Too soon, Dakota pulled away to look down into her eyes. “I love you, Ana.”
She smiled, seeing light in the blue for the first time since she got him back. “I love you, too, and I always will.”
The morning came quickly, and as the first rays of sunlight streamed in through the windows, Anastasia and Dakota pulled on their clothes and grabbed the bags they’d packed the day before.
Turning to stare at her room, she smiled, both excited for what was to come, and emotional over leaving the place that had been her home for the last seven years.
“Ready?” Dakota grabbed the bag from her hands.
She turned to him and smiled. “Ready, King Dakota.”
To her delight, he chuckled, a little more of the darkness disappearing. “No, please don’t call me that. Ever.”
She laughed and followed him out into the Terrenian sunlight. Kaley waited for them on the porch, and after petting her lightly, they stepped down onto the path that would take them to the village center.
Once they rounded the corner, Anastasia gasped. There, waiting for them in the center, was the Terrenians, the Jaitu, the Guisnows, and Argento. They began to clap, and Anastasia looked up at Dakota, tears in her eyes. He smiled down at her, and they walked toward the villagers.
“It’s good to see you, Dakota.” Argento was the first to greet them, and he reached forward, pulling Dakota in for an embrace.
“It’s so good to see you, too.”
“I’m just sorry I missed the final fight.”
“You were keeping your daughter safe,” Anastasia said with a smile.
“From what I heard, it was a big one.”
“You didn’t miss much.”
Argento laughed and hugged them both again. “It has truly been an honor, and I do hope you both will come visit me.”
“We will,” Dakota promised.
They moved further into the crowd, accepting hugs and saying their goodbyes as they went.
Tilly, who hadn’t ventured outside since Rosabel killed her husband in her attempt to turn Terrenia against Anastasia, stood with Selena and accepted a hug from Anastasia.
“I’m so sorry,” Anastasia whispered.
“Thank you.” Tilly released her, tears shimmering in her grey eyes. “Take care of yourselves.”
“We will,” Dakota promised.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done,” Selena said, hugging Anastasia. “Brady and Sarah would’ve been proud to have known you.”
“Thank you.” The lump in Anastasia’s throat burned, but she swallowed hard, forcing the tears back down.
Zarina stood beside Harold and the other elders, and offered them both a smile and a nod. Anastasia returned it, before turning to the crowd.
“This world has been my home for the past seven years. I cannot thank you enough for welcoming me, for being my friends, and for becoming my family.” She smiled, tears slipping down her cheeks. “I promise this will not be the last you see of us. We will be back to visit, and I can’t wait to see what Terrenia will become in the future.”
She stepped back, and Dakota cleared his throat. “Thank you for taking me in when I followed Ana here. You guys accepted me as if I’d been born here, and that always meant more to me than I could possibly say. I know things have been difficult the last few years, and I apologize for any part I played in it—knowing or otherwise.” He looked down at Ana, and she smiled. “I promise to take care of her, and make sure she brings the baby back to visit.”
Laughter and cheers erupted through the villagers. Tony, Carmen, Elizabeth, Vinny, Gage, Zoey and their three kids, and Kaley came to stand beside them.
Anastasia opened a portal that would take them to their new home. “See you guys soon.” With one more look back, she stepped through and into the living room of the Luxe castle. The others followed, and the portal closed behind them.
Anastasia looked up at Dakota. “Welcome home.”
“With you here, it feels like it could be.”
Epilogue
Luxe: 5 Years Later
Anastasia
“You better run!”
The giggles that followed Dakota’s empty threat had Anastasia nearly swooning. It didn’t matter she’d been hearing this idle threat for the last four years, it was her favorite sound in the world, and there wasn’t a day that went by that watching Dakota play with their daughter didn’t bring a smile to her face.
“Daddy can’t catch me!” Annabelle ran faster, circling a tree before running straight for Anastasia.
She caught the little girl and toppled back, holding her to the side of her swollen belly.
“You’re going to squish your little brothers!” Dakota warned with a smile, and Annabelle placed her hand on top of Anastasia’s stomach.
“Are they kicking?” she asked, her freckled nose scrunching.
“Not at the moment.”
Anastasia had been expecting the pout that followed, and also the giggles immediately after when Dakota scooped her up and plopped down beside Anastasia.
It was beautiful on Luxe today, the sun shining brightly in the sky. Where there’d once been nothing, grass, flowers, and trees now covered the spanning landscape surrounding the castle.
The people were thriving, loving, and living their lives as though nothing had ever happened, and it brought pure joy to Anastasia’s heart.
Of course, this happiness hadn’t come overnight. It had taken two years of hard work to put the world back to the way it had been before Thames destroyed everything in his path.
“You about ready to go inside? Gaga will have dinner ready soon,” Dakota said to Annabelle, using her pet name for Elizabeth.
“Yum!”
Annabelle jumped to her feet and raced toward the castle, while Dakota pulled Anastasia up and kissed her loudly. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you, you’re not so bad yourself.”
