Epilogue Two
Wes
ONE YEAR LATER
When Wes and Assa moved to Bellwether Province with Ryde four years ago, one thing they’d worried about was whether their house was too big for the three of them. They didn’t think they’d have more kids, and Wes wondered what they’d do with all the empty rooms.
But Assa had fallen in love with the den and the big backyard, and it appeared he’d been psychic when he’d said that they would “need the space eventually,” because now the house barely contained all the people who lived there.
With five grown men needing to sleep and dress, they’d expanded the main bedroom and bathroom. Ryde still had his bedroom, and Ked and Jordie had shared another until a month ago, when Jordie moved into college housing to begin his first semester at the university.
The baby, Bash, hadn’t moved into the nursery with Lachie yet.
He spent his nights in a crib with the men since he still needed to chest-feed multiple times a night.
Wes had never heard that baby alphas ate more than betas or omegas, but at least with their three-month-old son, that appeared to be the case.
He grinned thinking of how shocked they were when Zinn delivered a tiny alpha.
With three beta sons, an omega son, and their two omega cousins constantly underfoot—technically Lanni and Bevin lived with Asher and Xan, but they were at the Pashuks’ house so often the men had put a set of bunk beds in Ryde’s bedroom—everyone had been expecting a tiebreaker, not an alpha.
Now, the big backyard Assa loved was crowded not only with their family but all the people they cared about. Wes stood on the patio’s edge, sipping a sparkling water.
Asher wandered over, holding hands with Xan. Valentin had recently made them partners in The Cracked Heart, which was a win for all concerned because it provided financial security for Zinn’s brother and nephews and freed Valentin to spend more time at home.
“How did Lanni and Bevin like camp?” Wes asked. He looked over at his nephews, talking with Ryde. The three boys scratched at their collars, grumbling at having to wear their matching suits.
“Great. We were worried because they weren’t strong swimmers going in, but it really helped being in the pool a lot this summer,” Xan said. “Still, they’re looking forward to playing soccer in the fall, back on dry land.” He chuckled.
“Lanni should be on Ryde’s team this year. Ked has been showing them some of his moves,” Asher added.
“That’s wonderful,” Zinn said, joining them. “It sucks that Jem was keeping them away from school and sports like our parents did to me.”
“It took them a while to understand that things here would be different,” Asher said. “But I think they’re there now. Resilient, like their uncle.” He pulled Zinn into his side and gave him a kiss on the head.
Zinn smiled, highlighting the mole on his cheek that he shared with Ryde, Lachie, and now Bash. The omega looked beautiful in his dark purple suit, and Wes’s blood heated imagining peeling it off later.
Asher gestured toward where Jordie stood talking to Kino. “Still going strong with those two?” he asked.
“Apparently,” Wes answered. He and Jordie had shared a special bond ever since the teen came to him for relationship advice, and now they spent even more time together since Jordie had decided to major in history. “They’re both at the university now, so we’ll see.”
Kino’s family stood together by the rose bushes, except for Ronan McGinn, who was talking with Valentin and Calder in the side yard.
“What do you think alphas talk about when they’re in a private huddle like that?” Zinn asked, his eyes twinkling.
“Alpha shit,” Asher answered.
“Who growls the loudest?” Xan said.
“Whose alpha voice is cooler? Who smells the spiciest? Whose chest hair grows the fastest?” Wes joked.
Zinn pretended to frown. “And here I was hoping they were debating dick size or who has the biggest knot.”
Wes laughed and exchanged a conspiratorial glance with Zinn. Calder and Valentin were obsessed with handling the other’s cock and knot—touching and squeezing and licking and sucking. Other alphas were missing out, Calder often said. Valentin was less vocal about it, but it was obvious he agreed.
Assa came out of the house. “We’re almost ready to begin,” he announced.
Everyone sat in white folding chairs assembled in rows of semicircles around an arbor. Once again, Wes marveled at how full his home was. It wasn’t so long ago that he’d been afraid to live his lifestyle out loud. Now, he was surrounded by dozens of friends who supported their family.
Colleagues from the university, including Olin and his partner, and Dayson Bannon and other men from Assa’s lab, were all here.
Xan and Asher sat with Sandi and the other employees from The Cracked Heart.
Lolo was with the team from Denni’s Bakery.
The men had decided six months ago to honor Calder’s first husband by rebranding Felton’s.
The McGinns were all there, along with other friends, Jordie’s co-workers from the pizzeria, friends of Ked’s from drama club, and parents whose children played with Ryde.
Wes’s mouth watered at the sight of his men standing at the front of the assembly. They each wore a different color and style of suit, although the outfits complemented one another.
Assa’s deep green velvet highlighted his red hair and shone next to Zinn’s purple.
Both men had crisp white shirts on underneath, with no ties.
