Page 63

Epilogue

Grey

“Finally,” she sighs and falls backwards onto the bed.

I toss the wet towel from around my waist in the direction of the laundry hamper and say, “Lose the towel, wife.”

She smiles, showing me that pretty dimple. I have a feeling I’m gonna get to see it much more often.

“Gladly. That shower was missing something vitally important.”

“What’s that?” I inquire.

“Hanky panky. It was a functional shower. Necessary, especially after the past forty-eight hours we’ve spent, but not nearly as fun as usual. If you’re too tired, I can do all the work for a change and you can be the one to just lie here.”

I drop beside her on the bed. “Yeah, maybe.”

She rolls onto me, her mane of dark, wet, wavy hair lashing my skin. Excitement lights her eyes and her still damp, warm body slides down until she’s on her knees between my thighs.

She leans forward and kisses my throat and trails kisses down my shoulders to my pecs, swirling her hot, wet tongue around my nipple and pulling a sound of pleasure from me. That sound goes deeper and huskier as her fingers wrap around my cock.

She pulls, thumb grazing over the crown, before she lowers further and tentatively presses her lips to the tip.

This surprises me, but I try not to show it because I don’t want to take her out of this moment, don’t want to send her into a memory that frankly could make me lose my erection or spend another minute thinking about her now deservedly dead brother. It wasn’t an honorable way to die. It sure didn’t look or sound like the way anyone would want to go, but it was very poetic. And now, it’s over.

And I have no problem with the fact that my woman played a part in that – which I hope and suspect was cathartic for her and everyone else present there today.

The sensations in our connection along with the way she takes me deep into her hot, wet mouth gives me a bit of a clue. She’s not stressed out, she’s not fretting, she’s in this moment, focused on giving me pleasure and seeming like she enjoys it too.

“Put your hand between your legs, Blossom. Are you wet for me?”

She looks up, still sucking me off, eyes glassing over as she takes me deeper and reaches between her legs.

“That’s my good girl,” I rumble.

She whimpers and I know she’s reveling in the praise. I see it in her expression, hear it in the way she’s panting with excitement, hear how wet she is as she touches herself, and I feel it in our connection.

She gets me deeper, gags, and pulls back while she squeezes her fist around the root of my shaft. As great as her mouth feels, I want inside that tight, wet heat instead. I want us both to ride the wave of pleasure my knot brings. I grab her by the armpits and move her to her back. Her legs wind around my hips as I slam inside, pulling a groan from my soaking wet wife.

“Fuck, Stacy. You feel so fucking good.”

“Y-you, too, Grey. So f-fucking good.” She drives her hands into my hair and sinks her teeth into my throat.

My knot snaps out and sends us both into the ether.

***

I’m just about to finally fall asleep, mind running over the events of the past few weeks. I had purpose with my pack, with my family. But in a few short weeks I’ve now got my fated mate, my family starting, and my extended family growing. I was paired with a broken, fearful female who is proving she’s so much more than that. She’s nurturing. She’s strong. She strives to right wrongs. She’s exactly who I want to raise a family with. I’ve got five cousins and a great aunt. I’ve got a connection to the magic in me and I will learn how to wield it. I’ve finally met my birth mother and ended her life in the very same day, knowing to my core that the magic I’ve been gifted with isn’t for the faint of heart or the weak of will. I’ve gone in these few weeks from knowing next to nothing about the magic in me to seeing more than once what dabbling with dark magic can do. And I know I’m the leader of this coven and in the council for this large pack for good reasons.

There are no dark whispers coming at me and they never will. Because I live in the light. I thrive in the light. And I know my beautiful Blossom and our two sons and future children will all flourish here, too. I did get a text message from Erica asking me to meet with her and Ronnie who will drive down. They want to do a salt circle, have me take the ampule, and for me to connect with Ronnie to make sure nothing residually dark remains. I told her I’d do it the following day instead. Tomorrow I’m not leaving this house and nobody gets in either. Tomorrow it’s just me and my mate.

