Epilogue #2
He’s not wrong, but I’d known what I was doing when I made this particular clothing choice.
Vaelor hadn’t actually been my intended target, knowing how much Connor hated these functions.
But after he had run a hand over my ass and realized what I’d done, I’d barely blinked before finding myself being railed in a random bathroom.
Before Connor can say anything else, Marcia Thornton appears.
“There you are,” she announces, but then pauses, her eyes—green, like her son’s—fixed on my head.
“What happened, Felicity, dear? Your hair was…” Her nostrils flare, something knowing crossing her expression.
“Ah. Well, never mind. I can guess who the instigator of this situation is.” She shoots both my mates a narrow-eyed look, and my cheeks feel like they’re on fire as I duck my head, hiding behind the fall of my hair.
Vaelor leans in close, his lips brushing my ear. “Should we tell her who the real culprit was?” I shush him, slapping at his chest, and he chuckles.
“Come on, then, all three of you. I have someone I want you to meet.” She leans in closer to me, dropping her voice. “Not to worry. She isn’t a shifter.”
“Oh, god,” I moan, wishing the floor would open up and swallow me whole. I really hadn’t considered how problematic going without underwear would be, but I’m realizing it now as my sticky thighs slide against each other. Saying I wanted to smell like them was one thing, but this…
Marcia ignores my dramatics, leading us across the room to where a willowy woman is standing, dressed in a stunning blood red floor-length gown.
Her auburn hair is pinned into a loose chignon at the base of her head, curling strands framing her face.
She sips from the champagne flute in her hand, her dark eyes on us as we approach.
“Amara, darling. This is my son, Connor, and his mates, Felicity and Vaelor.”
Amara smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Charmed. I’ve heard a lot about the three of you from Marcia.” Her voice is throaty, seductive, and a shiver rolls down my spine.
“As long as it’s from my mother and not the gossip,” Connor mutters, fingers tugging at his collar again. “I wouldn’t trust a word they say.”
“You are a favorite subject of conversation,” Amara agrees with amusement. “But then, it’s not often a shifter, a human, and a warlock mate, is it?” She turns to look at Vaelor. “I’ve heard many tales about your use of magic. Soul-binding a dying shifter at such a young age is unheard of.”
There’s a little too much interest brimming in her eyes, and I shift, stepping slightly in front of Vaelor. His fingers tighten around my waist, a quiet reassurance as Amara’s eyes flicker to mine.
“You causing trouble, my Amara?” The deep voice, lower than anything I’ve ever heard, is filled with a rumbling power that reminds me of the kind of cold fire that turns everything it touches to ash in mere seconds.
Trepidation fills me as a man wearing a black-on-black suit approaches, his height towering over both my mates.
His eyes are locked on Amara, and he curls an arm around her hips, yanking her off-balance.
She stumbles in her heels, a hand flying out to catch herself against his chest. Her head only comes up to just below his shoulder as he pins her to his side, the height difference almost comical.
“I’m not causing anything, Elias,” Amara says, her tone bored, but her eyes flashing with resentment.
His impassive gaze slides over us, lingering on Vaelor. “Excuse me, but Amara and I need to have a talk.” He doesn’t wait for a response, urging her away, her low curses drifting back to us.
Connor watches them for a beat before turning to his mother. “Interesting couple.”
Marcia looks after them with a frown. “Amara is a new acquaintance, but has been especially helpful with a few projects of mine.” She turns to face us fully. “She requested an introduction to you tonight.” A pause. “Vaelor, specifically.”
My stomach goes tight. “Why would she want to know Vaelor?”
Her frown deepens. “I don’t know, but I’m wondering if perhaps I should have asked extra questions.” She looks across to where the couple disappeared through the open patio doors. “I haven’t met Elias before tonight, but…”
Another couple approaches our group, and the conversation shifts to something more neutral. I find myself looking for the mysterious couple, but they don’t reappear again.
About an hour later, Vaelor leads me to the side of the ballroom, the two of us taking a moment to hide while Connor is occupied with his familial duties.
We’ve only been standing there for a few minutes when someone calls my name, sending dread slithering through me. I look up just as my mother and grandfather approach, their expressions grim.
“What are you two doing here?” Vaelor grumbles. My grandfather’s eyes flare with anger.
“We were invited. Same as anyone else,” he says stiffly.
Vaelor doesn’t blink. “I meant here, standing in front of us.”
“We do not need permission to speak to my granddaughter,” Frederick declares, the tone enough to have me bowing my head, curling in on myself to hide from his displeasure—a lifelong habit that’s hard to break.
“Of course you don’t. Is she here?” Vaelor makes a show of looking around. “Because I know you can’t mean Felicity. After all, you disowned her. Left her to flounder on her own with nothing, and never even bothered to reach out to see if she was okay.”
His anger burns through my chest, and I turn, pressing my front against his side. “It’s okay,” I murmur. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
My mother lets out a too-loud laugh before pinning a coy look on Vaelor.
“She’s right. We need to put the past behind us.
After all, it all worked out, didn’t it?
” Her gaze slides over me with indifference, but I barely notice.
These people haven’t been a part of my life for over two years, and, to be perfectly honest, I haven’t missed them at all.
Not when my mates have filled every single part of my life up with them, barely giving me space to even breathe.
“Felicity,” Frederick snaps patronizingly, as if trying to revert me back to the girl who cowered under his rule. “You’ve done well, forging a position for yourself within the Thornton family. Now, you can do your part in helping your family.”
