly. "Before you wake the baby and start something we can't finish."
"We'll finish it later," he promises, voice dropping to that growl that still makes my knees weak.
After he leaves, I curl up on our bed next to Elaine's bassinet, watching the gentle rise and fall of her tiny chest. I never imagined my life would turn out this way when I arrived in Blackwater Falls two years ago, determined to help Amelia escape her abusive ex-husband.
My apartment above the clubhouse is a distant memory now.
Beast and I moved into a house near his mother's about six months after we got together—a sturdy craftsman with a wraparound porch and plenty of room for a growing family.
Elaine Senior comes over almost daily, doting on her granddaughter and bringing home-cooked meals to help me recover from the pregnancy.
I'm still on maternity leave from the daycare, though I plan to return part-time once Elaine is a bit older.
The director was more than understanding, especially given how many club members now have children enrolled there.
It seems the Savage Riders have collectively decided that settling down isn't such a bad idea after all.
It's still surreal to see how much has changed around the clubhouse.
Every member who once swore they'd never be tied down has found their match.
Some married, some dating, all happier than I'd ever seen them in those early days.
Even Rage, who was so adamant about staying single for Eli's sake, finally opened his heart.
The Savage Riders remain as fierce as ever on their bikes, but their hearts now belong to the women who've claimed them.
The prospects are full members now, with Chaos, Shadow, and Rookie having earned their patches after proving themselves during the final stages of the war. New prospects have taken their place, young men looking for brotherhood and purpose just like those who came before them.
As for me and Beast, we made it official at the courthouse a year after we got together, with only family present. Beast insisted on calling it "getting hitched" rather than a wedding, but the tears in his eyes when he placed the ring on my finger told a different story.
Tank walked me down the aisle, having finally accepted our relationship after seeing how Beast changed with me. How he softened just enough to be human without losing the strength that made him Beast.
"If he makes you happy, that's all that matters," my brother had said, though he still gives Beast threatening looks occasionally, just to keep him on his toes.
The front door opens and closes, pulling me from my memories. Beast appears in the doorway again, his expression sheepish.
"Forgot my phone," he explains, retrieving it from the nightstand. He pauses, looking at me curled up beside our sleeping daughter. "You two are so beautiful it hurts sometimes."
The honesty in his voice makes my heart swell. "We'll be right here when you get back," I promise.
He nods, a smile playing at his lips before he leaves again. I close my eyes, letting sleep claim me for a much-needed nap while the baby rests.
My last thought before drifting off is how strange and wonderful life can be. I came to Blackwater Falls looking for safety for my friend, and instead found a home, a family, and a love I never knew existed. All because I agreed to be a fake girlfriend to a man everyone called Beast.
Some lies, it turns out, can lead to the most beautiful truths.
Thank you for reading it!