Page 43 of Mushy Stuff (Guardian Mates #1)

Epilogue

The babies start crying well before the sun comes up.

Allium groans and rolls away from where we are snuggling together and picks up one of them.

I hear him changing the baby’s diaper cloth, then he brings the baby to me in bed so I can nurse him.

He then picks up the other crying baby and changes his diaper cloth before bringing him to me as well.

I have a baby nursing on each breast and I’m so tired that it aches, but I have never been so happy as I am now.

Allium is the perfect mate and father, just as I knew he would be.

We’ve recently purchased an older inn and tavern on the outskirts of our realm, very near to the human world. It belonged to one of Allium’s distant uncles. He was getting older and was tired of running the place, so we purchased it and moved in just before the twins were born.

The inn needs a lot of repairs, so Allium has spent his days working on that. Two of his younger brothers are staying with us to help with the repairs.

Allium has a huge family with many brothers and sisters.

Apparently, it’s customary in the mountains where he’s from that the oldest son takes over Guardian duties of their family’s territory.

The rest of the children are expected to learn skills and move out into the world and make lives for themselves.

Allium chose to learn to cook. His two younger brothers are carpenters and have been so helpful with the repairs.

I don’t know how we would have done it without them.

It's been wonderful having them stay with us.

I was an only child growing up, and my parents didn’t pay much attention to me, so I’ve never known what it was like to have a real family.

I love seeing Allium with his brothers, and I am so glad that my boys will be able to have that kind of bond as well.

Apparently, Allium’s people like to have a lot of babies. In fact, Allium had already started talking about more babies recently, but I’ve convinced him to wait a few years. I want plenty of time to spend with the twins before I must divide my attention between them and a new baby, or two.

I try not to think about Lord Varik anymore.

I had nightmares for a while, and crying fits during the day, but Allium has helped me work through a lot of what happened.

Sometimes now there are several days that I don’t think about it at all.

I know it’s getting better, and hopefully someday soon, I will never think of him again.

My fingertips and toes are still the same gold that they were the night Allium gave me his mating bite, but it doesn’t bother me anymore.

I like the way it looks, especially the way it contrasts with the markings from Allium’s mating bite.

I made hand puppets out of some of the golden fabric from the clothes I took from Lord Varik’s estate.

I make up little stories and sing songs for the boys with the puppets.

I know they are still babies, but I like to think that one day, the boys will just see the gold on my fingers as the magic from my stories.

There is one thing I am grateful to Lord Varik for, though. If it hadn’t been for working at his horrible estate, I never would have met Allium. I would relive all of that pain again and again, just to be with my mate.

The End