EPILOGUE

ACE

~Two months later…~

“Ace! Yes, yes, yes!” Doe screamed as she climaxed, her body clenching around me with powerful pulses. She arched up off the bed, pressing her breasts against my chest, her whole body shuddering.

“Fuck, Doe,” I growled. My thrusts quickened, becoming sloppy and frantic as I drove in and out of her, relishing how tight she became when she orgasmed. “That’s it, baby. You’re milking me so good.”

A tingle built at the base of my spine. I was close.

She had that look on her face—the one she made when she climaxed—that drove me and my wolf wild. Her plump lips parted into a perfect “o” shape, her cheeks dusted with a dark pink color, her big brown eyes half-hooded as she gazed up at me.

I loved that she always looked at me when she orgasmed, like she needed to feel connected to me during such an intense moment. Like I was going to be the one to save her and bring her back down to earth.

It was that look that pushed me over the edge of my own orgasm. I thrust my hips forward one final time, ensuring I was buried deep inside her. As always, my climax was strong. Overwhelming. Bliss exploded inside of me, my senses overloaded, heat traveling throughout my body.

There was something so satisfying and ~primal~ about filling Doe with my release. Not only did it feel amazing, it also marked her with my scent and satisfied my wolf’s instinct to breed our mate—even if she was on birth control and couldn’t actually get pregnant. Not yet, at least.

Someday I would get to see her belly swollen with my pups, though. Someday we would have a family together. I would make sure of it.

When I was finally done, I gently pulled my still half-hard self from her, a warm sense of fulfillment expanding my chest at the sight of our mixed fluids spread over her thighs, and then collapsed onto the bed next to my mate in a sweaty mess.

Both of us stared up at the ceiling as we caught our breath.

“Oh my god,” Doe panted.

I hummed in agreement and turned to her, kissing her shoulder and along her collarbone.

And I was certain I had never been happier than I was in that moment. My mate and I lying in bed together on a Sunday morning with absolutely no plans for the rest of the day? It doesn’t get much better.

Doe had officially moved out of her parents’ house a month ago and moved into the packhouse with me. We had slowly been unpacking her things and switching out the furniture and changing things to fit Doe’s and my style.

I told her when she moved in that I didn’t care if she tore down the entire fucking house and built a whole new one—I just wanted it to feel like her home.

We were only a month into living together, and she had already made this place feel so much warmer. Happier. More inviting. The drapes were opened, the wall colors were changed, and the carpets were pulled out and exchanged for warm hardwood floors.

She was bringing life back to this place—into ~me~. And I couldn’t be more grateful. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without her. I needed her.

Doe’s only complaint was that the house was too quiet. She was used to a full house packed with people and noise and activity.

Whenever I wasn’t around, I would usually come home to find that she had driven to her parents’ house to spend time with her siblings. She liked to be around people. My girl was an extrovert through and through.

She was the one who had come to me and suggested we return the packhouse to its intended use—housing pack members. This place was built to be the heart of the Embermoon pack, where community members could meet, live, and find refuge if they needed it.

At least, that’s how it was when I was young. Before my mom died and people started fleeing this place to get away from my father and his tyranny.

Starting next week, we were going to announce an open-door policy for everyone in the pack, inviting them to come hang out here whenever they wanted. We would start letting people actually live here again—save for the small wing off the side of the house that was saved exclusively for us and the family we would eventually have—once we had finished getting the rooms ready.

Mom would be so proud.

My hands slid down her back and to her ass, giving it a harsh squeeze and pulling her chest to mine. Doe was like a little ragdoll, allowing me to pick her up and toss her around as I saw fit.

She always got this way after a good fuck. One of her legs hooked over my hip, her arms banding around my neck. For fuck’s sake. From this angle, it would be so fucking easy to slip back into her.

“Ace…” Doe laughed as I ground my quickly hardening cock against her slick pussy. “I…I don’t understand how you can keep going. This…” She was cut off by a moan, my thumb dipping between the folds of her pussy, scooping up some of my leftover cum and then moving up to rub it over her clit in slow circles.

Her legs automatically widened. “Wouldn’t this be round four this morning?”

Was it? I hadn’t been keeping count. It was never enough. I was addicted. Obsessed. I was in constant need of my little omega’s tight pussy.

Instead of answering, I bent down and took one of her nipples into my mouth. Doe sighed and tangled her fingers into my hair, pushing her tit further between my lips.

“I’ll be really sore if we go again,” she whimpered even as she maneuvered her hips so I was lined up with her entrance.

That gave me pause. My mate should never be in pain—especially due to something ~I~ did to her.

“Then we won’t,” I decided. My movements came to an abrupt halt, and I started to move back.

“No!” The word ended on a whine that came straight from Doe’s inner omega. My body instantly responded to the sound of her distress, my muscles tightening, every one of my nerves lighting up with awareness, searching for any signs of danger.

