Epilogue
SERA
“This place is amazing,” Alina says, looking around the palace Morpheus and Hades built. “Wow.”
It’s been a little over a week since I woke up in this new space, and even longer since I last saw my sister. But, for once, she didn’t demand to see me.
Because she knew my mates were taking care of me.
She’ll always be my big sister, always want to protect me and shield me in her own way. However, I can sense her faith in my mate-circle.
And that makes me happier than I can even articulate.
I’m finally… me.
It’s a liberating feeling.
One that has me smiling as I take in the surrounding rose garden.
It reminds me of the one I used to tend to back in our home world.
Only, this one is lit by a purple light that’s enchanted to function as sunlight.
And there’s a faint dusting of snow falling along one row, bringing with it that scent of winter blossoms.
It’s perfect.
It’s magic.
It’s life.
“Hades manifested this part for you, didn’t he?” my sister asks, her lips curling a little.
“Yes,” I murmur. “With some input from Morpheus, though.” I glance at the statues decorated with green vines. “They… compromised.” I’m not sure that’s the right word. From what Maliki told me, it was a week of bickering.
I kind of wish I had been awake to hear it.
But I enjoyed the benefits of waking up to a completed project.
The bedroom they manifested… the giant bed… the even larger bath…
I shiver.
My mates are a fantasy come to life. Which is appropriate, given that one of them is the God of Dreams.
“How is… Death’s Palace?” I ask, aware that Orcus rebuilt most of it for his circle.
She smiles. “Less creepy than before.”
“Even with Reaper’s design choices?”
She considers that for a moment. “Well, there are a few, er, violent updates, I guess.” Her brow pinches. “He’s been manifesting weapons and hanging them on the walls like art.”
“That sounds safe for my niece,” I deadpan.
“That’s what Flame said!” she exclaims. “Well, not exactly like that, but he… he’s trying to talk reason into Reaper. But Reaper feels Thea needs to learn protection skills, especially with the Mythos Fae Omegas being reborn. He’s afraid an Alpha is going to mist in and steal her.”
“Oh.” My nose scrunches. “I can understand that fear.” Especially after having visited the Mythos Fae Realm with Maliki and Morpheus. I really don’t have any interest in ever returning, though I suspect we will eventually.
Maybe when things calm down.
Or… or to help calm some things down.
I don’t know yet.
Everything is about to change in that world, which is exciting and terrifying. I just hope the other Omegas are able to find loving mate-circles similar to mine.
Good Alphas are out there. I know it. I have two of them. My sister has another. We can’t be the only Omegas who have found our happily-ever-afters, right?
Still, Reaper’s concern for Thea is valid.
Fortunately, she has a pack of fathers who will do anything to protect her, and a group of uncles who will fight for her, too.
You’ll have that as well, I think, talking to the life blossoming inside me as I palm my belly. Your fathers won’t let anyone touch you. And neither will your mother.
“Orcus has already created a bunch of wards, similar to that place in Greece we visited, to alert him if any Alphas mist into the palace uninvited,” my sister tells me.
I nod. “Hades and Morpheus have done the same here.” We don’t know yet if we’re having an Alpha or an Omega or something else entirely, but it doesn’t matter. My mates are all about protection for me and our future little one.
“But I guess ensuring Thea knows how to defend herself makes sense,” Alina goes on. “Except she can’t even walk yet.”
“Which I guess means the weapon art isn’t a danger yet either,” I point out. “So you have time… to talk some sense into Reaper. Or Flame can maybe knock it into him.”
She huffs a laugh. “He’s already trying. He actually asked Maliki to help him.”
“And what did Maliki say?” I wonder out loud.
“He took Reaper’s side,” she says, giving me a look. “So. Good luck with that.”
I smile. “That sounds like Maliki. He seems to idolize Reaper.”
“I don’t idolize the mad fae,” my mate says as he shadows to my side, clearly having overheard his name and taken that as an invitation to join us on our stroll through the garden. “But I respect the Styx out of him.”
“As you should,” Reaper says, appearing on Alina’s other side. “I’m fucking amazing.”
“You are,” Maliki agrees.
Alina stops walking and faces her mate. “I thought you went to spar with Flame?”
“He did,” Flame growls as he also appears in the courtyard. “But then he heard you thinking about his art and claimed you were calling for him.”
“She thought my name,” Reaper points out. “Ergo…”
Alina sighs. “That’s not…” She trails off and shakes her head. “I was just telling my sister about the renovations at Death’s Palace.”
“Cupcake Palace,” Reaper tells her.
“We are not renaming it,” Flame growls at him.
“Strawberry Palace?” Reaper replies. “Fuck Palace?”
“Reaper,” Alina chides.
“What? Thea isn’t here.” He glances around like he wants to make sure he’s right, then looks at her and arches a silver eyebrow. “Nesting Palace? Slick Palace? Pus—”
She puts her fingers over his lips, to which he wraps his hand around her wrist, opens his mouth, and nibbles on her. “You’re…” She heaves another long sigh. “Reaper.”
“I am,” he murmurs against her hand. “Your Reaper. And I want to show you some… new renovations.”
Her brow furrows. “More renovations?” She sounds exhausted.
“Another nursery,” he tells her.
Alina’s nose scrunches. “Another one? But Thea already has a room.”
“For baby number two,” he clarifies, causing my sister’s dark eyes to widen.
“What?”
“Orcus told him your heat is coming soon, and Reaper’s… being proactive in his planning,” Flame explains.
Alina looks ready to pass out. She glances at me, her eyes still wide. “I’m going to have to, er, continue this tour later. It seems my mates and I need to… have a talk.”
