Epilogue
Fender
One year later
Turning off the shower, I slung a towel around my hips and walked into the bedroom. I’d left Temp in bed, but now she was gone.
Holding the wall for balance, I hopped to the bed and sat.
Glinda jumped up beside me, and meowed loudly.
I gave her a pat, then took the small bottle of oil Temp left there for me and applied it to my stump.
I was pain-free most of the time now, and touching it didn’t bother me anymore.
Both of those things were thanks to my mate’s care and skill.
Meow.
I patted Glindy again.
Meeeeooow.
I frowned. “What has you all worked up?”
She jumped off the bed, pranced to the door, then pranced back, butted my leg, then ran back to the door and blinked up at me. She wanted me to follow her. It wasn’t the first time she’d done this. Last time Temp had fallen and hurt her ankle while she’d been gardening.
Shit. “Where’s Temp?”
Glindy yowled, then trotted out the door.
Snatching up my running shorts, I pulled them on, slid my prosthesis into place, then strode out of the bedroom and into the living area of the cottage. No Temp.
I jogged outside and caught sight of Glinda heading for the moat. I rushed along the pier after her, then came to an abrupt halt.
My mate was in the water, on her back. Her eyes were closed, her arms spread wide, and resting on Manny, who was beneath her, and apparently holding her up. She swished her hands through the water, and sighed contentedly.
I’d been about to roar her name, instead, I released a relieved breath. The cottage was safe, nothing could breach the wards here, but it didn’t stop me from worrying, and that had only gotten worse since she’d gotten pregnant.
“Whatcha doing down there, peaches?” I asked. Her face and rounded belly were the only parts of her not submerged.
She squinted up at me, against the morning sun, and smiled. “I was hot, so I came out here, and because I’m so tired, Manny let me rest on his back.”
I crossed my arms, my heart rate still not quite back to normal. “You didn’t think a cold bath would’ve been better?”
She gave Manny’s huge head a rub. “No.”
My female was going to be the death of me. The pregnancy was more than enough to have the beast in full-on overprotective mode, add on the fact that Temp was still the Matilda, and I was constantly in a state of near freak-out.
Unfortunately, her job didn’t just stop because she was carrying a pup in her belly.
I got it, there were witches who still needed her, and with the state the city was in, there’d been an increase of dark magic users, but still, that didn’t mean I had to like it.
An apprentice would be good about now, to take some of the load, but it was also the last thing we wanted.
An apprentice would mean Temp would lose her immortality, at least when the new Matilda was fully trained up.
Lucifer was still reluctant to hand out immortality willy-nilly, his words, and until he allowed all hounds to have their mates for eternity, we were stuck.
I had no idea why he was so reluctant, but I planned to do whatever it took to convince him.
So for now, my pregnant mate would continue to attend risky rescues, while I hoped like fuck the fates didn’t throw her intended apprentice in her path just yet. The only thing saving my sanity was since she got pregnant, she’d allowed me to go with her on Matilda business.
“I think I’m ready to get out now,” she said.
“I think that’s a good idea. Let’s get you dried off and fed, yeah?”
She nodded as Manny carried her to the edge of the moat, then raised her out of the water, so I could easily lift her into my arms. The river monster and I had come to a truce about a month after I moved in here.
It hadn’t been easy, I wasn’t a fan of any water-dwelling creatures, and for good reason, but Manny had eventually been won over by extra meat, and head scratches.
Tempest wrapped her arms around my neck as I carried her back towards the cottage. “The Matildas told me the sex of the baby last night,” she said.
I stopped. “They can tell?”
She nodded. “They’re very excited. This is the first baby our coven’s ever had.” She bit her lip. “Do you want to know?”
I didn’t care what we had, as long as our pup was healthy, but still excitement filled me. I grinned, wide. “Yeah, I do.”
She beamed. “We’re having a girl. A daughter.”
Warmth swirled behind my chest. Besides Violet, and Zari, all my mated brothers had sons.
“Are you happy?” she asked.
“So fucking happy, peaches.” No, it was more than that. Pure joy filled me. “And if she’s anything like her mother, I’m going to have my fucking hands full.”
Her smile widened. “The Matildas told me something else.”
“Yeah?”
She gently rubbed her belly. “The fates told them that our little girl will be the next Matilda.”
I froze. “What?”
“When she comes of age, of course.”
I wasn’t sure how to feel, worried, relieved.
Tempest would be safe, would be immortal until our daughter came of age.
But our daughter would one day be forced to face pure evil.
I couldn’t allow myself to think about that now, though.
At least now we had time, time to make sure our pup was prepared for what was to come, and time to convince Lucifer to do what he already should have done.
I kissed her. “The Matildas will be lucky to have her.”
She rested her head on my chest. “She’ll be the best of both of us.”
My beast rumbled in my chest.
“Oh, is the last piece of peach pie still in the fridge?”
I grinned. “Yes.”
“Is it wrong that I want pie for breakfast?”
I carried on and into the cottage. “There’s never a wrong time to eat pie, baby. Now strip out of those wet clothes, sit your lovely ass on the couch, and I’ll get it for you.”
“Awesome,” she said.
My mate and my daughter were my world, closely followed by my pack, and I would protect them, whatever came next.
Lenny
The beast held worn-down pieces of red and yellow chalk between thick fingers, while he used the side of his fist to blend the colors. His movements were frantic as he slashed it over the stone wall, his growls increasing, becoming louder, more wild as his picture took shape.
He tossed the chalk away with a snarl and picked up another, this one white, and began writing something feverishly on the dark stone wall, over and over and over, until there was nothing but a stub left, then he tossed that aside as well.
Chest heaving, he stood in front of the finished image, his wild growls echoing off the walls.
He’d drawn a small blue cottage, surrounded by trees and flames. The house was burning, while glowing, hungry eyes watched on in the darkness.
It was my house.
And scrawled in harsh, jagged script, was one word repeated all around it.
Lenny. Lenny. Lenny.
The beast spun then, his glowing red eyes burning into me, before he opened his mouth and roared. “LENNY!”
My eyes snapped open, and I woke with a scream. A cold sweat dampened my skin and I tried desperately to calm my racing heart, but it was impossible because I knew that one day soon…
Kurgan would come for me.
THANK YOU!
I hope you loved Fender and Tempest’s book!