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“This is Tori’s heat,” I argued. “Which means it’s about her, not me.”
“She’s fine. There are three men in there worshipping that sweet body of hers. Now stop arguing and let me have you,” he demanded. His words were an order and I found myself nodding as I swallowed hard, not trying to let him see how much I liked that.
From the wicked grin on his lips he knew how much I did.
With Tori, I was the predator, with Jordan I was the prey.
The contrast between the two was stark and I loved it. I loved them. Even as new as this all was, we worked together. Trauma and pain always found a home in others, and though, I hadn’t experienced the hell they all had, I wanted to be here to help them mend their past.
I’d feed them and remind them that moving on was worth it.
That they were worthy of that love.
And I wouldn’t stop until they all were content in this new life and our pack felt healthy. Before it was toxic and harsh, now it was a bond that would last the test of time.
As Jordan’s knot pushed me to my limits and his teeth claimed my wrist, I knew that every moment that led us to this point was worth it.
After this heat, we’d come out the other side stronger and more connected than ever before.
This was the beginning of our forever.
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Tori
Shady Oaks Inn wasn’t exactly ready for business, but it was prepared for my pack. We knocked out walls and spent every waking moment that we could growing together and rebuilding this place.
Nothing brought a pack together quite like physical labor. There were moments where I wanted to kill Easton for his stubbornness, but Theo was always there to soften the mood.
Felix fed us and kept everyone’s spirits up while Warren and Jordan threw themselves into the work.
We became a good balance for each other.
I also got to see Felix and Jordan’s relationship grow. We all got to know what it felt like to be in a pack, to have someone there for you, and never have to question that loyalty.
Through Felix and his family, we were all finally realizing what it was like to have proper parents. And now, I had what truly felt like the first home I had never been able to call my own.
Sure, I had my apartment, but it was nothing like this place. Shady Oaks had heart, soul, and plenty of my own blood, sweat, and tears built into it.
Our suite that had once been a series of staff rooms was perfect. We each had our own space and then a shared-pack living room, and of course, a shared bed.
I had a proper nest full of cozy blankets, all the drawings that Theo had put on the walls, making it a collage of black, white, soft colors, and cozy fabrics. Easton had even found a small crystal chandelier that hung in the middle, casting the room in a warm, pretty glow, with little rainbows reflecting onto the white walls.
The rest of the inn was a work in progress but now that I had access to my trust fund, I was able to take my time turning each space into something perfect. Hours of painting and construction were good for my soul and I felt so much pride every time we finished a new space.
The guys were finding that same peace in this property and that made it even more special. We all were carving out our own place in the world, somewhere we could call home and where we belonged. Something we’d all needed in our own ways.
It was hard to believe that I’d been so stubborn for so long, refusing to give them a chance and almost blocking them from my life completely. I would have spent my life miserable and sad, falling into my dad’s clutches or, worse, William’s.
Now William had lost his dignity, his contacts, and his father had kicked him out. He’d lost everything for overstepping and trying to force himself into my life, and now I was thriving.
Without my father hanging over my head, my siblings and I had reconnected in a new, much deeper way. We all had to grow into our own people and we’d done that in spite of our parents attempts to ensure we were enemies.
Even me.
I had never realized how much of myself I’d held back from them and our friends until I was finally free. Now every laugh and hug came easier. I was my authentic self for the first time in my life.
My dad no longer was a shadow lurking around the corners. I’d sent one final email with a well constructed threat. The message was clear as glass. Leave me alone or the same fate that found William, would find him too.
His reputation was far too precious to him to take any chances.
As I stepped outside and into the overgrown backyard—that we were still trying to tame—and took a big breath of fresh forest air, I couldn’t have hid the smile if I tried.
Maybe there was magic in this tiny town. Not only had I found sanctuary from my sad, pitiful life, but I found friends who were always there for me, a pack that loved me for who I was, and a life that was worth living.
This inn, this town, this pack—they were all part of my happily ever after, and I knew I’d never take that for granted.
The End.
