Bearly Taken (Cub Lake Shifters #2)

Epilogue

epilogue

REED

“Shhh, we’ve got to try to be quiet,” I whispered to Parker, my eyes leaving his and colliding with my mate’s ass as we followed her slowly down the hospital’s hallway.

Fuck, I loved the way pregnancy affected her.

We were only halfway through the nine months, and she insisted that the extra weight was a negative, but I couldn’t get enough of her with it.

And Wren wouldn’t deny that was a positive.

Then again, I couldn’t get enough of her when she wasn’t pregnant, either. I loved her too damn much.

“Try bein’ quiet,” Parker whispered back, lifting a chubby little finger to his lips. “Shh.”

He was so adorable, I still thought it might kill me.

Wren stopped in front of a door, and double-checked the room number before knocking quietly. Hudson pulled the door open a moment later, wearing the biggest grin I’d ever seen.

“Congratulations!” Wren threw an arm around him for a half-hug.

Hudson was enough of a brother to me that my possessiveness didn’t flare in the slightest. I just threw an arm around him myself, and laughed when Parker wrapped both hands around his neck, cheering.

He didn’t know what he was cheering for, but he was excited anyway. We’d told him that Callie had a baby, but he didn’t really understand what that meant.

“You want to meet my baby, Parker?” Hudson asked, scooping him away from me and carrying him into the room. He waved us in behind him, and I put an arm around Wren’s waist as we stepped inside.

“This is your future best friend,” Callie told Parker, beaming when we stepped into the room. “Her name is Ella.”

Wren’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head, and she dragged me to the side of Callie’s bed, looking down at the little bundle in her best friend’s arms. “Her?! No way!”

“It’s true. We created a perfect little female cub,” Hudson said, still grinning widely. The pride in his voice was immense, but I didn’t blame him. The fucker deserved it.

“Oh my gosh,” Wren said, her eyes welling with tears. “She’s adorable. Can I hold her?” She held her hands out, and Callie obediently handed the baby over. Parker plopped down on her lap, and before I could grab him, Hudson had smoothly moved him to her side, so he could still snuggle without hurting her.

“I already want another,” Hudson whispered to me, conspiratorially. “Don’t tell Cal.”

“I heard that,” she called, though she was still wearing her massive smile. “And we’re not talking about that for at least a year.”

I snorted. “You’ll have to work hard to catch up to us. I’ve already talked Wren into at least two more.”

“Counting this one,” she cooed, speaking to the baby though the words were clearly pointed at me.

“We’ll totally pass you.” Hudson brushed invisible dirt off his shoulder. “We’re too good at this not to.”

“Knock on wood before you curse us,” Callie warned.

Hudson leaned over and knocked lightly on his mate’s forehead instead, earning an eye-roll.

Parker laughed and knocked on his arm in response, making all of us laugh too.

The day Hudson called me changed my whole life… and I wouldn’t go back if I could.

Cub Lake was exactly where I was meant to be, even if it took me longer than it should’ve to realize it.