Page 28

epilogue

ENZO—ABOUT A YEAR LATER

“Come on, Princess.” I pulled Aspen onto my lap. She protested as her plate went askew, and nearly dumped pancakes, eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns all over the couch. Her hair was damp from the shower, her cheeks still pink from the heat we were recovering from.

“Do you think the pack can survive if we keep taking a trip like this every month?” she asked, brushing a kiss to my cheek as she cut into the pancakes I’d refused to let her help make.

My cum was still leaking out of her, and I wanted it to stay that way for as long as possible. Sitting while I cooked helped with that.

And reading her steamy books would make sure she was good and ready for another round of sex in a few hours. We were busy enough with the pack that we didn’t get nearly as much time alone as we wanted, so when we made it to the cabin for heat, we made sure to get our fill.

“If they can’t, they can pick a new Alpha,” I said, completely serious.

Aspen smiled, but she knew I meant it. She knew me too damn well. Better than my own brothers did.

I wasn’t giving up my monthly escape with her. The first one had been her idea, and we had both been so worn out that we’d repeated it every time heat came around.

Our doctor had proven with science that we didn’t actually need to leave. Her pheromones had been altered by our bond, and only affected me after we mated.

But I didn’t care.

I needed to have her to myself now and then.

I had never bothered to imagine having a mate, but now that I had her, she was everything.

We were equals.

Partners.

It was a fucking dream, but the evidence that it was real was everywhere. In the smiles I couldn’t suppress. The scent of her on my clothes. The decorative pillows that seemed to be spreading like a fucking disease.

I loved all of it. Even the pillows, but only because they smelled like her.

My wolf rumbled, and hers basically purred back. They were just as close as we were.

After we were done eating, we set our plates on the couch beside us. Aspen leaned against me a little more, and I pulled her closer.

“Do you think we’ll ever be done changing women?” she wondered.

“I think it’s going to be at least a part-time job for the rest of our lives.”

It was the truth—unless werewolf numbers started to grow.

A few female werewolves had already given birth since being transformed. Many of them had at least one daughter, and none of the girls had been born as werewolves.

Aspen had received many requests from the mothers, but she refused to change the little girls until they were old enough to make that decision themselves. I supported that, loudly. With my claws, fangs, and power.

No one was trying to convince us otherwise anymore.

We still hadn’t come up with a proper way to determine which unmated women would be given the chance to be transformed, which they were also pissed about. The complication that was heat made unmated female wolves a risk both to themselves and the stability of our society.

We had time to figure it out, thankfully. At the current rate, we still had a year-and-a-half’s worth of mated women to go through, and the number was constantly growing.

It was a headache, but we’d make it work.

“If we ever have a daughter, do you think she’ll be born a wolf?” Aspen asked.

“Yes.” There was no doubt in my mind, or in my voice. My brothers and I were bigger and stronger than everyone else for a reason. We were purebred werewolves. Mine and Aspen’s children would be, too.

I slid my fingers through the soft strands of her hair, tilting her head back so I could kiss the markings my wolf had left on her throat. “I hope the pack rejects me for running away with you this weekend. Think how much easier life would be.”

Aspen laughed. “They love you too much.”

“Probably.”

“Definitely.” She tipped her head back further, and I kissed my way down to her collarbone. “I can’t believe you’re already hard again. You only get hornier the longer we’re together.”

I made a noise of agreement, nipping at the sexy little curve calling my name.

“Okay, okay, just strip me,” she said with a dramatic sigh, and lifted her hands up above her head.

“Yes, Princess.” I tore the fabric over her head, and she grinned before I kissed her.

She was everything to me.

And I would abduct her all over again if I had to.