“How did you know he would be here?” she asked out of the blue.
Wallace smiled, knowing she was evading the question. “Andrej told me a long time ago that if he ever turned and couldn’t come back, to lock him in here,” he responded. “These bars are made of reinforced steel. While he can still break them, it would take a while.”
“Oh.”
“You ready?”
She looked at the werewolf, then back at Wallace. With a nod, she answered, “Ready as ever.” Brailynn waited for the door to open.
In the last few weeks, so much had changed. She’d left home as a simple witch with the ability to manipulate water. She’d had a goal in mind and that was it. Then along the way all that changed. She’d met her mate, inherited powers that she didn’t really want, became a day-walking vampire, and the unsung leader to a ragtag group of misfits; not to mention, had the battle of the century fighting for the lives of people who would one day hunt her just so they could steal the magic she was given. And now, to top it all off, she was stepping into a jail cell with her mate that is no longer human… or vampire. And could potentially, rip her head off.
Oh, yeah! I’m ready. After all, what could possibly go wrong?
Epilogue
The door opened and Brailynn smiled. It was so good to see him. To finally see someone aside from the ones who lived down in the tunnels. Life was a lot like it used to be back home. But this time, it was a bit lonelier.
Andrej still hadn’t come back to her, but her connection with the werewolf that lived inside of him had grown enough that trust was built. Sometimes, late at night, when the beast was asleep, Brailynn could hear Andrej’s words of love, and his whispered promises to one day return to her.
And that was all she needed. Just a bit of hope.
“How’s it been?” Wallace asked, bring her food.
“Good.” She smiled at the older man. “How are things going up top?”
“Good,” he echoed. “The house is nearly complete.
“And the crops?”
“Paulie and Evan have them going,” Wallace informed. “Growing really nice.”
“Excellent.”
Brailynn took the tray from him and set it on the table. Since she had moved into the cell with Andrej, she’d made a few changes. The cage was set up to resemble a tiny home. A two-person table sat in one corner and a bed in another. To handle private business, Brailynn had a partition brought down to block the toilet from the rest of the cell. If she were going to be living in a prison cell, it would at least be inhabitable.
“Any improvements?” Wallace whispered, jerking his head toward Andrej.
“Some,” she admitted. “I’m hopeful.”
“Good.” He smiled. “We all miss him.”
Yes, we do, she thought to herself.
Wallace walked out of the cell and closed the gate with a loud click. The sounds still unnerved her. Still caused her to jump. She gave her friend a tight smile and a stiff wave. He knew she was struggling. But like Brailynn, Wallace wanted Andrej back, too. So, he kept his worries to himself and helped her as much as he could. Because one day, she would get her wish. One day, her love would return to her. One day, they would keep the promise they made to each other and finish what was started in his office before everything went to hell. And one, he would get to hold her hand and whisper words of love to her as she gave birth to their child… And hopefully, she prayed, that day would come soon.
Preferably within the next seven months, she thought as she sat down to enjoy her dinner.
THE END
(For now… Or is it…)
Epilogue 2
Seven Months and three days later…
Brailynn sat on the large gray ball, rolling her hips from side to side. The pain was getting more intense.
“Breathe,” her mother coached. “You can do this, sweetie.”
Brailynn ignored her. She ignored all the talk around her.
The room was crowded. People moving in and out to bring supplies and give words of encouragement. But they didn’t matter, all Brailynn could focus on was the fact that Andrej wasn’t there.
“I’m here, moje láska,” he said through their link. “I am right here.”
“I need you,” she cried out. “Andrej, please.”
Down the hall, she could hear the wails of the beast. He wanted her. For months, the animal and Brailynn had shared the same room. A cell.
However, with her in labor, and under Wallace’s insistence, Brailynn and been moved into a different area of the tunnel.
And the beast wasn’t happy about it.
“The beast will be fine,” Andrej told her. “Your safety and that of our child is more important.”
“But I’m scared,” she told him. “I want you with me.”
“I’m with you,” Andrej reminder her. “I am always with you.”
Andrej had worked hard to come back to her. For months, he had fought the werewolf to the point of exhaustion. They had gone back and forth. One minute Andrej would gain control, only to lose it again.
It had been heartbreaking for them both.
Brailynn could see the toll it was taking on him. In the small moments when he was human again, she noticed the dark circles and the paler than normal tone of his skin. He looked nearly gray. She had no idea how much longer he would be able to fight, but she knew his days were numbered.
Brailynn had already resigned herself to being a single mother. To raise this child on her own.
The normal stabbing sensation lanced her heart as she thought of life without her mate.
“What’s wrong?” Andrej asked her.
“Nothing.” She breathed through the pain. She wouldn’t burden him with her fears. He already had enough of his own.
“Brailynn, talk to me,” Andrej said. “Please.”
“It’s fine,” she gritted out as another contraction stole her breath.
“You’re lying,” he told her.
She hated that he had that ability and she hated it even more than she knew she couldn’t tell him the truth. If she did, Andrej would pour everything he had left into fighting the monster, and ultimately all that would cause was her to lose him sooner.
And she wasn’t ready for that.
“Really, Andrej. I’m –”
The pain sliced through her stronger than before. It cut her words off and caused the room to spend. She felt herself tilt to the left.
“Whoa!”
Arms wrapped around her.
“Help!”
She didn’t know who was yelling. One voice melded into another. Her vision blurred. Her heart pounded too fast.
