Beaufort Creek Shifters (10 book series)
The Wolf’s Bullied Mate Epilogue

Jada

Three weeks of being pregnant and I was already over it.

My feet ached. My lower back hurt for some reason. I couldn't control whether I was horny, and then I Something had happened that night he proposed and I found out I was carrying a new clump of activ kind of mates did that? Maybe it was just us.

Or maybe it was fate.

Whatever the reason didn't seem particularly important. We met with Blake in our most simple outfits onto the shore as our pack members gathered around us.

I was nervous. Was it normal to be nervous?

Mom and Dad stood next to my grandfather. Papa Jo had been touring through Paris and Amsterdam with bullies and taking care of myself came from my mother, and that came from Papa Jo.

As was traditional, Papa Jo stepped forward with the oils chosen by Isaiah and me the night before. Pa family.

And it had started with that ridiculous announcement by my alpha.

I trusted Blake to the ends of the earth. I knew Izzy trusted his alpha too. It was just a matter of comb Though I wasn't showing yet, I felt like I had a little pudge going on. I tried not to think about it as Pap "May this union provide peace." He spoke gently. He did the same to Isaiah, adding, "May it be a lastin My heart sang from hearing those words. Isaiah took my hands in his. He bowed toward me as the bre He narrowed his eyes playfully. "Stop thinking."

"No."

"I guess I'll have to make you stop thinking later."

I squeezed his hands as I stood on his toes. "I look forward to that."

't control whether or not I was hungry. Sometimes, I confused the two feelings. A lot of times, Isaiah was totally okay with that.

In my gut. Something had clicked between us. We kissed in the hallway and then tumbled into the bedroom like we hadn't tasted each other in eons. What

a white tank and white cotton pants, and Isaiah in a white tunic shirt with white slacks-and stood at the edge of the dunes on the beach. Waves crashed

roup of wolves in search of enlightenment. He was a lot hippier than me in that regard-which wasn't an issue at all. Everything I'd learned about dealing and peppermint carried along the breeze. Inhaling that combination soothed me, reminding me that I was with my family, and that Isaiah was joining my

ur trust and turning that into faith. It wasn't just for our alphas. It was for us too. It was for the family we would soon form. heared the symbols of the earth onto my heart.

e."

ked up, teasing his mullet that he had trimmed up recently. The wildness of his hair rivaled the white outfit he wore, making me chuckle.

When our lips met, the roar of the waves masked the eruption of applause. The pack had doubled in size-and with that came a magnificent expansion of energy. I could feel every single member sharing the joy of my union with Isaiah in ways I hadn't ever imagined. Such a dizzying sensation nearly made me hit the ground.

But Isaiah caught me. Again. As he always seemed to do.

"Don't do that," he warned. "I'll have to find a gentle way to punish you if you hurt yourself by accident."

"Oh no," I teased. "What will I ever do?"

He chuckled huskily, the sound tickling me to my core. I knew what that chuckle meant. Later in the night, we would likely find ourselves tangled up again. No matter how many times our bodies joined, I couldn't get enough. And now he was my husband as well as my mate. Surely a celebration was in order.

When we turned to face our combined pack, Blake stepped forward, the first to congratulate our new union. His father would have shaken our hands. But that wasn't his style. He pulled us into a loving embrace, rubbing our backs like we were long-lost family. The warmth that resonated from my alpha made me tear up.

I hadn't known that being mated would magnify these emotions. As they poured from me, I clung to Isaiah's hand, refusing to let him go no matter how many people came up to yank us into hugs. We were such a physical species, shifters. We couldn't do without physical touch. It was the most grounding of all things.

Troy nudged his way toward us respectfully. He welcomed us into his arms, repeating what Blake had done with less vigor. But certainly not with less love. The urge to follow Troy arose from an unexpected place, and I found myself glancing between both alphas, a sense of loyalty circulating between us that I'd never thought I would feel.

Isaiah took a deep breath. "Alpha, I look forward to rebuilding our pack together."

"And I look forward to that as well," Troy replied. "With you both." He focused on me and took my hand. "Jada, I hope you know that we won't ever pressure you to pick between packs."

"I can't pick," I admitted. "I feel loyal to you both."

Blake and Troy exchanged a look. I couldn't quite read it. And for a second, it felt like maybe they were communicating mentally with each other.

In their human forms.

That was new.

Isaiah wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Troy?"

"Yes?" Troy turned as though he hadn't been caught in a long staring match with Blake. "What can I do for you, son?"

"Just making sure you're alright."

He smiled widely. "I'm fantastic."

"Well, we're glad," I spoke up. "We hope you'll feel the same when we announce our news."

Everyone around us hushed each other, waiting for the big announcement. I glanced up at Isaiah who gave me a nod of approval. I tried to level my breathing, so nervous about the fact that I was about to tell people what was going on, almost having a total heart attack over the energy that was building. "I'm stepping down as field manager," I said carefully. "The person taking over will be Skye."

