My heart soared. My mate returned.

  He ran towards me. "Starry ran past me outside. Told me you went into labor," he said between breaths. "Are you okay?"

  "Fine so far, except for the random bouts of pain and this irritating urge to nest."

  "Nest?" Leveret asked.

  I gestured to the mountain of pillows surrounding me. "I think it's my phoenix. Hares don't nest, do they?"

  "Not really. We're not like rabbits. We don't dig burrows underground," Leveret explained.

  I sighed. "One more thing to blame on the fire bird..."

  Leveret kissed my forehead. "We'll get through it. All you need is pillows and soft things, right? I can go—"

  "No." I grabbed his forearm, forbidding him to leave. "You're not going anywhere."

  He chuckled and sat on the edge of the bed. "Okay, if that's what you want."

  "It is. Besides, Starry already went to get more pillows, or whatever she's gathering."

  Leveret looked relieved. "Good. Because I'm staying right here."

  Brimming with affection, I leaned against him. Leveret put his arms around me as we nestled together in bed. As the waves of pain slowly ebbed back and forth, the comforting arms of my mate were enough to get me through it. I clenched my eyes shut as the pain worsened, but Leveret peppered kisses against my forehead as a distraction. I was so grateful for him in every single way.

  "Animus," Leveret said, surprise in his voice. "You're glowing even more than before."

  I opened my eyes and saw the visible radiance coming from my skin. It was my magic—as I neared the final moments of my pregnancy, my magic intensified, helping me deliver the baby. I let out a long exhale. It soothed some of the pain but I wasn't finished yet.

  As the wave of pain subsided, I grew irritated at the pillow arrangement again. I wriggled out of Leveret's arms and reorganized them with a huff of annoyance.

  He tilted his head. "Anything I can do?"

  I paused, thinking it over. Then I shoved a pillow into his arms. "Hold that."

  He took the pillow dutifully as I went back to attacking the rest. When the nagging buzz in my head quieted down, the tension left me. I sighed and leaned against the wood headrest.

  "Can you put that behind my neck?" I asked.

  "Sure."

  That was better. For now. I hoped the nagging feeling wouldn't return. The number of pillows on the bed already outnumbered us.

  Leveret ran his hands over my belly in soothing, gentle motions. I relaxed as much as I could before the next cramping pain seized my lower body. I groaned, clenching my eyes shut.

  "I'm here, Animus," Leveret murmured.

  "I know," I hissed through my teeth.

  As the agony reared its ugly head, so did my magic. It flared, filling the room with unnatural brightness and smothering the pain. I gasped as it vanished.

  "Huh," I mumbled. "Well, that's one use for magic."

  Leveret regarded me fondly as he wiped the damp hair out of my face. "By the way, you never told me your plan."

  I bit my lip. I wanted it to be a surprise, but what if Leveret didn't like it? What if his whole pack didn't? As a spirit, it was sometimes difficult for me to understand mortal feelings. It scared me that I could make a mistake.

  But my plan didn't feel like a mistake. It was what I wanted. I could only hope it was what the pack wanted, too.

  I took Leveret's hand as he waited for my reply.

  "You know how I told you I didn't want to be a spirit anymore?" I asked.

  "Yes."

  "That's still true. I want to be a mortal, like you." I smiled at him. "But you're right about all my magic. I don't intend for it to disappear without a purpose."

  He tilted his head. "So what are you going to do with it?"

  I swallowed the nervous lump in my throat. "When the baby is born, I'll experience a great burst of magic. There will be more of it than I've ever had in my entire existence. And I... I want to spread my life force among your family. Our family."

  Realization slowly dawned on Leveret's face. A mix of puzzled confusion and hope appeared on his features. "So... let me understand this. You want to become mortal, and at the same time, extend our natural lifespans?"

  "Yes."

  He pondered this for a moment. "Huh. Can you really do that?"

  I already knew the answer to that question. The magic swirling around inside me was bursting at the seams, desperate to go somewhere, to do something. I'd chased my lost magic forever. But now that I regained it, it finally had a purpose. And it was no longer my reason for living—that status belonged to Leveret and our baby. I'd do anything for them, and by extension, the rest of the pack, too. They deserved this.

