“What do you think?” I asked Viol. “Shall we call everyone here?”

  “Sure,” Viol murmured, still beaming at our daughter. But I got the feeling that he secretly wanted to show her off to everybody.

  The twins—and their loud voices—ran off to gather the family. Soon, the living room filled up with warm, familiar faces, all excited and ready to welcome the newest addition.

  As each alpha and omega hurried over, my heart swelled.

  This... this is what I’d wanted for so long.

  Not wings, or the ability to fly I’d yearned for in the tundra clan back when I didn’t understand my heart’s true desire—that what I needed was a real family. To be surrounded by loving, accepting people who would do anything for each other. To feel safe in the knowledge that I truly belonged.

  That I was home.

  21

  Epilogue: Viol

  “Hope, dear, that’s your dad’s hair,” Poppy said kindly.

  The fluffy wolf cub paused for a second, staring at her daddy with curious purple eyes, then continued munching on my hair. Her puppy teeth had started growing in, so she teethed on anything and everything she could get her mouth on.

  I snorted in amusement. “It’s fine. I’m the one lying on the floor, after all. My hair’s fair game.”

  I tilted my head back to grin at Hope. Her upside-down face was just as cute as the right-side-up version. She spat out my hair and tilted her head back at me curiously. Then, seizing my chance, I grabbed her and plopped her onto my chest instead. She giggled, then rolled onto her back on top of me so we faced the same direction.

  My heart swelled with affection every second I shared with my daughter. She enriched my life in ways I never imagined. After watching all of my brothers find love and have children of their own, it felt surreal that it had finally happened to me. A secret dream come true.

  And it never would’ve been possible without Poppy.

  As I smiled at Hope, she smiled back—and every time, it struck me how much she resembled her daddy. She was a little copy of him except for her gleaming violet eyes. Those were mine.

  “She has plenty of toys to chew on,” Poppy pointed out. He sat on the floor next to me. He preferred to stay close since Hope was young, energetic, and loved getting into mischief—a trait that, apparently, all canine shifters shared.

  He reached over and grabbed a plush toy, one of many from my hoard. This one was a red fox. When Poppy offered it to Hope, she sniffed it before totally ignoring it.

  “I told you she hates plushies,” I said with a snort. It was terribly ironic that my own daughter turned her nose up at the object of her dad’s hoard.

  “She doesn’t hate them, she’s just indifferent,” Poppy said, congenial as ever. He picked up a lion instead. “Let’s try a different one.”

  Hope didn’t look twice at the lion plush. She was far more interested in my t-shirt.

  I snorted and gently redirected her. “No way, kiddo. You lost your chance at exploring my clothes when you chewed a hole in my leather jacket.”

  Hope licked her lips. There wasn’t a scrap of remorse on her angelic face. No doubt it tasted like stale beef jerky, and I knew she’d take another bite if given the chance.

  Poppy chuckled. “It’s a good thing Taylor’s around. He patched it up before you could throw a full-blown fit.”

  “I was not gonna have a fit...” Upon Poppy’s amused stare, I muttered, “Okay, maybe a small one.”

  “Maybe she’ll grow up to hoard clothes with holes in them,” Poppy joked.

  I cackled, imagining the reaction of a certain brother of mine. “Oh, I’m sure Uncle Crimson would love that. But what makes you think she’ll have a hoard?”

  “Even if she’s wolf-shaped, she is half dragon,” Poppy pointed out, scratching her chin. “Who knows how she’ll change when she grows up?”

  “Fair enough. We’re responsible for producing a lot of half dragons in this family, huh?” I ruffled Hope’s fur, making her squirm and paw playfully at my fingers. “Wonder what they’ll all be like when they grow up.”

  Their faces floated in my mind: Crimson, Heather, Lazuli, Kiara, Desiree, Mint, Jaki, Andri... and now, Hope.

