Chapter 267: Epilogue (Solana and Marcel)

Solana's POV

Nothing made me more exhausted than a long day of meeting, where we'd spend hours arguing over something that the answer was right in front of our eyes. And at the end of the meeting, all I wanted to do was fall back into the arms of my mate.

I didn't go to our room, as I could already hear the laughter coming from Selena's room, and I knew Marcel was there. I loved Marcel with all my heart, and I would not hesitate to kill for him. But watching him become a father— it was something I never expected. He was such a good dad, that I sometimes doubt my ability as a parent. Selena and I were lucky to have him.

"Hey," I called out to them as I leaned on Selena's doorframe.

She was mouthing off to him with her whole body. She kinda reminded me of myself when I was ranting to Marcel on my bad days. And once I started my rants, I didn't know how to stop until I ended up saying everything I had in mind.

Thankfully, I had such a wonderful, amazing and understanding mate to listen to me. He was so patient, and never complains.

"Mommy, daddy said I'm going to be a great Alpha one day."

My smile widened. "Of course, you'll be. You're our daughter."

My gaze found Marcel's eyes over Selena's shoulder, and he smiled at me. "How did it go? Well, I guess?"

"If well means Augusta complaining for forty minutes before agreeing to everything I'd already planned… then yes."

I walked inside the room, and approached them. Marcel leaned in to give me a hard kiss, and Selena pretended to gag.

"Why do you kiss a lot?" She asked, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Isn't it disgusting?"

I chuckled. "No. Not when you're in love."

Marcel's eyes softened in a way that made my heart tingle. Those eyes, so expressibe and full of love for me.

Who knew that I would find such happiness? Certainly not me.

Not when I was struggling to make a decent life back in the human city, and fighting for scrabs of Ronald's affection. Life had a way of surprising us. Because even now, sometimes I find myself staring at my family, my pack, wondering if everything was real. Wondering if this was not something I had imagined so bad, I was stuck in the dream.

"Are you done with your homework, Selena?" I asked, and she shook her head. "How about you continue for now..." My gaze fell to my fingers, and I smiled as my eyes found the sapphire ring Marcel gave me the day he proposed to me. "I want to take your daddy out to show him something."

"Is it another date? Daddy took you on one two days ago."

I chuckled and tapped her nose. "Maybe."

Thankfully, she didn't give much trouble. She went back to her homework and I dragged Marcel out of the room.

"Is it really a date?"

I shrugged. "I don't even know. Could be. Depending on how you interpret it. But there is nothing special."

"Oh, now I'm hurt." Marcel said, one hand dramatically lodged on his chest.

Five minutes later, I was driving him to somewhere we've been to a thousand times over the years. From the route I was taking, he already knew the place.

Another five minutes, and we arrived at one of my favourite places in the world. Nothing too fancy or extravagant, but it held enough memories to make my face lighten up with smile for a life time.

It was the Cabin Marcel had proposed to me in.

Thinking about him proposing to me always made me laugh. It was totally unnecessary in our world and culture. We didn't do marriages. The mate bond was more than enough— deeper than marriage. But Marcel considered the fact that I lived as a human most of my life, and I was used to their ways. It warmed my heart that he even thought of that.

"So you kidnapped me and brought me here where only you can have access to me. Should I be scared?"

I turned to him and gave him a naughty smile. "You should."

He wasn't speaking out of place when he said only me has access to him here. This area was so special to us that we prohibited other people from coming. It was our sanctuary. As a proposal gift, it was invaluable to me.

Marcel stepped out of the car beside me, his eyes roaming over the cabin with that same soft awe he always carried whenever we came here. "You know," he said quietly, "every time I see this place, I remember how nervous I was."

I snorted. "That was a total waste of emotion. You know I was going to say yes. We already marked each other."

"Wildcat," he groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "I was too busy remembering all the times I'd been a complete ass to you, and hoping you don't remember something that would make you decide that I'm not worth your time."

I laughed as I moved past him, brushing my fingers along the neat wooden railing of the porch. The only time we allowed people here was when we thought it needed maintenance, and that was how it still maintained its beauty and elegance. "You did fine. You made me cry, remember?"

"Yes, and you laughed while crying. That was even more confusing." He came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, chin settling on my shoulder. I leaned back into him.

We stood there for a few seconds, just breathing, letting the peace of the place settle around us like an old, familiar blanket. The moon was beginning to rise, casting silver across the trees. That same moon had witnessed our worst days and our best ones. It had seen me broken. It had seen Marcel angry and lost. And it had seen us rebuild ourselves from the ashes.

And now… it watched us whole.

I didn't want many things as a child. Just my brother's love, enough clothes to wear and a roof over my head would have sufficed. But now?

I looked around the cabin, staring at the beautiful portraits hanging everywhere. Some of me, some of Marcel, some of Selena. A smile tugged on my lips when my eyes zeroed in on the one where I was sleeping with a two year old Selena also crashing in my arms. Marcel had taken the picture and had been so in love with it that he framed it. I had some I'd taken of them too.

We moved to the living room, and more of the photos drew my attention. I'd seen them a million times, but they still managed to make my heart full. I had no idea that I was sure a 'freeze-moments-in-pictures' person, until Marcel and our daughter came along.

"Look at you and your three strands of hair," Marcel pointed to a portrait of stick figures Selena had drawn of us. And yes, I did have three strands of hair, while she had ten. No one can convince me that she didn't do that to spite me.

"At least she gave me hair at all." I pointed to his own bald picture.

"I rather be bald than have three strands of hair." He teased, making me glare at him.

"Tease me too much and I'll bite your ass."

He knew I wasn't kidding. Apart from finding love and happiness with him, he was also the only person I could let loose with and be myself completely.

I was an Alpha. A certain demeanor and social standard was expected of me at all times. But with Marcel, I could drop all the facade, peel back all the layer of pretenses until I was unapologetically myself. And he loved me even more for that.

I positioned a camera in and set the timer so it could capture images at intervals.

Then I turned to Marcel. When I looked at him, our eyes met in silent communication. His fingers gently caressed the sides of my face, and when he leaned in to kiss me, my heart melted.

Years later, I still turned to Jello with a single touch.

The camera clicked as our lips locked, eliciting a laugh out of us. Another moment I was going to freeze in time.

"I love you, Alpha," he whispered, hands moving down to caress my forearms, as the kiss deepened between us.

Another click. I could already imagine how the pictures would turn out.

Beautiful, elegant, romance frozen in time.

He placed his forehead on mine and his hands found mine as our fingers interlaced. It was quiet, but peaceful. The bond between us cracked to life as the sparks spread through us.

"I love you too, Beta."

Marcel being my Beta was the definition of emasculation according to his late mother and the whispers of some men. But he treated it like it was the greatest honour. I was more than lucky to have him.

If there was another life, I would not be interested in it if I didn't have my Marcel. I would kill for him, and I didn't mean it as a hyperbole.

He saved my life. By loving me. By waking up consciously plan to do each day with me. By giving me something to look forward to anytime I was away from home.

The bond between us warmed, then flared, then wrapped around us like a second skin.

My mate.

My partner.

My calm in chaos.

He kissed me then—slow, deep, reverent. A kiss that wasn't about passion or desire, but about us.

About forever.

"So," he murmured as we pulled apart. "Is this still nothing special?"

I smirked. "Depends."

He already understood what I was hinting at from the look in my eyes.

In the next moment, our clothes had been discarded to the floor and our limbs were entangled together on the bed as body danced to the passionate song of love.

I had everything I wished

for. And everything I didn't dare to wish.

And this life, this gift I'd been given... I would never take it for granted.