“I want to. I want to,” Doe continued. “I’ll be fine. Please just fuck me, Ace.”

I grinned. Call me a bastard, but I loved when she begged for my cock.

“I’ll take care of you afterward. Draw you a nice, hot bath…Give you a massage,” I told her as I palmed either side of her waist and lifted her into the air.

Doe squealed in surprise when I planted her down on top of me so my cock was lined up at the entrance of her tight hole. “And you get to be on top this time.”

Doe let out a dramatic gasp. “~I~ get to be on top?” She ground down against my dick while she spoke, rubbing her clit against my lower stomach. “Are pigs flying? Has hell frozen over? You never let me be on top.”

Now, that was just a flat-out lie. “That’s not true.” I gripped her hips and tilted them down, helping her achieve a better angle.

Her pussy gushed all over me, and I inhaled deeply, taking in large lungfuls of the scent of her mouthwatering slick. “I like watching your tits bounce too much not to let you be on top every once in a while.”

Like they were doing right now. They swayed back and forth while she found her pleasure in me, mesmerizing me, taking me under her spell.

Doe rolled her eyes, even as she started to move faster, making her breasts bounce even more. Her head fell back, and she let out the sweetest whine that made my blood boil. She was putting on a show for me.

“Mate,” I growled, my voice dangerously low. My hips shot up on their own accord, thrusting against her. “If you don’t put me inside you in the next ten seconds, I will flip you around and fuck you into the sheets.”

Doe liked that idea. More slick pooled from her, spreading over my cock and lower abdomen. ~Fuck, fuck, fuck.~

Just as I thought I was about to lose any grasp I had on my sanity, Doe reached down and grabbed my cock, pumping it a few times. I hissed, and my head fell back. My hips jerked up so fast and hard that Doe literally bounced.

I was suddenly reminded why I didn’t usually let her be on top. If I were the one in charge, I would already be balls deep inside of her, fucking her hard and fast in the way we both needed.

By the grace of the moon goddess, Doe didn’t make me wait much longer. She rubbed me up and down one more time before lining my head up with her entrance and carefully wiggling her hips until the tip was inside of her—

~Ding-dong.~

Doe startled on top of me, jerking me out of her tight sheath. A loud growl spilled from my lips.

Doe slid off me and reached for a sheet to cover herself. She glanced toward our bedroom door. “Who’s that?”

“It’s probably just someone delivering a package or something. Come back here.”

Ignoring me, Doe’s gaze lingered on the closed door. Then her eyes widened and snapped back to me. “Wait, what day is it?”

I frowned at the distance between us. “Uh, Sunday?”

“Shit!” Doe suddenly shrieked. Without explaining, she tried to scramble away from me in a frazzled panic.

~Yeah, no.~

I grabbed her by the waist and tugged her back to me. “Whoa, hey. Easy,” I soothed her when she continued to struggle. I positioned her on top of me, grasping her hips to keep her still. “I’m not letting you go until you explain.”

“I forgot I invited Belle and Grayson over for brunch today. Belle wanted to visit and see the new house now that we’re all moved in. They’re here right now. Now, let me go. We have to get ready.”

~Ding-dong.~

My brows shot up. “You invited my cousin over?”

“I invited ~Belle~ over. Grayson intimidates the hell out of me. But you know how overprotective Grayson is. He’s almost as bad as you.”

I sighed and fell back against the bed, finally allowing her to move away. She flew from the bed and scampered off toward our closet, completely naked. I licked my lips while I watched her, my eyes zeroing in on my cum dripping down her inner thighs. I just barely stopped myself from going after her.

~Fuck. I was really looking forward to round four. To watching those pretty tits bounce.~

~Ding-dong. Ding-dong.~

I knew my cousin was king of the supernatural and all, but I was seriously considering tearing his fucking throat out in that moment.

A flying shirt hit me in the face. “Get dressed and go answer the door!” Doe called from the closet. I glimpsed her jumping around while she pulled a pair of jeans over her hips. “Please! You’ll be faster than me!”

With a pained groan and a cock hard enough to cut diamonds, I pushed myself from the bed, making a silent vow that Doe and I would finish what we started later.

~So much for no plans for the rest of the day.~

***

I walked down the steps that led to our foyer, wearing just a pair of jeans. I would have put more effort into my appearance, but Doe was adamant that I go greet our waiting guests while she got ready.

As I approached, I heard Belle and Grayson talking outside my front door.

“Do you think I should ring the doorbell again?” Belle asked. “Maybe they didn’t hear it.”

“I’m sure they heard it,” Grayson replied. His tone was unbothered and casual.

“Maybe I had the wrong day. Maybe I should text Dorothy.”

“Baby, just give them a few seconds. They’re getting ready right now.”

