The Wolf’s Forbidden Mate by Layla Silver

Epilogue — Waverly

The older woman balanced her cane next to the counter as I approached with a rather large gray cat that had a white patch of hair under his chin. She clasped her hands together under her chin, her smile radiant as she observed her new cat.

“Mr. Snuggles,” she greeted. “You look like you like treats.”

I chuckled and nodded as I adjusted the cat on my shoulder. “He sure does. I put a pack of his favorite treats in the kennel for you.”

“Oh, you’re so sweet, Waverly. Thank you for helping me pick him out.”

“He seemed like he picked you out.”

She beamed as she opened the kennel door and motioned for me to set Mr. Snuggles inside. “Ever since my Otis left me, I just haven’t felt right living by myself. Mr. Snuggles will be the perfect companion.”

“Don’t forget to bring him back in six months for a check-up.”

She nodded as she shut the kennel door, sticking her finger through the cage to poke Mr. Snuggles on the nose. “I’m going to take very good care of you.”

“Let us know if you need anything else, Mrs. Fieldman.”

“I have your number on my fridge.” She lifted the kennel, grabbed her cane, and smiled as she shuffled to the door. I chased after her and pushed the door open, holding it for her so she could make her way through. “Bye, Waverly!”

I waved cheerfully after her. “Bye, Mrs. Fieldman!”

I shivered as I waddled back inside. I smoothed my hands over my stomach, glancing down to observe my protruding gut. I finally understood why my sister had claimed to feel like a planet—I was so round that I was drawing my own gravitational pull. As I rounded the desk, I chuckled to myself, recalling how happy she was when I broke the news to her six months ago.

Everyone had been excited about Travis and I getting pregnant. It wasn’t something I had planned, but I was overjoyed by the surprise so much that I didn’t mind. We were financially secure, the shelter belonged to us, and our home was just around the corner, so close that we could keep a proper eye on the cats during the cold winter evenings.

“It won’t be very long now,” I said to myself as I sat in front of the computer to transcribe the adoption papers that Mrs. Fieldman had filled out. “I might be able to work here for another couple of months if I’m lucky.”

“Well, lucky you have me if you can’t.”

I smiled in the direction of Oliver’s voice. “Good morning, Oli.”

“And good morning to you, Miss Waverly. How are the twins today?”

The right side of my stomach cramped up. I held the spot and exhaled slowly. “They’re restless boys.”

“Need a break?”

“Nah, I’m fine. I just need to type this up.”

He smiled and nodded, pointing to the door that led to the exam rooms in the back. “Alright, I’m going to check on that new litter.”

“Thanks, Oli.”

One of the conditions Travis had set up with Kaia for the new shelter had been to bring Oliver aboard. He wasn’t about to leave Oliver in the dust, especially after everything Oliver had done for the original shelter. And after putting up with Allegra’s rude panthers, he figured he had to make up for Oliver nearly being dragged into a feud that was older than all of us.

Of course, Oliver remained largely unaware of our true nature. Travis didn’t feel ready to tell him yet. And I respected that. I knew he had to do that in his own time.

I was grateful that we had extra help. Seeing as I was going to burst in just a matter of months, I was relieved by Oliver’s presence. He had a calm demeanor and a serene aura that rivaled his gigantic stature. Even the people who visited—which had been happening so much more frequently in recent weeks—were surprised by his gentleness and kindness. Each customer who met Oliver spoke highly of him upon leaving.

I trusted that Oliver would be able to handle the shelter without Travis and I for a brief time. And we could always temporarily hire someone from our pack. Kaia was adamant about supplying us with everything we needed, going above and beyond our expectations.

I sighed contentedly as I slouched over the keyboard, my belly poking at the edge of the desk as I typed up the information from Mr. Snuggles’ adoption papers. A hand joined my shoulder, a familiar musk greeting my nostrils as I tipped my head back.

“Hi,” I whispered.

“Hi,” Travis greeted.

A smile stole my lips. He bowed forward and placed a kiss on my nose, causing another contented sigh to surface. “What are you doing?”

“Mr. Snuggles got adopted today.” I turned my attention back to the monitor as Travis sat in the desk chair next to me. “Mrs. Fieldman picked him up.”

“I was so worried about her when Otis died.”

“Me, too. I’m glad she got Mr. Snuggles. He’s been sitting in here for as long as I’ve been pregnant with these twins.”

Travis gently placed his hand on my stomach. As if knowing their father was touching my belly, the twins kicked wildly, causing me to chuckle and gasp at the same time.

