Epilogue--Zoe 2

Epilogue--Zoe 2
Zoe's POV

The weeks that followed were a delicious secret. During training, David maintained his professional demeanor, though his eyes often found mine across the field with hidden meaning. At night, he showed me a side of himself no one else saw—tender, sometimes playful, always passionate.

Being with David felt right in a way nothing else ever had, but I sometimes worried about our differences. He was born to his position, respected and established in pack hierarchy. I was still finding my footing, my bonds to wolf society tenuous at best.

These insecurities were far from my mind, however, when the first wave of nausea hit me one morning during training. I barely made it to the treeline before emptying my stomach, confusion and growing suspicion making my head spin.

"Are you alright?" Aria was at my side instantly, concern etched into her features. "You've been off-color all week."

"Just a stomach bug," I assured her, though the lie tasted bitter on my tongue.

That evening, I locked myself in my bathroom with a pregnancy test I'd purchased in town, my heart hammering against my ribs as I waited for the result. When two pink lines appeared, clear and undeniable, I sank to the floor, emotions crashing over me in chaotic waves.

A baby. David's baby. Our baby.

Fear came first—we'd only been together for a couple of months. We hadn't discussed a future, much less children. Then came wonder as I placed a trembling hand over my still-flat stomach, trying to comprehend the miracle happening inside me.

I avoided both David and Aria for three days, making excuses about not feeling well. On the fourth day, I finally visited Aria's home, bringing a gift basket for her newborn twins as the perfect cover for seeking advice.

"They're beautiful," I whispered, watching Cassie coo softly in Aria's arms while Olivia slept peacefully in her bassinet.

"And exhausting," Aria smiled tiredly. "But worth every sleepless moment."

I nodded, anxiety building in my chest as I tried to find the right words. Before I could speak, another wave of nausea hit me, sending me rushing to her bathroom. When I returned, pale and shaky, Aria was waiting with concerned eyes.

"Zoe, you need to see a doctor," she said firmly. "That's the third time this week you've been sick."

I sank onto her sofa, gathering my courage. "It's not a virus, Aria. I'm... I'm pregnant."

Her eyes widened with genuine shock. "Pregnant? But... who's the—" She stopped herself, clearly trying to remember if I'd mentioned dating anyone. "I didn't even know you were seeing someone."

I bit my lip, looking down at my hands. "I haven't exactly been telling people."

"Well, who is it?" she pressed, shifting Cassie to her other arm. "Do I know him?"

Under her intense gaze, I finally whispered, "It's David."

"DAVID?" Aria nearly shouted, then quickly lowered her voice when Olivia stirred in her bassinet. "Our David? The Beta? Mr. Serious?"

I couldn't help the small smile that formed despite my anxiety. "He's... different when we're alone."

Aria stared at me in complete disbelief. "I can't even picture it. David, actually relaxing enough to—" She shook her head as if clearing a bizarre mental image. "How long has this been going on?"

"Since the spring celebration," I admitted. "It just... happened." Tears filled my eyes. "About six weeks, I think. I haven't told David yet."

"Why not?"

"I'm scared," I admitted, voice barely audible. "What if he thinks it's too soon? What if he doesn't want..."

"Zoe," Aria interrupted firmly, shifting Cassie to her other arm. "David is one of the most honorable men I know. And the way he looks at you..." She smiled softly. "Trust me, this will be unexpected, but not unwelcome."

"But with everything happening—the rogues, the border attacks—"

"Life doesn't stop because of danger," she said, gesturing to her twins. "Look at us. These two decided to arrive in the middle of a kidnapping and attempted murder."

Despite my anxiety, I laughed. "Fair point."

"Tell him," she urged, reaching out to squeeze my hand. "If you are pregnant, Zoe, he deserves to know. And you deserve his support."

I left Aria's house that evening with renewed courage and a promise to call her as soon as I'd spoken with David. Finding him proved harder than expected—he'd been called away to handle a border incident and didn't return until late that night.

When a knock finally came at my door, I opened it to find him looking exhausted, a small cut above his eyebrow evidence of whatever conflict he'd faced.

"Are you hurt?" I asked immediately, pulling him inside.

"I'm fine," he assured me, though he winced slightly as I guided him to sit. "Just a skirmish with scouts. Nothing serious."

