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Looking back over the past year, my life didn’t seem real.

It had been a year since I met Rian, and my journey into being head over heels in love with him began.

I still kicked myself sometimes for waiting those four months to admit what I felt.

However, he said it happened the way it was supposed to.

In particular, so much has changed and been accomplished in these last six months. My family and I had figured out my new position within the company. Yes, I still work for DeSantis Bounty & Bonds, but I didn’t go into the field after fugitives or skippers.

However, I still got to do that when I worked with the Hounds.

Then, no one was following us, and I could appease my adrenaline-junkie self.

Rian had learned to deal with his worry when I did that.

Just as I had to deal with my concern when he went off without me to do something dangerous, they sure seemed to do it a lot for a bunch of rich playboys.

But the days of going along were postponed for a while.

The reason was that I was carrying our first child.

When Rian found out, he’d been over the moon.

He announced it to the families at a family breakfast the next day.

However, he’d made sure I knew that hunting would be prohibited while pregnant.

I agreed. I would do nothing to risk this baby. I was at the end of my first trimester.

The baby was due early next March. And, speaking of babies, there had been a flurry of them in the family.

First was Aurora. She gave birth to her son, Liev, at the end of May.

They were doing wonderfully, and both families ensured Liev wanted for nothing.

And as his godmother and Rian, his godfather, it was doubly covered.

Barely two weeks after Liev’s birth, Aisling had her and Alistair’s baby girl.

Sheena. Alistair was wrapped around her tiny finger and adored her as much as he adored Aisling.

There was a break in babies, and Rian and I got married in July.

It had been a scorching day, but we refused to wait until the fall.

Luckily, we had an incredible indoor venue, and it was everything that I wished for and more.

Papà walked me down the aisle. Since there were so many brothers and cousins, they put their names in a hat to see who would be the groomsmen.

The names drawn were Rory, Fallon, and Luciano.

The others good-naturedly moaned about it.

And the fourth one was none other than Reign.

He was shocked when Rian asked him, but he said yes.

Then I made him sweat it until the end that he’d be wearing pink.

He was lucky I wouldn’t do that to my man.

Reign was like another brother to me. God help me.

I now have thirteen between my actual brothers, Rian’s brothers and cousins, and Reign.

I told the other single guys to hurry up and find their soulmates so I would have an equal number of sisters.

We each had four attendants. I didn’t have as many vying to be mine, but there were still a lot, so we used the hat as well.

I had insisted that one be Aurora, leaving three others to fill.

I ended up with Siv, Maria, and Cara. It had been a magical day.

And I found out about the baby the day before the wedding.

I waited until that night, after we’d celebrated one round of our honeymoon lovemaking, before I told Rian.

Other things happened during that time, but the latest was ten days ago when Kynedi had her and Tiernan’s baby girl, Quinn.

She was as gorgeous as her mommy. I saw another tough alpha man fall in love on the spot when Tiernan saw his daughter.

Cassius was excited to have a sibling and boasted about how he would protect her.

And now, as of today, a reckoning that had been months in the making was revealed.

I’d told Aurora and others that I’d make Fitch the weasel shit pay for what he did to her and Liev.

That came to be early this morning. When the families found out what I did, they were in awe.

I thought it was rather ingenious. Fitch hadn’t escaped paying to care for his son.

I sat back, smiled, and snuggled with the love of my life, my anamchara , or, as we said in Italian, my anima gemella . Rian gazed at me in love and wonder.