Bonus Epilogue

Ayla

“Mom. Mom,” Cole runs to me and almost causes me to tip my wine glass all down my front, which would be such a waste, although I think I know someone who would happily clean it up with his tongue.

“Oh God, Mom!” Bella groans from the other side of the table and I chuckle.

“Sorry, sweetie. I forgot you were here,” I tell my eldest just as my youngest clings himself to me. He’s a true mama’s boy, but what can I say? I like it. Especially when my daughter has turned out to be such a daddy’s girl.

But then again, how could she not be when Lofy is a gorgeous man and even more gorgeous dad.

“Wow, thanks, Mom. It’s good to know you barely register my presence these days!” Bella says with a frown and I bite down a laugh.

It probably wouldn’t be wise considering her age. Hormonal seventeen-year-old and all. You’d think being half Vyperian, who aren’t the least bit dramatic, would help but nope. She’s as human as her mom.  Except for her light blue skin tone and the tail and all.

Oh, if King Atraxius knew how human the future queen of Leviathar was he’d have a field day, but his husband kept him very busy these days, thank God.

“Oh don’t be like that, Bella. That’s not what I meant. You’ve just been so quiet.”

Bella rolls her eyes at me and pops some popcorn in her mouth and I can’t help but admire her beauty. She’s taken my auburn red hair which suits her skin tone so perfectly. She’s an utter beauty and each day that passes I get more and more petrified that someone will abduct her and drag her into marriage even if she’s barely an adult.

Thankfully, she’s in a unique position as princess regent so only she can do the abduction, which I’m sure will shake a few feathers in the “super-traditional” planet I call home these days, but hey, we didn’t fight to change the laws for nothing.

“Mom!” Cole shouts again, this time in my ear and I can’t help but flinch.

“Cole-Victorious!” Lofy appears at the door and stares at his son. “Is that how you speak to your mother?”

Cole purses his lips and bows before his father. I can’t help but smirk.

“I’m sorry, Dad, but she’s ignoring me,” he responds and Lofy raises an eyebrow.

“Is she?” He turns to me and I nod. “Then she must have a perfectly good reason.”

Cole crosses his arms and Lofy messes up his red hair as he bends down to kiss my lips.

“Ew,” Bella cries out.

We both turn to her.

“You guys are gross,” she says, shaking her head disapprovingly.

I put my hands up. “I didn’t think anything naughty.”

Bella snorts and turns to her father.

“Yeah, but he did.”

Lofy chuckles.

“You should be used to us by now, daughter.”

She grimaces.

It is true, kids are quicker to learn truths that Earthen children are shielded to, but that’s only because their empathy makes it impossible to hide certain things. Which is also why Vyperians are much more in tune with their bodies and those of others.

“I think she’s watching too much Earthen TV,” I declare because I know it to be true.

That hasn’t helped her teenage rebellion to be sure.

“TV? Pfft, it’s all about streaming now, Mom. You’re so old.”

“Hey!” Both Lofy and I raise a finger in the air and Bella looks pleased with herself.

“I think I need to restrict her access to Earth, don’t you?” Lofy turns to me and I purse my lips if only to hide my laugh.

We don’t visit Earth much these days. Don’t get me wrong, I still haven’t cut ties, but I have retired from the screen and these days take on the role of producer more often than not. It’s where I’ve found my passion in telling body positive, inclusive stories for those who need them. It also helps with me living on another planet and all. But our daughter has quite the knowledge of Earth regardless of the frequency of our visits.

“You wouldn’t!” Bella growls.

“Bella-Amyras, don’t you take that tone with your father!” I don’t raise my voice, but I make sure my emotions tell her how I feel about the disrespect.

“But Mom! Dad! You can’t!”

“I think we need to tell her tutors to increase the Vyperian lessons. Having the future queen act so childish simply won’t do,” Lofy says and Bella huffs, walking out of the room with the bowl of popcorn in her hands.

As soon as the door closes behind her Lofy and I burst into laughter.

“Why are you laughing?” Cole asks.

