Epilogue - Adalyn
The weeks passed by. I was quickly discharged from the hospital after a day, returning not to my own studio but to the villa that the shifters stayed in so Zephyr could keep an eye on me. My grandmother refused to go to the house, and I ended up visiting Harper’s cottage when I found out Greta was there.
I had received a verbal lashing from her about my choices—about falling in love with a shifter after all her warnings and how I had defied my bloodline and my coven. And once, I would have listened, taken on that weight, and endured the guilt that came with it.
But I had felt my coven’s blessing. It was my grandmother who had told me that my coven was always watching, but they had held me when I went unconscious, connected to them through magic. They had forgiven me, as I had forgiven them for causing my mate pain.
I beseeched my grandmother now; the two of sat opposite one another in Harper’s cottage. She and Alex had taken the children out for the day, and I knew Zephyr wasn’t too far away.
“It has always been you and I, Gramma,” I said. “I don’t want that to change. I know I was meant to unite the bloodlines again. Why can’t you see it as a good thing?”
“I have seen the damage, Adalyn.” Her voice was sharp and commanding. “The shifters attracted the demons. I thought they came to save us, but I see I was wrong.”
“But they did ,” I insisted. “They did save us. Yes, perhaps their presence attracted the demons, but they belong here. At least Zephyr does. He is part of the original bloodline, as you know. If it hadn’t been for that shifter, then witches wouldn’t have found this place, either. This unity is good for Azure Cove.”
“I am not convinced,” she said, shaking her head. “I only want what’s best for you, Adalyn. I watched you cry over that man, and now you’re ready to give up your coven for him?”
“I’m not giving up anything for him,” I insisted. “We want a future where there are no divides between shifters and witches. We want to make Azure Cove safer—together. He doesn’t want me to give up my coven. I have forgiven him for his past behavior as he has forgiven mine. Why can’t you do the same?”
Silence settled for a moment.
“What if he hurts you again?” Gramma asked, her expression softening. “What if history repeats itself and your love returns to hatred?”
I shook my head resolutely. “I don’t want to think like that.”
I cradled my stomach, already swelling with what should be a two-month bump after a week. Thanks to Zephyr’s shifter DNA, it had been confirmed that my pregnancy time would be halved. I was terrified, but if Harper could do it, then so could I.
“Is this really what you want?” Gramma asked.
“It is all I want,” I told her. “I want a life here with Zephyr. I want our child to grow up loved by both parents, knowing all the history of the island, and to be safe. I want you as part of our lives.”
Her mouth pressed into a line. “He destroyed the sanctuary.”
“And has been working with the other shifters to rebuild it.”
Gramma narrowed her eyes. “And the military? What happens when they call for him?”
“He is already making new arrangements,” I told her. “His future is still up in the air with his work, but he doesn’t want to be parted from me. He loves me, Gramma.”
She took a few moments to think about it. She walked around the cottage’s living room before coming to a stop behind the sofa, looking at me.
“Then I give you my blessing, Adalyn,” she said, lifting her chin. “But it is a tentative one. He gets no strikes. No warnings. If he hurts you, then I will ensure he knows exactly who the Matron of the Lindell clan is. Understood?”
“Very much,” I said, unable to contain my grin.
And then my grandmother’s stoic composure broke as I rushed to hug her. “When did my little girl grow up?” she sighed.
“Right before your eyes, Gramma,” I told her softly, smiling.
***
“Your grandmother is fearless, but I have something else for you,” Zephyr said later that day. White paint streaked down his tanned arms, marring the blackout tattoo. “My own grandparents. They practically worship the shifter who came to Azure Cove. They’re quite fond of witches, so they’ll love you.”
He shot me a grin. “Thanksgiving will be amazing.”
I couldn’t help but laugh as we continued painting our baby’s nursery. Zephyr was talking more openly now about his past and where he had come from. I found out his grandparents still lived in Pennsylvania, about half an hour away from his mom, and although he hadn’t seen them in years, he wanted to visit soon so we could all be introduced.
He pondered the concept of bringing the Lindell Matron along.
“We’re old enough to choose our own lives,” I muttered. “I love my grandmother, but I shouldn’t have needed to ask to love you. The feuds have caused too much trouble. We’re going to raise our child without the feuds.”
“Well, all their uncles are shifters, as well as their dad,” Zephyr said. “So, obviously.”
I snorted, flicking paint in his direction. “Smart ass.”
“But I fear the only hatred they might have will be aimed at us if I can’t get this damn crib up,” he muttered. He had given up on painting and tried to fix up the crib but ended up sitting in a pile of wood.
“You can be the best sharpshooter in the military, but you can’t build a crib?” I teased.
He rolled his eyes. “Hammers and nails aren’t my forte. You want to come over here and try?”
“Actually,” I said slowly, “I know someone who’d find this task more difficult than you do.”
***
An hour later, Hector was cursing us, grabbing at the instructions sheet, muttering about holographic furniture and how it should be a thing, and why things weren’t easily made.
Zephyr and I looked around our half-painted nursery as voices filled the cottage we had moved into last month, ahead of the birth.
“It’s strange,” he said, “We both love our dark aesthetics, and our baby has the brightest room in the cottage.”
I smiled up at him, kissing his cheek. He looked brighter lately, as if making peace with his past had taken a weight off his shoulders. Maybe he didn’t even realize he had been carrying that weight around as heavily as he was.
The nursery was totally white with a mixture of different colored furniture. A butter-yellow armchair, a pink-painted crib, and pale blue wall art.
“I just can’t wait to welcome her home,” Zephyr murmured, his hands resting on my stomach, easing the weight blissfully for me. I sighed softly, leaning back into him. “She’s going to be so loved.”
“She will,” I affirmed, a bright smile on my face.
I turned in his arms to press my mouth to his. I parted my lips for him, and languished in his kiss. Hector immediately complained, threw down the hammer, and retreated from the room, muttering curses. We only laughed and held each other closer.
Everything was perfect. Finally, harmony was spreading across the island. Feuds were repairing, sacred places repairing—and Zephyr had made a home here on Azure Cove.
A home with me and our baby girl.
*****
THE END