“Brailynn?”
All this time, she had thought she would be the single parent. She thought she would be the one to say goodbye to her other half…
“Andrej…” Even to her, her voice sounded weak.
“Brailynn!”
“She is losing a lot of blood!” someone called.
“Get the bags from the fridge!”
“Andrej…”
“Brailynn! What is happening?”
She heard the beast howl, but it sounded like he was miles away. The room was starting to go black. Her chest felt tight.
Was this death? she wondered. Is this how she died?
“Brailynn, please don’t leave me!” he cried out. “I need you!”
But then, something else happened. Another voice joined their connection.
“Mate. Mine. Ours.”
Brailynn knew instinctively that the new voice belonged to the beast.
“Let me out!” Andrej pleaded. “Please! Let me save her.”
“Save. Mate. Ours.”
“Yes!”
“Andrej, I…” She felt the world shift. All light was gone. “I love you. Always.”
The beast howled out in pain. He, and Andrej, felt the connection to Brailynn begin to unravel. It didn’t want to go back into the darkness. It didn’t want to be forgotten.
/>
“Oh, my god! No!” the human side of him shouted. “Please!”
“Save. Mate.”
“Yes. Save mate,” his other half said.
“Love. Mate.”
That was all he ever wanted. The beast wanted someone of its own. Someone to love it as mate loved him.
“Please!”
But that was impossible. Nobody would ever love him.
“She loves us both,” he told him. “She cannot love me, without loving you. How can you not see that?”
Did she love him? He honestly didn’t know.
But he hoped so. He hoped that by not hurting her or killing her that he’d shown her that he was good. He left the human have the body. Maybe, the one last action would show her. He curled back into himself and let the darkness take him under. He surrendered himself to his own fears. Beast would do anything to save her. Including, sacrificing himself.
“I love you.” It was as if she had read his mind. Her sweet words fluttered across his mind as he was taken back into the place he longed to run from.
But those were everything to him. They would be the blanket that he covered himself in. Those words would be the light in his black soul. Those words – would be everything.
He allowed the human control.
He felt his relief as he ran down the hall and into the room where their mate was lying. He felt his fear. His panic. His anxiety.
The human shared it all with him.
And mixed up in all of that, the beast also felt his love.
Could it be? Could man and beast finally learn to live as one? Could mate really love them both?
He felt everything now.
While his world was dark, it didn’t feel like it had swallowed him. He didn’t feel the nothingness.
She was there, with him. And so was his human.
The beast wasn’t alone.
“Andrej?” her soft voice whispered.
“We’re here,” he told her. “We are here, my love.”
“My boys…”
Man and beast felt the excitement of those words like an arrow to the heart. Maybe, just maybe, they would be able to coexist. The beast didn’t know how long it would last. But he would cherish every moment. Because every moment with mate, was another moment of peace.
Andrej couldn’t believe it.
He was finally free.
He sat in the chair, wiping the sweat from his mate’s brow. He could have chosen to bury the demon, but he didn’t. Whether he liked it or not, the beast was a part of him. Brailynn had learned to love him despite his destructive ways and innate desire to kill and maim everything in its path. Plus, the monster had shown his love for her. By allowing Andrej control, it had sacrificed itself for their mate.
That spoke volumes.
“Andrej, she needs to feed,” Wallace said. “She’s lost a lot of blood.”
He used his teeth and opened his own wrist. Placing it against her lips, he allowed her to take whatever she needed.
It seemed as if that was all she needed. Brailynn’s eyes opened just in time for another contractions to hit her. His stomach twisted violently. He hated seeing her in pain. She screamed out her pain around his arm.
“That’s it, my love,” he told her.
Her eyes jumped to his. She pulled away, licking the holes closed. “Andrej?” Tears welled up in her eyes.
“We are here.” He smiled at her.
“We?”
“Yeah.” He continued to smile. “We.”
She returned the smile. “Good.”
He didn’t have clue what the future would hold. He didn’t know if man and beast could reside in the same space, but for Brailynn, he was willing to give it a try.
For Brailynn, Andrej and beast were willing to do anything.
THE END
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Killian by A.R. Hall
About the Author
Samantha McCoy is from Texas but currently lives in Chicago, Illinois. She writes MC and Erotica books with a little bit of something extra. Samantha has also dabbled in Paranormal Romance.
She is a lover of coffee, Dr. Pepper, and wine, and a Lemonhead fanatic.
If you would like to learn more about her and her upcoming events and releases, check out her page on Facebook:
Samantha McCoy, Author
Her Private Facebook Reader Group: Sam’s Books & Sultry Bits or Instagram: @samiek81
THE ROGUE ENFORCERS SERIES
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Raiden by Chelsea Handcock
Emmett by Jaime Russell
Asher by Livell James
Karma by Dawn Sullivan
Juno by BE Kelly
Killian by A.R. Hall
Brailynn by Samantha McCoy
COMING SOON
February - Grace Brennan & Christine Michelle
March - Liberty Parker & Acacia Malone
April - M. Merin & Darlene Tallman
May - Letha Gene & Tracie Douglas
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Paxton - Darlene Tallman
Alarik - Tracie Douglas
Bastian - Desiree Lafawn
Maverick - Liberty Parker
Malcom - Samantha McCoy
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Brailynn (A Rogue Enforcers Novel) Page 20