  "I can, and I will," I told him. "As long as they're okay with it."

  Leveret smiled. "I'll ask them when they—"

  A loud, chaotic rumbling interrupted us. It sounded like a herd of wildebeest were clamoring downstairs. Voices upon voices, and dozens of footsteps.

  "What the hell is that?" I asked.

  But Leveret was completely unfazed. "Oh, that just sounds like my family."

  His theory was proven correct a second later when a crowd appeared outside the bedroom door with Starry at the lead. She shifted to human form and signed excitedly.

  "I brought you a lot of pillows! And everyone wanted to come support you, too."

  "They... they did?" I asked softly.

  Starry nodded and ducked out of the way so her cousins could pop into the door frame like bobbleheads.

  "Hey, Animus. Heard the baby's coming! Congratulations, man!" Zak said with a grin.

  "Don't forget the pillow," Kamari grumbled at his mate. He shuffled into the room and handed it to me. There was no more wariness or animosity in his eyes. Kamari had truly accepted me as one of the family.

  A wave of emotion came over me as I took the pillow. "Thank you," I murmured.

  "Anything for a fellow omega," he said with a smile.

  "Geez, get a room, you two. And move over, we brought a ton of shit," Farley called from behind him.

  Quinn waddled in, smothered by a huge pillow of pillows in his arms. The fox alpha had a smaller frame than his omega mate, so he was nearly crushed by them.

  "A little help?" Quinn piped up.

  I wanted to take them from him, but I couldn't move. I found myself overwhelmed with feeling. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. I knew we'd made up, and they'd accepted me... but after everything I'd put them through, they still went out of their way to be kind to me. It was more than I could handle in my hormonal state. The tears flowed from my eyes as River, Castor, Meeko and Cloud helped unload the mountain of pillows from Quinn's arms to my bed.

  "Are you okay?" Leveret asked, noticing my tears.

  I quickly wiped them away with a laugh. "Yeah. More than okay. I'm really happy."

  He kissed my forehead. "Good."

  "Do you guys think that's enough pillows or what?" Ashe remarked, putting his hands on his hips.

  Bear huffed. "Any more and we'll be trapped in this room."

  "Yeah, we're seriously outnumbered here. And our parents and uncles can't even see Animus. They're missing the whole event."

  My eyes widened in shock. "Wait. They're here, too?"

  Ashe grinned. "Of course they are! They're the most baby-obsessed people in the world."

  Just when I thought I couldn't get any more emotional. Good thing the room was cramped enough that my emotional breakdown wasn't on full display to everybody in the family.

  Leveret perked up. "Hey. Since everyone's here, did you want me to ask them about your plan?"

  I swallowed the anxious lump in my throat. "Sure. Thanks."

  Leveret nodded, then stood up. "Hey, everyone. Can I talk to you in the hallway for a second?"

  As Leveret herded his enthusiastic and confused cousins into the hall, I grew nervous. But now I had something to distract myself with. I grabbed the new additions and dramatically arranged them until my phoenix soul was soothed.

  Finally. A perfect nest—and it was all thanks to Leveret's family.

  No... My family.

  Another cramp came. The waves of pain and peace mingled together like twin streams. My lower half tensed, but the agony of labor was calmed by the intensity of my flaring magic. Content with the pillow arrangement, I leaned back into bed and focused.

  The baby was coming. I felt it.

  Any moment now...

  I shut my eyes, ready to push.

  Then I felt a loving hand on top of mine. Leveret was right next to me. Otherwise, the room was empty. The pack waited eagerly outside because they didn't want to overwhelm me while I gave birth.

  "Animus," he said warmly. "Everybody loved your plan. They all agreed to it."

  Relief and joy washed over me.

  That was good—because the baby was just about here, and so was the burst of magic required to put my plan into motion.

  Leveret held my hand, wordlessly reassuring me he was present. I squeezed it, feeling immensely grateful for him.

  "I love you," I said.

  "I love you, too."

  Leveret pressed his lips against mine. The kiss filled me with the emotional strength needed to push. A moment later, I broke away from the kiss and cried out from pain and effort.

