Epilogue
SIX MONTHS LATER
“Good morning, Melanie.” Javi kissed my shoulder, and I opened my eyes to find him smiling down at me.
“Hi, Johnny.” I pursed my lips, and he kissed me.
We were still getting used to our new names, practicing using them as much as possible so we’d remember to respond to them.
“Oh, you’re up.” Derek walked into the bedroom with a mug in his hands. “I added extra cream.” He kissed the top of my hair before letting me sit up so I could accept his offering.
“Thank you, Merrick.” I winked at him and took a sip before moaning. “So good.”
Javi stretched next to me. “Where are Crosby and Arlo?”
“Out on the deck,” Derek replied as he held out his hand for me.
I took it, letting him lift me up as I cradled my drink to my chest and followed him outside. Cruz and Marco sat sipping their coffees.
I snuggled between them and rested my head on Cruz’s solid shoulder. “Morning, Crosby.” I slipped my free hand into Marco’s, and he squeezed back. “You sleep okay, Arlo?”
“Yeah, Melanie.” He kissed my cheek.
No more patrols. No more security shifts. No more tailing and spying. No more killing.
It had been the most relaxing time of all our lives, but I could sense my men getting antsy.
The Council had recommended we stay in the first safe house for three weeks before moving us to our current location, a small home in Southern Switzerland, where we could figure out what we wanted to do next.
Having nearly endless options made deciding harder. None of us knew how to live without orders and directions from someone else. We’d discussed traveling, but it was too risky to leave the areas that banned the Velez, but that still left us with a decent portion of Europe.
For now, we enjoyed each other and the much-deserved vacation.
“Do you guys want to go for a run?” Marco asked as he stretched his arms over his head, giving me a delicious view of his abs and chest.
“Yeah.” I immediately set my empty mug down and hurried into the bedroom to undress.
I met the four of them back on the deck, all naked. It was a tempting view, but my wolf had a one-track mind that overruled my human desire.
“Let’s go,” Javi called before turning and taking off at a jog, shifting seamlessly into his wolf midstride.
Derek went next, then Cruz.
Marco stopped next to me and grinned. “Come on, princess.”
I smiled back at him and started running, letting the feeling I’d repressed for over a decade to the surface. My body could finally do what came as naturally as breathing. I hit the dewy grass with four paws and sprang past the guys and took lead, weaving through the trees on a familiar path.
It’d taken three months for me to let my wolf close enough to the surface to even consider the possibility of shifting, but I was safe now. I didn’t have to hide who I was. I didn’t have to pretend to be weak or broken.
With my men, I was free to be who I was always meant to be. Strong. Powerful. Fast.
A wolf without bounds.
No Pack to govern me. No possessive, greedy men to claim my body for what it could give them. For the first time, I truly had full control over my body and decisions.
I still didn’t want to have children, something the guys agreed with, but freeing my wolf was one of the best parts of escaping the Velez.
Running with my new Pack, my chosen family, was more than I could have ever dreamed.
His blue eyes held mine. We were transfixed by each other, or maybe we were having a staring contest. I couldn’t ask yet. It would take another year or two for him to tell me what he was thinking, but I knew one thing for certain. He was perfection.
Teeny, tiny toes and fingers. Fuzzy golden hair. Long wrinkly legs he preferred to kick straight out, and arms that flailed like he had no idea they were attached to him.
Overall, as babies go, he was pretty damned cute.
I was a bit biased, though, having helped birth him and all. Plus, his mom let me pick out his middle name. Theo Emmet, a small nod to my previous identity.
“I think you’re going to win, Theo.” I fought against the urge, but the burning was too much. I blinked.
I swear he smiled.
“You got me,” I cooed.
“I don’t think he’s ever lost.” Cruz leaned against the doorframe of the nursery with a smile. “He got me twice last night.”
“You don’t think it’s the vampire in him?” I trailed my finger down his forehead and nose, finally getting the angel to close his eyes.
“Babe, they breathe and eat and blink just like everyone else.”