“Oof,” I said while bowing forward. Travis touched the space between my shoulder blades, a place he had claimed to provide me comfort since before we had gotten married. I smiled at him. “They’re excited to feel you today.”

“I’m glad, but not when they’re causing you discomfort.”

“It’ll be fine. I don’t need my intestines.” I grunted. “Or my diaphragm.”

“Baby.”

I smiled and waved away his concerned tone. “Stop acting like such a worry wart.”

Ever since I broke the news that I was pregnant, Travis was extra cautious with everything. He made sure the sidewalk was salted when it snowed and cleared of debris so I could make it safely between the shelter and our house. He set up our mattress in the spare room downstairs so I wouldn’t have to climb to the second floor. And he often called Renly over to help with cleaning.

Watching the two of them bond warmed my heart. Other than Oliver, Travis didn’t have too many friends. Milton—the one who had found Kaia as an investor for the original shelter—hadn’t followed him to join the pack. I wasn’t even sure what had happened to Milton other than the fact that he had been effectively silenced by Allegra.

Even so, witnessing Silas and Renly welcome Travis into the fold made me feel confident that Travis wouldn’t worry too excessively about his previous best friend.

“I’m always worried about you,” Travis stated with a shy grin. “Even before all this—even before you got pregnant—I was concerned about you every second of the day.”

“Were you concerned or obsessed?”

He hummed curiously as he rolled his eyes to the ceiling. After a second, he focused on me and winked. “Could have been both.”

“I’m glad you didn’t give up on me.”

“I could never give up on you, Wav.”

I smiled as I kissed his cheek. “I almost gave up.”

“I remember you telling me that. I wasn’t upset at all.”

“You got pretty emotional about it.”

He scrunched up his features. “Okay, maybe I got a little emotional about it.The fresh mating bond made my hormones go wild.”

I laughed. “You wouldn’t leave my side for a week after that.”

“Yeah, I didn’t—” He puckered his lips suddenly as his eyes went wide. “Hey, I still haven’t left your side!”

I cackled as he gave me his best impression of a disappointed look. It ended up looking like the worst impression ever, and soon, the expression faded to one of amusement. The fact that Travis couldn’t lie about his emotions made me happy. It meant we would always be honest with each other and that I would never have to guess how he felt.

I stroked his cheek. “You’re cute when you’re mad.”

“And now you’re stealing my lines.”

“Two can play that game.”

He pecked my lips. Sighing, he repeated the gesture, lingering for a second longer to absorb my warmth. When he finally drifted back, the phone rang.

He rolled his eyes. “Business calls.”

“I’ll be right here, baby.”

He kissed the top of my stomach. “And I’ll be right back.”

He slid away to answer the phone, causing me to chuckle when he used his customer service voice. I returned my focus to the computer to finish my task. Once the file was saved, I tucked the paper copy into the file folders nearby and swiveled around to face my mate, watching his eyebrows scrunch together in concentration as he wrote some things down on a pad of paper.

“Again?” he asked. He met my gaze and winked. “Right, we’ll help you out. Of course. Bring him in later this week. Yep. Same time.”

As soon as he was off the phone, he was snuggled up next to me with his arm protectively around my stomach.

“Twins,” he sighed. “They’re going to be so much trouble.”

“If they take after me, yes. That’s very true.”

He laughed. “If they take after you, they’ll be the sweetest boys in the world.”

“I was thinking about their names this morning.”

His head popped up. “Yeah? I’m partial to a few myself, but I wanted to ask you first.”

“Dennis and Clyde.”

“Are they robbers?”

I cackled. “Travis!”

“Oh, I like that name. But which one will be named Travis? And I guess we have to pick a different name for the other one so they don’t get confused.”

My features deadened, but a silly grin remained on my lips as he rattled off another list of names. Johnny, Derek, Leo—which he chose Leo specifically to annoy me. And he knew it would annoy me. And he knew I would give him the look of disapproval which was one of my greatest facial expressions.

Travis wiggled his eyebrows. “Leo? Right? Get it? Because…”

I held up my hand to stop him. “Because of the time you put the furry lion head on your shoulders and asked if it turned me on.”

“Yep, because of that.”

“I don’t think I want to name our kid after something that happened in the bedroom.”

He shrugged. “I mean, we didn’t do anything with the lion head on. It’s just a joke.”

“It’s a joke that he’ll one day ask about.”

He huffed thoughtfully. “I didn’t think of that.”

“Who has baby brain here again?”

“You’re ridiculous.”

I grinned and laced my fingers with his. “How about I pick a name and you pick a name?”

He raised his eyebrows. “I guess I hadn’t thought of that either.”

“I like the name Dennis.”

