Page 149 of Claimed By Prince Daddy

“Damon, we can’t be mates, not by bond.” As I wiggled out of his grip, Damon allowed me to sit before him. “I…” I licked my lips. “Please, I didn’t want you to choose me as a mate this way. Not by rushing the decision merely to save my life.”

“Merely?” Damon growled in disbelief. “Are you hearing yourself right now?”

“Yes,” I snapped. “Listen to reason! There are other wolf packs and bear clans out there who will frown at an actual mating between us. It may bring war to our doorsteps, and I don’t want to risk losing you.” Tears spilled from my eyes, and I bit my lower lip hard to stifle the sobs.

Damon’s eyes softened. “Oh, Sasha,” he breathed. He reached forward and pulled me into an embrace. Damon swept a hand along my hair, as I buried my face into his neck, letting the tears fall down my face.

“I will take on every battle with you, like we did tonight!” His voice dropped to a murmur. “You’re worth it. I was such an ass to have ever rejected you. You’re such a powerful female, a kind, and loving female—you are a prize to any male.”

My eyes snapped wide at his words, bringing fresh tears welling up. Damon pulled back to gaze into my eyes.

“Being latent never made you worthless.” He kissed away the tears. “If anything,I’mnot worthy to be with you. Though we are mates and equals, I will never be your equal. And I want to spend the rest of my fucking life making it up to you. I want to one day deserve you.”

“Damon…” I blinked past the tears. This felt right. It was right. And I nodded. “I accept being your mate fully.”

Damon offered me a warm grin, his eyes crinkling with genuine happiness. With a firm grip on the back of my head, he pulled me into an intense kiss that left me breathless. Lost in his arms, I melted into him, longing for the moment to stretch into forever.

EPILOGUE

SASHA

Istood on top of the grassy knoll, looking out at my pack.

The Silverfang pack and Stoneclaw clan flanked the Hopecrest pack members, forming a formidable alliance. The Werekind all faced us, their eyes fastened on me. Sentinels, warriors, mothers, and children stood together, their Werekind race indistinguishable without scent. Here in their human skin, they were just Werekind. And two weeks ago, the Werekind had defeated a formidable foe, a Dark Lord of the Fae Realm.

I glanced to the side, staring up at Damon. I blinked, his head turning, eyes landing on me. A slow smile spread across his face. His eyes shone with pride and bottomless love for me. I swallowed past the lump of tears that threatened to well unbidden.

“Today,” Alpha Ryan spoke from my left, his voice resounding across the forest clearing. “We celebrate a momentous occasion. Never have we had such peace with the bears of the Stoneclaw Clan.” A satisfied grin swept across his lips. “But never have we faced such a foe as the Dark Fae—never have wolves and bears fought together.”

The crowd erupted in cheers, along with clapping and exuberant shouts. Damon and I laughed.

“We are proud to say…” I began and cleared my throat. “From this moment on, Stoneclaw clan, Hopecrest pack, and the Silverfang pack have formed a Trinity Alliance!”

More cries of joy erupted from the packs. Damon and I shared a tender glance. Alpha Ryan faced the two of us. He extended a hand to Damon..

“Here’s the start to a bright and glorious future,” he said.

Damon took his offered hand in a firm shake. “You realize the war with the fae isn’t over.”

Alpha Ryan nodded. His eyes sharpened. “It’s just begun.”

I placed a hand on either male’s shoulders. “We’ll be ready.”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head at a juvenile group of wolves and bears that congregated in my living room.

“I’m telling you,” one male bear said. He waved his hands. “That shit is real.”

Laughter erupted from the group. “Yeah,” a blond male wolf said, grinning. “And so is Sasquatch.”

The bear youth frowned. “We’re werewolves, for god’s sake. I think Sasquatch’s existence is debatable.”

“That may be true, but to say the Dark Fae can shift forms to look like a person is… a stretch,” said a female bear. The male beside her, a wolf, held her hand—the pair sharing intimate glances between the group’s banter.

I smiled. My skin hummed with warmth at seeing wolves and bears amiable with one another. No, more than that—there had been romantic relationships, matings, forged between the Werekind. Not only the Werekind. A wolf with dark hair and a mischievous smile hugged Ayana from behind in the room’s corner, giving her sweet kisses on the temple. It was another revelation that proved how unified those under the Trinity Alliance had become. Six months had passed since the day we founded the alliance. And today, August third, was one of the most important days in my life. As my gaze swept the length of the room filled with weres, I swept a hand across my belly.

The front door slammed open, my bestie Danika darting into the room. “Quick, Alpha Damon is coming!”

People scrambled, their footsteps echoing through the room, as they rushed to turn off lights and close blinds. In the darkness, the cabin seemed to blend into the night, its silhouette barely visible against the horizon. In a rush, I made my way across the living room and joined the group of giggling juveniles behind the couch.

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