Epilogue

I’ve always held the belief that love only deepens as the years roll by, particularly once you’ve truly gotten to know the person you’ve given your heart to. Four years have flown by in what feels like a heartbeat. For the most part, they’ve been years filled with joy, even though they haven’t always been a walk in the park.

I never expected them to be. Being married to an alpha, especially one of such high standing and potential for rule, was always going to come with its fair share of challenges. Navine may have called me his wife, but I was quickly realizing that to him, and to those who respected him, I was more of a beta.

But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I’ve always been drawn to the idea of helping others, and this position allowed me to do just that. I was able to step into many roles, not only as Navine’s wife but also as his representative.

The many creatures of these lands were getting to know me just as well as they knew Lord Jekia’s children, and they seemed to have taken a liking to me, which was a blessing from the get-go. I was able to assist them in many ways, especially when they were in need.

However, my main focus was always at home with my husband, and now, our new tiny addition to the family.

“It seems that you haven’t seen her either,” I said, standing in the hallway with Anika, scanning the area. “I wonder where she’s wandered off to this time.”

I wasn’t annoyed in the slightest, having become familiar with this little game over the past few months. I swear, kids get more and more energetic as they grow.

Anika giggled, clearly amused by the recurring situation. “I think you should give up on naps. She’ll never let us win,” she advised me.

“Probably not,” I agreed. I glanced down the hallway, catching a quick movement disappearing behind the corner. “Just as I thought.”

I hurried down the hallway and around the corner, just in time to see the small figure dart into the nearby study.

~Same game,~ I thought, smiling. ~I know exactly what she’s up to.~ I stopped at the door, tapping my foot. There was no harm in letting this play out a bit longer. I found it adorable, and I knew these moments wouldn’t last forever.

The sound of footsteps snapped me back to reality, and I turned to see Navine approaching. He quickly figured out what was going on.

“Am I to assume you’re on the hunt again?”

I returned his smile. “It seems Nanash’s lessons are a bit too effective.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Navine chuckled. He quietly turned the doorknob. “Why don’t we both deal with this then?”

“Why not? It’s been a while since we’ve done this together.”

The library was silent as we stepped in. Everything seemed to be in its place, but it was clear that one of the curtains was not quite right. Navine and I exchanged glances, deciding to play along a bit longer.

“I don’t know, Navine. Maybe she’s not in here,” I suggested.

“I was sure I sensed her, but perhaps I’ve become a bit senile,” Navine played along.

A soft giggle came from the curtain, causing it to shift slightly.

“My goodness.” I looked around us. “Did you hear something? Do we have a ghost?”

Navine slowly and quietly moved toward the curtain. “No, I’ve never known us to have one before, although we might have a mischievous spirit among us now.”

Celeste burst into laughter when he pulled back the curtain to reveal her, her adorable two-year-old face lighting up.

“Aw, you caught me, Daddy!” she exclaimed.

“You do realize that you’ll have to work much harder to get past your mother and me, especially when you’re supposed to be napping,” Navine told her as he picked her up.

“But I’m not sleepy! I sleep enough at night!” Celeste protested.

This was just like our energetic two-year-old daughter, which I’ll admit had made becoming parents that much more thrilling and enjoyable for us. While Navine and I had decided to wait another two years after our talk, we’d been overjoyed when I finally became pregnant with her.

Celeste was so beautiful, both in her looks and personality. Her eyes and long hair were a mirror image of Navine’s, along with her ivory-colored wings, but her face and features were all mine.

She was already proving to be very intelligent, although she also loved many of the things little girls typically did, such as her pretty dresses and dolls.

Celeste’s favorite thing was spending time with Navine and me. She loved Anika and Nanash, but we were her top picks. We did our best to be there for her as much as we could.

For me, it was easy. For Navine, not so much. But he always found time for us. His love for his little girl was evident to anyone who saw them together.

“Sweetie, you need to rest. You’re still a little one,” Navine gently reminded her.

“But I’m not sleepy!” Celeste protested.

“Well,” I gave in, “I don’t think she’s going to sleep now. And since you’re home, we might as well let her stay up.”

“It won’t do any harm. Lorelei mentioned she’d be dropping by with Havana this afternoon, so she might as well be awake,” Navine agreed.

Celeste’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Havana’s coming over?!”

“Yes, she is. How about we get you into a lighter dress so you can play outside?” Navine suggested.