  Then the pain vanished completely. The room exploded with a white light. Its radiance painted everything in its beautiful glow. It flowed beyond the walls. I felt it sink into Leveret's cousins, his sister, his parents and uncles, his nieces and nephews, all the fated mates—now they brimmed with magic, too.

  It was done. My time as a spirit was over. My new, perfect life as a mortal was just beginning.

  When it was over, I slumped into bed with a great exhale. I felt tired, but satisfied.

  "Animus," Leveret said softly. "Look."

  Panting and sweating hard, I gazed down to where Leveret knelt on the bed. In his arms was the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen.

  I felt pure love. My eyes filled with tears.

  "Oh," I murmured, unable to form words.

  Leveret's face shone with adoration. The way he gazed down at our baby was indescribable. The same love I felt was mirrored in his eyes.

  The infant had damp black hair. His tiny eyes and fists were clenched. I was worried he hadn't made a peep—until he opened his mouth and let out a wail.

  I laughed. "Come here, baby. I know."

  Leveret handed him to me. As soon as he was in my arms, he stopped crying. He opened his eyes to reveal curious brown orbs that looked up at us with awe.

  "He's as perfect as you, Animus," Leveret said.

  "No, he's as perfect as you," I argued.

  My mate smiled. "Maybe we should call it even."

  "Done."

  Ashe's voice called out from the hall. "Hey, can we come in yet?"

  "Sure," I replied.

  Leveret's cousins slowly entered the room. The change in their expressions when they saw our baby was immediate. The omegas cooed and the alphas beamed. They walked carefully and quietly so as not to frighten our baby.

  "Shall we introduce him to the family?" Leveret asked.

  My heart skipped a beat. I was still getting used to the whole 'belonging' thing.

  "Yes," I said. "Everybody, this is our baby boy... Nova."

  They all murmured his name. As if born knowing it already, Nova peered at his uncles, which absolutely delighted them. It made me happy to be surrounded by people who loved children as much as I did.

  I'd been alone for most of my existence. But not anymore. And even better, my child wouldn't have to go through what I did. That was the greatest wish a parent could ask for.

  Nova would never be alone. He would always be surrounded by love.

  We would always be surrounded by love.

  Twenty-Two

  Epilogue: Leveret

  "Where is he? Lemme see him, right now!"

  Lupa's loud voice carried over the forest. She wasn't even in line of sight yet and she was already demanding to see her new nephew.

  I heard a second, quieter voice beyond the trees. "Slow down, Lupa, my shoes snagged in these roots!"

  "Oh, sorry, Hazel. Here, let me help..."

  Animus and I sat on the front porch of the cabin and exchanged an amused glance as we waited for her to arrive. After Nova was born, Farley shifted into his finch form to relay the news to my sister, since a finch wasn't out of place in a human area. When Farley returned, he told me that she practically fell out of her seat in excitement. She grabbed her human mate, Hazel, and instantly set out for the wildlife reserve.

  Nova gurgled in Animus's lap. He grabbed a fistful of his daddy's hair and tugged on it.

  "Ow," Animus said. "My hair is not a toy, Nova..."

  Nova giggled in response and tugged it harder.

  "Maybe I should get a haircut," Animus suggested.

  I gently eased my mate's locks out of our baby's iron grip, replacing it with my finger so Nova still had something to play with.

  "No need for that," I said. "I love your hair the way it is."

  The undergrowth rustled loudly. A second later, a wolf burst out of the trees. Lupa's pelt fluffed up in excitement.

  "Where is he?" she demanded. "Where—oh!"

  When she saw Nova, her fur laid flat and her eyes went wide. A soft whine came out of her and her tail wagged happily of its own free will.

  A human stumbled out of the trees. Just like it was the first time Lupa saw Nova, this was my first time seeing Hazel. The human wore glasses, and she had brown hair and freckles. Knowing she was Lupa's fated mate filled me with happiness. I was glad my sister found her one true love.

  The two women approached us. Lupa shifted to human form, clapping her hands over her mouth.

  "Oh my gods... you guys, he's beautiful," she said. "Farley told me his name is Nova. Hi, Nova! I'm your Aunt Lupa!"

