Chapter 47 - Epilogue
Five Years Later
Ryder was sitting behind his desk listening to an alpha from a nearby pack discuss rogues attacking his pack. Unfortunately, the rogues have become a big problem recently. Ryder agreed to send a few warriors with him to see if they could help find and eliminate the rogues.
Once the alpha left, Ryder ran upstairs to his and Zoe's bedroom. When he walked inside, Zoe was lying there waiting on the physician. She smiled at him.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, rubbing her swollen belly. She was getting ready to deliver their second pup. A female, this time, they had decided to name Samira. Their son Lucas was being kept busy by Darina and Nick until his sister's arrival.
"I feel great. Did you have time to meet with the alpha?" Zoe asked. She wasn't really having any pain, but Lyra said it was time.
"Yeah, I sent a few warriors with him to help with the rogues." They turned toward the door when there was a knock. Dr. Brenton Dean stuck his head in. He was the royal physician who had worked at the palace for over a century.
"Is it safe to come in?" He asked with a smile. Zoe nodded. He was a tall man with thick brown hair and grey eyes. He was a lycan, and his nurse was his mate Gloria.
"Lyra said she's ready to come out any minute," Zoe said, shifting slightly. She could feel the pressure starting to build between her legs. Giving birth as a shifter had to be one of her favorite things. It was over in minutes, and she was healed quickly.
"Let me take a look," Brenton nodded in greeting at Ryder as he began assessing Zoe. "She's ready. Let's go to the nursery. Gloria has everything set up for delivery."
Ryder lifted Zoe in his arms and carried her to the nursery. He laid her in the hospital bed they had set up. Ryder pulled her panties off, and she put her feet in the stirrups. Brenton and Gloria washed their hands and put their gloves on.
"Okay, let's get ready to meet the little cub. Start pushing," Brenton said. Ryder held Zoe's hand as she pushed. Within minutes, Samira's head could be seen. Another push, and she was all the way out. Ryder cut the cord and assisted Gloria with washing her up while Brenton cleaned up Zoe.
Ryder looked down at his little pup with tears in his eyes. She was beautiful, with the same auburn hair as her mother. He carried her over to Zoe.
"Here's your mom, little one," He said, lying Samira in Zoe's arms.
"She's so tiny," Zoe said, kissing the pup on the head.
"Small and beautiful, just like her mother. I love you," Ryder said, kissing Zoe softly.
"I love you too. Do you want to let my parents and Lucas come in?" She asked, knowing they were eagerly waiting. When he nodded, she mindlinked them, telling them to come to the nursery. A couple of minutes later, the door burst open, and in ran Lucas, followed by his grandparents. Zoe smiled at her blond-haired, blue-eyed pup, who was the spitting image of his father.
"Is this her?" Lucas asked, looking at the little pup in his mom's arms.
"Yes, this is your sister, Samira," Ryder answered as he picked Lucas up and sat him on the bed next to Zoe.
"Hi, Samira. I'm your big brother. I promise I won't let anyone hurt you," He leaned down and kissed her little cheek. The heart of everyone in the room melted, looking at the siblings.
"She's incredible," Darina said as she and Nick stood beside the bed, beaming at their grandchildren. They spent an hour in the nursery, and then Zoe was well enough to leave.
One Week Later
Ryder was getting everything ready for the warrior camp. They started something new a few years ago, where they would allow pups from the surrounding packs to come to the palace for a one-week camp. The royal warriors would train them in defensive techniques. When he heard a knock on the door, he already knew who it was.
"Come in," He said. Jessi peeked her head around the door before walking in.
"King, I wanted to say hi before we get started." She said as she walked into the office. Ryder stood up and held his arms out to her. Jessi didn't hesitate as she ran to him happily.
"It's good to see you. You have about an hour before training starts. Do you want to go see the new pup?" Ryder asked.
"Yes. I was hoping I would see her today." Jessi held Ryder's hand as he led her to the playroom where Zoe and Lucas were with Samira. When Lucas saw Jessi, he ran over and wrapped his arms around her.
"Jessi, this is my sister." He said, walking her over to the pup lying on a blanket in front of Zoe. Jessi hugged Zoe and then kneeled next to Samira.
"I'm Jessi. One day I'm going to be a royal warrior, and I'll protect you and your family," She rubbed Samira's hand with her finger, and the little pup held on tight. Jessi beamed down at her.
"She likes you already," Zoe said. Jessi had always held a special place in their hearts. She loved seeing her bond with Lucas and Samira.
"I love her," Jessi said softly. She spent a little time visiting, and then Ryder walked her to the training grounds where they were preparing the camp. They had tried to get more girls to join, but most packs would only send male pups. Jessi was the exception.
"Why is she here?" One male pup asked as Jessi warmed up. Ryder glared at him.
"She's here for the same reason you are. To train with the royal warriors," He said while daring the pup to say something about her.
"She can't be a warrior because she's a girl," He said, crossing his arms and looking at Jessi in disgust.
"I'll tell you what. Since you don't think she should be here, how about we make her your partner?" The other pups who had previously trained with Jessi hid their laughter. They knew she was the fiercest one there, even though she was only nine.
"Fine, but it's only going to make her look bad," The pup said, shrugging his shoulders.
Everyone else picked their partners. When they blew the whistle, no one moved except Jessi and the male pup. Everyone else was watching them.
Jessi kept her eyes on him as they circled each other. When he tried to grab her, she quickly slipped out of his reach and grabbed him from behind. He struggled, but she swept his legs, and he fell to the ground. When he stood back up, his face was red with anger.
He got in his stance again and circled Jessi looking for an opportunity to take her down. She kept her eyes on his, and when she smirked, he lunged for her. She moved out of his way, grabbed his arm, and flipped him onto his back. Everyone began cheering and chanting her name. Jessi walked over and held her hand out to him. He hesitated but then took it.
"I'm Jessi. What's your name?" She asked, ignoring the others.
"Colt. How did you learn to fight like that?" He asked, feeling foolish for what he's said before.
"My dad is the lead warrior in our pack. He's been training me for years. I've also been coming here since the king started the camp," Jessi answered. They began sparring with each other. Jessi would correct Colt when he made mistakes. By the time they were done, they talked and laughed like they'd been friends for years.
Zoe and Ryder watched the pups from their spot on the sidelines. Lucas had been cheering for Jessi, wishing he could be out there too. He had to wait until next year when he would have his wolf.
"Jessi is going to be incredible when she becomes a warrior," Zoe said to Ryder. Not only could she fight, she encouraged and helped train the others. She was a born leader.
"I agree. I can't wait to see what her future holds. Whatever it is, I'm sure she'll do great." Ryder watched as Jessi helped a couple of older pups with their stances.
That night Zoe and Ryder were lying in bed, talking about how everything had changed in the past five years. When they took over as king and queen, the transition went smoothly. There were some conflicts and a threat from a group of rogues trying to take power, but they were quickly eliminated.
"Imagine if you and Chase hadn't gotten into that accident. We may have never met each other. We wouldn't have all of this and would still be alone." Zoe said, rubbing Ryder's cheek with her hand.
"I don't even want to think about that. I think my parents may have played a hand in that accident the more I think about it. I'm sure we're going to have many bumps in the road, but I'm also sure that as long as we're together, we can overcome them. I love you, my queen," Ryder said as he kissed her.
"I love you too, my king."
This is the end of book one. Please continue reading for Book 2 titled Jessi: The First Female Warrior. Thanks for reading!