said we could visit with you in the spring after the baby is born.”
“I would love that,” I say as we share a warm hug.
Taking our leave, we walk the short distance to the house where Brandon and I first committed to one another. How strange to be staring at the pretty, rambling cottage again. It feels like the world has turned upon its head since I was last here.
“I believe it is customary to carry the bride over the threshold,” Brandon says with a wink.
“She is a mate, not a wife,” Gage says as though deeply offended by the term.
Brandon rolls his eyes. “Fine, I will carry the lass in. Although I carried her the first time. I just thought you might want to have your turn.”
Brandon chuckles as Gage scoops me up into his arms. “I thought that would work,” he says.
“Mutt,” Gage mutters under his breath. “You should learn when to quit baiting if you want to rut her tonight.”
I giggle as I am swept inside. I’m sure Brandon just groaned as though in great pain.
Carried straight through, I am placed carefully upon the bed.
Gage looks down at me, a familiar hunger in his eyes.
Brandon comes and stands beside him, the same fire lighting his eyes.
I squeeze my thighs together, my body rising at the sight of my two beautiful mates staring down at me.
“So, this is where it all started,” Gage says.
“Aye,” Brandon replies. “Only she is twice as lusty now. Happen we will need to rut her thoroughly, maybe even awaken the claiming mark before she is satisfied.”
The bond hums with pleasure.
“Agreed,” Gage says. “Our mate must be thoroughly claimed for her pleasure and ours.”
Epilogue
Gage
IT HAS BEEN a long time coming, but Eric has finally relented and allowed me to see my brother, Danon. My claiming of Jessa and Brandon has facilitated the ties growing between our clans. Along with our continuing peaceful ways, allowing tempers to settle. This is only the beginning, but I’m grateful nonetheless for an opportunity to see and speak to my brother.
It has been over year since he was taken prisoner. I have thought of him every single day.
A Halket warrior takes me to a small bare shack adjoining the great hall. A high, barred window lets a little light in, casting weak winter sunlight over my brother.
We take each other’s measure. It is good to see Danon, although it pains me that he is locked up like this.
“Did you kill the Halket king?” I ask.
“No,” he says.
I believe him. It relieves me that I can accept his words as truth.
I have ruminated over the answer to this question.
Wondered if I would get a chance to even ask him.
Wondered if he would admit that he did kill the late king. Or worse, that he would lie to me about it.
“What happened?”
He sighs. I have a feeling he has told this tale often.
“We split after leaving the clan. Father went north with the first party, I went south with the second, and a third party went east. Scouting was as much as my father said. It was quiet, no attack was coming, and we rode along the border until we met with the third party again. I didn’t realize what they were up to, what our father had ordered them to do. Not until I came upon them stringing the body up. I was livid. With them, with our father, with myself. I could barely see straight, let alone think. That was when Eric attacked. He killed everyone but me. And that was only so he could exact his revenge at leisure.”
That also rings true. Our late father was ever a man who trusted no one, not even his blood, with his plans. If ever I needed reminding of how little we meant to him, it is manifested here in this shack as I look upon my damned brother.
He looks a little thinner. There are a few more scars on his face, but he is not dead, and although he is a prisoner, he is clean and in reasonable conditions.
“They say you killed our father,” he says.
“Aye,” I say. “I did.”
He nods. I don’t know if he is saddened by this news. Maybe like me, he is relieved that the reign of terror is over.
“And that you are king now and mated to an Omega.”
My lips tug up. It is hard to think of my sweet mate and the not-so-sweet wolf shifter and not smile. Then there are the pup-babies who