  She wriggled a finger at him. Nova let go of mine and snatched hers before gnawing on it.

  "Ooh, you're gonna bite it off, huh? Good for you, you little rascal," Lupa teased. "By the way, Hazel, this is my twin brother, Leveret. Lev, this is my fated mate, Hazel."

  "Pleased to meet you," I said.

  "You too!" Hazel said with a shy smile. "Lupa's told me all about you and your... um, pack? Is that right?"

  "That's right."

  "It's been wild learning all about shifters. I'm still learning," Hazel admitted.

  "It's fine, baby. I'm learning about humans, too," Lupa pointed out. "They're way crazier than I thought. But they're pretty cool most of the time."

  Nova grunted and waved his little hand at Lupa, like he wanted something from her.

  "What is it, little man?" she asked.

  Nova stared at her, waiting for his wish to come true. When it clearly didn't, he pouted.

  "It's just a guess, but he might want you to shift again," I suggested.

  "Oh! Sure."

  In a flash, Lupa shifted into her wolf form. Nova reached out to touch her cold, wet nose, then he laughed ecstatically. My heart felt like it was melting into a warm puddle. More than anything, I loved seeing my son happy.

  "Wow," Hazel breathed, her eyes wide as she gazed at Lupa. "I'll never get tired of seeing that."

  "Yeah, shifting's pretty cool," Lupa agreed.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Animus grin. Lupa still didn't know that Animus was the reason we could even shift at all. I'd have to tell her later. But for now, I let her focus remain on my son.

  "Speaking of which, has Nova shifted yet?" Lupa asked.

  "Not yet. Who knows what he'll become?" Animus grinned knowingly. "We're letting it happen on his own time. He's got plenty of it."

  It was evening by the time Lupa and Hazel left. When we were alone, Animus invited me to the rooftop of the cabin. It was a cool, clear night and the air smelled crisp with fallen leaves. Stars twinkled above, lighting up the deep blue sky.

  Animus stood on the rooftop gazing up at the moon. In his arms, Nova did the same. Seeing the pair of them together made my heart thump with love.

  When Animus noticed me climbing onto the roof, he smiled. "Look, Nova, your dad finally decided to join us."

  Nova already knew the words dad and daddy. He excitedly looked in my direction and smiled.

  I strode over and gave them both a kiss on the forehead.

  "What are you doing? Moon-gazing?" I asked.

  "Basically. But we wanted to get a closer look."

  Since giving birth to Nova, Animus hadn't shifted into his phoenix form or even unfurled his fiery wings. I'd wondered if giving away his magic to the pack made him unable to shift, but was too nervous to ask because I didn't want to make him feel bad.

  I tilted my head. "How are you going to do that?"

  Animus snorted. "You didn't know about these already, did you?"

  As Animus spoke, two flaming wings burst out of his back. Nova gasped. The light from the fire reflected in his wide, curious eyes.

  I sighed in relief. He could still shift after all.

  "I didn't forget," I said.

  "You were worried, right?" Animus suggested. When I nodded, he smiled and kissed the corner of my mouth. "Leveret, you're too sweet for your own good. If I was worried about that, I would've talked to you about it. Besides, losing my shifting ability wouldn't be the end of the world. I have two far more important things in my life."

  "Me and Nova?"

  "Mhm." Animus grinned. "But, if we're being honest, I am glad I can still shift. So we can do this."

  "Do what?" I asked.

  Holding Nova firmly in one arm, Animus wrapped his other arm around my waist. My body understood what he wanted—I shifted into my hare form immediately, becoming lighter and easier to carry. With his mate and baby securely in his arms, Animus beat his blazing wings and took off into the night sky.

  The wind ruffled my fur and whiskers. Beside me, Nova's mouth was open in an excited gasp. He cackled in glee as Animus swooped in the sky, his silky black hair turned white by the moonlight.

  Animus hovered below the wispy clouds. I felt his heart racing. Joy seemed to radiate from him, and from Nova, too. Their expressions were the same as they gazed at the night sky. I smiled, my chest full of love for both of them.