Epilogue
The hot pool on theroof steamed in the cool night air, the lights of the city winking below them like distant stars.Mason leaned back against the edge, every muscle in his body aching, every bruise reminding him that victory never came without a price.Jacob stretched out beside him, one arm draped lazily around Violet, who sat between them.She was naked, as were they, her pale skin glowing in the moonlight, her dark hair wet and clinging to her shoulders.They had loved her thoroughly, reverently, and for a while the world had been narrowed to breath and touch and the unshakable bond of the three of them.
Now, though, Violet was quiet.Too quiet.
Jacob nudged her shoulder, his voice gentle.“What’s wrong, Vi?”
She blinked, chewing on her bottom lip.“I don’t know if I want kids.”The words were almost lost to the hiss of steam, but Mason heard them like a roar.“I don’t think I’d be a good mom.”
Mason pushed upright, his chest tight.He and Jacob traded a glance before surrounding her, pulling her close until she was cocooned between them.“Violet,” Mason rumbled, his deep voice steady.“If we ever had a cub with you, we’d be the luckiest men alive.But we don’t need kids to be complete.You complete us already.”
Jacob kissed the side of her head.“You think you’d be a bad mom?Hell, you’d be terrifying.You’d raise a kid who could take down anyone stupid enough to cross them.And you’d love them so fiercely they’d never doubt it for a second.”
Violet’s eyes shimmered, tears spilling down her cheeks.“You mean that?”
“Every word,” Mason said.He cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.“You’re stubborn, brilliant, sarcastic as hell, and tougher than anyone I’ve ever met.Those aren’t flaws—they’re what make you perfect.For us.For anything.”
She sniffed, managing a watery laugh.“I guess I am awesome, huh?”
Jacob grinned.“Damn right.And you’d be a kickass mom.”
The rooftop filled with their laughter and the hiss of water as they pulled her close again, sealing the promise with heat and love under the moonlit sky.
But Mason didn’t let the moment pass without more.He tightened his arm around her waist and kissed her temple.“Do you want to know what I love most about you?”
Violet snorted, trying to cover her nerves with sarcasm.“My winning personality?”
Jacob chuckled.“That, and the fact you can swing those batons like the Angel of Death herself.”
Mason shook his head.“No.It’s the way you never quit.You fight like hell for everyone else, even when you’re hurting.That’s what makes you who you are.That’s what will make you the kind of mom who doesn’t just raise a cub but raises a warrior with a heart.”
Violet’s eyes glossed again, though this time she didn’t hide it.“You guys always know how to wreck me.”
Jacob leaned closer, pressing a kiss just below her ear.“You wreck us too, Vi.In the best way.”
They stayed there, the three of them soaking in the warmth, the steam rising into the night sky.Mason let his gaze roam across the city lights, thinking of the battles they had fought, the blood they had spilled.Victory tasted bittersweet, but with Violet between them, it tasted like hope too.
“Do you think we deserve this?”Violet asked softly, almost to herself.
Jacob answered before Mason could.“Deserve?Baby, we bled for this.We killed for this.We damn well earned it.And I’ll be damned if anyone takes it from us.”
Mason kissed her damp hair.“And if the day ever comes that someone tries, they’ll learn the hard way that there is nothing more dangerous than two brothers protecting the woman they love.”
Violet tilted her head back against the pool’s edge, eyes closing.“You two are so sappy.You make me cry, then you make me laugh.Maybe I would be a good mom after all.”
