by Alanea Alder
“Thank you, baby. Thank you,” was the quiet whisper. Sebastian could feel his hot tears trail down his shoulder and back as his gentle giant wept at the news he was going to be a father.
“Do you mean he is, well, is he pregnant?” Rebecca asked.
“Yup! Liam and Kent must have laid it on him good,” Felix said, stuffing his face with mac and cheese.
Suddenly he was scooped out of Kent’s arms and Liam was swinging him around.
“Easy, Liam,” Kent said. Liam stopped immediately and sat down, pulling Sebastian into his lap.
“How?” Lachlan asked in wonder.
“One of the reasons hybrids are coveted. We can literally shift into anything. I…did you really want the biology lesson?” Sebastian asked. Everyone but Rebecca was shaking their heads. He somehow knew that his Alpha Mother was going to ask him a million questions later.
“The Lewenhart line continues,” Lachlan whispered, tears running down his cheeks.
“That’s right! You’re going to be a great-grand father.” Sebastian smiled at the older man, who was beaming at Liam with pride in his eyes.
“Wait, so you, Rebecca and Kate are all pregnant?” Ashby asked, turning pale. Nic gulped.
Ashby turned to Gabriel in a panic.
“We need ginger. Lots of ginger and mint,” Ashby said, frantic. Gabriel smiled.
“I can get you whatever you want, mon ange,” he assured his mate.
“You know what this means!” Rian said, and his eyes met Felix’s.
“Shopping!” they both yelled.
“When are you both due?” Rian asked, whipping out his phone.
“December,” Sebastian and Kate said at the same time, then smiled at each other.
“Hey, I’m due in December. How come I have to be pregnant for like almost a whole year and you guys only have to do like six months?” Rebecca complained. Aleks began to rub her lower back.
“Shifters have shorter gestational periods,” Felix said, looking over Rian’s shoulder at his phone.
“No way. Pottery Barn Jr. for sure,” he said, pointing to Sebastian.
“I sure hope Dr. Claybourne is in town in December,” Rebecca said, shrugging.
“Don’t worry, I can help,” Felix said. Aleks, Caleb, Liam, Bran and Kent exchanged glances.
Sebastian rolled his eyes. He was willing to bet that for the month of December poor Dr. Claybourne would end up shackled to his clinic. Despite appearing to be an airheaded flake, Sebastian trusted Felix with his life and knew that he was more than capable of helping with his child.
Sebastian looked up at the sound of scraping metal. Caleb and Kent were dragging over double-wide park benches from the town square across the street. Sebastian began to giggle.
“Great idea,” Liam said, standing with Sebastian in his arms to sit on the bench with Kent, who wrapped his arm around them both. Sebastian was pulled to sit right between them on both of their laps. On the other side of the long tables he could see Kate was in a similar position with Caleb and Bran.
“You know if any more ménage matings pop up, we’re going to have to seriously rethink furniture here in Arkadia,” Ma said thoughtfully.
“You better start planning a quadruple-seater for me, I plan on having three men,” Rian announced, and everyone laughed.
“To err is human, to forgive, divine,” Liam said softly.
“Alexander Pope. Liam, you constantly amaze me,” Kent said, running his hands through the back of Liam’s hair.
“Sebastian forgave the way I treated him when I found out about him being a shifter. It takes a lot to forgive something like that,” Liam said, squeezing Sebastian’s hand.
“You forgave me for keeping who I was a secret. I don’t think any other man, especially an Alpha, could have forgiven that,” Sebastian said, raising their joined hands to kiss his fingers.
“Kent was patient and forgiving as we worked through our issues. Always selfless and thinking of us,” Liam said as he reached his hand up, so that Kent could lace their fingers together where his hand rested on Liam’s left shoulder.
“Let’s promise to always forgive each other no matter what. To never go to bed angry,” Sebastian said.
Liam grinned.
“Yeah, never telling what I’ll wake up to if you go to bed upset.” Liam chuckled and Sebastian swatted him.
Sebastian rested against his mates and knew that no matter what the future held, he and his mates would face it together.
Epilogue
“So, your foolproof plan to recapture my hybrids not only backfired, but they are now under the protection of the council and Arkadia.” The gentleman walked back and forth in front of the two men that kneeled before him.
One was a wolf Alpha and the other a sniveling lawyer, yet despite their vastly different roles in life they both found themselves at his feet. Fitting.
“The council let that human whore get to them. Her sweet, innocent act had them feeling sorry for her. Pure soul my ass, she is a violent bitch,” Salsiby complained. The gentleman froze.
“What did you say?” He asked quietly. Both men stilled, the smell of fear rank in the room.
“I–I–I said that she is a violent bitch, sir,” Salsiby repeated.
“Not that part, and actually, if she were being judged from a paranormal standpoint she is adorable in her ruthlessness. No. The other part. What about her soul?” The gentleman stood directly in front of Salsiby.
“The vampire, Prince Gabriel, said that she had a pure aura, that he had only seen it once before.” Salsiby cringed.
The gentleman couldn’t help that shout of joy that erupted from his lips.
“Payne, this man failed but brought me important information, he is to only spend a week in the dungeon. The Alpha, however, failed in his plans, but I unfortunately need him. Give him to the pain expert for entertainment. I’ll need him able to function in a few weeks, though.” The gentleman turned around as Payne dragged the struggling and screaming men from his office.
He walked over to the bookcase and pulled down a small wooden box. He opened the lid and pulled out an ornate brooch intricately designed around a letter A.
“Fortune’s Wheel keeps turning round.” He smiled to himself and put the brooch back in the box.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alanea loves reading almost as much as she loves writing and can be found at any given moment either in front of the computer lost in her own world or on the couch with her iPad reading some of her favorite authors. She believes that love truly conquers all and that everyone no matter what, deserves a chance at that love and a place they can call home.
For all titles by Alanea Alder, please visit
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