I smile pleasantly. “No, thank you.”
Air hisses out between my mother’s teeth. “You smug little bit—”
“Excuse me,” a voice interrupts, “but I know you’re not addressing my fated daughter right now with that kind of vile language. Especially not under my roof.”
My grandfather is thrown, but recovers after a beat. “Geoffry,” he says, his tone ingratiating. “I’ve been trying to lock you down for a meeting, but I haven’t been able to get through. Some kind of miscommunication with your assistant, I’m sure.”
Geoffry’s expression doesn’t twitch. “No mistake, Frederick.” He turns to look at me and Vaelor. “You two go on. I’ll see these guests out.” He reaches out, brushing his knuckles against my cheek, affection lighting up his cool eyes. “I believe Connor was looking for the two of you.”
I touch his hand. “Thank you, Geoffry.”
His relationship with Connor and Vaelor might be strained, but we found common ground early on. He’s been teaching me about the history of shifters and the part his family played in it.
After years of shifters being targeted by other supernatural races and killed off by ignorant humans, I can understand why he is pushing Connor so hard to continue the family legacy, even though his son is never going to just fall into line.
My wolf isn’t politically inclined, and nothing Geoffry does is going to change that, no matter how hard he tries.
Geoffry clears his throat, waving us off. “Off with you now.” He tips his chin at Vaelor, their eyes clashing—not hostile, but not friendly either.
Without another word, Vaelor urges me away. I never look back, ignoring my mother as she stridently yells my name, causing a stir before my grandfather harshly demands her silence.
“You okay?” Vaelor’s question is quiet, meant for my ears only.
“Yes,” I assure him, letting out a soft exhale. “I didn’t expect them to be here, but I should’ve guessed. But it doesn’t matter. They don’t mean anything to me, and they know it.”
He makes a humming sound, right before he leans down and casually brushes a kiss against my forehead.
The touch is fleeting, over as fast as a blink, but my skin sizzles for long seconds after.
Vaelor isn’t a demonstrative person and physical affection has never come easy for him.
Even so, over the years, he’s found new—and interesting—ways of making sure I know how he feels about me…
outside of the bond that holds us together.
He has never given me reason to doubt him, despite our inauspicious beginnings.
“Let’s find Connor and get out of here,” he tells me. I have absolutely no arguments, warmth curling through my bloodstream, urging me to get my mates alone.
Connor quickly breaks away from the group he’s standing with when he sees us approaching. His expression is strained, his tie hanging out of his pocket, and the buttons of his shirt open at the throat.
As soon as I’m within reach, he tugs me away from Vaelor, banding his arms tightly around me. “Can we please leave?” he begs. “This is a new kind of hell.”
Vaelor’s mouth twitches down, something dark flickering through his gold eyes. “It would be best if we left now,” he murmurs, glancing around the room. “The way some of these people are eyeing up our mate is making me feel…violent.”
Connor laughs wickedly, his chest vibrating under my head. “You should’ve known better than to fuck her at an event full of shifters.”
My cheeks grow impossibly warm at the way they’re talking about me like I’m not standing right there, but sharp arousal races through me.
After years of learning each other, exploring, they almost know my body and mind better than I do—including the secret desires I pretend I don’t have. But they don’t use those desires against me. Not anymore.
Now, I’m filled with absolute certainty that while they might treat me as their fuck doll, I’m also their most precious possession and the person they value most in the world. Their love for me is boundless, even if it’s coated in danger—but never for me.
I’m safe with them, always, and giving myself to them is my proof of that trust.
I snuggle into Connor, sending Vaelor a little smirk. “Don’t tell me you regret what happened in the bathroom.” I send him a coy little pout, and he closes the distance between us, sandwiching me between their bodies.
“Never that, Princess,” he vows, his fingers gripping my chin. “But I do have a little surprise waiting for you at home.”
My brows furrow in question, eyes bouncing between his. “A surprise?” I ask. “Why does that make me nervous?”
“I’m not nervous,” Connor exclaims, sounding far too excited. “What did you do?”
Vaelor shrugs. “I acquired another vial of Mireveil. I figured if we’re gonna knock her up, what better way to do it than recreating how we started?”
“My man.” Connor fist bumps Vaelor before looking down at me. “Hope you haven’t changed your mind about that baby, Starling. You’ll be knocked up before dawn.”
My mouth drops open, but I can’t deny the flash of heat that surges through me, along with a low throb of anticipation between my legs. They’ve made me promises that they’ll never steal my choices from me again, especially after their actions back at Bartholomew, but this…
This was him asking. Vaelor’s watching me carefully, his swirling eyes taking in every twitch of my expression. This is him telling me that I have the power here, and that my submission is a choice. A gift.
“What do you say, Princess?” Vaelor presses his fingers into my chin, waiting me out. With a shudder, I bob my head.
Suddenly, Connor is swinging me over his shoulder, leaving me hanging down his back. His large hand cups my ass, stroking me through my dress. “Fuck, you smell like Vaelor’s cum,” he rumbles.
“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” I demand, unsure whether the heat in my face is the blood rushing to my head or mortification.
“Don’t worry, Princess,” Vaelor murmurs, falling into step beside Connor as they march out of the ballroom, loud whispers following us. “You’ll be so lost to pleasure soon, you won’t remember to feel embarrassed.”
“Maybe we should record it,” Connor says, and I can hear his smirk. “That way, our Starling will never forget how we own her.”