Guarding His Heart

by Serena Pettus

  Epilogue

  Three weeks later…

  It was Thanksgiving, and the house was filled with Lynn’s new extended family. She pulled the ham from the oven as Jag and Dylan worked to get a turkey out of the fryer. It was the second bird they’d cooked, since the shifters in attendance had insane appetites, but it only meant they wouldn’t be dining on leftovers for the next week.

  Dr. Lewis had taken out Lynn’s stitches the week before, and she was happy to see that while she had scars, they were only thin lines, thanks to being caused by a razor blade and not something more blunt, like a bear claw.

  Even though she had some nightmares, Jag’s news of Kitty’s part in saving her went a long way to eliminating some of her fears. It was just a shame Kitty wouldn’t come to dinner. It seemed she and Liam were at odds for some reason, though neither of them would discuss what had happened between them that night at the warehouse.

  All the food was nearly ready when Jag came inside and began fixing a sectioned Tupperware container. “What are you doing?”

  “Liam is heading back to the resort,” he explained, still piling food onto the plate. “He wants Kitty to feel welcome here and spend time with her friends, so he’s leaving in order to get her to come.”

  “This is getting ridiculous. They have got to get over whatever it is that caused the riff between them. It will end up affecting us all. I refuse to choose between my friends.”

  “Agreed, but I’m starting to think it goes deeper than that. Liam has been subdued since he met Kitty. Their meeting was a rather unconventional, but it’s had an affect on him for sure.”

  “Personally, I think they’re fighting attraction.”

  Jag threw back his head and laughed loudly, his black hair brushing his shoulders and crystal-blue eyes dancing with amusement. “Are you kidding? She ripped him a new one and has refused to even look at him since then, and you think they like each other?”

  “Call it a gut feeling.” Lynn grabbed up a pie and covered it with foil. “Here, add this to his goodies. I know how much he enjoys pecan pies.”

  Jag kissed her cheek. “He’ll love it. Now, go call Kitty and have her head over. We’ve got a lot of hungry shifters here.” Winking, he exited the kitchen, passing Samantha as she came in to help.

  “Eli is finally down for a nap. Now what do you need me to do?”

  “I still need to pop these last two pies into the oven. Can you call Kitty and tell her to come over? Liam is heading back to the resort. Once she arrives, we’ll get this show on the road.”

  “I’m on it, boss.”

  Kitty was a little hesitant to come, feeling as if she’d put Liam out by him having to leave in order for her to attend. Once Sam and Lynn were done telling her to suck it up, she showed up thirty minutes later.

  Walking into the kitchen, she glanced and smirked. “Gee, and here I felt bad because I had nothing to bring.”

  It was a damn good thing they’d brought in tables from the resort, since every surface in this end of the house had some food dish or another sitting on it. Lynn couldn’t help but giggle at the spread. For twenty people, they had enough food to feed a small army.

  “Now, that’s a sound I love to hear.” Jag wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, pulling her back against his chest. “Can I let the savages in now?”

  “Sure.” Accepting a quick kiss, she looked back at Sam and Kitty. “We’d better grab our food before the stampede happens.”

  * * * *

  Everything had finally returned to normal. Lynn and Jag lived together, with Lynn having accepted a position at the Pride clinic and Jag now working as an Enforcer.

  Lynn had been accepted into the Pride, the same as Samantha, and Kitty was considering joining as well, much to everyone’s delight. They were like one big family, and both Lynn and Jag couldn’t have been happier.

  “I’d like to have our mating ceremony/wedding close to Christmas,” Lynn announced one cozy evening by the fire. “Do you think that’s too soon?”

  “Are you inviting a ton of people?”

  “Not really.”

  “Will anyone have to travel far?”

  “Just from the Pride land to here.”

  “Then it should be fine.” Jag went back to reading his book, much to Lynn’s annoyance.

  “Do you even want this to happen, or am I wasting my time?” she asked, crossing her arms.

  “Of course, I do, but can you really picture me going over dress designs and fabric swatches?” Tossing his book across the room, Jag pounced on Lynn, pinning her to the couch cushions. “One suggestion?”

  “Anything.”

  “Make sure you incorporate snaps into the design if you want your dress to survive once the ceremony is done, because I’ll rip it off you the first chance I get.” That was something he felt the need to demonstrate with her pajama top.

  Giggling like a little girl, Lynn wrapped her arms around his neck. “Take me to bed, Jag.”

  “Your wish is my command.” He scooped her up and all but ran for the bedroom. “We’ll need to be careful though.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re in heat. Er…I mean ovulating. It’s in your scent.”

  “Holy shit, I forgot all about my shot! I was due for it on the tenth.” She looked up at Jag, unsure of what she wanted. Having a child with him would be the cherry on top of their dream life, but a part of her wanted to enjoy a little more time with just the two of them first.

  “Look, there’s no rush. We’re going to be together for a very long time, so let’s just take it slow and get settled into our lives first,” he suggested. “As much as I love little Eli to death, I’m still scared to jump into the role of fatherhood.”

  “Then we’ll wait. Truthfully, I’m not ready yet either, but when that day comes, I know you’ll be an amazing father to our children.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  Lynn crossed to the bedside table and pulled out the box of condoms they’d used while she was on antibiotics for her cuts. She tossed them onto the bed before climbing up on all fours. “Then let’s get to practicing, slick.”

  About the Author

  Hello everyone! As some of you may know, I am a mother of two who is married to her high school sweetheart. I work full-time as a medical secretary in a local hospital, and my dream is to be able to be a full-time writer, so that I can get more of these stories out of my head and onto your kindles. Trust me, it’s crazy in there!

  I’m currently writing paranormal romance, but hope to venture into contemporary soon. The paranormal element allows me to give reality a new depth by integrating these fascinating creatures into my everyday world. I mean, come on. Who wouldn’t want a little excitement added into their everyday life?

  I’m still new to the writing world, and who knows where it will all take me? But I’m having fun nevertheless, and if people enjoy reading my work, then it’s all been worth it.

  HAPPY READING!!

  Serena loves to talk to her readers and can be found at http://serenapettus.blogspot.com/ and her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004445085312&fref=ts

  Want to read more Southern Pride?

  Swallowing His Pride by Serena Pettus

  Southern Pride Series, Book One

  Welcome to Pride, Texas, the home of cowboys, roughnecks, southern charm…and shifters. Lion shifters to be exact.

  When a trip to Las Vegas has Dylan coming face to face with a woman who calls to every part of him—especially his inner lion—he's not sure what to do. Yearning to spend as much time with her as possible, Dylan courts her until one night of passion takes things further than even he was prepared to go. She's now his mate.

  The impromptu vacation Samantha took with her best friend took a turn for the better when a hunky guy with a charming southern accent takes a liking to her. Unable to deny the intense chemistry between them, she tosses her inhibitions to the wind and indulges in a night of c
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  Dear Readers,

  Thank you for your purchase of Guarding His Heart by Serena Pettus. We hope you enjoyed the story, and will consider leaving a review at the eBook retailer website where you made your purchase.

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