Chapter 312: EPILOGUE

Ashley pov

ONE YEAR LATER

A year. It’s been a whole year since the chaos ended, since the war faded into memory, and peace became something we could finally touch. Standing on the balcony of the castle, I look out at the kingdom, our kingdom, and it fills me with a sense of pride I never thought I’d feel.

The once-scarred land has begun to heal. The forest, once littered with blood and broken bodies, is lush and green again. Villages that were burned have been rebuilt, and the people, though scarred by the past, walk with lighter steps.

The sound of children laughing in the distance drifts up to me, and it warms my heart.

Behind me, the sound of boots on stone makes me smile. I don’t need to turn around to know it’s Elias.

“You’re up early,” he says, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. His warmth seeps into me, and I lean back into him.

“Couldn’t sleep,” I admit. “There’s too much on my mind.”

Elias chuckles softly. “You’re thinking again, aren’t you? About whether you’ve done enough?”

I nod, unable to help myself. “It’s hard not to. I want to make sure everything stays like this. Peaceful. Safe.”

“You’ve done more than enough, Ash,” he mutters. “The people love you. They trust you. We all do.”

Before I can respond, Everett’s voice cuts in from the doorway. “Elias, stop hogging her.” He steps onto the balcony, his grin as cocky as ever, but his eyes are soft when they land on me. “Morning, Ash. Thinking too much again?”

“Of course,” I reply with a smile. “It’s kind of my thing.”

Ethan joins us next, his hair a mess and his shirt half-buttoned like he just rolled out of bed. “You’d think after a year, she’d learn to relax.” He yawns, stretching as he leans against the railing. “But nope, our queen still works harder than anyone else.”

I laugh. It’s a small miracle that we can tease each other like this, that we’ve all come so far from where we started.

The triplets are everything I didn’t know I needed. Elias, steady and strong, keeps me grounded. Everett, sharp and clever, makes me laugh even on the hardest days. And Ethan, with his carefree charm, reminds me to live in the moment. Together, they balance me in ways I never thought possible.

“Alright, enough about me,” I say, turning to face them. “How’s the Council meeting prep going?”

Ethan groans. “Don’t remind me. It’s too early to think about politics.”

Everett smirks. “You’re just mad because the Council doesn’t swoon over you like the villagers do.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault I’m charming,” Ethan says, throwing his arm over my shoulder. “Right, Ash?”

“Sure,” I tease, patting his hand. “Let’s go with that.”

The sound of footsteps below catches my attention, and I glance down to see Constantine leading a group of bears through the castle courtyard. He’s been busy training the royal guards, ensuring the kingdom stays protected. Dominic isn’t far behind him, his hand resting on Constantine’s shoulder as they share a laugh.

Seeing them like this, happy and together, fills me with a deep sense of happiness. They deserve this peace as much as anyone else.

“Look at them,” Everett says, following my gaze. “Can you believe a year ago we were more or less all at each other’s throats?”

“Barely,” I admit. “But I’m glad we’re here now.”

The rest of the morning passes in a blur of meetings and planning. Rebuilding the kingdom has been a massive effort, but it’s worth every moment of hard work. The villages are thriving, the Council is more united than ever, and the rogues who once sought to destroy us now have a place to call home.

Later, as the sun begins to set, I find myself in the gardens, surrounded by flowers in full bloom. The air is warm, and the sky is painted in shades of orange and pink. It’s my favorite time of day, a quiet moment to reflect.

I don’t hear Elias approach until he’s right beside me. “Here,” he says, handing me a small bouquet of wildflowers. “Thought you might like these.”

“They’re beautiful,” I say, smiling up at him.

He sits beside me on the bench, his hand finding mine. “You know, we haven’t had much time to talk lately. Just us.”

I nod, leaning my head against his shoulder. “It’s been a lot. But it’s worth it.”

Everett and Ethan join us not long after, each carrying a glass of wine. “We thought you could use a break,” Everett says, handing me one.

“To peace,” Ethan says, raising his glass.

“To family,” I add, clinking my glass against theirs.

As we sit there, laughing and talking, I realize just how far we’ve come. The weight of the past still lingers, but it no longer defines us. We’ve built something beautiful out of the ashes.

Elias reaches for my hand, his thumb brushing against my palm. “Ash, there’s something we need to talk about.”

I glance at him, then at Everett and Ethan, who are both grinning like they know something I don’t.

“What is it?” I ask, my heart skipping a beat.

Elias leans in, his voice soft and full of warmth. “You’ve been working so hard for everyone else. It’s time you started thinking about yourself.”

“What do you mean?”

Everett smirks. “He means it’s time you tell her, Elias.”

Ethan laughs. “She’s going to figure it out soon anyway.”

I look between them, confusion turning to suspicion. “Tell me what?”

Elias reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small charm. It’s shaped like a wolf, its eyes glinting with tiny sapphires. “This is for you,” he says, slipping it into my hand.

“Huh? I don’t get it. Why are you giving me this? It isn’t my birthday,” I trail off as I stare at the charm, then at him, then at the others.

Elias clears his throat and speaks again. “We had a serious talk and we agreed that we want a baby. You’ve been going on about family and wanting children and we believe it’s about time we start trying.”

“You’re serious?” I whisper.

“Dead serious,” Everett says, his grin widening.

Ethan leans back, his hands behind his head. “Told you we’d make you happy.”

Tears well up in my eyes, but they’re happy tears. “I can’t believe this.”

Elias pulls me into a hug, his voice full of emotion. “Our family, we are going to build our own family, Ash.”

Everett and Ethan quickly join the hug, all three of my mates making me feel like the happiest woman alive. After all the horror we experienced, the obstacles life threw in our way, finally, we’ve found our own happily ever after.

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Author’s Note

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for reading and supporting this story — I’m thrilled to share that it’s now officially complete! 🎉

If you enjoyed this book, I’d love for you to check out my new works:

The Vampire's Human Slave (a dark BL novel)

Skated Across Time (a time-travel romance)

Your support means the world to me, and I can’t wait to take you on more amazing journeys with these new stories. 💛