Lofy takes a seat beside me and weaves his fingers through mine, wrapping his tail around both hands. It’s what I’ve come to know as another Vyperian intimacy. It’s like holding hands on Earth, only so much stronger. Intimate even.

“Nothing. Don’t worry, sweetie. You wanted to say something?” I ask and Cole sits on my lap.

He may be eleven and I six months pregnant with a belly to show for it, but he’s still the lovely clingy boy I’ve loved since he was born so how could I deny him those moments, especially when I know adolescence will hit him any moment now and he won’t want anything to do with me anymore.

“I came to ask how do I abduct someone?”

Both Lofy and I frown.

“Abduct?” I want to make sure I heard him right.

He’s way too young to be thinking about marriage.

“Yeah. What do I need to do?”

I open my mouth and close it before I say something stupid. So I compensate by rubbing it across his back and taking a moment to look into my son’s eyes and collect my thoughts.

He’s really a mirror image of his father despite the light, deathly blue—almost porcelain—shade of his skin and the red hair he’s inherited from me. Every time he smiles, every time he laughs, he reminds me of my wonderful, handsome husband and all he’s given me.

Because he has given me the world. And not a day passes by when I regret my decision to marry him. How could I when he’s given me all I could ever dream of and so much more? If anything, I consider myself more Vyperian than human these days. I can never stay on Earth longer than a couple of days before I itch to return to him, to my family, to the beautiful planet that has welcomed me as I am since day one.

Lofy’s tail tightens around me, running up to my forearm and I feel comforted by him, by his presence, his acknowledgement of my thoughts and feelings.

He hasn’t done anything—anything—to ever make me regret marrying him. He’s given me my freedom, my two wonderful children with a third on the way, and a beautiful home. But most of all, he’s given me his respect and his love without question.

I love you, he says in my head and I say it back, my heart growing ten times its size.

That’s how it feels being with him. That’s how it’s always felt even when I was too blind to see it.

“Why do you want to know?” I ask my son.

“Because I want to abduct someone.”

I grimace.

“Who?”

He’s too young. Way too young for this. Human or not, he is.

“Vileris,” he says and I have to bite my lip.

“Vileris is young. You can’t abduct her.”

“But I love her.”

I look at Lofy and his smile is as wide as mine.

“Sweetie, you can’t abduct Vileris. You’re both too young.”

Cole crosses his arms again this time with a pout.

“I knew you would deny me my happiness.”

“Excuse you, mister. Who still runs to mommy when he has a booboo? And you think you’re ready to marry at this age?”

Not that I’m complaining. I wish he would always come to me whenever he needs comfort but I have to be realistic. Everyone has to grow up eventually. No matter how much I don’t want him to.

“But Zotrus and Lulas told me I can.”

I narrow my eyes and bite my lips.

“I very much doubt they said that.” Zotrus and her wife have become very good friends of mine and Lofy’s and I even helped in their daughter’s birth eight years ago, which is an honor similar to godparenthood back on Earth.

“They did. Why won’t you believe me?”

Lofy leans closer to both of us and grabs his son’s face by the chin.

“Calm down, son. Don’t get upset. Of course you can abduct Vileris.”

“Lofy!” I scold him. “They’re children.”

“I didn’t finish,” he replies. “You can abduct Vileris. When you’re twenty and if you still feel the same about her.”

“That’s so long!” Cole moans.

“If you love her, time is inconsequential.”

“Of course I love her,” he says. “I’ll always love her. I’ll never love anyone else.”

I want to tell him he’s too young to know that, but then again who am I to judge?

He’s a mirror image of his dad after all, and didn’t his father love me for fifteen years before he even met me in person?

For the right person, we can wait an eternity. And if I’d known about him when I lived my very human life on Earth, maybe I’d have fallen in love with him too before I met him.

But it’s okay.

Because I’ve been falling in love with him since he abducted me.

And there’s not been a day since when my love hasn’t grown larger beside him.

“Good boy. Because that’s what Vyperians do, son. Love with all our being once and for all eternity.”

I squeeze his hand back and look into his eyes. The eyes I love more than breath itself.