Calder’s double-breasted charcoal gray suit fit him like a glove, and with his white shirt and sleek black tie, he looked elegant, even as his ever-present grin made him approachable.
Wes wanted to bite him.
Valentin had chosen a close-fitting dark navy suit with no shirt underneath.
Silver chains looped over his chest, shining against his sun-kissed pecs.
Wes had a brief flash of the man he’d met that first night in the club.
Back then, he’d thought of Valentin as an enigmatic businessman.
But after peeling back his layers, discovering his softness, he could no longer see him as aloof.
He was steady and stoic. Quiet in his strength. Knowable only to the men who loved him.
Wes’s plain black suit and black button-down ensemble was the most boring of the bunch, but he was comfortable. And based on the heated looks in his partners’ eyes, they approved of his choice.
The five men stood in front of the arbor, vowing to love one another unconditionally. Next to them, Ked held Bash while Jordie corralled a squirming Lachie. Ryde, Lanni, and Bevin held the rings that the men would exchange at the end of the ceremony.
As they affirmed their love through words and rituals, Wes thought again of how lucky he was to be built this way. Wired to have his happiness enhanced by the happiness of his partners. To have an enormous capacity for love. As they all did.
This commitment ceremony also celebrated that they had all changed their last names to Pashuk-Rosen. Technically, Assa and Wes remained married, but they never referred to each other as husband. Not since they’d gotten together with Valentin.
Wes glanced at Zinn as he said his vows.
Zinn had once told him that before he met Valentin, he hadn’t dreamed of a husband and children.
He’d wanted to travel and see the world and make art.
It was one reason he hadn’t married Calder before Lachie was born.
After having his wings clipped his entire life, he enjoyed feeling independent.
When he’d agreed to the ceremony, he’d told the rest of them, “I see now that being open about who we are, who we love, is a big F-you to my parents, to anyone who might judge us. I always thought of marriage as a cage. But telling the world I love you feels like liberation.”
That little speech had gotten the omega fucked and sucked all night long.
Wes thought of how many more nights like that they had ahead of them. Then he forced his thoughts to something more mundane, since getting an erection in front of their guests would not be ideal.
The ceremony itself was short and sweet. Each of the men spoke, and then they exchanged rings. Later, their most tender sentiments would be for themselves alone.
After the ceremony, the guests lamented cutting into the spectacular five-tiered cake Zinn had made for the occasion.
But it had to be done, so Ked made a show of stabbing the confection like a horror movie villain while their guests played along by gasping dramatically.
It would make for great photos. Much better than the cake-smash-in-the-face pictures that none of them wanted to do.
Wes was overwhelmed by his joy. He escaped to the front of the house to gather himself.
Calder found him on the porch swing. “Doing okay?” The big alpha held Bash in the crook of his arm, cradling him like a football.
“Just taking a break.”
“But you’re happy?”
Wes arched an eyebrow. “Is that a real question?”
Calder shrugged with a smile. “Not really. But it’s in my DNA to ask.”
“Ditto.” Wes patted the seat next to him. Calder sat, and Wes reached out with grabby hands until he passed over the baby.
Bash made a sleepy grunt of protest before settling on Wes’s shoulder.
They rocked in the swing for a few minutes until Assa arrived.
“I thought I might find you here,” he said, holding up the plate in his hand. “I brought cake.”
Calder patted his belly. “I’m good. In my forties now. Gotta stay fit since I’ve got four younger partners to keep satisfied.”
Assa rolled his eyes. “If you get any hotter, we’re all gonna burn up. And judging by the way you fucked me this morning, you’re holding up just fine.”
“It’s true,” Valentin said, appearing in the doorway with Zinn behind him. “You’re the hottest elder alpha in the polycule.” He winked.
“Cheeky,” Calder laughed. He tugged Zinn into his lap. “Did you enjoy the ceremony, sunshine? Not feeling too constricted now that we’re somewhat official?”
“I’m good, cap. I’ve been Zeller Parkenson, Zinn Parker, Zinn Rosen, and now Zinn Pashuk-Rosen. But I’m always me.”
Calder kissed his forehead. “You certainly are.”
The front door opened again. Ryde came out, holding hands with Lachie, followed by Jordie and Ked.
“Glad we found you,” Jordie said.
“Yeah.” Ryde looked a little stressed. “People are starting to…say things.”
Ked refused to mince words. “Papa, you need to get back in the yard. Everyone is talking. They think you all snuck away to go upstairs.”
He made a disgusted face, and the men laughed.
Wes stood. “Duty calls.”
A minute later, the Pashuk-Rosens were mingling and enjoying the day with their friends. Wes couldn’t imagine being any happier.
Except he knew he would be. Because he had his men.
And they still had so much of their story left to write.