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I roll my eyes. Whatever. On our way to the bathroom, I can’t stop smiling at all the cute decor she’s added up here. There are new curtains on the windows and a quilt I’ve never seen before on the bed. While I was away, she kept busy building our forever home.
EPILOGUE
AYA — RELEASE DAY
The market square smells like fresh ink, kettle corn, and way too many shifters. Ever since I got pregnant, my nose picks up every bit of it whether I want it to or not. I’m already in my pale blue scrubs for my shift at Wintermoon Medical. They’re a lot tighter across my belly than they were last week. My hatchling-pup has decided all this noise is a good reason to practice his kicks. My wolf paces. She’s never loved crowds, especially not with a baby on board.
Ezra keeps a hand at the small of my back while we wait our turn and glares at anyone who drifts too close. His work clothes smell like bleach and toilet bowl cleaner. That’s what he gets for burning down Charity’s shed.
He groans. “I have to go. If I’m late, Meekah’s going to put me on the faculty bathrooms again.”
I bite back a laugh. “Go, baby. I’ll be fine.”
He kisses me and crouches in the middle of the market to press his lips to my belly too. When he stands back up, he points a finger in my face. “I’ll come get you when the signing’s over. Don’t let Uncle Jo give you any advice.”
“No promises,” I tease.
He grumbles about Meekah until he’s out of earshot. I keep my nose on him as long as I can, but I lose his scent somewhere in the crowd.
The market is packed. Most of Wintermoon came out for Uncle Jo. The line wraps past the fruit stands and back again. I take a good sniff around me. With Layla threatening residents every chance she gets, I figured plenty of them showed up scared of her. Some are, I’ll give her that. Mostly, they smell happy. They love the old vampire and want him to know it.
Even the Mer came up out of the lake for him. Sirena stands farther back in line on dry land with Cael and Nereus, and she’s staring down the kettle corn man. Between my shifts at Medical, Kiara and I have spent the past couple of months at the shoreline, helping the pod make a home under the bridge. No one hunts them in our lake.
Uncle Jo sits at a table below a banner with his face on it, signing books with a fancy pen. A stack of Healthy Habits Volume 8: A Vampire’s Guide to Eternal Peace towers beside him, gold letters and all. Between signatures, he stops to stare out at the line like he can’t believe how long it is. He clears his throat and gets back to work without a word.
Layla stands behind his chair in a black gown covered in tiny red spiders and rubs his back. “I told you they would be here for you.”
“Oh, beautiful Layla.” He pulls her down into his lap and kisses her at the signing table like there’s no line at all. Somewhere behind me, a bear whistles.
I roll my eyes, but I can’t stop grinning. If anyone deserves this, it’s Uncle Jo. Layla’s crazy as hell, and I love her.
When it’s my turn, she hops off his lap. I plant a kiss on her cheek. “Layla. Always a pleasure.”
“Aya!” She claps her hands together. “My sexy man is a published author!”
“I heard,” I deadpan. She’s only told everyone here.
Uncle Jo spots my belly and grins. “Ah. The little dragon wolf grows.”
“He sure is.” I hand him my copy. “Make it out to both of us.”
He takes his time on the first page. When he slides the book back to me, his loopy signature sits under words I’ve heard from him before. To Aya and the little one. Anything done in the honor of love can never be a crime. My eyes burn, and I blame the hormones.
I step aside for the next person, and my wolf pushes at me. I know that scent. Farther back, Caleb scowls up at the banner. He doesn’t care for Uncle Jo, but he’ll stand in any line for Samara. Solomon waits behind him.
Caleb catches my scent and comes over. He’s a lot less grumpy when he sees my belly. “Look at you.”
He puts his big hand on top of it, and our baby kicks. Caleb laughs. “Strong little guy.”
“He gets it from his mother,” I tell him.
Caleb grunts, but he keeps his hand where it is. My wolf doesn’t mind. He’s family now, and he smells like Samara’s lavender all over.
“How’s Samara?” I ask.
“She couldn’t make it. Mad as hell about missing it.” He jerks his chin toward the stack of books on the table. “She wanted to be here. I’m under orders to get her copy signed.”
“Tell her I said hi.” I squeeze his arm.
