Epilogue
ROLAND
It was nearly the first anniversary of us officially becoming members of the pack at Stoney River, and I wanted to do something special.
I pulled Otto and Larkin aside one morning and asked them to help me.
My mate had a brother, a brother he was protecting because he’d gone rogue, a brother he still called for in his sleep.
Now that the poachers were dealt with and the pack was safe, it felt like the perfect time to help them reconnect.
Between Otto, Larkin, and I, we found him pretty quickly.
We ran the idea by Creven and Auden to make sure we weren’t going to make Emerson, his brother, face any struggles because of us.
They said that because Bryden was officially pack here, he was no longer rogue.
As long as his brother came here freely and knowingly, no one should have any problem with it.
I was so nervous reaching out to Emerson. What if my mate was rejected? I knew what that was like firsthand. At least with this, I’d be able to keep it from him.
No. I wouldn’t. I promised him I wouldn’t lie anymore, which made this a higher risk venture than I had originally planned.
One call, and my worry fell away. Emerson was wanting to leave right then.
He cried happy tears, learning his brother was alive and well, mated, and had a child of his own.
Just like Bryden, their separation had caused him many sleepless nights.
All we had to do now was wait for the special day. Creven had called a pack run as part of the celebration, followed by marshmallows at the firepit. If the timing went well, when the pack came back from the run, Emerson would be there waiting for his brother by the firepit.
At least, that was the plan.
I wasn’t shifting this time, instead staying with Ira, Auden, and the other pack kiddos. And also Emerson, but my mate would learn that soon enough.
Creven announced the official beginning of the run, and everyone shifted and took off. I watched the drive, waiting for the yellow SUV Emerson told us he’d be driving to pull in.
“Do you think he’ll get here on time?” I asked Auden, swaying back and forth. Ira was asleep in my arms.
“I don’t know. He sounded like he wanted to be.”
As the minutes ticked by, I began to worry he’d gotten caught in traffic or something. But then, headlights shone, and the sound of gravel being run over filled the air. Finally, the yellow SUV came into sight. The timing was perfect.
He parked the vehicle and got out, before walking around and letting his mate, Dex, out.
There was no doubt which was Emerson. He looked so much like Bryden.
Auden went over to greet them, and after a quick introduction, we had them sitting down with marshmallows on a stick, ready to put them over the flames when everyone returned.
The run was longer than normal. The night was perfect for it, but I was itching for them to be here already. When they came back, Bryden froze dead in his tracks and took his skin.
The rest of the pack was in the know. We didn’t think it was a good idea to have a stranger waiting for them, especially not on a night like tonight.
Bryden ran straight there, not even grabbing a shirt. “You’re here!”
“Bryden, you’re naked. Everybody can see your dick!” Emerson pushed his arm playfully. They’d been apart for so long, and yet fell back in so naturally. “Including my mate!”
After getting dressed, per his brother’s orders, Bryden introduced everybody and then the two of them went to the cabin to talk, both of them visibly happy and needing some time to catch up.
Dex stayed with us, and we chatted about his pregnancy, which was still in the very early, sleep-all-the-time stage.
They joined us at the fire later, and I got to hear stories about Bryden as a little cub and all the mischief he and his brother got into.
Auden had arranged a place for Emerson and his mate to sleep, and Bryden’s brother promised they wouldn’t leave in the night, promising he was going to spend a week here. Bryden was elated.
As I lay snug in my mate’s arms that night, he whispered, “Thank you, mate.”
“Anything for you, alpha mine.”
He’d already heard all the steps we took to make sure it was safe. We didn’t want him to be nervous or worried.
“I’m so happy to see him again,” he said. “I never allowed myself to truly mourn losing him.”
“And now you don’t have to,” I said, “because he’s not gone.” ,b
As I fell asleep in my mate’s arms, our baby in the bassinet beside the bed and my mate reconnected with his brother, I knew that everything was exactly as it should be. This was the life I was meant to have, and I planned to savor every minute of it.
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