“He is.” Halo smiled, too, radiating love.
A quiet knock at the door drew our attention. One of the nurses smiled and said, “Sorry, but there’s a few people here to see you. James, I think the man said his name was? If you’d rather not, I can tell them to leave.”
We looked to Dr. Lynden, who nodded at us. “You and the baby are both healthy. They’re free to visit.”
“Yes, I think I’d like that,” Halo said.
After giving the nurse the okay, three men carefully shuffled in. It was James, Luce, and the fox shifter named Halo. Luce’s arm was still in a brace from his injury at the last battle.
Their eyes all lit up at the sight of our baby.
“Oh, he’s beautiful,” James said, his expression gentler than I’d ever seen it.
The fox omega Halo wiped tears from his eyes. “Gods, this makes me wish I had my own so bad!”
“He looks so much like you, Halo,” Luce said to my mate, smiling. “What’s his name?”
The question hung in the air for a moment and all eyes were on the two of us. Even the baby had quieted down, as if sensing the important moment.
“Well… I know we didn’t talk about it with you guys, but we decided to name him Lucian,” Halo said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “It’s his own name, but it was inspired by a certain fox shifter we know.”
Luce’s eyes widened and a blush spread across his cheeks. “Oh!”
James and the fox Halo laughed as they touched their beta leader’s shoulders.
Luce seemed at a loss for words. “I… I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
Halo shook his head. “No, thank you. All of you, and the other foxes, for standing with me. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
Luce glanced sympathetically at me now. “I’m sorry about your eye.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, waving him off. “You were more hurt than I was.”
Luce shrugged and patted the brace. “It’s healing. Better alive than dead, anyway.” He paused and bowed gratefully. “Thank you, Halo, and Kassius, for everything.”
I noticed with a slight grin that he wasn’t calling mealphaanymore. None of them were. I guessed they had adjusted to life in Cinderhollow, no longer under the whip and command of alphas.
They were free now. We all were.
But there was still one last thing Halo and I needed to do.
Epilogue: Halo
RESERVED FOR PRIVATE EVENT
I swallowed hard at the sign on the front door of the Drunken Dragon. I felt silly being anxious at the bold-font words on the sign, even though I knew the event wasforus. Or was itaboutus? Now I was getting too anxious to even think.
“It’s going to be fine,” Kass promised. Our month old son, Lucius, lay sleeping against his chest. His small form looked even tinier in Kass’s strong arms.
“I know. I think,” I muttered. With a sigh, I pushed the doors open. “Let’s do it.”
The bar was quiet, and smelled strangely sweet, like a candle had been lit. I saw then that a row of candles stood on two big wooden tables, side by side like they had been pushed together for a special occasion.
At the table were three faces I recognized, and many others that I didn’t - but they all glanced in our direction with warm expressions.
Kass took my hand. “Come on. They won’t bite.”
“Hello,” I said, my voice breaking.Damn it!
