Epilogue:
Years later in adulthood
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The trees filled out and what were old shacks of houses were now full out log cabins that Rangel and I instructed to be built. They were decent and it held more than enough of our pack in them.
Jay was born and has grown beautifully in every way possible, I was going to have to look after her with the other boys talking to her.
She is now sixteen and thinks she's independent, but in reality she's not the smartest and doesn't know how to watch over herself decently. I often tell Tate to keep an eye on her and he's a good protective older brother.
Tate's grown to be exactly as his father, a soft heart and a closed up personality. He often wears hoodies with the hoods pulled up, I yank his hood down to only have him scowl with his green and red eyes as he pulls it back over his pale face. He's oblivious to all the girls who swoon at his mysterious traits...The same traits I fell for in his loving father.
Tate's abilities aren't doormat anymore which often makes me worry about him as he frequently creates flames and moves objects in the air like some talent show. He tells me that if father were still alive maybe I'd not have to worry... Little did he know his father wasn't too nice with his abilities and I wouldn't want him teaching Tate anything harmful. He needs to learn how to use his abilities in a helpful manner that'd save lives and respect the others around him.
I gave Tate Leon's bag of ashes a year ago and fully regretted it when he cursed me out saying that he didn't want Rangel as his father. Him and Rangel butt heads so often it drives me nuts, but of course they would since Tate's so familiar to Leon and Rangel notices it.
I'm very glad I never mentioned that I basically murdered his own dad and cremated him myself... But when Tate realized he wasn't like Rangel in any way possible nor look like him, the truth had to come out that he wasn't Rangel's true son.
He called me a slut for hooking up with his father and a couple of choice words. He told me he once didn't want to be alive without Leon, but in the end we were fine and hugged onto each other. He'll always be my sweet boy no matter our arguments and fights and I'll never give up on him even if he's eighteen years old now.
Rang wanted his own son and not Tate and I told him I had enough with pregnancy and wouldn't want to try to have another son... But, turns out we had Aspen a year after Jay and he's fifteen this year. He has both Rang and I's traits, but he does have Rangel's tan skin and full blonde hair always combed up with Rangel's straight white teeth.
Aspen used to always be by Rang's side and wanting to do whatever he did. He was Rang's little one for sure, all he wanted from me was for me to feed him.
Aspen and Tate will surprisingly get along once in awhile, but other than that Tate just sees a blonde haired spoiled brat. I'm ashamed he views his own brother that way... I can't help that Rang has always loved Aspen over Tate.
I've raised them all on meat just as all the other young ones in this camp were raised up on. They have commented on how they still crave something other than meat and I have to make a way around not telling them that they are also half vampire.
All three of them are a handful, but Rangel and I still found our alone time away from them by staying in another log cabin for the night. We built this camp and are the leaders of it, so we did whatever we pleased.
~
"Es, do you ever take time to think how we never had fun just the two of us when we were younger?" Rangel asks me, playing with my hair as we sat alone on the couch in our cabin,"we never really had fun romantically-"
"Sure we did," I quickly tell him,"I'd always be pulling you in mud or a pond kissing your lips until you'd pull me to my feet."
"That was just you sucking up to me cause you knew I loved your kisses when I was stressed," he replies with a smirk.
I kiss his lips,"I know you still love them."
"I always will," he says, pulling me closer onto his lap to continue kissing me deeper.
Our teeth clanked together when he kissed me so deeply it opened my mouth so far. I run my hands under his shirt and move my hips towards his-
"Mother, would you get off Rangel for one moment so I can talk to you?" I hear Tate ask me sternly, I could hear the distress in his voice.
I hear Rangel sigh and grab my waist to lift me and set me to my feet.
Tate refuses to ever call Rang his father, so he calls him by name...
"What'd that be?" I ask him.
He looks to Rang then, his eyes cutting...
"When are you going to quit getting my mom pregnant?" He asks him,"when will you stop getting on top of her?"
"When will you quit acting like a dick of a child?" Rang questions him,"I love your mother and nothing will change that, you should be happy to see us showing affection to each other."
"Disgusting coming from you, my mother deserves more," he says, looking to me,"I'm taking Hazel to the hill, I'll be back after the sunset."
"Okay honey," I tell him,"have a good time with her."
He leaves, hood pulled over his head as he opened the front door with his outstretched hand and shut it behind him.
"It's getting worse, Es," Rang huffs,"that child is getting to me."
"It's always been the same with you two," I sigh,"I need a drink."
"My woman doesn't have to tell me twice," he walks to the kitchen to mix me a drink,"what's up with him and this Hazel girl?"
"Some girl from a few cabins down," I tell him,"short and blonde this time."
"He's a disgrace to our family line," Rang tells me seriously, walking over to me to hand my glass of liquor to me,"he's got a new one every week."
"This one's been lasting some weeks," I reply, sipping from the rim of the glass,"sounds like she's a keeper."
"A girl that'd wanna stick with a mysterious hooded asshat," Rang takes my glass to sip from it as well,"I'll always despise that kid."
I picked a pillow off the couch and hit his head with it, our drink spilling slightly on him.