“Wait…You can hear ~them~?”

Grayson hummed in confirmation. “I think they forgot. It sounds like they were a little…occupied when we got here.”

“Occupied? What does that mean?”

Tugging the shirt in my hand over my head, I pulled the door open before Grayson could supply her with an answer and came face to face with the king and queen of the supernatural.

Both of them were dressed casually, Grayson in a gray short sleeve shirt and black slacks, and Belle in an airy blue sundress and sandals, holding a pan of what looked like brownies in her hands.

Grayson stood behind her, his arm banded securely around her middle like he was afraid she would float away if he let her go.

Belle’s eyes widened when she saw me. Her gaze momentarily fell on my messy hair and then on my wrinkled shirt and bare feet. Her cheeks brightened.

She cleared her throat. “Oh,” she whispered to Grayson. “That’s what you meant.”

I didn’t have it in me to feel embarrassed. In fact, I didn’t have it in me to care much at all. I was still trying to get over my annoyance that they had interrupted us.

“Your Highnesses,” I greeted, dipping my head in a mock bow. “Or is it your majesties? I never did learn the difference.”

Grayson shoved my head with a growl. “Just let us in, fuckwit.”

“Grayson!” Belle admonished.

I laughed and moved out of the doorway, gesturing them forward. “Come on. Doe will be down in a second.”

DOE

“Classes are great,” I told Belle and Grayson. After eating brunch and doing a quick tour of the packhouse, the four of us were in the backyard, sitting on our new patio furniture under the midday sun.

“I’m only taking three right now, and two of them are online, but I’m really enjoying them. I’m just happy to be in school again.”

“I hated school,” Grayson grumbled.

He and Belle were sitting next to each other on a loveseat, her legs thrown over his lap while he rubbed her calves. Ace and I sat on a swivel chair across from them, me on his lap—per his insistence, of course.

And I was happy. Really fucking happy.

“I think that’s a pretty common sentiment among werewolves,” Ace replied. “No wild animal wants to be caged inside all day. Doe, on the other hand, is one of the smartest people I know, and she loves to learn.”

He looked down at me and smiled, the look warm and genuine. “Didn’t you say you read, like, three hundred books last year?”

I laughed. “More like fifty. And that’s only because I had so much free time while we were apart. I needed something to distract me.”

“Fifty is way more than I read,” Belle said, snuggling into Grayson’s side. “I’m lucky if Grayson leaves me alone long enough to use the bathroom on my own, let alone get through a whole novel.”

Grayson nipped at her ear, making her giggle and shove him away. “What did you call me the other day? An attention whore?” he asked her.

Ace snorted. I covered my mouth to keep my own laugh in. Calling the most powerful man on Earth and the king of the supernatural an ‘attention whore’ was sort of hilarious.

“Yeah, because that’s exactly what you are,” Belle replied. “And you’re only getting worse the longer we’re together. I might as well just glue you to my side at this point.”

Grayson looked pensive. “Hm. Not a terrible idea.”

“Definitely worth considering,” Ace agreed. I narrowed my eyes on him, and he smiled. Without saying a word, he leaned down to run his lips over my mark, causing goosebumps to break out over my flesh.

I squirmed against him. ~“If you make me perfume in front of the king and queen of the supernatural, I will never forgive you,”~ I said to him through mind-link.

Ace grinned against my skin. Then he pulled back and planted a kiss on the side of my head. ~“Sorry, baby. Just can’t help myself sometimes.”~

“Is that a vegetable garden over there, Doe?” Belle asked me, pulling my attention back to her. She pointed at the raised flower beds I had planted across the lawn. She pulled her legs off Grayson’s lap and sat up. “Maybe we should go look at it before I give our mates any more horrible ideas.”

I laughed and nodded. “Yeah, alright.”

Belle rose to her feet and straightened her dress. I was about to stand and join her when Grayson suddenly grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop.

“Don’t go too far,” he told Belle. “Alright?”

Belle rolled her eyes. “Okay, Dad.”

Grayson growled, low and menacing. The sound caused my spine to straighten. I couldn’t help but notice how dark his eyes were, too—a mixture of red and black, swirling together in his irises. Super creepy.

Noticing my discomfort, Ace pulled me closer and rubbed my back. I instantly relaxed against him.

“I mean it,” Grayson continued. His expression softened. “Just stay where I can see you. Okay?”

Belle studied him for a second before nodding her head. “We’re just going to look at the garden right over there. You’ll be able to see us the whole time.”

That seemed to appease Grayson the tiniest bit. Nevertheless, he used his stubborn hold on her wrist to tug her forward until she was standing between his spread thighs.

“One more kiss before you go,” he requested.

I exchanged a slightly bemused look with Ace. I knew alphas were clingy when it came to their mates, but Grayson was on a whole other level. I didn’t remember him acting this way the last time I saw him.