Tonight, I will sleep in this form. Because I can afford to sleep deep tonight. Tomorrow I’ll wake up and spend the day pleasuring my mate, directing her, shift-fucking, making her come over and over until she pleads with me to stop.

Stacy

Two Days Later

“Send me a text and if I’m done, I’ll pick you up,” Grey says, kissing me by the door to Roxy’s Bar. He opens the door and gestures for me to go in. “We’ll go for a run later.”

“And a swimming lesson?”

“Sure.”

“Sounds great,” I say and he kisses me sweetly before I turn and see lots of smiling and welcoming faces in the restaurant.

I drove to the restaurant from the house. Grey is teaching me to drive and to swim.

I immediately see the girls at a booth. Ivy, Amie, Bailey, and a pretty brunette shifter with striking blue eyes. This must be Cicely, Bailey’s bestie.

Erica couldn’t make it. She has an important meeting today with a vampire from the SCC and then she and Ronnie are meeting with Grey.

Grey says this whole SCC vampire situation has Riley acting like he could chew broken glass.

Riley wanted Grey to go with her, but Erica put her foot down so he’s backed off. I said she must be strong-willed! I spoke to her on the phone this morning and we’ve made plans to have them over for dinner in a few days. I’m excited to get to know her better. It started out with her inviting us for dinner, but apologizing for the fact she doesn’t cook. I offered to cook and it made more sense for them to come to our place.

The day after we got back, after Soleil and Wyatt died, Grey and I had a full uninterrupted day together. It was incredible. And I’m still sore from it. He made good on his threats. He did make a decision between teasing me endlessly and making me come so many times I pleaded for mercy. He chose to do the first, then the latter. And… oh, my stars… it was unforgettable.

This morning he made slow, sweet love to me. And we talked for an hour in bed. I talked about processing everything with my brother. He talked about processing everything with his birth mother. We’ve been through a lot. But we’ve got one another.

I told him how with his first purr I started remembering wonderful things about my grandparents. It felt like a gift. Grey talked about how meeting me brought him a gift too – new powers. How he plans to spend time with his cousins to learn all he can. And he made sure to remind me that I’m the greatest gift he’s received, that I (and our future children) are the most important beings in the world to him.

I know we’ll be okay despite what we’ve been through. And I know I’ll be there for him even if it’s hard on him to heal after what he went through with Soleil. He told me he made her a promise to make sure he’s not holding anything negative from their exchange of magic. She took some and he took it back. He’s going to have his cousins do an assessment. I have no doubts; there’s not an ounce of darkness in him. Only fiercely protective light.

Right now, I’m meeting Amie, Ivy, Bailey, and Cicely for brunch in Roxy’s Bar. Later, Grey has to go to town to take care of some things at one of his rental properties so I’ll get him to drop me at the library to visit with Aphra, Halla, Addy, Misty, and the others. See how everyone’s doing. See if anyone needs anything.

I’m nearly to the booth when I’m greeted by a shifter beauty in a black apron. “Nice to meet you, Stacy. I’m Roxy.” She grabs my hand and shakes it, continuing to talk, “and I know you’re new, you’re honeymooning, and you’re expecting twins – congratulations – but just sayin’… if you do decide you want to put in a few hours every week cooking, serving, or both, you’re hired. I could really use some help around here.”

I’m taken aback. She’s smiling and friendly and she’s offering me a job!

“Oh! Wow. I’d love that. Can I talk to Grey and get back to you?”

“Absolutely. What can I get you to drink?”

“Um… a big glass of water?”

“Comin’ right up.”

“Thank you so much.”

I approach the table of women waiting for me and the feeling inside me when I see their smiling faces has me ready to burst into happy tears.

Friends. A job offer. A pack to fit into. Knowing my former pack has lots of positivity to look forward to. And most of all, starting a family with my fated mate – the absolutely wonderful Greyson Blackwood who calls me his blossom.

I do feel like a flower who grew in a filthy, miserable junkyard, but thanks to Fate I’m getting an opportunity to flourish, to… blossom.