"Estelle!" He exclaims, sitting the glass on the coffee table and climbing on top of me playfully,"you're such a little girl for being in your thirties."
"Get off me," I growl, not in the mood to be lovey with him.
He climbs off me and I make an exit from our cabin.
I take a seat on the tree stump in our yard and look outwards at what became of Rang and I's camp. Children were running around cabins, chasing each other and snarling as they practiced on forming into their wolf form.
I never wanted to create a new clone of CottonWood with educational classes on how to hunt and defend oneself.
Most especially, I never wanted to have classes of how to simply form into ones true form. I've been damaged too much by CottonWood to ever want to create my own hellhole with Ceremonies and classes that never helped me. Rang agreed fully that I shouldn't suffer in the past due from having our own CottonWood made here-
"Es, you know I don't always need to do that with you," Rangel tells me from the cabin's wooden deck,"we just never get a break from the kids."
I turn to look at him.
"It's not that," I tell him,"I've just been stressed lately. I guess that's the age showing in me."
Rang walks closer to me and takes my hand to help me to my feet.
"What's there to stress about, Es?" he questions, rubbing my shoulders and kissing my neck.
"You and Tate-" I start.
"Me and Tate are fine," he says,"same as it's been for years."
"That's not all," I respond,"it's the camp as a whole. The pups aren't learning how to properly defend and transform themselves, this whole camp is a mess and probably a failure to become-"
"Es, sure we have our faults here, but I see great potential as I've always told you," he tells me,"I think it's coming along greatly here and I'm very proud of the two of us."
I look at him and smile slightly before sitting back down.
He walks away towards the pups, talking to them before he growls and forms into his wolf form gracefully. It's always been so simple for him to turn, I think it's a true gift.
I've always thought he was good with children, the way he smiles and swings them around and plays... I wouldn't want any other wolf other than him as the father of my pups-
"Mom!" I hear a shout, arms tightly squeezing me surprisingly,"you know your the bestest mother ever?"
"Bestest?" I raise an eyebrow.
"The bestest!" Jay smiles, seeming in a good mood suddenly... something was coming my way, clearly she was sucking up to me.
"You mean 'the best mother ever'," I correct her grammar,"you hungry yet?"
"No, I actually want to go to Caine's house tonight for dinner," she tells me,"he told me his mama makes the greatest-"
"Jay, no boys," I sternly say,"go to Selena's tonight."
"But mom-" she whines.
"C'mere," I tell her, motioning her.
She walks over to me and sits next to me on the stump. I wrap an arm around my daughter and look out towards Rang.
"Boys are like stars, Jay. They are beautiful, but complex in ways that hurts your mind. They're bright and mysterious, sometimes hard to look at since they're so warming to your eyes," I say to her,"but, there's so many, like a little spec out of a sea, my daughter-"
"What are you trying to tell me?" She asks me.
I smile,"I mean that boys seem pleasant to have, but in reality they're just like the rest... a complex mess of stress you don't need yet in your life."
"Just because you've had trouble with guys doesn't mean that'll have the same effect on me," she annoyingly says,"I love Caine and he wants to have me for dinner."
"Well I've never met this Caine that seems so special," I tell my daughter,"how about you have him over for some of my roast?"
She blankly stares at me unpleased.
"I'll make it the way you like," I elbow her playfully.
"Fine, just don't be too embarrassing and weird, Goddamn," she rolls her eyes at me,"comparing guys to stars-"
"Well you now can take that mouth to your room for the night," I point to the front door,"tell your "boyfriend" that you can't see him anymore for the fact you don't know how to treat your own mother."
"Mom, I didn't mean-" she starts to backtrack on her words.
"No, go inside before I start thinking other things as well," I interrupt her.
She puts her head down and makes her way to the door, slamming it in anger.
"You ever think that you're too harsh on the girl?" Rang questions me, the pups now running around in their true form.
Looks like Rang taught them how to transform properly.
"Never," I look up at him,"don't want boys around her. That's what got me pregnant around her age and about screwed my life."
Rangel pulls me to him and kisses my forehead.
"She doesn't know how well you're actually looking out for her," Rang points out,"but, if it makes my little girl happier to see the guy, why the hell not?"
I put my face in my hands, rubbing my skin in a stressful habit.
"Remember when we didn't have to deal with this shit?" I ask Rang,"I'm done with kids."
Rang laughs a long fake chuckle.
"I've been done ever since that Tate one killed you," he says,"but they're family so we've got to love them."
"Speaking of Tate...." I drag on.
Rang and I look to see him walking this way on his own after kissing "Hazel" on the lips.
"Where's Aspen been?" I look to Rang in question,"I haven't seen him all day."
"Him and I went hunting earlier, he's learning from the best," Rang smiles, kissing me.
"He's the only one left of our children not interested in a love life yet," I roll my eyes.
"Also learning from the best," Rang smirks,"loving somebody only hurts."
"Hey now," I laugh, standing on my toes to mess his hair up.
"Mother," Tate looks to me before looking over at Rang,"and Rangel."
"Tate," Rang simply replies with spite.
"I invite you to a dinner with me, Rangel," Tate says,"I have some matters I need to talk about."
