“You’re almost here,” Viol urged.
With Viol’s fatherly encouragement, our baby decided to finally emerge. The front crack burst open in a spray of purple shards. I gasped, cupping my hands forward to catch our baby as they tumbled out of their egg.
A small bundle of damp white fur landed in my palms.
A wolf cub.
The air left my lungs, but my whole body felt supernaturally buoyed, like I was lighter than a feather. And yet, new power surged through me, born of my parental instincts. I’d never felt stronger.
I shuddered, overcome with the urge to shift and lick my baby clean. Viol understood without words; he took our newborn while I shifted, then held them steady as I performed my parental duties.
“She’s a girl,” I announced. “A sweet little she-wolf.”
Stars danced in Viol’s eyes. He was happy beyond words.
The twins and Crimson remained silent, as if afraid to break the magical spell in the room. When I finished fluffing up my newborn’s soft fur, I turned to Aurum and Saffron.
“I’ve never heard you two be so quiet for so long,” I teased.
They both nearly choked.
Saffron flushed as he sputtered, “Forget about us! Your baby is here, that’swaymore important!”
My tail wagged. “I want our daughter to know her whole family. Come closer. Don’t be shy.”
The twins exchanged a glance, then apprehensively looked at Viol for approval. He was totally captivated by our baby, but gave his brothers a brief inviting smile. The blond dragons sidled over. Both their faces melted when they saw our fluffed-up newborn cub up close.
“Oh. My. Drake,” Saffron murmured. “That is straight up one of the cutest babies I have ever seen.”
Rorik, Mylo, and Crimson quietly padded over to join the twins. I think they wanted to give us space, but I wanted the whole family involved. I wanted my daughter to know, from the second she was born, that she was loved and cherished by not just Viol and me, but an entire family.
“What do you think?” I asked Viol. “Shall we call everyone here?”
“Sure,” Viol murmured, still beaming at our daughter. But I got the feeling that he secretly wanted to show her off to everybody.
The twins—and their loud voices—ran off to gather the family. Soon, the living room filled up with warm, familiar faces, all excited and ready to welcome the newest addition.
As each alpha and omega hurried over, my heart swelled.
This...thisis what I’d wanted for so long.
Not wings, or the ability to fly I’d yearned for in the tundra clan back when I didn’t understand my heart’s true desire—that what I needed was arealfamily. To be surrounded by loving, accepting people who would do anything for each other. To feel safe in the knowledge that I truly belonged.
That I was home.
21
Epilogue: Viol
“Hope,dear, that’s your dad’s hair,” Poppy said kindly.
The fluffy wolf cub paused for a second, staring at her daddy with curious purple eyes, then continued munching on my hair. Her puppy teeth had started growing in, so she teethed on anything and everything she could get her mouth on.
I snorted in amusement. “It’s fine. I’m the one lying on the floor, after all. My hair’s fair game.”
I tilted my head back to grin at Hope. Her upside-down face was just as cute as the right-side-up version. She spat out my hair and tilted her head back at me curiously. Then, seizing my chance, I grabbed her and plopped her onto my chest instead. She giggled, then rolled onto her back on top of me so we faced the same direction.
My heart swelled with affection every second I shared with my daughter. She enriched my life in ways I never imagined. After watching all of my brothers find love and have children of their own, it felt surreal that it had finally happened to me. A secret dream come true.
