Page 29 of Bound to Enemy (Wolf Billionaire #3)

EPILOGUE

ALESSANDRA

M y stomach churned, and I could feel the backflips going on in my belly. I was nervous, but maybe that could have been the chicken curry that I had insisted on having for lunch.

"Dammit," I groaned as I hoisted myself from the bed with great struggle.

There was never going to be a way to get out of bed elegantly.

I had passed the cute baby bump phase of my pregnancy and now I was in the get-this-thing-out-of-me phase.

I felt the harsh kick from the baby and I quickly stopped my train of thought.

"Okay, okay, mommy is sorry." I looked down at my round belly, "But you can't kick mommy like that unless you want me to pee in this dress too."

Had I accidentally wet myself when the baby had moved in my belly like he was doing gymnastics? Yes. Any slight movement pushed down on my bladder and made me want to use the bathroom every five minutes. I didn't think that I would ever be that woman who considered adult diapers, but here I was considering them.

What? I was tired of always having to walk to the bathroom, but now my walk was more of a waddle than anything else.

I huffed and prepared myself to hoist myself to my feet.

With great effort and patience, I finally made it up. I looked to the large floor-to-ceiling window and saw all the people milling around at the back of the house that had been decorated expertly for the summer solstice.

It was a tradition that we wolves loved to celebrate, but for the first time, we were going to join the two packs of Blood Born and Blackstone.

The goddess was smiling at us right now. This was what she had always intended for our people. She wanted us to be united and to come together as one people, one community, one pack.

I smiled thinking of how my mother would have loved to see this. She had been one person who always believed in the unity of the packs. She was never one to talk badly of Blackstone, and now I knew why. She had seen the vision long before it had become a reality.

The hairs on the back of my head prickled, and I knew that he was on his way up to get me. I looked at the mirror in the corner of the room and caught my reflection in it.

I wore a long white sundress, and I had put my hair into a very soft and feminine updo that softened my otherwise sharp and calloused exterior.

The most prominent thing that I could see was my round belly.

I walked out of the room with my hair done up and my sundress flowing down to my feet.

After seven months of pregnancy, this had become my new uniform. The only things that could fit me comfortably were summer dresses and leggings.

My husband was fine with this. He loved the dresses and the leggings. He said that it made my ass look plump. I, on the other hand, wanted this baby out of my belly. I was tired of growing life in my belly now. I missed sushi, wine, and being able to train like I used to. Now I could barely make it up the flight of stairs without huffing and puffing.

"You look gorgeous, Ale." My husband stood on the other side of the hallway. He was looking dashing in his khakis and white button-down. He had left the top two buttons undone. I could see his mark on full display, the sight of it inflated my chest a little.

I loved seeing him bearing my mark. It made me feel all the more connected to him.

I blew one of the stray wisps of hair out of my face. "I look like an elephant. I am so tired of being pregnant."

He chuckled and closed the distance between us. "I think you happen to look beautiful like this, Ale. I love seeing you grow our son in your belly."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course, you would say that. You only like it because my damn libido is so high."

The side of his lip tilted upward. "Maybe. Come on, everyone is waiting for us."

He threaded our fingers together and walked us down the hallway and toward the stairs. To think that only a year and a half ago I had come to this mansion and looked at it as a cage that I had been confined to. Now, it was my home and I was about to start my family here.

It was something I had been reminiscing about the last few days. It was strange just how far we had all come. The integration between Bloodborn and Blackstone was something I never thought I would see in my lifetime. But here we were celebrating the winter solstice with each other.

We walked out to the back of the mansion and everyone was already waiting for us. A hushed whisper fell over the area as we walked out before everyone began clapping and cheering for us as we made our way to the stage.

I was nervous, to say the least; this was the first time that I would be addressing both packs as the Luna.

I spotted my father in the crowd with a huge smile on his lips. As we moved through the path the large crowd had created for us, I spotted more familiar and friendly faces.

The pack members cheered and clapped for us like we were the heroes, when in true fact it had been them who had taken us to victory almost a year ago today.

Daxton helped me onto the stage carefully. It was hard navigating life with a belly this big where I could hardly see the next steps I was taking.

We stood at the front and I gulped as my eyes moved over the crowd, catching every single pair of eyes I made contact with.

Daxton squeezed my hand before I let it go and stepped forward. I was nervous, to say the least, but it was that excited kind of nervous where you were expectant of what was to come. You weren't dreading it.

