Epilogue
Six months later…
“Connor, seriously, I’m fine,” Evie grumbled as they walked down Broadway and crossed 79th Street. “Do you want to carry me? Is that it?”
“I just want to make sure you’re not tired,” he growled.
"Magical baby, remember? I'm feeling fine. Better than fine. I'm not even tired, and I'm not even doing eight shows a week. The only reason I quit the show a month ago was that I couldn't fit into the costume when I popped."
“You’ll tell me if you want to go back to the hotel, right?” he said, placing a hand over her bulging belly.
"I will, now stop hovering! I want to get to the ice cream place sometime today."
The continued to walk down the street, making their way to the trendy new ice cream shop that had just opened up in the neighborhood. It was a beautiful fall day in New York. There was a crisp chill in the air and, frankly, Evie was so glad for the cooler weather. Autumn was the best time of the year, and it also meant she was close to her due date. Of course, while she was enjoying being pregnant, Connor was nearly tearing his hair out with worry. He never left her side, unless he had to go overseas for an op, and even then he tried not to be gone for too long. He was always asking her what she needed, never even letting her lift a finger. It was sweet at first, but it was starting to get on her nerves.
Still, she was happy. A part of her was a little sad at having to leave Love and Regrets in the middle of its successful run. The cast, crew, and fans (she still couldn’t believe she had fans) were sad, too, but they all understood. Steven, Jane, and Annie said she'd be welcome to come back anytime, especially since they were expecting the show to run for a long time. Being in the show had been exhilarating, but she figured there would be time enough to go back to work. For now, she'd enjoy the time alone with Connor and then being a mother. Besides, there were tons of other things she wanted to do. Maybe writing her own show? She had lots of idle time now, and ideas were constantly popping in her head. She even bought a keyboard so she could start writing down some music. Connor said he believed in her and that she could do anything she wanted if she put her mind to it.
"Hey, are you sure this is the way?" Evie frowned when she realized Connor had led them off the main drag. They were in the middle of a residential area, lined with beautiful, turn-of-the-century brownstone buildings.
“This is a shortcut,” he said curtly, tugging her down the street. “Oh, look at that.”
“Huh?” She followed his gaze to one of the houses, which had a big red “For Sale” sign out front. She looked up. The ornate and elegant brownstone was three stories high with large bay windows. The stoop steps led up to the door. “Oh, wow. Nice.”
Connor walked up to the steps and cocked his head. “Let’s go.”
“Huh?” Her brows wrinkled. “Connor, we can’t go in. That’s someone’s house!”
"If it's for sale, then don't they expect people to go in and take a look?"
She laughed. “That’s not how it works.”
“C’mon.” He jogged up the steps and opened the door. “See? It’s not locked.”
"Connor!" she called when he disappeared into the brownstone. Oh shit, they were going to get arrested for trespassing.
She followed him inside, and, as soon as she stepped through the door, she gasped. It must have been fully renovated because it still had that smell of fresh paint and cement. The main foyer was done entirely in white, including the sconces and the moldings, which were probably original. On the right was a set of steps that led to the upstairs.
Where was Connor?
"In here," he called as if reading her mind.
Evie walked over the shiny hardwood floors and through the entryway on the left. Connor was standing by the large window, his back to her. This room was huge and airy with high ceilings. It was fully furnished, though, with a large, L-shaped couch, coffee table, a plant in the corner, and a 60-inch flat screen TV on one wall. There was even enough space for a baby grand piano in the corner.
"We shouldn't be in here," she said wryly when she approached him. "What are we—" Connor turned around, and she gasped. In his hand was a velvet box and nestled inside was a sparkly diamond ring. "Oh …"
"Evie … I'm not the best with words, but let me try. I thought I was broken and lost, and all I wanted was revenge. My wolf was broken, too. But since I've met you, you've turned my world upside down. In a good way, I mean. You've given me something to live for. So … will you marry me?"
She still couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She looked up at him. “Yes, of course, I’ll marry you.”