I bite my lip to keep from smiling and instead nod in understanding. “Have a nice, uh, talk.”
Her cheeks pinken a bit, then she wraps her arms around Reaper and says, “Palace. Now.”
His lips curl. “As you wish, pet.” They vanish, and Flame goes with them, leaving me alone with Maliki in the garden.
“Why were you spying?” I ask him.
“I wasn’t spying,” he returns. “I was guarding.”
“In our own palace?” I face him. “In the garden?”
He lifts a shoulder in a shrug. “Old habits die hard, trouble. I’ve been watching you for over a year, and honestly, I don’t think I’m ever going to stop watching you.”
“Stalking, you mean,” I correct him.
“Stalking. Watching. Hunting.” He shrugs again. “All the same, yeah?”
I just stare at him.
And he stares back.
“What can I say, sweet mystery?” he murmurs. “I’m fucking obsessed with you.” He pulls me into his arms. “And Hades also asked me to come seduce you.”
“Seduce me?” I echo.
He nods solemnly. “You know how the lord feels about tasks and assignments.”
“I seem to recall you claiming that I’m no longer your boss,” Hades says as he walks into the garden. “I also don’t remember asking you to seduce our mate.”
“Well, I believe you told me to seduce your wife,” Maliki drawls. “Something about doing what needs to be done to convince her to marry you and all that. So I asked if that included fucking her, and well, you didn’t oppose. In fact, I think you encouraged it.”
“So we’re talking about an assignment from weeks ago?”
“Months ago, really,” Maliki corrects him. “But you know me. I like to be thorough. Take my assignments seriously and all that. And I think your wife might finally be ready to marry you, yeah?”
Now it’s my turn to give my mates wide eyes. “Uh, what?”
Hades studies me for a moment, then nods slowly. “You know, I think you might be right, Maliki. Do you think she’ll be willing now?”
“Only one way to find out, really,” Maliki says, taking a step back.
I gape at both of them, confused. “We’re already mated.”
“We are,” Hades agrees, closing the distance between us. “But we would like to be something even more.”
“We?” I repeat, my throat going dry.
“We,” Morpheus murmurs, appearing at my back.
And suddenly all three of my mates are dropping to one knee, their gazes intently on me as I spin around in a circle between them. “Oh, this… you don’t… I mean…” What are they even doing?
“Serapina Everheart,” Hades begins. “Goddess of our hearts, love of our lives…”
“We would be incredibly honored to be your mated husbands,” Morpheus goes on. “For eternity…”
“And whatever exists beyond it,” Maliki says. “Will you have us truly? Marry us in front of all of the Netherworld Kingdom?”
“And become our Netherworld Fae Queen?” Hades finishes, holding out a sizable box that contains a beautiful gold crown with a blood-red stone at the center of it.
“I…” Tears spring to my eyes. “Yes. Of course I’ll marry you all.” I don’t know about being a queen since this kingdom doesn’t actually need one, but I don’t care about the title. I just care about them. My mates. My fae…
I have no idea when they organized this, or if my sister even knew it was coming, but I’ve never felt more loved at any other moment in my life.
Hades stands and places the crown on my head, then kisses me soundly on the lips before releasing me to Morpheus. And finally, Maliki is there, kissing me until I can’t breathe.
All three of my fae.
Forming a circle around me.
Spinning me between them.
Touching me on all sides.
Making me feel like the most important woman in all the realms.
“You can update that registry now,” Morpheus says conversationally.
“Already done,” Hades replies, a hint of emotion in his voice. “But the wedding will make it all very fucking clear.”
“Good,” Morpheus murmurs. “Thank you for fixing the problem.”
“What are you both talking about?” I ask, confused and a bit overwhelmed by the possession rolling off all three of my mates.
“The Netherworld Fae Registry,” Hades says, my chin suddenly caught between his fingers as he forces me to stare at him while Maliki hugs my back. “You marked yourself as single. And darling wife, you are not fucking single.”
“Not even a little bit,” Morpheus agrees.
“You’re very much claimed,” Maliki murmurs against my ear. “But we want the entire kingdom to know it. No more flirty fae at bars.”
“No more rejections at bars either,” Hades inserts.
“And no more false notes in a registry,” Morpheus concludes. “We want the world to know you are ours, just as we need them to know we’re yours.”
“So I hope you like gold dresses,” Maliki says softly. “Because I think Morpheus is already manifesting a dream gown.”
I release a startled laugh and shake my head. “I’ll wear whatever you want.” Because a wedding has never mattered to me. “I already have everything I’ve ever desired.”
“Then we’ll introduce you to more possibilities,” Morpheus tells me. “Your dreams will forever be endless, sweetheart.”
“And we’ll fulfill every single fantasy you conceptualize,” Hades promises, his nose brushing mine. “Now I want to see you in just the crown, mate. So let’s head back to the nest… and play.”
I would be a fool to refuse such an offer.
But I can’t help replying, “Only if you promise to knot me, Alpha.”
He releases a growl, one that vibrates me to my core. “Always, Omega. However you want, wherever you want.”
“With Morpheus, too,” I whisper, shivering at the thought. “While Maliki takes my mouth.”
“Our demanding Omega is getting quite good at voicing her wants and needs,” Morpheus muses, his lips brushing my shoulder. “Your wish is our command, little dreamer.”
The world disappears around me, and I’m suddenly right in the heart of our nest with all three males surrounding me.
It’s the perfect conclusion to a perfect day.
An introduction to destiny.
A happily-ever-after… that will go on… for eternity.
The End