Bound in Blood (Broken Bloodlines Book 3)
Bound in Blood: Epilogue

THREE AND A HALF YEARS LATER

“That’s it! My last class as an undergrad,” I announce proudly as I burst through the door to Alexandros’s office. He and Malachi look up from the book they were both poring over.

Malachi wraps me in his huge arms and spins me around. “I’m so proud of you, baby. You’re going to be the best social worker ever.”

“I have to get my master’s first, Professor. And I don’t even have my degree yet.”

He grins at me, his green eyes twinkling. “You already know you aced every single test. And I’m not a professor yet, sweet girl.”

“I’ll still call you sir if you want me to,” I purr, earning myself a sexy groan.

He’s been teaching classes while he studies for his doctorate, and I’m so proud of him. He’s a natural teacher, just like Xavier. But the latter is still resistant to the idea. One day, though, I’m sure …

Sealing his lips over mine, Malachi kisses me softly at first. When I part my lips, he wastes no time before sliding his tongue into my mouth and kissing me so deeply that I start grinding myself on him.

Damn hormones.

I’m pulled from Malachi’s arms and into Alexandros’s. He smiles at me, but his dark-brown eyes are full of fire and passion, and now I’m practically panting. I eye the desk behind him and lick my lips. It’s been so long.

Alexandros arches a thick eyebrow. “It has been a matter of hours, Ophelia.”

I wrinkle my nose. “It feels like forever, and I blame you entirely.”

Humming, he splays his palm over my gently rounded abdomen. “How are my two favorite girls today?”

I blow a strand of hair from my eyes. “I am excited for whatever celebration you all have planned for our last day of school.” I don’t add that I hope it involves lots and lots of orgasms because I’m sure they already know that. Had anyone warned me that an elementai pregnancy would send my libido into hyperdrive … Well, it wouldn’t have changed my mind, but at least I would have been prepared. “And Cadence here is good too.”

“So we have decided on Cadence, have we?” There is a hint of amusement in his tone, but he still has those authoritative professor vibes down pat—the ones that have me melting and ready to drop to my knees.

“Well, Cadence Enora, actually. The second elementai born in over five hundred years should be named after two of the bravest women who ever lived, don’t you think?”

He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. With his hands resting on my ass, he tugs me close so my body is flush against his. “If that is what you wish, agápi mou.”

“It is. If that’s okay with you?” I add. As the baby’s father, he should get a say on the name. Although it would take a feat of epic persuasion to make me budge on my suggestion.

He trails kisses over my jawline before kissing me. They are fine names for our daughter.

I’m melting into his fiery kiss when Xavier and Axl burst into the room with the force of a tornado. They have taken over the Ruby Dragon operation entirely now that Alexandros is head of House Drakos, and they are both flourishing under the increased responsibility.

Alexandros groans before releasing me, and it takes less than a second for Xavier to take his place.

He flicks his long dark hair from his eyes and grins at me. “How are you doing, Cupcake?”

I bite down on my lip. “Good. You?”

He trails his teeth down my neck until I tip my head back and moan. “All the better for seeing you.”

Oh god, it feels so hot in here. I’m burning up. My panties are damp, and the space between my thighs is throbbing with its own heartbeat. “Can we go home?” I whine. “Please?”

Axl presses his chest to my back and collects my dark-brown hair in his fist. He peppers kisses across the back of my neck. “We have the best surprise planned for you.”

Does it involve cake and orgasms? This time I’m unable to stop the words from forming, even if only in my head. But they all hear me.

Xavier slides his tongue into my mouth while Axl grinds his hard cock against my lower back. Lots of cake and lots and lots of orgasms, princess.

Alexandros clears his throat pointedly. “Then let us leave before I am forced to begin the party here.”

“I could go for starting the party right now,” Malachi says.

Xavier hums into my mouth. Me too.

I’m about to agree, but the professor grabs my face and pulls my lips from Xavier’s. He dips his head as though he’s about to press his lips to mine, but instead, he takes Xavier’s mouth in a bruising kiss. We are not fucking our pregnant mate on my desk when we have a perfectly suitable bed at home.

Oh heavens. Those words, watching these two kiss, and Axl’s hard length nudging into my back … Not to mention the pure heat in Malachi’s eyes as he looks at me like he owns me—which I guess he kind of does. All of it combined has me about ready to implode.

Alexandros releases Xavier’s mouth and immediately captures mine. It’s as if he’s trying to remind us all who’s in control. Not that there’s any doubt. He is always in charge, and we know it. It’s how our happy family unit functions, and we are happy. More than happy, in fact. It took no time at all for all of us to adapt to our new normal—all five of us together and me not being the savior of the universe, just a regular ol’ elementai.

“Can we at least run?” Xavier asks with a groan.

“Moving too fast makes Ophelia feel sick,” Malachi reminds him.

Axl pulls me from Alexandros’s lips and tips my head back so he can kiss me too. The professor growls his frustration, but he has become surprisingly good at sharing. However, he is not one to be outdone. He slips his hand underneath my skirt and tugs my panties aside before dragging a finger through my wet center.

“Always so soaked for us, little one.” He dips the tip of his finger inside me, and my knees buckle so hard, he and Axl are the only things holding me up.

If we must go home, can we please leave now? I’m about to melt into a puddle here.

Axl releases me with a laugh. “Let’s get you to bed, princess.”

The five of us walk hand in hand over the quad toward home. We gave up caring what other people thought about our relationship a long time ago. And our ability to be open about our situation hasn’t been hurt by the fact that the students at Montridge are a lot more diverse than they used to be. The university has been swamped with magical students the past three years: Witches whose powers lay dormant for their whole lives until recently and wolf packs who previously shunned other magical creatures. Even demons have returned to the university. Alexandros thinks it has something to do with the destruction of the Skotádi and all the dark magic they hoarded. Like the removal of so much negative energy has allowed other pockets of magic to flourish. He also says it’s because of me, and that the rebirth of the elementai has restored a balance to the magical world that was absent for half a millennium. I don’t know that for sure, but things definitely feel a hell of a lot calmer than they used to. And my life is a whole heck of a lot simpler now that I’m no longer the most powerful being who ever lived.

My life is unbelievable. I, Ophelia Ilyria Hart—orphan and lover of literature and unicorns, who didn’t have her first friend until the age of nineteen—am adored by my four mates, about to get my degree, and pregnant with a baby girl of our own. So happy I sometimes feel like I might burst.

Of course there are times when I miss the friends I lost, but I focus on the friends I have. Sienna and Osiris; Melody and Shannon, the witch twins from my English class; Jenny, Sasha, and Aaron, the wolves Sienna introduced me to on my second Halloween here; and I can’t forget my best human friend, Emma.

Then of course there’s Lucian—he visits when he’s not traveling the world, more frequently than I think any of us expected he would. Although his soul has found a measure of peace and he is much happier now, I don’t think he’ll ever lose his restless need to wander. He cried when we told him I was pregnant and expecting a daughter, but they were tears of joy, and I have never seen such happiness in him as in that moment. And the most unexpected friends of all, Elpis and Anikêtos, remain in the mortal realm. No matter how far they roam, I am still able to talk to them whenever I need to.

And, if you promise not to tell, I will let you in on a few little secrets, faithful reader.

It still rains when I’m sad.

I can still heal bites from my mates without the need of their saliva.

And sometimes, when I really concentrate and flick my wrists in exactly the right way, I can still summon Dragonfyre.