Connor took the ring from the box, and she could have sworn his hand shook a little as he slid it onto her finger.
“I love you,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
“I love you, too.”
He bent down for a kiss. By now, he must have kissed her a thousand times, but, still, each one felt just as thrilling as the first. She moaned into his mouth, and she felt his hands move lower to cup her ass. Something hard poked at her hip. Oh wow. Here? Really … well … She slid her palms over the bulge in the front of his pants and began to unzip the fly.
"Evie, er … sorry, I couldn't help it, but no …" he said.
“Huh?” Oh right. “Sorry. The owners won’t be happy if they catch us doing the nasty on their couch.”
“It’s not that … you see …”
“Surprise!”
Huh?
Evie turned around. Standing in the doorway was everyone. Seriously, everyone. Meredith was in the middle, lifting a big "SOLD" sign, and beside her was Daric, holding their son in his arms. Killian was there, one arm slung around Luna and a baby carrier in the other. Quinn and Selena were smiling at them, and, behind them, was Jackson, Lily, and Austin. But there were more people coming through the doorway, too.
"Oh, my … dad? Stephanie? Arthur? Mom!" She gasped. Even her family was here? "What are you all doing here?"
“Well, we couldn’t miss this, could we?” Amelia said as she embraced her.
"Yeah, we couldn't miss you finally making an honest woman of my daughter," Charlie said wryly at Connor.
“Sorry sir,” Connor said, rubbing the back of his head with his palm. “I was waiting for the right time.”
“The right time was before you got her pregnant,” Charlie grumbled.
“Oh, come now,” Stephanie said. “She was destined to have this baby.” About a month ago, Evie told her stepmom and brother about Connor and Amelia being a Lycan. It seemed only right, since not only was Amelia trying to be part of their lives, but soon, they were going to be related to even more Lycans. They were shocked, of course, but they had come to accept it. Arthur, of course, thought it was pretty cool.
"Sorry, were we a little late?" Meredith said as she came forward. She shook the sign. "I had to hide this, so we didn't ruin the surprise."
“I don’t understand …”
“Connor bought the house.”
“The house?”
“This house, silly.”
"What?" Her jaw practically dropped to the floor. "This … house?" She looked at Connor, and he nodded. "You bought …"
“Yes,” he said with a nod.
Tears rushed to her eyes. Evie had never asked Connor about renting an apartment or even moving out of the W Hotel. She figured they could sort it out when the time came. She understood the feral wolf's restless nature and that it couldn't stay in one place. "But this house … what if you want to move? What if the wolf—"
“I won’t,” he said. “And I think the wolf wants to settle. It wants to be with you. With our pup.”
"Oh, Connor …" She looked around her at her family and his. The ones they were born into, the ones they chose. They were all there, looking at them, many with tears in their eyes.
“Do you like the house?” he asked in a hopeful tone.
"Like it? Of course, I do! I love it, Connor."
“Good,” he said. “Let me show it to you while everyone gets the food ready. A couple more people are coming to our housewarming slash engagement party.”
He led her up the stairs, carefully placing his hand on the small of her back. They went room by room, exploring their new home. Connor seemed proud, showing off every nook and cranny of the brownstone and telling her about the renovations. It was massive: three floors, five bedrooms. Connor said he wanted to fill it with as many of their pups as possible and, if they ran out of room, he could buy the place next door, too.
“How long ago did you buy this?”
“About three months ago.”
“Three months?” she asked in a surprised voice. “You’ve been planning it for that long?”
He nodded. "With the baby coming, we couldn't keep living in hotels. So I asked around. Meredith helped, too. There's a small garden out back. We can put in a swing and a sandbox. It's on the subway line to the theater district. That means you don't have to be far from work."
“I don’t know what to say …”
“Say that you love me and you’ll be mine.”
“I love you,” she whispered and placed his hand over her belly. “And yes, I’ll be yours. And you’ll be mine.”
A small kick in her belly surprised them both. They looked at each other. As she saw the the bottomless peace and satisfaction in his eyes, a warm glow flowed through her.