Epilogue
Afewweekslater
“Is that the last of it?”
Ward nodded, watching his mate set the box of books on the floor. “You know, you could have let me carry that.”
Mathias shot him a small, sheepish smile. Abandoning the box, he joined Ward on the couch and brushed their lips together in a ghost of a kiss. “Yes, I could have, but for the moment, we can’t risk it.”
He placed his hand on the small lump of Ward’s belly. Truly, Ward should have been irritated—he was more than a brood mare—but he could understand the reasons for Mathias’s concern.
He arched a brow at Mathias, and his mate winced. “I know, I know. I’m trying not to be overbearing. It’s just so hard.”
That was the understatement of the century. Mathias’s protectiveness had gotten completely out of hand, to the point that he’d insisted to carry Ward even to the bathroom. Naturally, Ward hadn’t been very happy about that, and the ensuing argument had possibly been the loudest one they’d ever had, surpassing even their fight about Will.
Eventually, they’d agreed to a compromise. Ward couldn’t blame Mathias for being worried, especially given his recent injury and kidnapping, and Mathias respected Ward’s freedom and right to choose. As such, they were trying to find a balance so that both of them could be happy. So far, it had worked better than expected, despite Mathias’s insistent urge to keep Ward from any physical effort.
Ward took Mathias’s hand and squeezed it. Given everything they’d been through, he’d decided he didn’t want to get angry, not today. “It’s okay. It would have taken longer if I did it anyway, and Will and the others are waiting for us.”
Mathias perked up. He was thrilled that Ward was becoming closer to Will and Jessie, and very relieved that the Lone Wolf Pack had welcomed their move here. “They really have been great about this, haven’t they? I look forward to seeing the twins again.”
“Well, you have proven to be helpful. I mean, there are so many babies in that pack. Seriously, Mathias, you need to track down that contraceptive, because that cabin can only fit so many people.”
For all his words, he knew Mathias’s abilities weren’t the reason for the pack’s acceptance. Somehow, Ward felt it, every time he was there. Their affection did wonders to soothe the wound in his heart, helping him get used to the idea of Vera’s death.
Mathias obviously knew that, because he grinned. “You know, I might actually believe you mean what you say if I hadn’t seen you with Shannon. I think I need to soak up some kisses now, because later, that boy will want you all to himself.”
Mathias proved to be completely correct, and a few hours later, Ward found himself on another couch, this time in the very same cabin he’d mentioned in his conversation with Mathias. Shannon was in his lap, cooing happily. Seated across from him, Gavin shook his head. “I swear, I should be jealous. When you’re around, he acts like we’re not even here.”
Saul ruffled his son’s hair, and Shannon grabbed his father’s fingers and bit down. “Ow,” Saul mockingly complained. “You’re really a little traitor, aren’t you?”
Ward might have been concerned that he was truly hijacking Shannon’s attention, but Mathias had mentioned the child was a powerful empath. It was likely that he liked being close to Ward simply so that he could help Ward cope with his grief. His parents seemed to have grown used to their son’s behavior, and watched him fondly and with no little amount of pride. Ward understood. He already loved his child so much, and he hadn’t even held him or her in his arms.
“He’s amazing,” he told the couple. “Whenever I look at him, I get new hope for the future and I’m reminded of how much love I have in my life.”
“It’s not easy,” Gavin told him, “but it’s so very worth it. Mathias mentioned your baby will likely be a telepath?”
“Seems like it. I’m just a normal human, but we’ve had some real mind-reading moments, and Mathias blames it on our little bundle of joy. What about Jessica and Andrew?”
“We don’t know yet.” Saul shrugged. “For the moment, their superpower is being ridiculously noisy, and ridiculously adorable. Although that seems to be something quite common among the children of this pack...”
As if on cue, a happy whoop sounded from outside. Ward couldn’t resist. He got up and carefully handed Shannon back to Gavin, then went to pursue the noise.
He was not disappointed, nor all that surprised when he found an explosion of happy chaos in front of the cabin. It seemed that during his conversation with Gavin and Saul, Gavin’s youngest brother, Jack, had decided it would be fun to ride Dean as a wolf. It wasn’t the first time—apparently Jack and his sibling Kyle did that a lot—but it still amused Ward beyond belief.
Jessie and Andreas sat with their twins watching the spectacle with a laughing Will. Gavin’s mother, Alicia, was trying to temper her children. Meanwhile, Mathias had stepped aside with Parker and Jensen, obviously to check on their respective pregnancies.
Ward suspected Finn and Erdi were patrolling the premises, making sure they were all safe. Mathias was looking into strengthening his wards. He was still very concerned about the fact that the strange human hunters had managed to break his spells. Although he believed it to be at least in part because Ward and Teresa’s bond of blood—exploited by Vera—the pack wasn’t taking any chances.
The werewolf patrol was a good thing, because a howl alerted them they had incoming intruders. The children were quickly ushered inside, and Ward was forced to take refuge as well, together with the most vulnerable members of the pack.
A few minutes later, a wolf approached the cabin and shifted into Finn. Ward wondered if he’d ever get used to all the naked skin the shifters were flashing around. His muse was in heaven.
“We have guests,” Finn told his brother. “They want to talk to you.”
The fact that Finn had mentioned talking made all the difference in the world, but when the car pulled in, the tension within the werewolf members of the pack was so high Ward could feel it rattling in his bones. Shannon was quiet, though, and to Ward’s mind, that was good news.
Two men got out of the car, and Ward immediately noticed the way the larger of the two wrapped a protective arm around his smaller companion. “Greetings, Alpha Simmons. My name is Connor Fleming and this is my mate Dani Fuller.” He hesitated slightly, before continuing, “We seek shelter on your lands and permission to start our family here.”