Epilogue

*Eight years later...*

**Raegan**

"Kennedy! Get over here!"

She giggled loudly and ran straight past me. I growled and rubbed my temples. "For the love of everything, Kennedy, I am begging you to just come here," I held my arms open, trying to coax her into them.

She paused in the doorway to the bathroom, her light brown hair unruly, and her eyes bloodshot from exhaustion.

"Uh-uh," she shook her little head at me, "not tired, momma."

"Is that so?" I raised my brows, "then why are your eyes so red, little wolf?" I tilted my head to the side.

"All the better to see you with," she grinned.

"And why is your voice so hoarse?"

"All the better to speak to you with," she took a small step backward.

"Little wolf, you may not be tired, but momma is *very* tired," I sighed, trying to reason with my seven-year-old. "It was a very long day for Mommy, and I can't go to bed until you do. So, little wolf, will you please go to bed?"

She frowned a little, "are you *really* tired, momma?" She folded her little arms over her chest.

I nodded, "yes, little wolf. I am."

She rushed over to me and tucked herself into my arms. I wrapped her in a gentle hug and laid my head on top of hers.

"Why was it a long day, momma?" She asked me quietly.

"Your dad and I had to deal with some *very* annoying people."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, baby. I just wanna go to bed so that I can wake up tomorrow and have a wonderful day with you, little wolf," I blew bubbles on her cheek and she giggled.

When I pulled back, she yawned.

"Can I sleep with you and Daddy tonight?" She asked, looking up at me with droopy eyelids.

I smiled and nodded, "of course baby girl. Do you want to bring a stuffy?"

She nodded eagerly.

I watched as my little wolf detached herself from my arms and started to rummage through her bed for the right stuffy.

She held two of them up and looked at each one sternly.

Then she set the one that looked like a rabbit down and held the one that was a duck to her chest. "Ready." She declared and walked back to me.

I grinned and picked her up into my arms.

She wrapped her legs around my waist and her arm around my neck.

"Let's go find your daddy and get to bed, little wolf," I said.

Coal was still in his office, looking at something on his laptop with a grimace.

I knocked on the doorjam, balancing Kennedy on my hip. Her head was leaning against my shoulder and her breathing was already evening out.

"You ready for bed, my love?" I asked my mate as he looked up from his laptop.

His eyes softened as he set them on me and our child.

He nodded and rose to his feet. "Do we have a guest tonight?" He asked as he approached us. He kissed me on the forehead and then caressed Kennedy's hair.

I nodded and started towards our room. "She asked if she could sleep in our bed tonight, and I just can't say 'no' to her."

He chuckled and shut the office door behind us.

"I never thought that I would have to be the stern parent in our relationship."

"I never thought I'd be such a pushover," I grumbled.

He chuckled again and took Kennedy from me as we reached our room.

He laid our little girl in the center of the bed and pulled our comforter around her.

She looked so peaceful with her little stuffy clutched tightly in her arms.

"Is that the stuffy that Johnny sent her from England?" Coal asked, and tugged me towards the walk-in.

I followed him and shut the door behind us before undressing.

"It is," I smiled, "she loves that thing."

He grinned, "he's a good uncle."

"That he is." I said proudly.

Coal stripped out of his own clothes and put on his silk pajama set. I giggled at him.

"What?" He asked, doing the last button on the top.

I giggled again and shimmied on my silk shorts.

He looked down at them, then rolled his eyes, "asshole," he muttered.

I giggled again before pulling on my matching top.

When we were both redressed, we went back into our room and turned out each light aside from the bathroom.

Kennedy was scared of the dark, so nightlights were a necessity.

Coal got in on his side of the bed, laying on his side facing our daughter, and I did the same on my side.

He reached out over her head and stroked my hair. I purred at the feeling of it and he purred back.

Kennedy snuggled deeper into our bed, unconsciously responding to her parent's soothing.

It was something we'd both learned early on to use with her. When she was distressed our purrs soothed her. It lulled her and she gravitated towards the sounds.

Coal looked into my eyes for a while before they drifted to our pup.

I followed his gaze and smiled at the sight of her.

I wrapped my arm around her and tucked her into my body. She curled into me instinctively, and my eyes closed. Just before I fell asleep I felt my mate wrap his arms around us both and pull us to him.

His purr rumbled softly around us and all I could think of was how unbelievably grateful I was for my little family.

***The End***