40. Epilogue
Epilogue
Ali
One year later…
Fingers gripped her thighs, spreading her legs apart while Nik’s tongue flicked her clit.
Ali gripped the soft white sheets with one hand and searched with the other for Nik’s soft brown curls.
When she gave his hair a tug, he hummed against her clit and her stomach twisted and flipped in desire for him.
Though his mouth was busy, there was a smile in his eyes as he looked up at her from between her legs. His fingers worked their magic inside her and before long, she was rocking her hips, desperate for more. He sucked and swirled his tongue, and when he added a third finger, she fell apart.
Her lips trembled, and her voice was shaky. “Fuck, fuck, I need you.”
Nik licked his lips and crawled up her body, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. “That’s all you get for now.”
The frustrated noise she made was the closest thing to pouting she’d ever done.
She tried to wrap her legs around him and pull his body into hers, but he remained firm, propped up on his muscular arms. His eyes flicked down to her stomach and the small swell there, and she knew he wouldn’t risk letting his weight crush her. Not for several more months.
He rolled off the bed and grabbed her by the hands, pulling her up into a seated position.
She watched him, admiring his lean muscles and flushed cheeks, tracking him as he moved to the bathroom and disappeared to the sound of running water.
It took her a little longer to follow, but eventually she joined him in the shower, relaxing under the warm waterfall and his soothing touch.
She could’ve stood there all day, feeling safe and adored in his embrace, but a knock at the door had her slipping out of the shower, quickly drying off and throwing on a pair of shorts and a button up top.
Ali pulled open the door and Grace rushed inside, carrying a long pearly-white gown and a bag that looked quite heavy. Ali grabbed the bag and dropped it on the dining table while Heather closed the door behind them.
Grace took one look at Ali and frowned. “Why is your hair wet? Didn’t I tell you what time we’d be here? It’s fine. Heather can take care of it.”
Ali dragged her fingers through her tangled hair, feeling a bit self-conscious. She hadn’t meant to lose track of time, but she couldn’t resist Nik’s charm.
Heather guided her into a chair and began to untangle her hair as gently as she could manage.
“Where are the girls?” Ali asked.
“They’re with Amaya, grabbing some breakfast. They’ll be here soon.”
“I hope they behaved well.”
Grace nodded. “Of course. They’re absolute angels. We had a great time playing dress-up and Julia even put on a little concert for us.”
“She did?” Ali laughed. Julia had recently discovered a love for singing and would perform for anyone who would sit long enough to listen. Kaydence had crafted a homemade tambourine so she could perform with her sister, too.
“Yes, they were absolute dolls. I’m happy to babysit anytime you and Nik need a break.”
It had been ten months since Nik and Ali had adopted Julia and Kaydence, and this was the first night they hadn’t stayed at home. Normally, they slept in their own bedroom across the hall from Nik and Ali.
When the council had decided to build a new housing development outside of the mountain, Nik and Ali were one of the first to sign up.
She’d been sick of the dark depths and small spaces that had felt like a cage.
And a small part of her had hoped the extra space would be needed for their family.
She just hadn’t realized how quickly their family would grow.
It had taken some time to develop the first plot of land and tap into plumbing and electricity, but now they were settled into their quaint three-bedroom home—the main bedroom, the girls’ shared room, and a nursery for the baby currently growing in her belly.
Ali caressed her stomach while Grace pulled the dress off its hanger. “Let’s get you dressed.”
Before Grace could usher her back into the bedroom, Nik emerged in a pair of black slacks and a white button-down shirt.
Grace stopped in her tracks and snapped her fingers at him. “What are you doing here?”
Ali tried not to laugh at his dumbfounded expression.
“I live here.”
“Yes, but you were supposed to meet the boys an hour ago. How do the two of you accomplish anything without someone here to keep you on track?”
Nik shrugged at the same time Ali did, and she could no longer hold back her snicker.
Grace pointed to the front door. “Get out.”
He had just made it to the door when there was another knock. Nik pulled it open and two energetic girls burst through, giggling, and skipping around.
Ali’s eyes met Amaya’s, and she smiled. “I might’ve given them some chocolate pastries.”
“I had two,” Julia said as she bounced around the room. Kaydence showed a bit more restraint as she rocked back and forth on her heels.
Amaya held a wicker basket, which she placed on the counter. “I swear I saved some for the rest of us, too.”
“Eat quickly because we have a lot of work to do,” Grace said, pointing between the pastries and Ali’s mess of a mane. “And you,” she said, glaring at Nik. “It’s time for you to leave.”
He did, but not before grabbing a pastry out of the basket.
Eventually, the girls calmed down and hid away in their room, playing together quietly—or at least as quietly as two kids with a significant amount of sugar in their systems could.
The living room turned into a chamber of chaos as the women sorted through dresses and jewelry, laying out their outfits and deciding which shoes looked best. Heather set up a temporary salon to fix each of the girls’ hair.