Maybe Belle had hurt herself recently. Or maybe they had a fight or something. That would explain why Grayson was acting so overprotective.

Ace frowned, obviously thinking the same thing I was. “And you thought ~I~ was the overbearing and possessive one.”

Belle dropped one of her knees to the cushion between Grayson’s thighs, framed his face in her hands, and then pressed her forehead to his. “See? Attention whore,” she murmured.

Grayson made an appreciative rumbling noise when she finally placed her lips over his. I was pretty sure Belle meant for it to be a quick kiss, but Grayson obviously had other ideas, taking the opportunity to nip and lick at her mouth.

The moment was intimate enough that I averted my gaze, looking back up at my mate instead. I was pleased to find Ace already watching me rather than the way Grayson’s hand was currently squeezing Belle’s ass.

Actually, he didn’t seem to notice them whatsoever. He was too preoccupied with studying the freckles on my nose and the curve of my lips, his expression one of complete and utter adoration. It warmed me down to my toes and made my heart swell in my chest.

~“Do you know how much I love you?”~ he asked me through mind link.

I kissed his jaw. ~“If it’s even half as much as I love you, I would say it’s quite a bit.”~

Ace’s chest vibrated with the happy growls of his wolf as he tightened his arms around me. I closed my eyes and smiled.

“Ready, Doe?” Belle asked. I jumped. Belle was standing a few feet away from us, smiling at me and Ace. Her face was a bit redder than it had been before, her lips a little more swollen, but she stood on her own now without Grayson holding her back.

“Yeah.” I nodded and kissed Ace one last time—a quick peck, nothing like Belle and Grayson’s kiss—and then untangled myself from his lap. “Let’s go.”

***

The late-summer sunlight danced along the grass as I gestured toward the last garden bed, Belle at my side. “And then I think I’ll put carrots and herbs in this one,” I told her. “It’s not warm enough right now, but I’ll get started next summer.”

Belle tucked a strand of her dark-brown hair behind her ear and studied the garden. “Wow, Doe,” she said, admiration shining in her bright blue eyes. “This is all really impressive. This whole place.”

She turned to glance back at the packhouse with a soft smile. “You seem happy. Both you and Ace.”

My heart swelled at her words, a warm smile spreading across my face. “I am. We are. This is where I’m meant to be. I know it is.”

“I’m so happy for you—especially after everything you went through.” She looped her arm through mine as we strolled along the edge of the backyard, the forest beyond casting shadows across the yard. “I’m glad you invited us over today. I know we text all the time, but it’s so good to see you in person.”

Her words resonated deeply. Belle was one of the few people who truly understood my life, the strange balance of being human in a world dominated by powerful wolves. “Let’s do this more often, okay?”

“I’d like that.” Her nod was genuine, but her eyes kept flitting toward the spot where our mates sat. Grayson had been particularly intense today.

Something wasn’t right.

“How are things between you and Grayson?” I asked, breaking the silence.

Belle’s gaze snapped back to me, her smile faltering for just a moment. “Uh, good. Great. We’re really happy too.”

Her response was convincing, but I knew her too well to let it slide. Lowering my voice, I pressed on. “Yeah? Things seemed a little…tense earlier.”

She sighed, the sound heavy with unspoken worries. A pine cone crunched under her foot as she kicked it aside. “I’m worried about him,” she finally admitted softly. “He’s been acting weird. I mean, don’t get me wrong—he’s an amazing king and an even better mate, but I think he’s stressed.”

“Stressed about…being king?”

“No.” She shook her head, a faint laugh escaping her lips. “He’s great at ruling. I think it’s me he’s worried about. He’s been so protective lately—reluctant to leave my side, snapping at anyone who gets too close. His temper was always short, but now? It’s like he’s constantly on edge.”

I frowned. “Does he lose his temper with you?”

“No, no, never. He’s nothing but kind to me. He worships me, Doe. That’s why it’s so confusing. You saw how he was acting earlier, though—like he thought I’d spontaneously combust the second I walked away. And did you notice his eyes?”

I nodded. It was impossible not to notice. “They were dark crimson.”

“They’ve been that way for three weeks now,” Belle murmured, a shiver in her voice. “It means both his vampire and his wolf are stressed about something, pushing for control.”

“And you don’t know what’s got him so on edge?”

She looked back at Grayson, her eyes softening with a mixture of love and worry. My gaze followed hers.

Ace was sitting beside Grayson, his usual calm demeanor stretched thin as he made an effort to chat. Grayson, meanwhile, sat rigid, his eyes locked on Belle. There was an intensity to his stare that sent a chill down my spine.

“That’s the thing,” Belle said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I’m not even sure he knows.”

~End of Alpha’s Doe Book 2~