“Yay!” Celeste cheered.

She was all too happy to let me take her from Navine, thrilled at the thought of seeing Havana. They’d been friends since birth, and Celeste saw Havana as an older sister.

“Should we meet you in the courtyard when we’re done?” I asked Navine.

“That sounds good. I’m going to change too. I’ll see you in a bit,” Navine said, giving me a quick peck on the lips and a kiss on Celeste’s forehead before leaving.

Celeste beamed at me as I carried her to her room.

“Mommy, can we visit Rayne and Luna again? I want to see Yue too,” she asked.

“We’ll try to soon, sweetheart. They’ve been a bit busy lately, so we’ll have to see,” I replied.

Her request didn’t surprise me. Celeste was very close to Rayne’s son, Yue. They were two years apart, and like Havana, Celeste had known Yue since she was born. She saw him as a big brother.

He was a beautiful little Luna dog, a perfect mix of Rayne and Luna’s features. He was also showing signs of a noble personality, just like his father and grandfather.

“I hope we can see Yue soon. I miss him when he’s not around,” Celeste confessed as I put her down in her room.

“You really do love Yue, don’t you?” I observed.

I opened her closet and pulled out a little white sundress. It was perfect for the lovely spring day we were having.

Celeste nodded, a big grin on her face. “I love him a lot!” she confirmed.

“I can’t imagine you expected any other answer. We all know how close they’ve been since the beginning. It makes me wonder if there’s more to it,” Anika chimed in from the doorway.

“I can’t say,” I confessed. I helped Celeste into her dress. “Fate can be a strange thing, can’t it?”

“It can, but it can also be beautiful, as you well know,” Anika reminded me.

“I certainly do,” I agreed. We each took one of Celeste’s hands and left the room, heading for the stairs.

“I’m still a bit surprised that Rin and Aurora haven’t had any kids yet. I didn’t think he’d wait this long.”

“It’s up to the couple, dear. I don’t think either of them is ready for that right now. It’s good that they’re not being pressured. While I know Rayne’s happy with Yue, I’m sure it wasn’t easy for him to be rushed into it,” Anika responded.

I agreed with her. Rayne had confided in me that he’d felt overwhelmed when he first found out Luna was pregnant. But he’d given himself time, and in the end, he loved her and his son.

Life had moved faster than he’d expected, but he wouldn’t have traded it for anything.

Navine and Nanash were already in the courtyard when we stepped outside. Celeste let go of our hands and ran over to them, jumping into her father’s arms.

“All ready!” she declared.

“That was quick. Looks like someone skipped her nap again today,” Nanash noted.

“I wonder who’s been encouraging that,” I said, crossing my arms and looking at him.

Nanash shrugged, a knowing smile on his face. “So, if she’s not sleepy, she’s not sleepy. What’s the big deal?” he asked.

“You’re pretty set on this one, huh?” Navine remarked. He let Celeste latch onto Nanash’s tail so he could hoist her onto his back.

“I don’t see the problem. It’s not affecting her,” Nanash defended.

“I guess you’re right,” Navine conceded.

I was sitting with Navine in the gazebo, Anika by our side, while Nanash kept Celeste entertained.

“How’d your meeting with Lord Jekia go?” I asked him.

“It was good,” Navine replied, tucking his wings in a bit more. “Things have been pretty calm these past few years, which we take as a positive sign. It means the lands are finally reaching a state of enduring peace.”

“It’s taken us ages to get here, but I can’t help but wonder if we can keep it up. There always seems to be someone lurking in the shadows,” Anika confessed.

She had a point. Peace was often a fleeting thing for us, but I chose not to dwell on it too much.

“That’s true, but I think we’re stronger now than we’ve ever been before, so the threats shouldn’t be as severe,” I reassured her.

“I don’t think so either,” Navine agreed. He watched Celeste, who was gleefully leaping up to catch Nanash’s tail. “But whatever comes our way, I’ll be defending these lands alongside Jekia and others like us. We won’t let any harm come if we can prevent it.”

I nodded, watching our daughter’s joy with admiration. Like him, I would do anything to keep her that happy forever. She wouldn’t have to endure the sorrow we had.

“We’ll all do our best to prevent it,” I said. “I love seeing Celeste’s smile, and the smiles of all the children in these lands. I want to do whatever I can to help them keep those smiles.”

End of Book