Ali’s was braided into a flowing cascade down her back, white and purple flowers weaved in to accent her blonde hair.
Ali didn’t own a lot of jewelry, so Grace had brought an entire drawer for Ali to choose from. She chose a simple purple and gold bracelet that matched the amethyst necklace Nik had given her long ago.
Once Ali’s hair was finished, Heather called the girls back into the living room. Knowing they would likely make a mess of any formal style, Heather did their hair in matching ponytails with a purple flower tucked behind their ears.
“Are you nervous?” Grace asked as she helped Ali clasp her jewelry behind her neck.
Ali reached for the purple rose Nik had given to her shortly after they’d met. “Not at all. I feel like this is right where I was meant to be. This is who I was meant to be all along.”
She smiled, thinking of her soon-to-be husband and their two kids with one more on the way.
Her new role in this stable society that offered sanctuary for those who needed it.
She couldn’t be more grateful for the life she’d been given.
The life she’d created and forged through blood, sweat, and tears.
The sight of Julia scribbling on a piece of paper brought her out of her thoughts. She squinted, and when she recognized the writing, she jumped up.
“Wait,” she said, bringing her hands up. Julia stopped with her pencil hovering over the sheet of paper. “Did you get that out of my bag?”
Julia bit her lip and nodded. She’d been told at least five times not to dig through Ali’s work notes.
Ali reached her palm out and Julia stood, handing over the piece of paper with a guilty frown. “There’s another note pad in the kitchen you can use to draw on.”
She brightened quickly and skipped to replace the paper Ali had taken away.
Ali took a moment to read over the words written on the page, smiling as she considered their importance, and thankful that Julia’s doodles hadn’t destroyed too much of the text. It was still legible enough that she could rewrite it before work next week.
“What’s that?” Grace asked, reading over her shoulder.
“The proposal to end the Rite. I know you said no working this weekend, but I just need to—”
Grace gently pried the piece of paper from Ali’s fingers. Ali watched as her eyes traced the words, line by line. If she wasn’t mistaken, Grace’s eyes filled with mist.
She reached out to take the paper back, and Grace gave it willingly. Then she sniffed and straightened her spine. “It looks good. We can talk more about it next week, but I meant what I said. No working this weekend.”
They exchanged a brief smile before Grace returned to command the room, directing everyone to finish getting dressed and proceeding to pass out bouquets of flowers—purple and white to match the ones in Ali’s hair.
“Miss Grace, can we be the flower girls in your wedding too?” Julia asked.
Grace bent down to her level. “Of course you can. Now go put your shoes on.”
Technically, Grace and Eli were already married.
They’d held a small, intimate ceremony in their home the day after the Rite ended so Grace’s mother could be there.
Shortly after, Ellen had passed away. Even though they were officially married, Grace and Eli wanted to have a proper celebration in the future, on their own time and once they’d had the chance to enjoy life on their own terms. They weren’t in a rush, even if Julia was.
When everyone aside from Ali was finally ready, Amaya, Heather, Julia, and Kaydence all left through the front door, leaving Grace and Ali alone.
Grace held up Ali’s dress—a pearly white gown made of stretchy fabric, lace detail covering the bust and draping like vines down the skirt. It had thin straps and a small V-cut between her breasts where her necklace would lie.
Grace helped her step into the gown and zipped up the back. “Thank god you picked the stretchy fabric,” she teased. It had been hard to pick the perfect dress when Ali wasn’t sure how big she would get before the big day.
She turned around and Grace gave her an appraising once-over, clasping her hands under her chin and smiling. “You look perfect.”
This time, Ali was the one with tears in her eyes. She was so grateful to call Grace her friend, and she proceeded to squeeze her tightly in a hug. “Thank you so much. For everything. Not just the wedding stuff, but…everything.”
Grace held her and laughed softly. “That’s what friends are for.”
The door opened again and a tall man with short brown hair and a crooked smile walked in. Eli stuck his hands in his pockets while he waited for them to separate.
Grace gave Ali’s arms one last squeeze, picked up her bouquet, and kissed Eli’s cheek as she left the room.
“Are you ready?” Eli asked.
Ali nodded, but her words got stuck in her throat. She wrapped her hand around Eli’s arm, and he led them outside.
Sunlight hit her face, and she paused to take in the scenery.
The new houses had been built in a circle around a courtyard intended to be used as a communal gathering space.
Stone paths led from house to house, coming together in the center, and lilac bushes grew in between.
They filled the air with a heavenly scent, and Ali inhaled deeply through her nose, savoring the floral aroma.
The center of the courtyard had been set up with wooden benches facing a trellis archway. Nik stood underneath it, waiting for her. He smiled and tilted his head back in a sexy way that made her want to nip at his neck.
Eli bumped her with his elbow. “It’s not too late to back out. If you want to run, just say the word.”
Ali looked around at everything she’d worked so hard for, and as her eyes landed on Nik at the end of the aisle, she’d never felt more at peace.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said, smiling. “This is everything I ever wanted. This is my home.”