Hannah

97 Epilogue I

~Six Months Later~

"Belladonna you aren't hitting the drop with enough pop for Peaches. Olympic Performances are flawless down to every second in the routines." Hannah lectured The Earth Fae. " You need to know every beat inside and out." Hannah turned on ankles that were swollen and stiff.

"Ella, show everyone the top tier short routine for Peaches." The succubus lit up like a sunbeam and bounced towards the mark showing the theoretical stage entrance for the pole she would dance with. Ella had used the clause in her contract demonstrating each of the previous times she had noted an abuse of her services in breach of the original agreement. Teleportation at will, not to be use for violence. A simple travel service, with attractive dragons and their households. It was supposed to have been a comfortable life. Magnus had grown more violent in his old age, was not a fan of the new world order springing up around him. Regardless of his current mood Magnus could always be relied upon for nothing else than to be lawful.

With Ella free to pursue her own interests again, she bid a tearful goodbye to Bela and headed directly to Golden Green just in time for the open audition day. Which is how she found herself learning a complicated three minute choreography for a character named Peaches who was best described as a clown for titillation. Working for a woman with four mates would more than keep her succubi content and well under control. Ella gave the performance everything she had, she loved the performance. All together much more pleasant employment than she had known in quite some time.

Hannah was calling out encouragement the whole time, noticing when Ella popped a specific face perfectly in time with the music. To Ella's complete delight. Ella finished the routine with a more than generous flourish on the final mark. Expecting more of the delightful, wonderful so deeply appreciated praise from Hannah. Disappointed when none was forthcoming, until she looked down and saw that Holland had arrived, looking stressed as he approached Hannah.

"Baby girl, you need to be taking it easy. No one is certain when you are going to go into labour." Holland purred at his human mate. The head of Olympic Performances, Hannah Greenrivers, the new surname of the Beta family of Golden Green Wolf Pack.

Hannah frowned at him. "The resort is opening in a few weeks, we need to have the talent ready, and the more shows we book the more income the pack has for new homes, and business grants, and everything else." Hannah cooed back. Her few years cooking books and trying to keep her head above water had made her a more than shrewd business woman when she was playing by all the rules now.

"You have an appointment, we are already late for Baby Girl." Hannah frowned even harder. Clearly cranky to everyone in the room as the Co-CEO stepped in. Everyone was worth training at this point anyways. Hannah was not in a good mood and had been about to be meaner to Belladonna than she should have been. Peaches was hard for a lot of performers. It was hard to be sexy and funny at the same time. Hannah signalled to Cara to sign them all to contracts to give them training and trial run at performing.

Aspen appeared by her side. Knowing she was doing her best to pretend she was only cranky over being interrupted at worka|~. Hannah walked away, doing her best to stop thinking about work and switch to personal life Hannah. At least she knew that If any of the applicants left after her already brutal dismissal schedule today, couldn't make it as the performance team, there was more than enough other jobs to go around at this point. No one who was looking for honest work was going to be turned away. Not when the ranks of Golden Green had never been lower, yes they had added a sizeable number of dragon and Fae refugees, but none of them were truly ready to integrate into inter-species employment options yet.

Revolutions sometimes took time. One benefit was the nearest town had been more than agreeable to a co-development plan. Golden Green would provide the funds required to revitalise the downtown core, with preference given to businesses with history, that were family owned and run. Followed by reduced rates offered if any town projects used pack contracting companies. After revitalisation and beautification projects, and ensuring that any of the locals who had functional businesses could survive for years to come. Next highest preference for sponsored grants would be for new businesses looking to cater to locals and tourists unmet needs. The results had been spectacular.

A four block district had developed into a perfect microcosm of speciality local businesses, historical buildings finding new purposes as clubs, spas, shops and boutique hotels. Paired with the gardens that were supposed to be planted in the spring. The small town hadn't looked so fresh and full of life in years. Meaning some of the dining options could be outsourced to the town now for the resort as some things still needed to come together on the pack.

Caspian was certain that his coded message had been sent wide and we just had to wait for his action day and we would find ourselves overwhelmed with options. Caspian's magic day was next week. The opening three. Half room bookings until the staff got the basics under control. Holland and Max were running the pack. Caspian and Hannah were running the resort and new business investments. Business had been very very good in their hands.

Hannah took Holland's offered arm, letting him hold some of her weight as she let him take her to another useless appointment. She knew she was pregnant, She was certain she was being kicked from the inside by far too many points for it to be only one baby, paired with the speed she had ballooned in size. Hannah was almost scared to think how many babies might be growing inside her right now,

All they knew was there was a dragon egg waiting in their home. When it hatched, it wouldn't be long until Hannah's babies were ready to be born. Hannah had perfectly normal results on her blood tests. All her mates swore they could feel a connection to the baby or babies growing inside her.

Too bad that ultrasounds didn't work, and there was too much magical interference to hear anything with just a stethoscope. Witches and demons agreed whatever the magic inside her was; it was on the side for good. Holland, Caspian, and Max were all still trying to prepare for almost any possibility at this point. Aspen was calm, and sure that everything would be alright. The forest was humming a contentedness all around him.

Holland and Hannah were only five minutes late for their appointment. Going through all the motions like they did once a week. Same exact results. On paper and clinically, Hannah wasn't pregnant. Unless you looked at her and realised the data was wrong. No one had ever seen anything like it. Caspian had sent several requests for library access in various old book collections he or Holland's families had connections with. There was nothing they could find that matched Hannah's experience.

Cranky and tired from walking a distance she should have been able to easily sprint, Hannah was not in a good mood when her and Holland returned to their home. Max and Caspian in the kitchen cooking, Aspen was also just returning from the woods. Holland and Max both had access to the pack mind link now. Making communication much easier. Hannah went to her seat at the large farmhouse table in the bright open space of their dining room. Her chair much larger with many more cushions than it was when the house at first been decorated.

Max brought her a bowl of small shell shaped pasta with a thick homemade smelling meat sauce, Caspian there a moment later with a green garden salad, and plate of warm, buttery garlic bread. Aspen was there a minute later with a fresh made glass of muddled ginger and mint, shaken with an ounce of lemon juice into a glass of ice and topped with club soda. Hannah was ravenous. Eating everything she had been served, even stealing a piece of Max's bread before she was done.

Holland had already mindlinked Max that there hadn't been any update from the appointment. Aspen knew Hannah's mood without needing to be told, and usually between Max and Holland, Aspen knowing Hannah's soul and Caspian able to see into her mind. Everyone knew when to not ask about a too sensitive subject. Instead they talked about the resort, and the first guests who were due to arrive and all that was still needed to do ahead of that looming deadline.

Hannah's less than level mood was not helped by the fact that Judy was also expecting. Roughly as far along as Hannah knew she was. Regardless of what medical science had to say about her current condition. Judy was having the most idyllic, healthy, normal pregnancy. Now Cara was also expecting. Only announcing that her and Alpha Bryan was expecting an heir this week. Hannah wanted to be happy for her father and Judy, both were ecstatic at the thought of having a child together. Especially with Hannah and Max full grown, mated and expecting their own family.  Hannah knew how desperate Cara had been getting to get pregnant after almost a whole year being mated to Bryan. In her current mood and heavily pregnant condition, Hannah didn't have that much grace in her heart right now.