  Nine children. Nine of the sweetest little kids in the world. And I loved nothing more than watching them run around and play.

  Well, not as much as I loved Poppy, obviously.

  “By the way,” I said, glancing at my mate. “If all the couples were there when Hope was born, then who was watching the kids?”

  “Taylor said Gaius volunteered,” Poppy replied.

  “Gaius?” I blurted, shocked. “He watched nine kids? And nobody died? And the house didn’t catch on fire? And nothing of any consequence occurred?”

  Poppy laughed. “He’s not that irresponsible. Give him a little credit. He raised all of you, didn’t he?”

  I blinked slowly as Poppy’s comment sank in. “Wait. What did you just say?”

  Poppy’s eyes widened and he blushed from cheeks to ears, as if guilty. “Uh oh... I don’t think I was supposed to mention that,” he said under his breath.

  “Huh?”

  “Never mind!”

  I furrowed my brow in confusion, unsure of what Poppy meant or why he was suddenly acting cagey about it. I was about to question him when a yellow dragonet and a polar bear cub ran into the room, screeching with laughter, then barreled into me. I lifted Hope out of the way just in time before her cousins ran her over in their exuberance.

  “Oof. Hey, Andri, Jaki, what’re you boys doing here?” I asked. They carried the distinct scent of baked goods on their fur. “Mm... Is something yummy happening in the kitchen?”

  The boys nodded vigorously.

  Rorik poked his head into the living room, nodding at Poppy and I. “Hey, you two. We’re trying out the official Mrs. Sara blueberry muffin recipe today. Want to join?”

  Poppy gasped. “Oh, yes! She mailed us a copy, didn’t she? She promised she would when I called her. I’m so excited!”

  Leaping up without hesitation, he obtained Hope from my raised arms, snuggled her against his chest, then darted to join Rorik in the kitchen. When I didn’t immediately follow, Poppy poked his head out and called, “Coming, my love?”

  “Yeah, just a sec,” I replied. Then I faced the twin boys. “What was that all about, huh?”

  Andri and Jaki had no input whatsoever. They tumbled over each other, then got bored and wandered back towards the smell of delicious baking.

  I shrugged. “Well, whatever. You’re right, boys. Let’s go eat muffins.”

  So, all together as a family, we did eat muffins.

  And they were pretty fucking awesome.

  THE END

  What happened during Viol and Poppy’s cafe visit? Find out in the exclusive bonus scene by signing up to my newsletter!

  More info about Gaius’s story is coming soon, so make sure to subscribe for all the latest news!

  Also by Hawke Oakley

  Fairytale Mates Series

  Fluffy, sweet fated mates novellas! Each book features a mythical shifter alpha and his human omega.

  The Dragonfate Games

  Possessive and loving alpha dragons find their fated mates on a reality TV show set on a private beach!

  Pack of Heirs Series

  The sequel to Pack of Brothers, these shifter books are filled with heat, magic and intrigue!

  Pack of Brothers Series

  A fated mates series featuring mismatched shifter pairings, often predator and prey!

  Cursed Alphas Series

  Gothic-flavor monster romance!

  Alpha Market Series

  A dark series where omegas rule over alphas, featuring a twist on the concept of fated mates!

  Dragons of Cinderhollow Series

  Omega For All Series

  Omega Angel Café Series

  Tenebrae Brothers Series

  Indigo Mountain Pack Series

  Laced Fates Series

  Whitewood Pack Duology

  MM Shifter Romance

  Grizzly Heat

  MM Contemporary Romance

  Love Me, Hate Me

  Heart of Light

  Mistletoe Madness

  MM Contemporary Romance Novels

  (Written as Anders Grey)

  Blooming Desire Series

  Stray Hearts Series

  Breaking the Ice

 

 

  Hawke Oakley, Alpha Dragon's Wolf (The Dragonfate Games Book 7)

 

 

  Thank you for reading books on GrayCity.Net
Share this book with friends