Epilogue

*Sebastion*
*A little over a year later.*

Lively childish laugher has become the melody of my life over the last year. Today, we have turned the backyard into a small carnival for Jace’s birthday celebration. I am watching him from the back porch as he chases after Zasha as she runs in circles with his current favorite toy.

Irina bought him a small spyglass that connects to a little stand he can put in their treehouse. He loves that thing. I bought him a small telescope so he can watch the stars at night from his bedroom window. He wanted to bring that outside to the party, but I told he would have enough of time to use it later tonight.

A squeal of pure delight makes me look out into the yard. Callie gives Oleg a hug, then runs off to show her mother her freshly painted face. When I asked Oleg to take control of the face paint booth, he agreed immediately. Seeing him so relaxed makes me smile.

To anyone just meeting Oleg, they would never know that a little over a year ago, he was a vastly different man. Being safe and reunited with his family has helped him more than words can say. He has become an excellent friend to me. Something that shocked me but pleased me at the same time.

I asked him if he wanted to join the warriors of the pack, but he declined. Fighting just isn’t who he is anymore. He always loved to paint like his brother Pavel did but he never had time as a warrior for their old pack. Instead, he was thrilled when I offered him a job as the high school art teacher. Now he helps our younger pack members explore their artistic sides. He also teaches a night class at the rec center to our adult pack members.

Oleg is now thriving.

Soft feminine laugher makes me look to my left. Down at the far end of the back porch is the love of my life. My mate, Luna, and the mother of my children. Her belly is just now starting to show her pregnancy. We are happy to be adding to our family again.

Irina is glowing as she sits with her sisters, my mother, and my sister.

Katarina has her six-month-old son, Nicholai, on her lap as they all talk. She and Luca are beyond happy since Nico was born. Gone is the sad, scared woman that Monroe brought to me. Now she is a confident businesswoman, a proud mother, and a cherished mate. She recently began to train with our female warriors. I was plesantly surprised at how good she is in combat. She now helps train our younger females.

Natalia sits on a blanket on the porch floor with Oksanna in her lap. She and Kat are now partners in their design shop in town. Every so often when she is holding one of the twins, I see a wistful, longing look in her eyes. She is still yearning for her mate.

Sometimes when Irina and I go away on business trips to other packs, we take Nat with us. Irina tells her that one day she will find her mate and she will have all the happiness she deserves. For now, Natalia fills her days with work and her nights spending time with family.

A curse in Russian makes me look to my right. Alexei is sitting in a rocking chair with Theo on his lap. Theo’s little fist is flailing about as his grandfather talks to him. From here, it looks like my son is shaking his fist at him. It makes me smile.

For Alexei, his grandchildren are his pride and joy. They have given him reasons to smile each day. When we told him they we are adding to our family, he was overjoyed. He and Flynn cooked a feast to celebrate our news.

The two of them clicked like they have been friends their entire lives. With Alexei’s encouragement, he and Flynn opened a small café in town. They are now partners. It has been such a success that they have hired two pastry chefs and a part-time employee to help make small deli sandwiches.

Alexei appears to be happy and thriving. However, it is days like today that I catch the shadow of pain in his eyes. He hides it much better than his children do. I know for them there is a piece of their family still missing.

Pavel.

The Werewolf Council was harsh in their sentence for his crimes against Gustav. They branded him with a symbol for his crime. Silver was used to make the mark clear and permanent. Then he was sentenced to ten years in prison. The prison that the council uses is in southwest Bolivia. It is in the world’s largest salt flats.

The prison camp is somewhere that no werewolf ever wants to go. It surprised me they only gave him ten years. However, the brand on his face, small as it is, will stay with him for life. Every werewolf he crosses paths with after his release will know what he did. His own kind will shun him.

To me, that is the worst part of his sentence.

To know that he paid for his crime with time in a highly fortified prison camp, only to come out and be ostracized by his family and the entire werewolf community. Pavel’s life will never be what it was before Treadstone barreled into his life. He survived Treadstone, but the crime he committed against the man he claimed to love was his undoing.

I can’t say I am sorry for his fate. Gustav certainly isn’t. When I told him what the council did with Pavel, he cried for the past that they shared as friends. Then he squared his shoulders and went on with his life.

Six months ago, he found his second chance mate. A delegation from the new Jade Moon pack came from Canada to speak to all the survivors that I rescued so long ago. Cleo, one member of the delegation, sensed him as I was giving them all a tour.

Gustav has come to life since she agreed to stay. Gone is the emaciated man who Vicktor used to find us. The change in his appearance and demeanor is astonishing. His eyes are sharp and clear. The once broken man is now one of the strongest warriors that my pack has.

I talked to Flint and Justin a few days ago about making Gustav a Gamma. He would take Wade’s position with Justin. Wade found his mate a few months ago while on a delegation I sent him and Justin on to one of our allies in Washington. They both agree that Gustav will make a powerful addition to the team.

When I brought it up to Irina, she agreed with them. The four of us will talk to Gustav about it tomorrow. I am eager to know what he will decide.
Since that day at the clinic with Zasha, he and I have become friends. With the addition of Cleo into our blended family, things have become less tense than they were. Now, the four of us co-parent Zasha with ease.

Well, mostly. There have been some bumps along the way, but that is mainly with differences in parenting styles and a few minor cultural differences. There is also a slight language barrio here and there with Cleo, who doesn’t speak Russian at all. A few misunderstandings have come down to that.

She and I are both now learning Russian from our mates.

