A FEW HOURS LATER
As expected, the day ahead is filled with challenges. Meetings with dignitaries, addressing the concerns of the four kingdoms, and planning for an upcoming festival. But throughout it all, the memory of our morning conversation remains with me.
That evening, as I return to our chambers, a small note awaits me on my desk. Unfolding it, I recognize Regan’s elegant script:
In the grand tapestry of life, our threads will forever be entwined, guiding and supporting each other through every twist and turn.
He must have left it for me this morning. However, as I slip the note back in the envelope, something slips out and onto the floor.
A smile graces my lips as I bend to pick it up, and Zeke’s arms wrap around me, his hands roaming over my huge belly. “Where did Regan go?” he asks.
“To speak with James. Where is Lyon?” I ask, but then I hear the shower cut off, answering my question. Zeke bends down, scooping up what I dropped, and turns it over. He gasps. “You truly broke it,”
“Pardon?” I ask him, hearing his voice choke. “The curse,” he whispers, burying his face in my neck. I pluck the note from his fingers just as Lyon wanders over to give me a kiss in just his towel.
I open it and blink back tears. “We’re having a girl,” I whisper.
“A girl?” Lyon gasps, plucking the paper from my hand. He chokes, “I’m having a girl?”
“Who said it was yours?” Zeke scoffs. “I’m having a girl.” I roll my eyes, this argument again? Seriously.
Well, I could tell him, but instead, I sneak off toward the bathroom, leaving them to argue. As Regan steps into the room, a silly smirk crosses my face. He growls at his arguing brothers but makes a move to follow me to the bathroom.
“I’m gonna tell ’em, I’m over them bickering.”
“You’ll do no such thing. We all agreed we wouldn’t check, but you couldn’t help yourself.” I swat his chest, trying to pull my dress over my huge stomach, but it is sticking to me like a second skin.
“What did James say?” I ask him.
He shrugs, helping me out of my dress. “Nothing out of the normal. Slavic’s kingdom has been officially dismantled. My people moved to Lyon’s Kingdom with James, but he’s having trouble with numbers now because too many from Zeke’s kingdom want to go to Lyon’s as well. Resources aren’t quite enough yet. I’m sending more supplies tomorrow. The buses will be driving out of Zeke’s tomorrow across all kingdoms to split everyone up that didn’t want to come here or go to James’s,” he tells me.
I nod. This was one of the hardest parts of managing four kingdoms, so we decided to dismantle Regan’s and Zeke’s, then we let the people choose where they wanted to go. Most of them came to the High Kingdom, but a large amount went to Lyon’s kingdom. I guess they were sick and tired of the city life. The rest are being split across all kingdoms.
“We’ll handle it,” I tell him.
Yes, life’s unpredictable, and fate’s designs remained a mystery. But with love as my guide, and my mates at my side, I feel more than ready to weave my own destiny.
Epilogue
Three years can either seem like the blink of an eye or a vast expanse of time, stretching on endlessly. For me, it was a bit of both. But what’s undeniable is how much has changed—and how much has stayed the same.
From my vantage point on the palace balcony, I watch our three-year-old daughter, Larisse Electra, dash through the gardens. Her raven curls dance in the sunlight. We decided to name her after our mothers and my grandmother. Looking at her now, I see the name fits perfectly, and I know one day Larisse will make history—just like the three strong women who influenced our lives and her name.
Behind her, three white blurs—Gnash, Shadow, and Hunter chase her tirelessly, their playful growls and her joyful giggles filling the air. The scene is one of pure, unbridled happiness.
Larisse is the spitting image of Regan, but she inherited my fiery spirit. Every day she grows more independent and assertive, leaving her fathers and me in awe—and occasionally exasperated. But seeing her surrounded by our loyal protectors, I know she is safe, loved, and cherished.
A gentle hand settles on my protruding belly, drawing my attention from the playful scene below. Regan stands beside me, his eyes reflecting the same mix of pride and affection. “She’s going to be an incredible queen one day,” he murmurs, his gaze fixed on our daughter.
I chuckle softly. “Let’s hope the kingdoms are prepared for her brand of leadership. Can you imagine her and these three ruling at her side?” I tease, motioning to the trio of wolves, who now seem content to allow Larisse to climb all over them.
Regan laughs, the sound rich and warm. “The kingdoms won’t know what hit them.”
We share a comfortable silence, watching the sunset paint the sky in hues of lavender and rose gold. I lean into him, my thoughts drifting to the new life growing within me. We weren’t planning for this child, but life, as always, is full of surprises.
“Do you think Larisse will be as thrilled about being a big sister as she is about being chased by those three?” I muse.
Regan’s arms wrap around me, pulling me close. “Knowing our daughter, she’ll probably try to recruit the baby into her little ‘army’ the moment they’re old enough to crawl.”
