Epilogue

Epilogue
Lilieth 
I'm standing on the balcony of our bedroom, staring at the moon in the sky. 
The scene is one I've dreamt of for years, and now, we finally have it. The village is back on its feet, and I can see all the pretty lights from our room. Honestly, every time I thought about giving up, I would remember this scene. 
When I first came here, it was so mesmerizing to me. I had the impression that the place came right out of a fairytale, and now, here we are, living it. 
Honestly? I'm sure that Draven would approve. Yes, this is his pack, and this was his vision, but he wanted it so badly that it would be a sin to leave his pack behind and rebuild elsewhere. We had the perfect foundation here. 
People died, and people were born. And this place is still standing. 
I find that admirable. 
I still haven't stopped thinking about that day. It scarred me, to an extent. And you never know how much something will affect you until much later. That was the case with me—sometimes, I'll wake up in the middle of the night and feel the weight of his head on my lap. When I wake up, of course, he'll be gone, and Cadeon will be right beside me with his arms around me. 
I wouldn't have done this without him. 
Or without Marc. 
Our baby boy is so perfect. I live for him—that's the truth. When I first found out that I was pregnant, I wasn't sure if I really wanted the baby. I figured it out that I had love for the little creature growing inside of me when Petra Donshaw was trying to kill me. That was when I knew—I had to protect my baby from her. I wouldn't let her harm him. 
That's when I started to change. 
But the truth is that, even though I look at him and wish he had siblings, I don't think I'd survive another pregnancy. It really took a toll on me. And I nearly lost my sanity.
We'll give him all the love he needs, and if he wants siblings, he always has Deo and Corey's babies. Those two are determined to have about a dozen, so that's a good thing. Marc will never feel alone. 
Deo's pregnant now, and will give birth in two months. 
I inhale deeply, smiling to myself. I can positively say that I'm really happy with where life's taken me, even if in the beginning, I just wanted the old way because of how safe I felt  back then. Things changed for the better, and though we've suffered, I think it was worth it. 
My smile only widens when I hear the door opening. Cadeon thinks I didn't hear it, because he did it softly—but I did. 
And when he crepes up behind me and places his hands on my hips, I chuckle instead of flinching. 
"Come on," he groans, kissing the back of my neck. "Can't a man surprise his woman?"
"You'll have to be quieter."
"Impossible."
"Then the answer is no. You can't surprise me. I'll always hear you coming," I say as I whirl around. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him deeply. His hands move to my ass, and he cups it. Up here, we're all alone, and the world around us blurs. This is it—our slice of heaven on earth.  
I wouldn't have it any other way. 
"How was your day?" I murmur against his lips. 
"It's better now that I'm here with you," he says roughly as his hands bring the hem of my dress up. "There is something I want to complain about, though."
I bite his lip. "What?"
"I haven't had dinner," he says hungrily before sinking onto his knees before me. 
I'm completely bare under my nightgown, and he flashes me a broad grin, satisfied. The cool air hits my legs and goosebumps spread across the surface of my skin. I tilt my head back when he runs his nose along my slit. 
I love it when he does that. 
His tongue darts out and he spreads my lips with his fingers before feasting. I close my eyes as waves of pleasure crash into me, one after another. I pant his name as he circles my clit with his tongue. Not too fast, not too slow, and just the right amount of pressure. 
It's so good my toes start to curl. 
"Cadeon," I moan, keeping my eyes screwed shut as he sucks my clit into his mouth while curling a finger inside of me. I start to rock my hips against his lips, needing more. I moan his name loudly as euphoria washes over me, and I come in his mouth, clenching around his finger. 
Cadeon smacks his lips, stands up, and kisses me so I taste myself on his tongue. I love it when he comes home this way. 
We start to move toward the bed, and I'm undoing the buttons of his shirt while our lips are locked. I land on the bed, and he pulls the nightgown over my head before tossing it aside.  I undo the buckle of his belt, pull down his pants, then wrap my hand around the base of his cock before covering his tip with my mouth. 
His fingers disappear into my hair as I bob my head up and down his length, savoring the salty, masculine taste of him. He moans my name and his cock twitches in my mouth when I suck in my cheeks. 
When he finishes, he gets into bed with me, our eyes locked, and he kisses me. He settles above me, pushes into me, and we move together. It's a slow and tender night—and it's easier for me to touch his body and feel every inch of him inside of me. The bond is throbbing pleasantly in my neck, and I'm sure it's doing the same to him. 
He breaks the kiss as he thrusts into me, sweat beading his forehead. "I love you, Lili. So fucking much it hurts."
I lock my arms around his neck, pulling him even closer, and say, "And I love you, too. So much, Cadeon."
We move together, coming at the same time. My heart is swollen with love for this man—a man I met on a dark night in the middle of a field, who called me ludicrous name. I remember hating him so much for it. Now, he's the love of my life, and honestly, life never ceases to amaze me. Look at us. Look at how far we've come.
He holds me afterward. Our bodies are slick with sweat, and his heart is beating steadily against my cheek. I wouldn't have it any other way—this is what we bled and fought for. This right here. And I'd be a fool to exchange it for a peace that wasn't even real. 
I understand now that some sacrifices are worth absolutely everything you've got, even if it hurts at the time. All that pain only made us stronger and more eager to fight for this new future we have. 
I didn't want to be a leader. It was never my plan. But now, I know I'm willing to do anything to keep the peace and make sure our son never figures out what it's like to be considered a nobody. I want him to know that everyone is equal, and that there's more than enough room for everyone to thrive. 
Yes, that's the future we want. We'll do everything we can to keep it that way. 
"Sleepy?" Cadeon asks against my hair. 
I look at him and smirk. "You wish."
His eyes light up with desire, and he hardens against my thigh. "Come here, then."
"Greedy bastard," I chuckle before climbing on top of him and kissing him until our lips are numb.