Page 59 of Oracle
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
KIRA
My bare feet brushed across the snow-covered ground as I approached the home seemingly in the middle of nowhere. When I opened my eyes, finding myself on Earth once more, this was the only place in sight, and I silently thanked Selene for putting me exactly where I needed to be.
I couldn’t focus on the parting with Lux right now or I’d dissolve back into a mess of tears, and I refused to waste a second of this life she’d gifted to me.
Unfortunately, I was still in the dress the Goddesses’ realm had clothed me in and it was freezing out here. I rushed towards the glow of the home before me, eager to hold them in my arms and tell them I wasn’t going anywhere ever again.
Movement in the window caught my eye as I approached, causing my heart to flutter. It was Seth. Getting closer, I watched them for a moment, letting it truly sink in that this was real. They were all gathered around a long table, passing food around off of large platters.
A part of me was shocked that they stayed together as a pack without me here. They had families and old packs to go back to if they wanted to, but as I grew close enough to see their eyes, I realized why they hadn’t: Morgan.
All of their eyes were on her as she sat on her hands, head drooped down, seemingly not responding to their words and not moving a muscle to eat.
They’d stayed together to provide her a home.
If I didn’t already love them with all my heart before, I surely did now. I loved them so damn much, it hurt.
Refusing to see the long faces and agony etched into their beings, I rushed around the corner and to the front door. Pounding up the steps, I flung the screen door open and banged on the door.
A minute later, the heavy wood door opened, revealing Milo, the man who screamed to the sky that our story wasn’t over. He had been right. It wasn’t even close to being over.
His mouth parted in shock, unable to react, so I moved forward, cupping his face in my hands and whispered, “I’m home.”
EPILOGUE
KIRA
Two years later
"Ugh! You are the worst!" Morgan screamed from the second floor of our home seconds before her door slammed and heavy footsteps came down the stairs. From my seat on the barstool at the kitchen island, I had a great view of the scowl on Luca's face as he rounded the corner and came down the hallway towards me.
Popping a cold grape into my mouth, I cocked an eyebrow at him and asked, "I take it that didn't go well?"
A growl rumbled from his chest as he came over and dropped to his knees next to me, as was his ritual every morning. Pressing a kiss to my ever-growing bump, he whispered, "Good morning, Lux. Daddy can't wait to meet you. I know I'm going to be your favorite."
Playfully, I smacked the back of his head and scolded him, "You know the others would kill you if they heard you already trying to become their favorite while they are in the womb."
We hadn't really come up with a firm plan for when we wanted to have kids when we'd first settled down and grown roots here two years ago. Opting to let it happen whenever we were blessed with a baby. I knew we would provide an amazing environment for a child, and that they would never lack love with the abundance of it in the air in our home. I was ready to become a mom whenever it happened.
We didn't have any way of tracking when the fertile periods were for the wolves of packs, as there were no other packs in this state. Sure, I could have told my friends to ring me up when everyone started getting pregnant so I'd know, but I liked the idea of it being a surprise.
The guys and Morgan had been over the moon, thrilled when I told them I was pregnant. We had decided as a family that if it was a girl, her name would be Lux, and if it was a boy that his name would be Henry. Two wonderful people who were dear to my heart as well as my family’s.
Morgan said she'd be excited to have a brother or sister, which had almost broken me. I sobbed hysterically at the thought of her considering our child a sibling. I blamed the pregnancy hormones.
We loved her like our own despite having only a seven-year age gap from the youngest of our pack, but we would never ask her to call us Mom or Dad. She had already been blessed with incredible parents in her life. We were just her bonus people that got the blessing of watching her blossom into this amazing woman.
I knew we were having a girl, but I was keeping it a secret with Morgan until the birth. The guys were having too much fun having cute arguments over what our little bundle of joy was. On the one hand, Jameson, Luca, and Tian were firmly team girl, while Seth, Caleb, Wes, and Milo were on team boy.
His cheek stubble scratched through the thin cotton material of my dress and I giggled at the sensation as he rubbed against me and whispered, "Your other daddies will never know. It's our secret."
I rolled my eyes at him and laughed, but inside I was glowing with love. All of my mates had been so incredibly loving and doting since I announced that I was pregnant–way more than usual, which was already a lot. They all had their ways of showing the baby that they cared, and she was still inside of my belly. I couldn't wait to see how they showered her with love once she was in our arms.
A heavy sigh fell from him as he stood up and stole a grape from my bowl, earning a glare from me. You don't touch a pregnant woman's food. It was a rule that went without saying, I thought.
"Yeah, she didn't like the idea of two of us chaperoning her date to the movies tonight," he admitted as he leaned his forearms against the granite counter. Shaking his head, he added on with a hint of exasperation, "I thought we were being fair in saying only two of us would go!"