I hummed. I wasn’t so sure about that. Even after meeting dozens in the last few years, I was still suspicious they were keeping things from us. Abilities beyond what shifters and witches knew.
“The beginners self-defense class is going to start in a few minutes. Johnny wanted me to find you in case you forgot, or found a distraction,” he teased as he crossed into the room. I stood from the glider and passed the baby to his waiting arms.
“Oh, like you two aren’t just as obsessed.” I smiled down at Theo, who was ready for his next challenger, his eyes locked on Cruz’s face.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had a little one around. I forgot how much I like them.”
I stretched my arms over my head, a bit stiff from sitting in the same position for so long. “You love playing with the toddlers.”
He grinned. “I do. They’re so easily influenced. You mention they should gang up and tackle Arlo, and they do.”
“No, they’re easily entertained. Like you.” I lifted to my toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll see you for swim lessons, right? Step one, don’t walk along the bottom thinking the ability will just kick in.”
“Yeah, these kids don’t know how lucky they are to have a pool to learn in.” He smirked. “Back in my day, we only had muddy ponds.”
I shook my head as I headed into the hall. “Kids these days.”
His chuckle reached me before I peeked into the next room. The gaming center was typically full with the older kids around this time. Derek sat at a desk next to a girl who arrived last week with her mom and stepbrother. She was quiet. I’d only heard her say please and thank you so far, but she was chatting away with my nerd while playing a video game I didn’t recognize. The other kids spread out at the other computers and TVs, and three were on bean bags in the corner, reading.
All was calm, so I didn’t interrupt and headed downstairs. I waved to the women standing just inside the entrance of my favorite room, the library.
“Hi, Melanie!” one called.
“Hey, Meg.” I grinned as I rounded the staircase to the back of the house and jogged across the yard, past the pool and soccer field, to the building we called the barn. It didn’t look like one at all. It was a simple rectangle with walls painted the same colors as the main house, a steel roof, and two large garage doors we opened when the weather was nice.
We had it built after we bought the property so we could have a full gym with enough empty space to hold training classes. I pulled open the glass door and stepped into a surprisingly full room, with Javi at the front speaking to two women. I waved to him, and he returned the gesture without breaking from their conversation.
There’d been an influx of arrivals in the past few weeks. The Council let us know to expect more a few months ago, but we were reaching capacity. Our sanctuary in the middle of the rolling hills and forests of northeastern Italy was set up to home about forty people. I was relieved we could help so many, but knowing why they were here dimmed the joy.
Although the Council had increased their outspoken support of hybrid individuals over the last decade, there was a rise in intolerance. A group was calling for a return to allowing only same-species breeding.
It was disgusting, and still a minority opinion, but the group caused enough issues that people were fleeing their homes, seeking refuge. Finding us.
That wasn’t the case for everyone here. There were survivors of all types who came to us after reaching out to the Council for help.
We gave them a safe space to rest, regroup, and plan their next steps. We offered classes and training they could use to get jobs. We had teachers for the children so they didn’t fall behind.
It wasn’t exactly what the five of us expected for our future when we first arrived in Italy. It was so much more. After surviving the Pack and getting out, living a life free of their control, and being able to be ourselves for the first time, we realized how incredibly lucky we were.
We discussed options for months, but in the end, Javi came up with the idea of combining our passions and helping others like us. It took about a year to renovate the estate and build out the land to suit our needs, but with the support of the Council, we made it come to life.
Five assassins, trained killers with body counts in the hundreds, running a safe house for supernaturals. It was insane.
It was our purpose.
The door swung open behind me, and I turned. A frantic Marco scanned the room. I hurried over, and he sighed. “We’ve got new arrivals.”
I furrowed my brow. “The last update was to expect two adults next Monday.”
“It was an emergency. Three teenagers.” He blew out a breath. “Can Johnny handle this class? I need your help getting them sorted.”
I spun, and Javi was already watching us. He gave a thumbs-up before clapping and calling the attention of the room.
“Let’s go.” I took Marco’s hand and returned to the house.
Thanks for reading!