Dakota linked his fingers with hers, and they began to walk slowly toward home. Home. Who would’ve thought the castle harboring so many bad memories would feel so comfortable now? Dakota still battled with nightmares of the things he’d witnessed when Thames controlled him, but they were getting fewer and farther between as time went on, and she hoped that one day the nightmares would disappear forever, giving him the peace of mind he deserved.
Thames’ darkness was long gone, replaced by bright décor, sunshine, and happiness. Something he never would’ve understood.
They still visited Terrenia from time to time, and now, with Zarina in charge and the ever-grumpy Harold passed on, they were even welcomed.
Kaley ran toward them, rubbing her face on Dakota as she fell into step beside them.
This was happiness, this was home, and for as long as she lived, Anastasia vowed to protect it and those she loved from any threat that might arise.
Not that she was worried about anything other than welcoming her two sons into the world.
“Hey, you two!” Tony greeted them from the front door. “I was just telling this one we might have to come carry you both inside.”
Annabelle giggled from Tony’s arms, and the broad smile on his face had Anastasia sending one of her own his way.
“Can I have up, Uncle Tony?” Vinny asked, lifting his arms in the air.
“Well, I guess.” With a grin, Tony bent and lifted the seven-year-old with his other arm before turning and carting them both inside. “I’ve got two kiddos in tow, and I bet we’ll still beat them.”
Anastasia heard the happy ring of their answering laughs as they disappeared inside.
“Want me to carry you?” Dakota asked, grinning.
Anastasia laughed. “I’m fairly certain you couldn’t lift me. I weigh a ton right now.”
“I highly doubt that.”
“Don’t. Even. Think. About. It,” she warned.
Dakota’s answering chuckle told her he knew better by now. “I won’t, promise.”
They reached the foyer and began t
he walk upstairs to the dining room, each step carrying them closer to the laughing family waiting for them above.
Anastasia had once wondered if she’d know what it would be like to let go of the war and just live.
She hadn’t had an answer back then, but she certainly did now.
As long as when the fighting was over, Dakota was by her side, there wasn’t a damn thing she couldn’t do.
From The Author
If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review on Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, and/or anywhere else you share your love of books!
Even if it’s only a few words, reviews are helpful to other readers, and treasured by authors!
Thank you so much!
Jessica
Acknowledgments
I’m not even entirely sure where to start on this one! This series has been a part of my life for over a decade.
I still remember sitting at my desk and plotting out Anastasia's character, but even then I had no idea the journey she would take throughout the series.
It was originally only going to be a trilogy, but after writing the final words in Sorceress, I knew I wasn’t ready to let these characters go. Hell, I may never be fully ready to let them go, but after everything they went through it was time for Anastasia and Dakota to get their happy ending.
I want to first thank God, as I do every day, for blessing me with my love of words and the drive to create new worlds each time I sit down at a keyboard.
I want to thank my amazingly supportive husband who has stood by my side motivating me, supporting me, and pushing me to chase after this crazy author dream since the day we met. I love you Nate!
I want to thank my wonderful kids for keeping me so incredibly entertained each and every day. NEVER lose your imagination!
To my author bestie Meg. You have always been such a wonderful friend, confidant, and motivator since the day we met and I’m not sure what I’d do without you!
To my betas, Brianna and Cynthia, THANK YOU for reading the incredibly rough draft of this and offering your invaluable feedback! Seriously! You guys rock!
To my editor, Jessa, thank you for all your hard work!
To Dominique, the best damn proofer around, thank you for making my words really shine and offering your endless encouragement!
For my ARC team, thank you for each review, kind word, and all your support!
And finally for each and every one of you who took a chance on this series, I cannot thank you enough and I hope Anastasia means as much to you as she does to me.
Thank you all for taking this incredible journey with me!
-Jessica
About the Author
Jessica Wayne was born and raised in southern California where she and her family trained horses. She grew up traveling to different competitions, as well as showing sheep and rabbits for 4-H and the FFA.
After moving to Texas with her family, Jessica joined the Army National Guard where she served for seven years.
From the moment her grandmother introduced her to Nora Roberts’ wonderful world of romance, Jessica knew she wanted to create her own stories and share them with the world.
She has been writing full time for the past four years, and is a stay at home mom. She currently resides in Texas with her husband, their two children, and their dog.
You can get in touch with her using any of the links below:
E-mail
Reader’s Group
Also By Jessica Wayne
All titles available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited
Click on any title below for more information
FANTASY
A Tethered Duet
Collateral Damage
Their Own Time
The Prophecy Series
phoenix
fighter
sorceress
siren
unity- Coming Soon
Co-projects
Star-Crossed
Amria
Supernova
SUSPENSE
the corrupted series
deceived
concealed
Terminated- Coming 2019
Betrayed- coming 2019
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
A Year Of Love
Available on AudioBook
Deceived
A Tethered Duet
Collateral Damage
Unity Page 20