Irina finds it fun to teach me all the naughty words so I can talk dirty to her in Russian while we make love. I must admit that it bothered me at first, but after I saw and felt how much my speaking in Russian turned her on, I embraced it wholeheartedly. She loves the sound of my voice speaking her language.

We spent a week up in my painting studio during her heat. That is when our new baby was conceived. I convinced her to let me paint her nude during that week. That painting is now hanging in our bedroom.

Who knew learning Russian for your mate would be so productive?

A shiver runs down my spine as I feel her eyes on me. I glance her way. She is smiling at me. I give her a wink, then stand up from my chair to walk over to her. My mother laughs as she sees me approaching.

“You two are too cute together. Keep your hands to yourself until the party is over, Sebbie,” Ariana says with a smile.

“It isn’t like I can knock her up again now, is it?”

This causes my mother to cackle with laughter. “He has a point there, Ari.”

I hold my hand out to Irina, which she takes. When I pull her flush against me, she wraps her arms around my neck, then gives me a soft kiss. The smile she gives me when she pulls away makes my heart happy.

“Come on, let’s go round up the birthday boy. I think it is time for cake and then presents.”

Together, we walk hand in hand out into the yard. Jace spots us and comes running to me. I see he has retrieved his spyglass from his sister. The triumphant smile on his face says it all.

“Hey, buddy, are you ready for your birthday cake and then present time?”

“Can I play in my treehouse after?”

He has such a serious expression on his face when he asks this. I can’t help but chuckle as I scoop him up.

“Yes, Jace, you can go play in your treehouse after cake. Unless you decide you want to play with any of the presents that you get today.”

He hugs his spyglass to his chest as I say that. With a shake of my head, I turn around then walk to the enormous banquet table where Flynn set the birthday cake, tons of plates, and the punch bowl he is now filling up.

Flynn gives a shrill whistle as we walk up to get the crowd’s attention. Soon everyone we invited is gathered around the table singing happy birthday to Jace. I catch my father in my peripheral view as he skirts around the crowd snapping pictures.

Of course, my father would be the one taking pictures. He has been almost inseparable from his camera since we went on our boy’s trip once things settled down in the pack. Well, we took Oksanna with us since we tried to leave without her, but Theo wasn’t having that.

My dad has been taking pictures of all his grandchildren since then. Every milestone they pass, he gets in on film. Sometimes he even uses the video function to record them. Which I know he has been doing today.

I love that he is doing this. It will leave a legacy for them to remember as they grow, find their mates, and then have children of their own. We will have every important moment of their childhoods immortalized in picture and videos.

Even those embarrassing ones they won’t to forget about. Like the party we threw for the twins and Danae’s birthdays. All six of our children ended up covered in cake by the end of the night. Callie and Zasha were responsible for that incident.

“Happy birthday, Jace,” I whisper in his ear.

He blows the candles out, then Flynn cuts the cake for everyone to enjoy. The next few hours are full of pure mayhem as the sugar rush from the cake kicks in. Jace was overjoyed with his presence, but still insisted on playing pirates in his treehouse.

By the time we finally called an end to the party, he was passed out in his tire swing at the base of the treehouse. Callie and Zasha were curled up on a blanket on the porch. I gently pull him from the swing, then carry him up to his room. Irina carries Zasha up behind us.

My mother and father took Theo and Oksanna for the night. The twins get spoiled when they are with my parents. My mother says it is their way of helping us, but I know it is just her spending as much time with them while she is here.

They gave their notice to the council six months ago stating that they both wish to retire. The council agreed as long as they stay until the end of the year. My mother is already planning a girl’s trip for a celebration of her retirement.

She is taking all the girls in the family to Hawaii for a week. Theo will be the honorary guest. Simply because the twins still hate to be separated for too long. We hope that they eventually grow out of that, but I have a feeling they won’t.

Irina and I are both waiting for them to show signs of these magical powers the Gem sisters warned us about. They are only a year old, but so far nothing stands out aside from their insane twin bond.

To me, they will always be special no matter what. If they show signs of having powers, we will deal with it. If they don’t, then we go on with our lives. With five children, we will certainly have our hands full.

“Have I told you lately how beautiful you are?”

In a swift move, I have her back to the wall outside our bedroom door. I bend my head down to kiss her mate mark and feel her shiver. Her arms wrap around my neck as I scoop her up into my arms. I open the door with one hand, then carry her to the bathroom after I kick the door closed behind me.

We spend the next few hours making love. First in the bath, in what started as me getting her all warm and relaxed after our long day. My hands on her swollen belly then sliding further down as she wiggled her ass against me. Soon we left the bathroom for our more comfortable bed.

Now, as I lay here listening to her deep, even breathing and the strong steady beating of her heart, I can’t believe how lucky I am. I am still amazed that this is my life now. A life that I once never quite imagined I would have.

Just a few years ago, I was a completely different man. I was irresponsible, selfish, often childish, and not ready to face the reality that was staring me in the face. The Moon Goddess was right when she gave me that choice.

Everything I have done since then has been for the right reasons. I finally put my family and my pack first. Just when I was firm in what I wanted, a miracle walked into my office building, one that shook me to my core. Irina is my genuine miracle.

With her, I am stronger than I am alone. She has shown me what I am capable of. Through her, I not only gained confidence in who I am, but I have finally found the redemption I was seeking for all the wrongs I did in the past.

Irina, you are my redemption.

My heart.

My love.

My everything.


*Author’s Note*
Thank you all for your patience, your kind words, and for giving me the courage to share my stories with you. For more information on my plans for future books, join my Facebook group North Rose Novels or follow me on Instagram @northrose28. I will keep everyone updated on what is next for this series.