Epilogue
TWO YEARS LATER
Bás and Valentina’s house was never quiet, but tonight it was chaos of the best kind. The smell of roasted lamb and garlic potatoes drifted through the farmhouse, chased by the sounds of children shrieking as Monty and Scout endured having ribbons tied to their collars by giggling toddlers.
“Oi, Sebastian,” Bishop shouted across the long wooden table as he opened a bottle of wine. “Your daughter just tried to feed the dog a Lego brick.”
Sebastian looked up from carving meat, calm as ever. “Better than the time Snow froze my car keys.”
Snow swatted him, balancing their youngest daughter on her hip. “For the hundredth time, it was the fridge.”
Laughter rippled. Titan nearly choked on his ale, Maya patting his back as she soothed their youngest, Jamal, while their oldest, Tarique, made a daring climb onto the bench.
At the far end, Lotus leaned into Damon’s shoulder as he cut their son’s food. “Your son’s going feral again,” she called, smirking at Titan’s struggle.
“Just like his dad,” Damon quipped. Titan flipped him off, which only made Lotus laugh harder.
Reaper’s booming voice told a story so exaggerated even Lucia rolled her eyes. “You didn’t parachute into a volcano,” she muttered, though her smile gave her away.
It still shocked Clara that she was at the table with actual royalty. Princess Lucía didn’t act like the refined, untouchable nobility she saw on her TV screen or in the papers. Here she was just Reaper’s wife and one of the gang, and Clara loved that.
“Details,” Reaper said with a wink, earning groans around the table.
Duchess and Gideon shared a quiet chuckle over wine, their elegance not dimmed by the mess, chaos with their own children made this natural to them.
Charlie and Bishop were bickering about Yorkshire puddings, Charlie loudly insisting hers were fluffier while Bishop argued his had more “bounce.”
Bein and Aoife were refereeing their son and Hurricane’s youngest over the last roast potato. Hurricane, towering and laidback, leaned into Peyton and muttered, “This is why we should’ve grabbed extra trays.” Peyton only smiled, her hand resting on his arm, a silent anchor.
And right in the middle of it all, Clara sat surrounded by the noise, her heart fuller than it had ever been. Watchdog had one arm draped over her chair, fingers tracing her shoulder with absent protectiveness.
The laptop in front of her made her the centre of attention for once.
“Not fair,” Titan grumbled. “Why does she get to test it?”
“Because she actually listens,” Jonas said straight-faced, though his mouth twitched.
“Rubbish,” Bishop shot back. “It’s because you’re soft on her.”
“Finally admits it,” Hurricane rumbled, grinning.
The table erupted. Clara blushed as she clicked through the final level of the game Jonas had built.
“Come on, Clara!” Snow urged. “Beat it so we can have pudding!”
“I’m trying!” Clara laughed, her fingers flying.
The screen froze. Music faded. Words appeared, letter by letter.
Thank you for being my player two. For choosing me. For saving me when I didn’t know how to save myself. I love you, Clara Sutton. Will you marry me?
Silence fell. Clara’s breath caught, her hand covering her mouth. Slowly, she turned. Jonas was already kneeling, a velvet box in his hand. Inside gleamed a ring that glimmered in the firelight.
“My grandmother’s ring,” he said, voice rough. “My mum gave it to me before she forgot… before she couldn’t remember anymore. She knew this moment would come.”
Clara’s tears spilled freely. Jonas’s gaze never wavered. “I wasn’t looking for you. I didn’t think I deserved you. But you saw me. You stayed. You loved me back to life. I love you, Clara. Will you marry me?”
Her voice shook but was fierce. “Yes. Yes, of course I will.”
The room erupted in cheers, whistles, and applause.
Valentina whooped loudest, slapping the table. “Finally! Took you long enough, Watchdog.”
“Guess we’ll forgive you for hogging the game,” Titan muttered, but his grin was wide. Maya elbowed him, eyes misty.
Snow wiped her cheeks with her sleeve, Sebastian’s arm firm around her shoulders as he pressed a kiss to her hair.
Reaper pounded the table. “Knew she was the one from the moment she walked into the alley with him!”
“Behave,” Lucia scolded, though her smile was soft.
Lotus smirked, lifting her glass. “About time someone tamed him.”
Damon only chuckled, adding, “And she’ll need all our sympathy when he goes into lecture mode.”
Duchess raised her glass in quiet salute, Gideon mirroring her. “To new beginnings,” she said warmly.
Charlie clapped, tears shining. “We’ll start planning the hen party.”
Bishop groaned, but his grin gave him away.
Bein’s voice rumbled over the noise. “Family just got bigger,” he said simply.
Aoife squeezed his hand, nodding.
Hurricane’s deep voice boomed last. “About bloody time. And, Clara, welcome to the madhouse.”
Peyton smiled, soft and radiant, leaning into him with quiet agreement.
Jonas slid the ring onto Clara’s finger, his hands trembling. She pressed her forehead to his, whispering so only he heard, “You saved me, too.”
The house roared with joy around them, children laughing, dogs barking, friends toasting.
But for Jonas and Clara, it was only the two of them, and the promise of forever.
The last two years hadn’t been easy and had been full of change.
More babies were born, wounds were healed, justice was served and relationships that had been nurtured had thrived and those that hadn’t, had been let go.
It had been hard to walk away from her father after his fall from grace but as promised, Eidolon had served him justice.
He’d agreed to confess all his crimes and testify against the others in his network if his identity remained secret. Status, that was what it had come down to in the end. He hadn’t done it for her; he’d done it to save face.
That was okay, she saw it now. Sometimes you had to let go of the people who took and took without giving back. This group, this family, Lena, her mother, now that she had divorced her father, they lifted her up.
The noise swelled again as pudding was served, syrup sponge and custard disappearing fast into small, messy hands.
Monty barked when Willow, Bishop and Charlie’s daughter, tried to sneak him a spoonful.
Fleur, Snow and Sebastian’s oldest girl, squealed with laughter and launched herself into her father’s lap.
Clara’s gaze softened. She watched Fleur’s golden curls bounce as Sebastian kissed the top of her head, Willow tugging at Charlie’s sleeve to show her a drawing. The warmth, the love, filled the farmhouse to bursting.
And for the first time, Clara let herself picture it. A child with Jonas’s dark hair, perhaps his brilliant blue eyes, tugging at his hand while he muttered random facts about the stars or the sea. Their child, running across this very floor, wrapped in the safety of this family.
Her chest ached, not with fear this time, but with longing.
Jonas’s arm slipped around her waist, grounding her. He followed her gaze, then glanced down at her, a small smile tugging his lips. His voice was quiet, just for her. “You want that?”
Clara met his eyes, heart hammering. “With you?” She swallowed, then whispered with absolute certainty, “I want it all.”
His smile widened, brighter than she’d ever seen it, soft and fierce all at once. He bent his head, kissed her slowly, and in the chaos of laughter and clinking glasses, Clara knew they were already building it together.