Page 77 of Pumpkin Patch Pack
“The claiming helped,” Rowan explains, his voice a rumble against my back. “Your body knows you’re safe now.”
“I am safe,” I agree, nestling deeper into their embrace.
By the time we get out of the shower, Theo and Liam have made up the bed with fresh sheets and the sun is setting over theHarvest Home Farm. Rowan and I climb into the nest with them and snuggle into the middle.
Maple bleats indignantly from the doorway, where she’s apparently been watching the proceedings with goat-like judgment.
“Yes, and you too, troublemaker,” I laugh, the sound bubbling up from a place of pure joy. “My fierce protector.”
“I had to let her in,” says Liam. “She was throwing a goat hissy fit when I went to check on her.
Maple trots over to the nest, hops up, and makes three circles on my feet before flopping down with our pack.
As sleep begins to claim me, wrapped in the arms of my mates, I realize something profound.
I’m not weak for needing others. I’m stronger because of them, because of us. Together, we’re unbreakable.
The last thing I hear before drifting off is Theo’s soft and certain voice: “Welcome home, Emma.
I am theirs, and they are mine.
Pack. Family. Home.
Forever.
32
Epilogue
“Maple! Don’t you dare eat that tablecloth!” I call out, balancing a tray of freshly-baked apple cider donuts while I navigate the farmhouse porch; the delicate china wobbles precariously as I sidestep a pumpkin display that Theo insisted would look “charming” but creates an obstacle course.
The sweet, spicy scent of donuts wafts up, making my stomach growl. It’s been almost a year since that fateful Halloween night, and life atHarvest Homehas transformed in ways I never could have imagined.
Maple looks up from her attempted sabotage, completely unrepentant. Her eyes meet mine with that familiar rectangular-pupil’d defiance that says, “I do what I want, human.” Her swollen belly makes her waddle rather than prance these days, the white fur stretched tight over her rounded form.
According to the vet, she’s due any day now. The father is a handsome black goat from the neighboring farm—a romance that blossomed during what Theo dramatically calls “The Great Spring Goat Escape.”
“You know she’s not going to listen,” Liam says, appearing in the doorway. He smiles as his eyes meet mine, a sight that once was rare but now graces his face regularly. His delicious wraps around me, making my inner omega hum with contentment. He takes the tray from my hands, his fingers brushing mine in a touch that still sends electricity racing up my arms. “The babies are making her even more stubborn than usual.”
I give him a peck on the cheek, inhaling his scent deeply. “As if she needed any help in the stubborn department.”
Liam chuckles, the sound rumbling from his chest. “True enough.”
I follow him inside, where the farmhouse is alive with activity and warmth. The kitchen windows are fogged from Theo’s baking, and the whole place smells like cinnamon, sugar, bourbon, apples, and home.
“The social media campaign for the harvest festival is ready to launch,” I tell Liam, brushing past him to check Theo’s progress. “Our follower count doubled after Maple’s pregnancy announcement.”
“Of course it did,” Theo laughs from the kitchen. He’s up to his elbows in flour—a streak of it across his forehead where he must have pushed his hair back. “People are obsessed with that little troublemaker.” His cinnamon scent mingles with baking, creating an aroma that makes my mouth water. Despite hisflour-covered hands, he leans over and steals a kiss when I walk past, his lips warm against mine. “They have no idea what they’re in for when those little demons arrive.”
I dip my finger into the bowl of apple filling, earning a playful swat from Theo. “Hey! Baker’s privilege only!”
“Mate’s privilege trumps baker’s,” I counter, licking the filling from my finger with exaggerated pleasure.
Rowan enters from his office, tablet in hand, his burnt sugar scent announcing him before I turn around. “Ticket pre-sales are up seventy percent from last year,” he announces, his face lighting up with pride. “The expansion is paying for itself already.”
The expansion was my idea: turning one of the old barns into a year-round event space for workshops, classes, and community gatherings. In spring, we host gardening workshops; summer brings craft fairs and farmers’ markets; and winter will see holiday markets and cozy gatherings. Theo’s idea of goat yoga already has a waiting list, with Maple slated to be the star attraction once she’s back in shape after delivering her babies.
Harvest Home Farmis becoming known as more than just an autumn destination; it’s a community hub, a place where people come to connect with the land and each other year-round.
