First Street Heat (Beastverse #1)

22. Lilahs Epilogue

Eight Years Later

Scott wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me down to the couch with him just as Jas comes running out of the kitchen with something that looks sticky on her hands. I try to stand to go and get her cleaned up, but Scott keeps his hold tight on me and then brings his lips close to my temple to press a kiss there.

“Let someone else deal with it,” he purrs as he speaks, causing me to relax in his hold. “You’ve been running around all day with them. They can have one of their other aunts or uncles deal with them. They have plenty.”

I nod in agreement, letting my head fall onto his shoulder. It’s true. Janie and Sam’s daughters have plenty of people who dote on them, with me being one of their favorites since I love taking them to the zoo, the waterpark, or the stores to buy them more toys they don’t need.

“I should go help your sister set the table,” I murmur, letting my eyes close as Scott continues to purr right into my ear. His arm wraps around me, his fingers pulling up the hem of my shirt a bit so he can feel my skin. A sigh escapes my lips as I let myself just be here with him.

“The only thing you should do is be my good little omega,” Scott says, his words muffled against the top of my head as I snuggle closer to him. He makes a happy sound, and I can feel his smile right before he places another kiss on the top of my head. “And you already do that every single day.”

“Stop making me sleepy,” I mumble, feigning a swat at him even though we both know if I wanted to, I could leave his embrace.

He isn’t even using a very strong purr and hasn’t commanded me once. The only thing he’s doing is making me sit down for the first time all day. His purr is a soft vibration against me. The only thing breaking my calm is my nieces laughing way too loudly on the other side of the couch.

“Not your problem,” Scott murmurs when he feels my body tense to get back up and make sure they’re okay. “I can see them. They’re just playing with the stethoscope.”

I snort a laugh and let my eyes stay closed.

We gifted the girls some old stethoscopes after they were very interested in them when their mom brought them up to my clinic for her yearly exam. The chances of the girls being omegas are pretty high since their mother is one, and their dad’s mom was one, too.

There’s always a chance they’re alphas, but neither one of them seems temperamental in the slightest. Fenrir swears he can tell when a child is going to be an alpha, and Janie’s girls are not going to be. His other niece, well, she’s a different story. He says he needs to wait it out a little longer before making his final decision.

“Do you ever wish we could have some?” I ask.

We’ve had this talk plenty of times before, trying to decide if we were going to live the no-kids life or adopt. With both of us being fulfilled by our careers, it makes us the happiest not to have any other responsibilities.

Not to mention the extra money we have to splurge on our nieces. Not worrying about when we can rut is also a plus since Janie’s already told me many of her horror stories of going a couple of weeks without her mate.

“ Scott says no babies, but you know I love trying to fill your womb. ”

Fenrir takes over so seamlessly that their purr doesn’t even stutter. He’s gotten better at using it, much to his mortification. I don’t have time to shush him before Scott is back in control, wrapping his arm tighter around me.

“I’m happy spending my life with you.”

“Time to eat!” Sarah pops her head in from the backdoor and yells to everyone in the house. The girls behind us squeal and run outside, trying to make sure they get to sit in their favorite seats.

“Stay here for just a little longer,” Scott says, wrapping both arms around me and holding me tight as he buries his face in the crook of my neck. “I need my mate right now.”

“You always need your mate.” I smile but make no move to leave his grasp.

There will be plenty of pot roast when we get out there. Janie struggled for a little while trying to figure out how much to make, but then we all started pitching in with bringing sides and cooking dishes. Now, there’s only pot roast every other Tuesday for Fenrir, and the rest of us bring and eat whatever sounds good.

Scott nuzzles against my neck one final time, his pheromones coating me as his tongue licks at his mark on my neck. This time, when Fenrir takes control, I can tell.

The purr is silenced, he fills the room with his pheromones, and he immediately demands my submission with a soft growl that I can feel deep in my core.

“ I do always need my mate, don’t I? ”

“There’s pot roast, Fenrir.” I turn my head up to look at him. “Plus, Sam's going to kill you if you fill his house again.”

“ You’ll have a dead mate then, ” he growls, moving quickly to lay me on the couch, shifting his body over mine so he’s pinning me down. “ Best make good use of me before then. ”

“Fenrir.” I push at his chest, giggling and hoping a child doesn’t walk in from outside to see their aunt being mauled by their uncle. It’s a trauma none of those girls deserve, especially when we’re trying to instill in them how to be strong women. Extra especially when we’re trying to teach them not to let alphas bully them, considering they have so many in their life trying to be good examples. “The girls.”

Fenrir presses his lips to mine and kisses me fiercely. He's stolen all my air by the time he pulls away.

“ The girls know I love and cherish my omega. ” He takes my lips in his again, his hand grabbing my thigh and pulling it up his body. “ Let’s go home. ”

“Fen—”

He cuts me off with another kiss, this time not letting me go. Or he doesn’t plan on it until the backdoor opens. Fenrir is up and off of me in an instant, but it doesn’t stop the shit-eating grin on Henry’s face as he shakes his head.

“Forgot my beer,” he says as an explanation, walking to the kitchen without saying anything else.

Fenrir watches him with narrowed eyes and a growl in his chest the entire time. He offers me a hand when it becomes clear the moment has been sufficiently ruined.

“ Might as well go eat then, ” he mumbles under his breath as he throws his arm over my shoulder. He lowers his lips to my ear. “ I plan on continuing this later, little omega. ” His words have my insides burning up, just in time for a cool breeze to blow over me as we step outside.

“We saved your food!” Jas says proudly when Fenrir’s eyes land on the crockpot set right in front of his spot at the table.

His eyes light up in the same way they do when he looks at me naked. I stopped being offended a long time ago. Especially when Fenrir has made it abundantly clear if it came between my pussy and the pot roast, it would be a hard choice for him. When I posed the question, he only hesitated for a second before saying he would always choose me. I saw the sadness in his eyes at the idea of losing his favorite meal, though, so I don’t hold it against him too much.

“ This is why you are my favorite, ” Fenrir says with a smile as he scoops Jas out of his seat and plops her down in the one next to his. I take the seat on his other side and then try not to be embarrassed as Fenrir makes good on him being a beast by having no manners when it comes to eating.

“Pretty sure you can’t tell one of my kids she’s your favorite,” Sam says, crossing his arms over his chest. “Evie could be jealous.”

We all look over to the other end of the table, where Evie stands in Henry’s lap. She makes quick work of using as many rubber hair ties as she can to give him a dozen or so tiny ponytails. Fenrir cocks a brow at his brother.

“ I think Evie has her favorite, and it's not me, ” Fenrir says as he tugs off another bite of meat.

I watch him eat with a shake of my head. A graceful eater, he is not. He makes up for it in all the best ways, though.

Sitting here, surrounded by family, I’m reminded how grateful I am to have been claimed into such a wonderful group of people with an amazing mate, or really mates.

I reach out and brush some of Fenrir's hair away from his forehead. His gaze snaps over to me, confused. I give him a smile and mouth the words ‘I love you.’

His cheeks, which are full of food, immediately flush, and he tries to swallow it all down quickly.

“ I love you too, little omega. ”