Chapter 531: A New Hope
On Midsummer’s Eve in the same cottage where the deaths of the pack’s alyko had been faked, a new hope arrived. The next Hallowell heir was born. Thelonious Hallowell came out at a healthy weight of well over nine pounds, much to everyone’s surprise—especially August’s.
"That’s my baby?" She gasped, tired but flushed with joy at the sight of the son who she had carried as part of her own body all of this time, growing him safe and sound inside of her womb.
It was hard to comprehend. Now he was out in the world—she was seeing him. And he was huge!
"He looks like he’s three months old," she chuckled, a tremor of fear passing through her at his loud cries as she realized that she had no idea how to care for him or just what to do.
"You did well, momma," Graeme said lovingly, kissing her forehead and beaming with joy as Greta laid Theo on his mate’s chest.
This was a miraculous life they had created together—him and his beautiful, incredible mate. He touched his son’s head, feeling him outside of his mother’s body for the first time. He was here. He was real. His son. His heir.
"Thelonious," he said in that low voice that the pup had heard so many times before, and Theo’s cries died down as he listened, his eyes trying to open to see the sound.
Both August and Graeme gasped when they saw his beautiful brown eyes open for the first time.
"Hello, Theo," August cooed, running her hands gently over his soft, fresh life.
The sweet little whimpers and sounds, the quiver of his swollen lips... every little detail was imprinted on Graeme’s and August’s memory. They had never seen him with their eyes before now, but somehow he was so familiar already.
"I know you," Graeme said to the pup in awe, feeling the truth of it deep within.
"He looks like you," August chuckled with fresh, happy tears sliding down her cheeks as Graeme kissed her again and caressed her hair.
That was the most painful, most incredible thing she had ever experienced. She felt like she could take on the world now.
That was truly more impressive than anything she had ever done in the past. No alyko ability—no walking through doors or healing sicknesses and injuries or even bringing the dead back life—compared to this experience of surviving that level of pain and then holding new life in her arms.
"Goddess, you are incredible," Graeme said, caressing his child and his mate at the same time, marveling at what August had just endured and the life that she had just brought into this world. "Thank you," he said, kissing her again.
How could he ever thank her enough for this and for... everything? When he thought about everything that August was capable of and everything she had brought to his life, it was breathtaking.
It was more than Graeme could contain within himself—the gratitude and love that he felt at this moment. It had to be shared with the night, with the stars... with the woods and the river and the air and the moon. It had to be shared with the pack as well.
Everyone needed to know how blessed he was. And yet... he also wanted to keep them both all to himself, protected in his warmth and safety and under his watchful eye.
"We have had so many adventures together, Theo," he heard his mate say next to him. "Traveling through portals, fleeing bad guys, healing bad guys, giving life to those who lost it, making new friends, and watching your daddy slay a vampire. But this is the best out of all of it. I truly think it is. My heart has never been so full."
"Neither has mine," Graeme hummed against her. "You know what I just realized," his eyes went wide and he looked around the bathroom to where Greta was standing nearby, smiling with teary eyes.
"What?" August turned to him, more beautiful than he had ever seen her. She no longer had the glow that accompanied a pregnant Luna now that their son was born, but this was even better—the glow of his mate, a new mother with their healthy child in her arms.
"We have come full circle," he said. "The tub, the water, Greta standing there, me by your side."
His chest suddenly ached with how perfect it was—as if back then when he first brought her onto the pack’s land this whole journey was laid out before him without him even realizing it.
"Goddess," he breathed, his eyes stinging from a new wave of tears.
"Goddess is right," August smiled. "She knew it all along, didn’t she? That we would end up here."
"Oh, this isn’t the end, Moon," he sighed, caressing her hair once again as he did the same motion on his son’s back. "This is the beginning. This is only the beginning."
"Another beginning," August said, kissing her son’s head.
"Well hopefully some of the excitement has passed," Greta chuckled and shook her head.
She didn’t want to say it aloud right now—it wasn’t the time—but they were probably all thinking it. If Pearce was gone, there would definitely be more excitement ahead. It was just unclear at the moment how much more and what all it would entail.
But one thing was for certain. No one could rival them now. No one was going to break up this family or this pack now that they were all together.
——————
The following day, as Lucas and Neoma and Seth and Nedra bound their hands together in a sacred symbolic commitment to one another in front of Goddess and pack, Graeme and August had the same ritual performed at home with Charlotte officiating and Theo in his mother’s arms.
A circle had been arranged in the backyard with flower petals. August wore a comfortable t-shirt and sweatpants, her hair in a messy bun on top of her head. Graeme matched her, having stayed up all night by her side as Theo roared to life for feedings every hour. It was messy, it was real, and it was perfect.
When Charlotte tied the woven ribbon around their right hands and August looked into her mate’s eyes, feeling his hand clasping her forearm as she clasped his, a swell of emotion filled her. This ritual rivaled even the mate mark for how profound it was.
They repeated after Charlotte words about sharing pain and joy, hardships and dreams... the words feeling like magic, disappearing into the air and into the woods to be kept as sacred vows—sacred whispers to endure on the breath of time. And when they slipped their hands out of the knot, holding each other’s gaze, a crow above announced its approval and flew off into the forest—taking their story on its wing to share with those beyond the Veil.
~Fin~
[Read the sequel "Death by Desire: A Vampire-Lycan Love Story" for more from these characters, including the return of Pearce...]
