“Have you decided on names? I know you didn’t want to reveal them until they were born.”
“We have.” Colton is the one to reply. “Eve and Eden. It somehow seems fitting for the first tribrids ever to grace our lands. I think they look like an Eve …” he points to the smaller of the two girls, the one with the blue eyes, “And an Eden.” He strokes my hand over our red-eyed girl’s back, reading my mind on how we are to name them even though both practically mirror images of one another. Somehow their names seem to fit. Identical twins with similar names but completely different meanings. Eden means ‘delight,’ and Eve means ‘full of life.’ We spent so long tossing names back and forth before settling on those.
“Pretty names for pretty girls. Girls that I am sure will go on to achieve great things for the Santo pack.” Marda pats Colton on the shoulder and wanders off to leave us to our feeding session.
“We can announce it to that lot out there. I’ll tell them you need time to feed them and pull yourself together, and then I’ll take the babies out for them to see and let you rest. I won’t let any visitors in until you’ve slept, and I’ll make sure our parents are the first. Both are waiting downstairs.” Colton brushes a kiss across my temple, back in nurturing carer mode. “I’m proud of you. They’re healthy and perfect, and you did so well.”
“Not doing it again in a hurry.” I smile weakly and settle my head back into my pillows to relax and doze while they suckle. I’m exhausted and not all that sad about his no-visitor rule for a few hours. I feel bad knowing I am keeping my father waiting, but I’m in no fit state just yet.
Marda tends to the bedclothes. All pushed way down below my feet. Switching out the blood-soaked mess for clean, fresh linen, Colton lifts my legs to help her change them.
“I’ll be back soon.” Colton stops fussing over me and does what he said, while Marda takes the time to wash my body and helps me maneuver without disturbing the girls as she dresses me in my pajamas on the lower half and tucks me into a fresh bed.
“Enjoy the quiet before the storm, Luna. After this, the visitors, well-wishers, and resting time will be harder to find. Don’t let them overwhelm you. Take your time to recover, to bond with your girls. The pack can wait. Tradition is that we used to wait fourteen days before the Luna brought out the newborns to show them to the pack, and I wish that were still the norm. Mother’s need respite as most, like you, want to recover naturally without turning. They somehow feel the achievement means more when they allow a slower healing process and the bond to their children is stronger.”
“I understand that. After going through all this, I don’t want to wipe it away as if the last hours were nothing. I want to linger in my exhaustion and relief that the pain is over. Maybe in a day or two, I’ll turn and get back to fit, but it’s been so long staying human that I’m in no hurry.”
I can’t explain it, but I understand what she means. I want to hold onto every precious moment and memory of birth. The experience is tied up in the agony and exhaustion.
“What now, Luna?” Marda comes to sit on the edge of the bed and checks the feeding position, stroking little faces and smiling with a warmth of a woman who has mothered her own little ones with her full heart.
“We take each day as it comes and see what happens. My father, Sierra, will come up soon enough to welcome our next generation, and life will move on. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know that Colton and I will do everything in our power from here on in always to protect them.”
And we will. No matter what it takes or what life throws at us. We survived wars and so much worse. We will always do everything in our power to protect our family.
“My gut tells me these two will be important to our species one day. We’ve never had anything quite like them, and it will be wonderful to watch them develop their natural abilities without fear of showing them.” Marda admires them and reaches out to stroke the hair from my damp face with the gentlest of touches.
“Doc has requested that he be allowed to monitor them as they do. Record their progress and document changes. He thinks it will be an amazing addition to his research of non-human species. His eternal fascination of Lycans and immortals.” I smile warmly at that as I say it. Conjuring up our eccentric adopted Uncle, who sometimes visits from his research lab to keep Sierra up to date and generally because he misses us. He’s become a part of the Santo family, and the pack adore him as much as we do. A never-ending source of knowledge for our kind in matters we never understood.
“Juan Santo really should regret everything he lost. His own grandchildren, how amazing his son is. The rebuild of the pack.” Marda’s face crumbles a little at the thought of the alpha who ruled for most of her life, and I’m sobered by the sound of his name. Many older Lycan like her still hold him in a place in their hearts for the years before he changed and led us all into misery.
A few months ago, my father informed us Juan died shortly after he was taken prisoner. It was quick, as painless a death as could be at the hands of vampires mauling you to death, and Colton never mentioned it again. With vengeance and hate replaced with a desire to bond with me, he no longer had the stomach for torture and allowed Juan to leave this world once and for all. He’s gone, the evil that started everything, and yet a part of me aches for Colton because I know, deep down, that he wishes his father had been different in the end. I’m sad that my girls lack a grandfather because he was so caught up in his madness that he forgot what love and family were.
“Only sunny skies and happier days from here on in, right?” Marda pats me once more and gets up from the bed as the door clicks open, and Colton slides back in, beaming from ear to ear. Obvious happiness and glee are etched from head to foot, and I know it’s from the excitement of our friends, family, and pack outside, waiting patiently.
“I love my life. What more could I ask for but all my girls?” He beams enthusiastically and scoots back to my side, hopping on the bed and sliding an arm under my head to cuddle up close and watch our children sleep.
“You say that now but haven’t met night feeds or tantrums yet.” I giggle and nuzzle against him, closing my eyes to sleep because I know he will stand guard and move our kids when they are done feeding. He’ll take them to meet their family when I am out cold.
“Bring it on. There’s nothing you can throw at me in this life that I won’t handle like a boss.” He kisses me on the temple with passion, squeezes me tight, and I relax, rest assured that he means it because I know it’s true.
AUTHOR's NOTE:
This is the End of Awakening for Alora but not the end of the Series. I have more books related to this planned, but this will be the last from Alora's story.
Thank you all so much for sticking with it and see you in the next book xx