Chapter Epilogue
Eight years later,
The room erupted in applause as Maximus announced the newly voted members of League of Justice. I couldn't help but feel proud of him as he confidently named each member. After the ceremony, Ava and Kim approached me, their cheeks were flushed with excitement and their smiles wide.
"Ava, tell me, how did Maximus do?" I asked, eager to hear their thoughts.
"He did an amazing job!" Ava answered, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. "I'm so proud of him."
"I agree," added Kim. "He really isn't a dictator like some people thought he would be. He's smart, he chose to only have 50% of the power as king and left the other 50% to the League of Justice." Maximus really had outdone himself, building a new center for LOJ and bringing all the territories of the other alphas and his own together in one, calling it Bloodwood MaFe.
As Ava left to attend to her fiancé Kyle, whom she had been through a lot with but still remained by his side, two years engaged and five years with their cute little twin girls Chloe and Zoe. Kim and I continued our conversation.
"Hey, things seem to be going well for you and Maximus," Kim pointed out.
"Yeah, mostly. We have a small argument here and there, but nothing serious," I admitted.
"You both seem to have found a healthy balance," Kim remarked. "It's important for any relationship."
Curious, I asked her, "So how are things going in your relationship with Marcus?"
"Oh, everything's fine between us," Kim said with a smile. "Actually, he's planning to betroth me."
"Really?" I exclaimed in surprise. "How did you find out?"
Kim leaned in conspiratorially, "Well, I accidentally found the ring in one of his pockets. He's really negligent."
Remembering how devastated Kim was after Adrian's death, I asked, "How did you two get together?"
"Marcus helped me heal from my grief," Kim explained. "We started dating and now we have a beautiful 7-year-old daughter, Kayla." She said with a wide smile.
Suddenly, Kim exclaimed, "Where's Kayla?"
I looked around and realized my son, Phoenix, was also missing. We chuckled as we both knew they were probably off playing together.
"It's good to see them getting along," Kim said fondly.
I couldn't agree more.
As we continued our conversation, we could hear giggles and laughter coming from the other side of the backyard. We walked over and there they were, Kayla and Phoenix, playing together on the swing set. "Hey guys, what are you two up to?" I asked.
"We're playing superheroes!" Kayla exclaimed, her cape flapping in the wind.
"And I'm Captain Phoenix!" my son chimed in, holding a plastic sword.
Kim and I exchanged a smile, happy to see our kids bonding and having fun together. As parents, seeing our children form friendships is definitely one of the greatest joys in life.
Overall, the evening had been a great success and I couldn't wait to see what the future held for us as a united force.
****
As I was in the kitchen preparing dinner, I heard loud voices and laughter outside in the garden. Curious, I went to the window to see what was happening. I saw my two favorite people, Maximus and Phoenix, training. Maximus was teasing Phoenix, saying, "Come on, you're weak. You can do better than that." Phoenix responded, "I'm not weak, I just need to practice more."
Maximus kicked Phoenix, causing him to fall to the ground. Phoenix quickly got up, protesting, "I'm not hurt, you just caught me off guard."
Phoenix hit Maximus in the stomach and this one fell dramatically.
Maximus pretended to be in pain, but I knew he was just joking. I couldn't help but smile at the sight.
Phoenix insisted that Maximus had won and pretended to let him win. But Maximus disagreed and stood up to spar with Phoenix again.
As they continued to fight, I squeezed some oranges and made juice for them. When I brought it to them, Maximus kissed me and Phoenix covered his eyes, saying, "Eww, gross." We all laughed.
After drinking his juice, Phoenix immediately got up and challenged Maximus to fight again. "I'm not tired, let's go!" he exclaimed. Phoenix was truly a fighter, just like his father.
"I won! I won! You're no match for me," Phoenix boasted, raising his hands in victory.
Maximus rolled his eyes, "Come on, Phoenix. You know you just got lucky."
"Nah, I took you down fair and square," Phoenix replied, grinning from ear to ear.
I couldn't help but chuckle at their banter. "You guys are hilarious," I said, shaking my head.
Phoenix turned to me, "What do you mean? I'm the greatest warrior in all of the land."
Maximus snorted, "In your dreams, maybe."
Phoenix feigned offense, "Hey, I'll have you know, I've defeated giants and dragons."
"And I've defeated Phoenix," Maximus replied, crossing his arms.
Phoenix laughed, "You wish! I let you win that time."
Maximus raised an eyebrow, "Sure you did. Want to try again?"
Phoenix nodded eagerly, "You're on."
As they got back in their fighting stances, I couldn't help but smile at their competitive nature. "You're getting better, Phoenix," Maximus said as he wiped sweat from his forehead. "I've got a great teacher," Phoenix replied with a grin.
Phoenix chuckled. "You're not bad yourself."
"Ready to lose, Phoenix?" Maximus teased, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Like you could ever beat me, old man," Phoenix retorted, smirking confidently.
I chuckled, watching their playful banter. "You both never cease to entertain me with your training sessions."
I interrupted their banter. "Hey, guys, I have some good news to share."
Maximus tightened his grip on his sword, his face becoming determined. "We can't stop now, love. I need to put up a good fight against Phoenix."
I sighed, knowing exactly how stubborn both of them could be. "But I have some fantastic news to share with you two."
Phoenix immediately protested. "Not now, I need to beat Dad in this round."
I rolled my eyes. "It won't take long, I promise. Plus, I have something for you, Phoenix."
His eyes lit up. "What is it?"
"I have Moonberry for you," I said, trying to hold back a grin.
Phoenix's cute smile widened. "Give it to me now!" he exclaimed.
I teased him a bit. "Are you sure you want it now? Or do you want to wait until after I tell the news to enjoy it fully?"
His cute sin immediately vanished as he stopped and practically pounced on me. "Give it to me now!" he exclaimed, laughing.
I tried to speak amidst his tickles, my laughter filling the air. "Alright, alright! Just stop tickling me!"
Maximus swiftly stepped in, attempting to take our playful moment away. "Alright, Phoenix, it's time to give her a break."
But Phoenix was relentless. He wanted to continue our joyful chase. I quickly got up and fled, with both of them hot on my heels.
They grabbed me, causing us all to tumble and laugh, their weight temporarily crushing me.
Once we were finally on our feet, I wore a serious face, capturing their attention. Maximus grew worried, sensing something was amiss. "Listen, both of you," I began, trying to keep my voice steady. "I have something important to tell you."
Maximu's eyes widened. "What is it? Are you okay?"
Phoenix's eyes widened with curiosity. "What is it? Tell us!"
"Well," I began, unable to contain my excitement.
I took a deep breath, preparing myself to share the incredible news. "I'm pregnant. And not just with one baby, but three."
A moment of stunned silence followed, as the realization sank in. Then, all at once, the joy erupted.
Phoenix lifted me in the air, spinning me around, his laughter echoing throughout the garden. "This is incredible! We're going to have three little siblings!"
Maximus couldn't contain his happiness either. He showered me with kisses, he pulled me into a tight embrace his words filled with love and adoration. "You make me the happiest man in the world, my love."
As we basked in the sheer bliss of the moment, I couldn't help but reflect on how unexpected and beautiful this journey had been.
Who would have thought that my life, initially defined by a cruel label of being sold as a Breeder, would have transformed into this extraordinary love story? I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with love for my two amazing buddy. And the sweet end to this moment was just the beginning of the wonderful journey that lay ahead.
The love between us had defied all odds and blossomed into something truly remarkable.