Hades

Epilogue / Bonus Chapter

~~~Hello everyone and welcome to the bonus chapter as promised. Here we get to cover some light and squishy feelings between Sebastian and Charlotte. But we also jump into my newest book, The Alpha's Siren Song and this chapter ends in a cliffhanger. For those of you already reading TASS there is a spoiler in here, you have been warned!~~~

When my eyes parted, I saw the smooth skin of Sebastian's back, the rigid muscle that I had come to love, not fear. My lips pulled up into a sleepy smile as I curled around him, spooning him with my cheek pressed against his back, listening to his soft breathing and steady heartbeat. He gave out a soft moan at the contact, moving backwards to get closer to my touch. I just kissed my way up his spine until I reached the back of his neck.

As much as I wanted to stay in bed with him, I knew that he would appreciate a full breakfast more. Besides, if I let myself, I would stay right here forever. I slipped out from between the blankets and slipped on some leggings and one of his tee shirts. When I was in the bathroom I brushed my teeth and twisted my hair up into a bun. Then I took a second to admire myself. It had felt strange the first time I had done it, my cheeks had flamed and I couldn't get the words out of my mouth. Now, I could look at my legs and marvel at the way they carried me up all of the grueling hikes Sebastian was so fond of. I could smile at myself in the mirror and say that I was worthy of love, that I was beautiful, and that I was proud of myself. It was something that Keiko had taught me and it made a change in the way I saw myself.

I ambled to the kitchen after a few minutes. On the way down the hallway I admired the canvases that lined the wall. Art that I had created, inspired by us, for us. Some paintings were created from memories, like the one I had done with our trip to Barcelona in mind. Others were made in a couple sittings, using the real world as a constant model, like the painting of my giant garden that Sebastian had helped me create. On the canvas it looked like a fairy paradise, dozens of colours and a million scents in the air.

The art wasn't the only thing that had changed since over the years. The kitchen that I loved was now always fully stocked and clean. No more overloaded dishwashers, no more half rotted food in the fridge. I was able to slice open the croissants without fear of mold and mashed my perfectly ripe avocados.

"Something smells delicious," Sebastian yawned, sauntering into the kitchen.

I smiled down at the pan, watching the bacon fry. "How did you sleep?" 

"Great, actually. Not a single nightmare," he replied. 

"Not even any clues or visions?" I pressed as I removed the bacon and poured the leftover grease into a container. 

Since Sebastian had allowed me to sleep with him the first time, he seldom woke up in a rage. He was still plagued with nightmares or scenes from crimes. Accepting him as a mate completely hadn't changed who he was or what he had to do though I had wished love would fix everything. I would usually get up before him now and he would journal everything he had seen and send it off to the royals if he could handle it. Other times things were so bad that he would shift as soon as he woke up and handle things as he needed to. 

"Literally nothing. I actually dreamed."

"Really?" I scrubbed the hot pan with warm water and soap. "What did you dream about?"

"A wedding. Our wedding," he admitted. 

My head jerked up at that, so startled. Werewolves didn't get married. We were mated and that was more of a commitment than any ring could ever be. But his hands were clasped together and he fiddled with his fingers like he was nervous. My gaze traveled up and I saw how nervous and giddy he was with a half smile and optimistic brown eyes.