Some gasps ripped through the crowd. Skye and Laurencia waved from their spot in the back-they were probably going to wait until the crowd thinned to get to me. They were already aware of the news, of course, and had been sworn to secrecy. Which I hoped was still mostly a secret at this point.

"And," I added tentatively, "Isaiah and I will be welcoming a pup in about nine months."

The energy that had been building reached a crescendo and burst. It rippled through me and forced tears from my eyes as my parents swooped in to hug me. Papa Jo came next. Then the alphas. Then everyone that I had worked with out in the field. They were aware of my decision to step down, though they weren't entirely sure why.

And while dance would be a focus of mine, I wanted to make sure I took care of my body.

Mom stayed close. I felt her comforting energy radiate through each interaction. Laurencia and Skye made it to me as the crowd ebbed and flowed, each of them hugging me gently as Isaiah stepped aside to make room for them.

Skye beamed at Isaiah. "I knew you weren't a total jerk!"

I groaned. "Skye, please. I think everyone wants an acceptance speech instead."

Laurencia laughed. "If you give her the microphone, she'll never stop talking. I'll have to put her name on a piece of paper and shove it into a jar."

I blanched. "Laurencia, we've talked about this. You're not supposed to put spells on people. Especially when-"

She waved away my reminder with a reassuring smile. "Yes, especially since I'm a leopard with no predetermined magical traits. I get it."

"I just don't want it blowing up in your face again."

"It won't. I promise." She winked in a way that wasn't convincing. "I think your cousins want to say hello..."

Oh, for the love of the gods, I didn't want to face my cousins. Most of my family had kept their distance outside of the pack minus my parents and grandparents. Though Blake had extended a forever welcome mat out to them, they had chosen to stay in other parts of the country.

Well, I guess it wasn't every day a quiet cousin got mated, married, and pregnant in the same month.

While I navigated through three different cousins speaking at once, I felt Isaiah thread his fingers with mine. Having him close put me at ease. I found myself confidently speaking to every person who approached, including his pack members, who didn't quite seem warm to me at first.

But by the time the sun was setting under the teal ocean, Elias and Wendell were cracking jokes and offering dinner in their condos. Their devotion to their friend, who was now my mate and husband, was evident in their gestures, their looks, their laughter. Such time spent with each other couldn't possibly be ignored.

I smiled happily. "You both will make wonderful uncles. Troy too."

Hurt splashed Elias's face for a split second until it was replaced with a tight grin. Wendell seemed pleased. I knew Elias was still mourning the loss of his child. I had no doubt about the power of healing our family would provide, and I was also aware it would take a lot of adjustment.

Besides, it wasn't like we were moving anywhere. We would still live in the condo. We would still be neighbors.

At least, that was my understanding. I looked at Isaiah who had gone quiet. "Are the alphas still planning to split the land?"

He nodded. "Troy said he might rent a building in town if there's an overflow-and that might be good considering the way the houses have been built together."

"It's getting slightly crowded," Elias commented. "I'm not complaining though."

His eyes wandered toward a group of women standing nearby. Among them was the schoolteacher with whom he seemed to have a heated feud. While they glared daggers at each other, I nudged Isaiah.

My husband chuckled. "The mate announcements will keep coming too."

Elias scowled. "I don't see why we would need to keep doing that if we're going to remain as two separate packs."

"I've become rather fond of the idea," Troy announced as he stepped into our circle. "I like to think that the protection it provides is true."

Less scowling came from Elias, but I sensed his irritation remained. "Respectfully, cousin. Do you think that wise?"

"I think it's better than doing nothing. We have to rebuild, don't we?"

"Yes, but-"

Troy smiled knowingly. "Rebuilding means regrouping. A few pairings here and there should do the trick. Don't you trust me?"

Elias glanced around. Seeing him get put on the spot made Isaiah and Wendell titter. I couldn't help the giggle that surfaced from me as well.

"Wouldn't it be funny if you were next, Alpha?" Isaiah teased.

To which Troy blankly folded his hands behind his back. "That's absurd. Why would I need a mate?"

"For protection, duh," Elias joined in with a sly grin. "I'm sure Blake has somebody perfect picked out for you."

While Blake was too occupied with my cousins to notice our conversation, it made me chuckle to think that he had a mate in mind for Troy. What kind of alpha would announce a mating for another alpha? Would that cause tension?

Shoot, I wasn't sure if any sort of friendship would survive that sort of thing. When it was a pack member accepting an announcement, it was one thing. But two alphas? Well, it would certainly be a sight to witness, wouldn't it?

My arms tingled with awareness. I could tell Troy was chugging through plenty of scenarios in his head of all the pairings that could be made from this pack alone. Would he accept them? Hesitance trickled into the gooey mess of feelings he was stirring up.

It was wild that I could feel them at all. Ever since I'd traded marks with Isaiah, I could sense a lot more things about this pack that I had never noticed in the past. I just assumed it was the pregnancy hormones at this point. But maybe it had more to do with the bond than anything else. It was something worth exploring. I wanted to get right to it.

But there was no rush. There was no need for racing ahead.

After all, we had the rest of our lives to figure it out.

*****

THE END