"As many of you know, this is our first year celebrating the solstice together." I began my speech. I had written one out but that was all out the window now; I couldn't even remember the first line. "As you all know, it is a very important time for all of us. It is a time that symbolizes changing seasons and new beginnings. We have come a long way as a people. Once divided by tensions and egos, now we are reunited as one.

If you had told me two years ago that I would be standing here in front of you as your Luna and pregnant with Daxton's heir, I would have laughed in your face."

That earned me a few chuckles from the crowd and even an eye roll from my mate.

"But here I stand before you with happiness filled in my heart and as a proud member of both Blackstone and Bloodborn. We have lost much since the days of war, but we will rebuild it all again. I promise that as your leader, I will protect you all and stand firm in truth for all that is good and right for our people."

I felt my son jump in my belly when I said that last sentence.

"And to my mate," I turned to Daxton who was looking at me with pride in his eyes. "I never knew what life was until I looked into your eyes. I know that our story was not easy, not by a long shot, but somehow we found our way back to each other like we were destined, fated by the goddess herself. I promise to love you and to stand by your side in every moment until my dying breath. And I promise to find you in the life that comes after this one."

The cheers erupted when Daxton closed the distance between us and enveloped me in his arms. He pressed his lips against mine.

Shots of electricity raged throughout my entire body. When we pulled apart, I had a shit-eating grin on my face.

I had never been happier in my entire life.

"I love you," I whispered the words under the loud cheers, but I knew that he would hear me.

"I love you too."

I stepped out of his embrace and stepped back so he could address his people.

"I would just like to say thank you, to all of you for coming to celebrate this momentous occasion. Thank my wife for her leadership in both packs, who stood by my side and led our people through war zones and into peace. As many of you know, my wife is expecting. This will be our first child together, the first of four?—"

"Not a chance!"

"...I hope at least."

The crowd laughed at our banter. I rubbed my belly affectionately when I felt my strong little alpha kick inside of me.

He loved hearing the sound of his father's voice. It was the cutest thing I had ever seen. I knew already that they would be the best of friends. Daxton was ready for his new undertaking as a father, and I was more than confident that he would take to the new title well.

"Alessandra and I did not start out on the best footing. She wanted to kill me the first day we met. She held a sharp blade against my neck and threatened to slice me open. Now that's not to say that she doesn't threaten death when I get on her bad side, and as of late, that has been often." Daxton turned to me and gave me a teasing wink. I rolled my eyes at his antics, but I couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out of me. "Who knew that one day these enemies would turn into real lovers? My heart was dead before I knew her. And even when I thought I loathed her, I was simply falling deeper in love with her. And when I finally realized what was going on, it was too late. She had me, and I never wanted her to give my heart back. Words cannot describe how much this woman means to me. I am the man I am today because of my wife. She strengthens me in my weakest moments, and she uplifts me when I feel the weight of the world caving in on me."

Daxton turned toward me fully. Our eyes connected, and the world slipped away. It was just me and him who existed in that moment.

"Baby, I promised you that I would love you for the rest of our lives, and if at death we should part, I would make sure to find you in every lifetime after that. There is no world where you exist that I am not at your side.

You are the absolute love of my life. And whether we are walking into war zones or on river banks, I will be right there by your side holding your hand. I love you."

The tears started flowing down my cheeks uncontrollably. No matter how hard I tried to pull the tears back, they just kept flowing out of me.

Those damn pregnancy hormones.

I waddled my way over to my mate and threw my arms around his neck. Well, I tried to, given that my belly was a rather large obstacle to navigate around.

Seeing my struggle, Daxton scooped me into his arms and pressed his lips to mine in a searing kiss. Everyone erupted into cheers.

I would never tire of kissing this man. Every time our lips collided, it was like the universe was coming together and colliding.

When we pulled away, we wore matching smiles on our faces. I had never felt so at peace in my entire life.

We looked at the crowd and saw all the smiling faces of the people we loved and held dearly to our hearts.

My father, Jason, Alex, Lily, Elliot, and all the others. We were once divided by our differences, but tonight we celebrated them as one people.

Elliot cupped his hands against the side of his mouth and yelled loudly within the crowd. "To the alpha and Luna!"

The crowd cheered along with him.

"You and me?" I looked to my mate with a heart filled with love and a spirit filled with hope for the future.

"You and me, Ale."

Here was to a fresh start and new life. I didn't know what the future held, but I knew that as long as I had him by my side, there was nothing that I would not be able to conquer.