Page 17

EPILOGUE

A nthony woke to Silver trailing his warm fingers across Anthony’s stomach. He sighed at his lover’s touch. Nothing was better than his Alpha’s hands. It had been three years since they met, but they had gone through enough adventures for a lifetime. Even the constant threats to their lives couldn’t take away the beauty of these quiet moments.

“I love you,” Anthony whispered, not wanting to ruin the morning calm.

“Always,” Silver replied.

Delicious shivers trailed down Anthony’s body as Silver slid his callused hands across Anthony’s smooth skin and ghosted his hot breath against Anthony’s neck.

He shuddered.

Goosebumps followed Silver’s touch. His lax muscles tightened as his Alpha continued mapping Anthony’s body with a perfect touch. Silver flipped Anthony from his side to his back as he sank into a pleasant haze. He lifted Anthony’s arms and trapped his wrists together with one enormous hand.

“You are mine.” His eyes glowed, his inner wolf peering out. “You will always be mine.”

“Yes.” Anthony went boneless beneath Silver’s hold. He trusted his Alpha with his body and his soul.

The spirit wolf Zeus had left behind in Anthony raised its head but went back to sleep when it spied his mate. There would be no contesting this dominance, not like before. He had learned his place and deferred to his Alpha.

Relief swept through him. Anthony didn’t think they would ever reach this point after the first interaction between their wolves.

“Keep your hands there,” Silver ordered.

“Yes, sir.”

He was rewarded with a passionate kiss. Desire shuddered through him, settling between his legs. He pushed his needy erection against his lover.

“Pushy brat,” Silver chastised in a fond tone.

“Only for you.”

“Good. Gives me fewer people to kill.”

Anthony’s laughter took a slight edge off his desire.

Silver removed Anthony’s pajama bottoms, exposing his erection. Silver slid down the mattress. Without hesitation, he took the mushroom head into his mouth and sucked on the tip.

Anthony whined when Silver lifted his mouth.

“Hush, darling.” Silver stood and stripped Anthony fully. “I’ll take care of you.”

“You always do.” Although he might bring him to the edge, Silver had never left him wanting.

“Roll over.”

Anthony obeyed. Once on his stomach, he slid his knees up to present himself to his mate.

“You only get more beautiful with time.” Silver glided his hand from Anthony’s nape to the base of his spine, then cupped his ass with both hands.

Silver’s body heat, warmer than a human, burned into Anthony’s skin, priming him to want more.

Anthony made a pleased, humming sound pulled from his soul. His magic crackled, ready and willing to protect Anthony from harm.

“Easy, love,” Silver’s deep voice soothed his magic back beneath his skin.

“Sorry.”

“No apologies needed. I’m glad your magic is there for you. I just don’t want it thinking of me as an enemy.”

Silver pressed a line of kisses down Anthony’s back, giving particular attention to the base of his spine.

“Ah,” Anthony arched his back when Silver bit down, worrying the skin between his sharp teeth.

Silver released him, then lapped at the spot, soothing the irritated skin. “Lube up.”

Anthony used a frisson of magic to loosen his muscles. He had barely finished before Silver pressed a finger inside to check.

“Good boy.”

Anthony’s heart fluttered over Silver’s words. He was a sucker for positive feedback. He denied it was a praise kink. Who didn’t like being told they were good? Willfully ignoring an entire group of people who liked the opposite.

There was no time to obsess over kinks he might or might not have. Silver gave him little time to adjust before he pushed inside in a slow, relentless slide.

“Oh.” Anthony pushed back, meeting Silver, motion to motion, until their combined grunts filled the air, and Anthony’s body sang as his orgasm speared through him.

“That’s it.”

Silver’s deep voice warmed Anthony, wrapping him in a cocoon of love and safety. God or not, everyone liked to be cherished.

After a final kiss to the back of Anthony’s neck, Silver carefully pulled out. Anthony cleaned them with a wave of his hand.

Silver rolled to lie beside him, pulling Anthony on top of his chest.

“Do you think we’ll ever have a calm life?” He couldn’t help asking.

“Why would we want that?” Silver tilted Anthony’s head up to meet his eyes. “As many problems as we’ve had and weird situations we find ourselves in, I love our life. Could I do without other people trying to kill us? Yes. But without our madness, we wouldn’t have our mixed pack or our child. If given the chance, there’s nothing I would undo because it might mean I lost something precious. You and Trin are the world to me, and nothing is worth losing either of you.”

Anthony sniffed.

“Don’t cry, darling.” Silver pressed a kiss to his head.

“I’m not crying. I need to dust.” Anthony blinked back the moisture in his eyes.

“Of course. How silly of me to think otherwise.”

He nodded. “It really was, but I forgive you.”

“Thank you. You are so compassionate.”

“I really am.”

Anthony snuggled up closer and kissed Silver’s chest. “You are my world.” Being sappy didn’t make it less sincere.

Before Silver could respond, he vanished. Anthony’s head fell to the mattress. Panicked, he sat up. Frantically, he searched the room for his missing mate.

“Silver!” he shouted. “Silver!”

With a thought, clothes wrapped around his naked body. What had happened? Where did Silver go? Before he could shout his name again, a scroll landed beside him.

With shaking fingers, he unrolled the parchment.

I have him. Come find me if you want him back. – Vas

Flames burned the parchment into ash. He was going to kill him!

Hands fisted and fury burning in his chest, Anthony screamed. “Grandfather!”