Alpha’s Claim (Bad Boy Bears #1)

Epilogue

P aloma

The day of Lana’s baby shower is a gorgeous, crisp fall day. Darius and I hike up early to help, but Lana hired a whole party planning team, so when we arrive there’s a full buffet brunch laid out on the dining table and a big tent with tables already set up outside.

There’s a rainbow colored balloon arch and tablecloths patterned with rainbows being clutched at either end by little brown bears.

“Not pink and baby blue?” I tease Lana. She’s in a periwinkle blue lounge set with a few matching blue braids scattered in with her soft pink ones.

“I wanted all the colors. Teddy wanted brown, for his bear, so the brown bears are for him.”

The party planners have all disappeared, but I still lower my voice. “Do you think the baby will be a shifter?”

“Teddy says probably,” Lana says, and Teddy appears as if summoned. He strides to his mate’s side and leans down to plant a kiss on the top of her head.

“I bet our children will all be bears. ”

“Brown bears?” I ask. “Like you and Darius?”

“Yes.” Teddy couldn’t puff out his chest more if he tried.

“Although Everest is hoping that the baby will have a bear that's a cross between a grizzly and a polar bear like him.”

“Is that genetically possible?”

“No,” Lana and Teddy say in unison.

“Are you going to explain that to Everest?”

Teddy just sighs.

Everest’s bear form moves around the tables. I’m guessing Lana made sure the party would be outside, so he could come.

I mention this to Darius, and he nods. “We're having a family meeting soon to talk to him about shifting back into human form. I think he's been living off the land like a bear.”

I want to ask him more, but Lana’s guests arrive. She had a big party in LA for her celebrity friends to attend, so this one is for shifter friends and family.

Standing beside Darius, it’s almost too much to take in–there’s so much love. So much togetherness. After ten years of solitude, I suddenly have everything. It feels like my heart will burst.

Hutch and Bern helicoptered in women from Taos. They’re the human mates of Rafe, Lance, and Deke, the guys who helped rescue Wren. Adele, Charlie, and Sadie are all close with Lana.

“Are the guys coming?” Lana asks, giving each woman a hug.

“They’re on babysitting duty,” Charlie says. “Girls’ trip only, and we didn’t drive, so we can drink!”

I offer her a spiked cider, and she thanks me with a sigh.

“They do send their congratulations,” Sadie says. “And Deke and Lance fought over which one would give you a baby carrier as a gift. They have strong opinions on baby carriers.”

“How are your twins, Sadie?” Lana asks.

“Keeping us up all hours,” Sadie says with a tired smile. “Ansel is a night owl, and Bonnie wakes up at the crack of dawn. Luckily, Deke functions fine on low sleep.”

“You want some coffee?” Wren offers her.

“Or spiked cider?” I hold up my tray.

“How about some spiked coffee.” Sadie says.

“Now you’re talking.” Adele lights up, and we all laugh.

After our boozy brunch, we do gifts. Adele owns a chocolate shop in Taos. She brought gifts for all of us, golden and white boxes with little chocolate bears. Lana loves the books we bought for the nursery. Teddy and Darius both model different sorts of baby carriers, using two teddy bears as baby models.

My ovaries really like seeing Darius holding a ‘baby.’ He catches me staring at him, and his eyes light up gold. I look away before his bear gets ideas.

Wren leans into me. “Are you and Darius gonna make me an aunt?”

I playfully swat her arm. “Not for a while yet. We want a little time to ourselves. And I want to build my career.”

“I’m just saying, Darius would be a great stay-at-home dad.”

I shush her. Werebears have super sensitive hearing. “Don’t tempt me.” When I look up again, he’s got a sexy smolder directed my way, and I decide if he puts a baby bear in me sooner rather than later, I won’t mind.

“Are you going to do a gender reveal?” Charlie asks Lana.

“It’s too early. Besides, Bern spent three hours yesterday explaining that there’s more than just a gender binary.” Lana smiles up at the goth triplet. He clears his throat as if he’s about to launch into the explanation, and Hutch and Canyon grab him and clap a hand over his mouth.

“I did ask the doctor to give us some pictures of the last ultrasound,” Lana says. “We haven’t seen them yet.” She holds up an envelope. “Teddy, will you do the honors?”

He takes the envelope and lets an accordion of black and white images unfold almost to the floor. It takes a few seconds for us to parse what we’re seeing.

“Baby one,” Lana reads the label on the top image. There’s a set of images and then another label. “Baby two.”

Teddy’s hand starts shaking. Lana grabs the lowest set of pictures. We all stare at the third label.

“Baby three,” Darius reads.

Teddy’s eyes are wide, and his lips are frozen. Darius takes the pictures and lays them out on the table. Lana leans in, her hands on her stomach.

“Does this mean…?”

“It means,” Matthias says, with impeccable bedside manner, “you’re having triplets.”

There’s a stunned pause.

“Yeeeah,” the triplets whoop. Axel starts slow clapping.

Sadie has her hands over her face, laughing helplessly.

“Congratulations, brother.” Matthias claps Teddy on the back. Teddy staggers a little, and Axel steadies him.

“Don’t worry.” Darius steps in to hug his twin. “We’ll all babysit.”

“Yeah!” agree the triplets.

Teddy looks like he’s about to pass out. “I don’t know whether to thank you or to tell you to stay the hell away from my kids.”

“Come here.” Lana waves to him, and he goes to her. He sinks down to his knees in front of her armchair and lets his forehead fall against hers. We all look away to give them a private moment.

“It’s okay, Papa Bear,” Lana murmurs. “We got this.”

“I love you, babygirl.” Teddy’s voice is all choked up.

After an extended minute of kissing, Matthias clears his throat. “Come on, brother. Let’s get a drink. And then maybe all of us uncles can practice putting on diapers.” He and Darius lead a shell-shocked Teddy away.

Lana claps her hands. “Who wants a tour of the nursery?”

“I take it back,” I whisper to Wren as we follow Lana inside. “If twins and triplets run in the family, I might just keep my legs closed.”

“Good luck with that,” Wren cackles.

It’s afternoon before we wrap up the party with the final activity.

“The brothers had a pumpkin pie baking contest,” Lana announces. “The winner gets to make the pies for Thanksgiving. Adele, will you judge?”

“Of course.” She leads the way back outside to a table decorated with pumpkins to showcase eight pumpkin pies.

Matthias jogs up the path toward the tables, a wide smile on his face. “Brothers–and sisters–gather up. Come here, all of you.”

I get to Darius, and he loops an arm around my shoulders and pulls me close. Together, we walk toward Matthias.

The triplets ignore him until he puts his fingers to his lips and whistles, and then they all jerk their heads up to look. He beckons to them.

Axel, Everest, and the triplets all join Darius, Teddy, Lana, and me around Matthias .

“I have some news,” Matthias says, his voice strong but gentle. “I just came from Mom’s cabin.”

“Mom?” Teddy asks.

“Yes,” Matthias says. “That’s what I’m here to tell everyone. Mom’s awake.”

We hope you’ve enjoyed Alpha’s Claim and Darius and Paloma’s story. If you did, we would so appreciate your review . They make a huge difference to indie authors.

If you haven’t read Teddy and Lana’s book ( Alpha’s Rescue) yet, click here .

For Jackson and Kylie’s book (Alpha’s Temptation ), click here.

And don’t miss all the Taos couples in our Shifter Ops series!

Love and growly bear brothers,

Renee & Lee

Click here to read a BONUS short holiday story: A Bad Bear Thanksgiving

https://geni.us/badboybearthanksgiving