Chapter 43: Happily Ever After

GIANNA

“Kol, you’re supposed to support his head!” I screeched for the hundredth time at my husband, watching him hold our son.

Our son.

Our baby boy.

Axel Jackson Sanders

“I am, I am! Stop screeching. You’ll wake him up, and I just got him to sleep!”

I giggled at the sight before me.

My ferocious alpha; my husband and mate; the man who murdered someone for me; who unleashed his full berserk and tore wolves apart for me; who went through figurative hell to get me back; the man who stood at my brother’s side, no questions asked, to make sure I came home safe and well was now bouncing around our living room, holding our son while I rested.

Although I had had a good delivery, unlike Liv, it appeared, my darling boy had decided very early on that sleep was for the weak and did everything he could to make sure we didn’t get it, unlike my niece, who was an angel and slept soundly and contentedly every chance she got.

A soft knock at my front door snapped me from my thoughts, and I padded softly to open it.

“Hey, G! Mind if we see him?” Liv whispered, pushing in the stroller, Milly fast asleep within it as if on cue.

Axel’s cries carried into the hall, followed by Kol’s exasperated groans… See? Devil child!

I smiled. “Yeah, course, come on in! He’s, um, just woken up.” I stifled a laugh as Diego followed Liv in, holding a care package.

“Here, you might need this. I had one made for when Liv got home. Thought you might like one too.”

Inside the hamper were chocolates, cosy button-down pajamas, ear plugs for Kol, and some body creams and gels for the bath.

“The pajamas will really help the breastfeeding. Thanks, guys. The chocolate I seriously need, thanks,” I chuckled, closing the door after them and walking into the living room.

I relieved Kol of Axel and sat on the couch. “Maybe he’s hungry,” Diego mumbled.

“No, she just fed him,” Kol murmured. “Come on, man. Let’s get a beer.”

He and Diego exited to the kitchen, and Liv plopped beside me, gently pushing the stroller back and forth with Milly still sleeping in it.

“Have to admit we’re gonna have some good-looking children, huh?” She giggled.

Axel was squirming in my arms, so I decided to try feeding him. He latched on right away, feeding contently. I gently placed a blanket over him to keep him warm so he would doze off when he was ready.

“Oh yeah, but I feel sorry for Milly. Diego was a pain in my ass about boys as I got older. Imagine what he’ll be like now he has a daughter,” I laughed.

Liv rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it. He’s already said she’s not having a boyfriend until she’s at least thirty, and she’s only three months old!”

I laughed out loud. “Well, I just hope my boy isn’t a man whore like his dad and uncle.”

“Wait till you have a girl, though. Poor thing won’t stand a chance! Alpha father, prince for an uncle, king for a grandfather, alpha brother! I feel sorry for her!”

I turned my head to her. “What about yours, huh? Alpha uncle, alpha cousin, prince for a father, king for a grandfather, and don’t even get me started on me or our mother.” I stuck my tongue out at her.

She nudged me playfully while I burped Axel and then placed him gently into the Moses basket while he slept, doing a quick victory dance before sitting back down.

“Has he been sleeping much?”

“Not really, but we’ve only been home a couple of days, so I’ll give him some more time to get into a routine, and then it’s no prisoners from here on out,” I chuckled.

“Have you and Kol figured out how you will get through the sexual part yet? You know, ’cause we’re wolves and shit.”

I rolled my eyes at her. “Liv, are you serious? Look at me. I need a shower, I’ve barely slept in the last four days.

“Right now, I’d orgasm alone if I got to have a long, hot bubble bath and a few hours’ sleep! Trust me, there’s no way Kol finds this attractive, never mind sexy,” I mumbled at her.

“Hey, G, I’ve been there! That’s what I thought, but trust me! Once we got a routine with Milly and enough time had passed for me to heal, Diego pounced.” She blushed.

“I had just put Milly down for a nap after she spewed up lunch. I hadn’t even showered or changed, Gia, and he was on me. Said he’d never seen me so sexy.

“You just gave birth to his son, Gia. Everything changes now. The love—it runs deeper.”

I sat up straight and looked at her, really looked at her, the flush in her cheeks, the radiant glow coming off her.

“You’re pregnant again, aren’t you?” I smirked at her.

She bit her lip and nodded. “Your mom confirmed it this morning,” she whispered. I squealed as quietly as I could so as not to wake the babies and hugged her tightly before smacking her on the arm.

“Ow!” she wailed. We both sucked in a breath when both babies jerked in their sleep before settling back down and letting us breathe again.

“Haven’t you heard of central heating or an electric blanket or something? Jesus, Liv, Milly is almost four months old at this point! She’ll have barely turned one when you pop out the next one!”

She smiled at me and shrugged. “I always wanted my pups to be close in age, and now they will be.” She winked.

“Besides, Diego was over the moon when I told him. Didn’t even freak out!

“Although he’s probably freaking out to Kol right now in the kitchen, but he said he liked that you and him were so close growing up.

“He wanted it for his pups too, and now our pups will be close to your pups.”

My mouth fell open, and I stared at her. “Pup,” I corrected her. “I only have one pup.”

“Yeah, we’ll see, Gia.” She smirked at me.

“How you girls doing? Liv, congratulations. Diego just told me. You must be happy.” Kol breezed in before sitting beside me.

“Thanks, Kol. I was just telling Gia how great it is that our pups will grow up so close in age.”

I glared at her. “Don’t go getting any ideas, mister.” I waved my finger at him.

He feigned innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, babe. We only have the one pup. I’m sure that’s what Liv meant.” I smiled at her smugly.

“I mean for now, anyways. Who knows what will happen in a couple of months?” Kol winked at Liv, and Diego smirked knowingly.

I smacked his arm before snuggling into him. Yeah, Diego and I had grown up close, being only two years apart.

At that moment, I was happy and content with my life.

After everything we had been through, after all my years partying and having Diego putting the fear of God into every living, breathing wolf, I had finally found my happily ever after.

That was, until my darling son woke Milly with his cries. Thankfully, Diego and Kol sprung to action, allowing Liv and me to rest on the couch while they tended to our pups.

I sat, watching him hold our son and wondered how I’d gotten so lucky to find a man like him.

He leaned in, kissing me deeply, and I loved every second of it.