Epilogue - Three months later
Winter had finally lost its grip on the land.
The snow had melted, the trees had leaf buds and catkins dangling from their branches, and the songbirds had fully returned.
We had waited to see if any retaliation would happen with the compound or any useful police intervention, but we’d received no news on either side.
I still hoped to get my siblings out from behind the compound walls so they could live the same happy lives my children had come to know.
Unfortunately, the courts worked slowly and we hadn’t been granted guardianship yet after petitioning for it.
I hadn’t been able to talk to my mother so I couldn’t say if the holdup was her or something else, but someday I would get them free.
Rather than risking too much connection to Great Falls where the compound all knew our children had previously attended school, we registered them at a more local one in a small nearby town.
We all took Carter’s last name, shedding the Deckers from our identity.
I let go of Combs, too. The men who had betrayed me at every turn didn’t deserve to have their names connected to mine.
I chose instead to align myself with the one who had never let me down.
My children sprinted out the front door of the school, brightly colored backpacks in tow. They were settling in so well, and Cody’s therapy sessions had dropped to twice a month now. We’d been hoping the more structured days would help everyone adapt and flow smoothly in our new lives.
“How was your first day?” I hugged Cody and Paisley tightly.
“I made a new friend!” Paisley beamed. “And our class has a pet lizard! And my teacher is soooo nice!”
“It was okay.” Cody shrugged, far more sedate than his sister. “Everyone was really nice and no one tried to trip me in gym. I miss my old friends, but one of the kids at lunch invited me to sit at the 4H table so at least I didn’t have to eat with Paisley.”
Bryan got Cody’s next hug. “Each day will be a little easier.”
Nora held her arms up, quietly requesting attention from her siblings. The poor little one had gotten used to having them around all day and had asked us constantly if it was time for them to be home yet.
“What do you think about dinner down by the river?” Wyatt asked them.
“Can we go fishing?” Cody asked, his eyes wide and hopeful.
“We definitely can. We’re going to the store first though, so you and your sister can pick out a first day of school treat.”
“We get a treat for going to school?” Cody blinked, confused.
“Sure do.” Colt ruffled his hair. “You had a big change and we know that can be hard. Sometimes a little treat helps.”
We headed over to the general store. I held hands with both of the girls while we navigated the aisles, Paisley swinging our joined arms happily.
“This is so fun!”
“Shopping?” I asked.
She shook her head, pigtails flailing. “Being out as a family. It’s the first time we all get to be together.”
I stopped short in the middle of the aisle.
She was right. At the compound, I had never been allowed to have all three of my children out with me, and prior to them starting school, I had still been a little nervous about outings in town, only taking one or two of them at a time when they asked to come.
“I think that means your mama deserves a treat for the milestone too then,” Colt announced. “Pick out something cute for yourself.”
I ended up choosing a hand-carved bison figurine for myself. Cody picked out some new fishing lures, Paisley chose new books, and Nora attached herself to a cow plush. It looked exactly like the one that had leapt out at us months ago and set us on the path to find our new family.
At Cody’s insistence, the pack also picked out treats for themselves, but they mostly chose edible treats so the kids could partake as well.
When we got back home, we saddled up the horses, packed up snacks, and all headed down to the river.
Nora and I rode with Wyatt, Bryan with Carter, Colt with Cody, and Paisley rode alone on Merri the pony. The dogs ran alongside us, darting in and out of the trees.
Paisley gasped loudly as we came over a smooth hilltop, a few dozen bison standing not far from the fence. A bright orange figure stood among the dark brown. “Mama! Is that a baby?”
Another little orange head poked free from the group, curiously watching us.
She gasped even louder. “Mama, there’s two babies!”
“Probably a lot more than that, Princess P,” Colt said down to her with a bright smile. “It’s the start of calving season, so there will be plenty of babies through the summer.”
She let out an excited squeal, sending Merri into a canter. I loved seeing her on horseback. She’d been practicing every day and had made great progress.
The bison luckily gave us our space when we arrived riverside. After we settled in, ate together, watched the girls play and Cody fish, Wyatt came over to me.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.” I got to my feet. We all went to the shoreline, collecting stones, each one representing a different trauma or a struggle. I had so many to gather and tears slipped over my cheeks as I filled my pockets with them.
When we were all ready we stood on the shore together.
One by one we held each of our stones, acknowledging the burdens every pain put on our shoulders before throwing it into the water.
I threw the stones hard, letting them disappear beneath the surface as I paired each one with horrors I had lived through.
Shedding the weight of my pain, both physically and metaphorically, was healing in a way I couldn’t quite articulate.
“Hold on to the last stone,” Wyatt said quietly.
“What we’ve been through will always be with us, but it doesn’t have to define us.
We can surrender our hurts to the river, but we always keep one stone, a reminder of all we survived.
The burden is lighter, but we choose to carry it and acknowledge the strength it takes to do so. ”
I slipped the final stone into my pocket before taking Wyatt’s hand in mine. I was strong. I had fought for this life, and the ghosts that haunted me couldn’t take it from me.
We settled around the fire, the kids roasting marshmallows while I cuddled on Wyatt’s lap. The dogs were dutifully guarding Nora so she didn’t get too close to the fire. Paisley sat with Carter, and Cody with Colt, my pack making sure no one got hit by a molten marshmallow.
Bryan pulled a stack of rumpled papers from his pocket. He was contemplative in the bond, staring at the words written down. Moving to stand next to us, he said softly, “I think it’s time I burned these.”
“What are they?” I asked.
“Letters I wrote and never sent. Some to myself, some apologies to Riley, some all of the bitterness toward my family and my former pack. It’s all the processing I’ve done since I came here, but now I know who I am and where I’m supposed to be.”
I got to my feet, Wyatt and I moving to each side of him for support.
I wrapped my arms around his waist while he let the fire claim the letters, one after the other, his spirit feeling lighter as each one was destroyed.
It was how I had felt when I had chopped off my hair and burned it with Wyatt’s guidance.
Letting go didn’t change the past, but it did make the path to the future a little smoother.
By the time we made it back to the house, the sun was setting and everyone was yawning. My phone buzzed in my pocket, but when I pulled it out there was nothing on the screen. It took me a second to realize it was the burner phone going off. I pulled it out, answering quickly.
“Theo?”
“She got out.”
I blinked rapidly, confused and trying to understand. “Who?”
“Natalie.”
“Natalie? How do you know?”
“Because she’s asleep in my bed right now.”
“What?”
Theo let out a surprised laugh. “I can’t believe she’s here. I can’t talk for long, but I just wanted you to know so you wouldn’t worry about her if you heard. We’re trying to get everything settled for her and the kids. I’ll check back when I can, okay?”
“Yeah, of course. Give her my love.”
“Will do.”
We ended the call with giddiness galloping through me.
Natalie got out!
I hadn’t imagined she would actually go through with it. Was she the omega Theo had mentioned? Was that why she had been so concerned about Theo getting an omega with his pack?
I held my phone to my chest, unable to temper my smile. A whole world of possibilities laid in front of her now.
“What’s going on?” Colt asked.
“I can’t be sure quite yet, but I think fate might finally be showing up for someone who needs it as much as I did.”
I had gotten my happily ever after, and hopefully now it was Natalie’s turn to get the same.