42: To Peace

*Four years later...*

**Coal**

"Darling!" I called as I entered the Alpha Suite.

"Who all is coming again?" Raegan called out from the walk-in.

"Our families, Shawn and her family, and Cass and his family," I said back, nearing the closet door.

My mate had her back turned to me as she slipped her foot into the other leg of her black stockings. I bit my lip as I watched her roll them up her legs and over her lace black underwear.

Arsen growled his approval in my mind and I felt my cock twitch in my pants.

"What about the ETA on Grace? Is she still planning on showing up?" She asked, pulling her skirt up over her stockings next.

I sighed at the loss of my view and put my hands into my pockets. "She's on her way from the hotel as we speak, and bringing her Beta as well as her Delta."

"Both?" Raegan asked, turning to face me.

She was topless still and the sight of her almost bare torso in front of me had me groaning.

"You're killing me, woman," I pinched the bridge of my nose, "we have to be downstairs for Christmas dinner with our family in fifteen minutes, and here you are looking sexy as ever--"

She folded her arms over her chest and glared at me, "don't start with me, Coal."

"Don't start what?" I tilted my head to the side and approached her. When I was in front of her, I put my hands on her hips and pulled her flush against my body.

"Start seducing me," she pouted up at me.

I smirked at her and leaned down into her neck. I inhaled her scent deeply before trailing soft kisses all along the skin on the side of her neck.

She moaned and I felt her hands curl into fists on my shirt.

"Coal," she breathed out.

With that, I separated from her, slapped her ass gently and left the walk-in.

"You have ten minutes, my dove."

She whined loudly, and I heard her even stomp her feet a little. I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of me.

When she was ready, the two of us made our way downstairs and to the ballroom.

The small one, not the big one.

Our families were already there and laughing while sitting on the sofas we'd set up around a large tree. The presents underneath it were color-coded to each family member so that we wouldn't have to read labels and sift through them to find out whose was whose.

Naturally, the kids had the most presents waiting.

On top of Emily's two youngest, and my brother's two, we now had my sister's triplets and Morgan's son. Our family was growing larger each year, and it was heartwarming to be able to spend our time together like this.

Morgan ended up having two fated mates. They were all very happy and had quickly welcomed their son into the family. They fucked like rabbits, and I was surprised they'd only managed one kid in the two years that they'd been mated.

Cass and Watson had twins on the way. Using Serena as the surrogate. She was happy to help them both out and be the biological mother to the pups. Though, the whole twins thing was a bit of a surprise. Shawn and Donnovan had yet to have an heir, insisting that they wanted to enjoy each other alone for a while longer.

So, our family had grown quite a bit. And bridges had been mended that I thought were irreparable. And now, we were getting ready to make our family that much larger.

As our family unwrapped their gifts and drank coffee and cocoa, Raegan's nerves shot through the roof.

I took her hand in mine and rubbed circles on the back of it.

For six years we'd tried to get pregnant. For six years we'd gone through fertility treatments and doing everything we could medically to start a family of our own. And now we were going to have a pup of our own.

Despite nearing the third trimester, Raegan was hardly showing. It made our anxiety about the growth of our child ten times worse when Raegan hit the middle of her second trimester and realized that she wasn't showing as much as the pamphlets said she would. The doctor assured us that our baby girl was doing just fine though, quelling those anxieties by showing us her size in comparison to a healthy fetus of the same age. Though it gave us anxiety, her lack of showing was also something that worked out in our favor of hiding it from our family until we were certain.

And when we were certain we waited a little longer. We waited for the perfect family event to roll around to tell everyone. And now it was Christmas, and everyone was gathered.

After the last gift was opened, Raegan rose to her feet and smiled around at our family.

They slowly all gave her their undivided attention. I pulled her hips gently so that she was standing in between my legs where I sat on the armrest of a chair. She smiled back at me and placed her hands over mine.

"Coal and I have some news to share with everyone," she grinned.

The room seemed to buzz with anticipation at this, and Johnny grinned widely. He was the only one who knew as he had been living with us in the palace for the last year and a half. We'd told him before anyone else today and had that very important conversation about being heir to the throne. The kid looked relieved when we told him.

He explained that he was happy it happened before he got too far into training and that he wouldn't have the weight of the crown on his shoulders. Raegan and I both understood that, and that was the end of it.

"Oh my God, please tell me this is what I think it is," Bri all but squealed.

Raegan giggled but nodded her head. "We're expecting," She whispered breathlessly. Her head tilted down and she gazed at her stomach before placing a hand on her abdomen affectionately.

I placed my hands over hers and smiled at the sight of our hands joined above the life she was creating.

Our relatives and friends whooped, squealed, grinned, hollered, and absolutely lost it. They were all congratulating us and hugging Raegan carefully. Morgan shook my hand, and Emily plastered kisses all over my face. Raegan's younger siblings came over and started to talk to her stomach animatedly. An act that their cousins quickly copied. Soon, Raegan had all of the pups in our family trying to talk over one another to the pup in her stomach.

Raegan beamed at them all and hushed them. She then had them all speak individually to our child before sending them on their way.

Her mother radiated happiness as she watched on, and my father looked on the verge of tears. I departed from Raegan, letting her have this moment with our nephews and nieces alone to join my father.

He smiled softly at me.

"You're going to be dad, huh?" He asked me quietly.

"Yeah, looks like it," I swallowed, trying to contain my own emotions.

"Well, I'm happy for you son," he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and squeezed me into a side hug. "Goddess knows you and Raegan deserve this after everything you've fought through."

I nodded, hugging him back.

"I'm honestly just happy that she's happy," I said while looking at Raegan.

He laughed softly, "mates'll do that to ya."

I chuckled, "so I've heard."

We watched on in silence for a while. I basked in the warmth that my mate radiated to the room and watched as our family mirrored it back to her.

Peace washed over me in waves when she looked up and made eye contact with me. Her eyes were crinkled in the corners where her smile reached. I waved in acknowledgement and she giggled.

"You're going to be great parents, kiddo," dad whispered.