“Well, I like the name…” He snapped his mouth shut when I shot him a sharp look. He blushed and continued, “Derek.”

“Dennis and Derek.”

He nodded. “It has a nice ring to it.”

I smiled warmly and kissed his knuckles. “Yeah, it does.”

His hand sought my stomach, rubbing gentle and wide circles around my navel. I groaned as I reclined into the chair and leaned toward him, resting my head on his shoulder. There was nowhere else I would rather be.

Since moving here from Florida, I had no idea what turns my life would take. I couldn’t have predicted the confusion, the terror, and the heartache, nor could I have anticipated the joy, the pleasure, and the comfort.

My eyelids drifted shut, a sense of peace washing over my limbs as Travis continued massaging my belly. The boys kicked in response, causing me to sit up. “Oh, I think they’re hungry.”

“You mean you’re hungry.”

“We’re all hungry.”

He chuckled. “Come on. There’s some leftovers in the staff room.”

Living in such close proximity to my family and the pack meant that we always had food. Hailey and Silas, the talented chefs that they were, insisted on bringing us dinner every weekend. Aunt Evangeline had a plant ready to be gifted to us every month. And even my mother had taken to visiting occasionally, her regular silence a comfort in my new home.

When Kaia and Renly visited, we made tea and traded stories. I learned so much more about Travis’s previous pride between the three of them. I was glad Travis had gotten out when he did. I couldn’t imagine the horrors he might have faced if he had given up on pursuing me. What would Allegra have done to him?

Probably the same thing she’s doing to Milton now, I considered as I followed my husband into the staff room. The kitchenette was small, but cozy and hosted the same couch from the original shelter. I blushed when I looked at the cushions, thinking about the time Travis and I had hooked up on that same piece of furniture. I can’t focus on the past anymore. I have to move forward. For my twins and for my mate.

“You get your choice of bacon potato soup,” he stated while wrinkling his nose. His features smoothed as he continued, “Or that delicious chicken pot pie I made the other night.”

“Pie.”

“I figured.”

He grabbed the pie, heated it up, and scooped a heaping serving onto a plate. He served himself and brought the plates to the table, pausing when he heard the shelter phone ring again.

I grabbed his wrist before he could stand up. “You can ignore that one, babe. It’s just one call.”

“What if they want to adopt a cat?”

“It’s okay. We’ll get back to them. That’s what the machine is for.”

He smiled warmly, relief washing over his features. “What would I do without you?”

“I honestly don’t want to think about that.”

A darkness crowded his hazel-green eyes, the gold spatter in his irises dimming slightly as he considered his own question. But just as fast as the darkness had appeared, it dissipated, replaced with a knowing smile as he took my hand in his. He kissed my palm. “Same.”

“These boys are going to be big eaters,” I stated as I scooped a piece of flaky pie onto my fork. “If my hunger now is any indication, they’ll grow fast, too.”

“I hope so. They need all the strength they can get.”

I nodded. “I’m sure they’ll be as strong as you someday.”

“Maybe. I’ll take them running in the mountains for exercise.” His eyes brightened. “Oh, and we can visit the coast! I can take them to see the ocean. Maybe we can even take a cruise.”

I laughed. “A cruise to where?”

“Anywhere. Doesn’t matter. Where have you always wanted to go?”

“I’m fine going wherever you want to go.”

He smirked. “You’ll follow me to the ends of the earth?”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but yes. Absolutely.”

“I would do the very same for you, Wav.”

A comfortable silence grew between us as we dug into our meals. I blew on the food on my fork before taking a bite, humming happily as the flavors washed over my tongue. His cooking was one of the second things to capture my attention. The first to draw me in were his eyes, those oceanic paint-spattered spheres sucking me into a relationship that I didn’t know I needed.

There was no way I could have resisted Travis for much longer. Even if I had employed my usual methods of blocking people out, he would have chiseled through the walls. He would have broken them down. He was my mate, after all. It was his job to make sure I was safe, secure, and happy. And he did that. He did it so well.

“Waverly,” he whispered. I noticed his plate was halfway empty, but he had sat back with a gentle smile on his lips and his eyes alight with happiness. I smiled as I grabbed a napkin. “I’m never going to leave. You know that, right?”

My eyes widened. “Travis, why are you saying that?”

He took my hand, smoothing his thumb over my knuckles. “I know how things went with your mother. I know how things were before with your ex-boyfriend. I just didn’t want you to ever worry about me taking off. Not even for a second.”

Misty-eyed, I sniffled. I squeezed his hand and whispered, “Thank you for saying that.”

This was home for me—Travis was my home. And he would always be my home.

THE END