I fetched my first aid kit, gently cleaning the cut as he watched me with tired eyes. "I missed you," he said quietly. "You've been avoiding me."

The directness of his observation shouldn't have surprised me. David never wasted words.

"I haven't been feeling well," I said carefully, setting aside the antiseptic.

His hand caught mine, his expression serious. "Zoe, whatever it is, just tell me. The distance these past few days has been..." He struggled for words. "Difficult."

Looking into his eyes—eyes that had watched me with passion, with tenderness, with growing affection—I found my courage.

"I'm pregnant," I said simply, the words hanging between us like a physical presence.

For a long moment, David went completely still, his expression unreadable. Then, to my complete surprise, he sank to his knees before me, his large hands coming to rest reverently on my hips.

"A baby," he whispered, looking up at me with an expression of such wonder it brought tears to my eyes. "Our baby."

Relief made my knees weak. "You're not upset?"

"Upset?" He looked genuinely baffled by the suggestion. "Zoe, this is..." He paused, seeming to struggle for words. "Unexpected, yes. But not unwelcome. Never unwelcome."

He rose to his feet, taking my face between his hands with infinite tenderness. "I should have told you this weeks ago, but I love you. I've been falling in love with you since you challenged me about enjoying the celebration."

Tears spilled freely down my cheeks now. "You love me?"

His smile was breathtaking in its openness. "How could I not? You brought light and laughter back into my life when I'd forgotten they existed."

He kissed me then, a kiss so full of promise it made my heart ache. When we parted, he rested his forehead against mine, one hand drifting down to rest protectively over my stomach.

"We'll figure this out," he promised. "Together."

---

Two months later, with my pregnancy now visible in the gentle curve of my belly, we stood among the pack as witnesses to Ethan and Aria's wedding beneath the full moon. The ceremony was beautiful.

David stood at Ethan's side as his Beta and friend, handsome in formal attire that emphasized his broad shoulders. Throughout the ceremony, his eyes frequently found mine in the crowd, each glance carrying a message meant only for me.

At the reception, as couples danced beneath strings of lights in the forest clearing, David approached with two glasses of sparkling cider.

"For the mother of my child," he said with a smile, handing me one. "Since champagne is off the menu for now."

I accepted the glass, watching as something like nervousness flashed across his usually confident face.

"What is it?" I asked.

He set his own glass aside, taking mine and placing it next to his before capturing both my hands in his.

"I had planned to wait for a more private moment," he began, his voice uncharacteristically uncertain. "But seeing Ethan and Aria today, watching them commit to each other under the Moon Goddess's light..." He drew a deep breath. "I don't want to wait any longer."

My heart began to race as he lowered himself to one knee before me, unmindful of his formal clothes against the forest floor. Around us, pack members fell silent, attention shifting to our unexpected moment.

"Zoe," David said, his voice steady now as he looked up at me with eyes full of certainty. "You came into my life like a storm—unexpected, powerful, transformative. You've shown me that duty without joy is merely existence, not living. You've challenged me, supported me, loved me." His hand briefly touched my rounded belly. "You're giving me the greatest gift imaginable."

From his pocket, he withdrew a ring—a delicate silver band set with a moonstone surrounded by tiny diamonds that caught the light.

"I want to build a life with you—a family, a future. I want to walk beside you through whatever challenges come our way." His eyes held mine, vulnerable yet certain. "Will you marry me, Zoe? Will you be my mate, my partner, my heart?"

The clearing had gone completely silent, all eyes on us. But in that moment, there was only David—my serious, devoted, unexpectedly tender Beta who had captured my heart so completely.

"Yes," I whispered, then louder, "Yes!"

He slipped the ring onto my finger before rising to his feet, gathering me in his arms as cheers erupted around us. His kiss was filled with promise, sealing our commitment before the pack and the Moon Goddess herself.

Later, as we danced slowly beneath the stars, his hand protectively splayed across my growing belly where our child grew, I caught Aria's eye across the clearing.

"Happy?" David murmured against my hair.

I looked up at him—my fierce protector, my passionate lover, soon to be my husband and the father of my child—and smiled.

"Complete," I answered, and felt my wolf rumble with contentment within me.