"Matters?" Rang chuckles,"whatever that may be, it can be spoken in front of your mother."
Tate shrugs.
"I got Hazel pregnant," he tells us.
I grab him by the shoulders and pull his hood off, revealing him and his appearance that overwhelmed me...
"Leo-" I start but stop myself.
I almost called my son after his real father I still love...
"Leon?" Tate raises an eyebrow,"you wish I was your Leon, I'm all you have left of him. Why do you think I hide myself in clothes all the time?"
I don't reply.
"So you don't see the man you killed walking around," he continues, spitting his words out like venom from his mouth,"I'm a burning image of him and you know it. You could probably kiss me and like it."
I smack him across his face angrily.
"How dare you say any of those things about me or your father," I choke, knowing he must of read my mind to know I killed him long ago.
Rang grabs my arm and pulls me close to him protectively.
"I've created a monster," I continue to choke,"I love you Tate. Please come back to me."
"I've found out too much to ever want to come back," Tate tells me,"I find that the only family I had left and loved was the one who killed my father."
Tate tears up... the first time I've ever seen him cry in his mature age.
"I've decided to start a new life with Hazel," he looks at us both, wiping his eyes with the backs on his hands,"I'm moving out with her and there's nothing you can do to stop me. I'm eighteen now and I'm ready to care for Hazel and our unborn baby."
I'm speechless.
"Son, take good care of her," Rang speaks for me,"and have a good life."
"I will," he says,"I was beginning to get used to you in my own way. I hope you don't have too much of a difficulty dealing with my mother."
"Never a difficulty," Rang replies,"take care of yourself and always come back for a visit. You know where to find us."
"Oh, boy," Tate chuckles,"I'm looking forward to that one, Rangel. Wish I could say I had a good time growing up with you, but I really didn't."
I see his eyes move to look at me just as he pulls his hood back over his black hair.
"So long, my Mother," he simply tells me.
"I've raised you well," I say to him,"treat Hazel well and never feel like you need to use your abilities. They're a lot stronger than you believe."
Tate was a walking person of power at his fingertips and he always knew it growing up. Even when he was a toddler, he'd step on the ground as if he owned every inch of dirt and grass underneath his feet.
"Power I wish I could use to destroy you like you did my father," Tate reads my thoughts.
"I don't care, you'll always be my boy and I'll always love you," I tell him,"no matter what you may tell me. I died giving birth to you, but I resuscitated myself just to raise you and be here."
"I'd love to listen to the rest of your pity stories, but Hazel's waiting," Tate tells me,"goodbye my mother, until whenever our next encounter may be."
"Goodbye my beautiful baby boy," I tear up.
Rangel wraps his arm around my waist kissing my hair as we both watched Hazel and Tate disappear in thin air once Tate grabbed Hazel's hand.
"I hope teleportation causes mutations to their baby," Rangel says,"such a dick of a son we dealt with for so long."
"He's gone," I whisper,"he's finally gone."
"Yeah, he just vanished, Es," he tells me,"probably for the best."
"Vanished knowing I killed his father," I sigh,"I should have known he'd go through my thoughts like some file cabinet. He probably wants to come back for me in the future and get revenge for Leon."
"Estelle, you're getting way too deep into things now," Rang tells me,"you've raised him well and he's off now. Go on inside and I'll go get Aspen back here for the night."
I go inside of our cabin and Rang does come hauling back with Aspen.
"Where's Tate, dad?" Jay questions from the balcony of the upstairs.
She actually liked Tate, unlike Aspen who also despised him like Rangel.
"Tate's grown up now and off to create a life on his own which you will eventually do as well," Rangel answers upwards to her,"once you find your true mate."
"No thanks," Aspen speaks,"I'd rather go live off on my own once I grow eighteen."
"I've raised you well," Rang turns and smiles at Aspen,"you would be a perfect lone Alpha without any woman."
"That's right father," he replies,"they only are work and time I don't need to spend on."
I quirk a brow and make a move to grab Rang and pull him out of earshot.
"Rangel, you've raised him to want to be just like the Alpha of CottonWood?" I question him,"all lonely and desperate for a mate later on in life? Remember how he wanted to use me for his needs?"
"Es, I know my son and that's the way he should grow up," he tells me,"if he's anything like me with my temper , he shouldn't be near any girls. I was a disaster with you, abused you and everything else-"
"Shh no need to say anymore, I had Aspen for you to raise," I put my finger to his lips,"and I'm going to continue to let you do that I realize."
"Mom, I'm sorry about earlier," I hear Jay tell me across the room suddenly.
I turn from Rang.
"I love you too, sweetie," I smile and go over to her to give her a big hug.
I was grateful for the family that I was given and the camp that got placed before me that got me to this point.
I've had my own difficulties living here, but I know deep down that it was the most best thing that could have happened for me and Rang.
"What is my beautiful wife thinking about?" Rang asks me, hugging me from behind after the kids went to bed upstairs.
"Nothing, just the wonderful place we've made and the gorgeous kids we've had together," I tell him.
"I couldn't be happier," Rang smiles,"I do have the most prettiest mate in the world."
I blush as if I were a teenager again and press my lips to his with a smile...