Chapter 0453
Nine years later
The crisp autumn air carried the laughter of children across the playground. Golden sunlight filtered through the changing leaves as our pack's next generation played without a care in the world. Seraphina, Evelyn and I had our children in close succession, resulting in thirteen little ones being raised together like one big family.
Julian stood out among them - the ten-year-old insisted we call him "Jules" now that he's "mature." He's the oldest boy sandwiched between two inseparable girls.
Sebastian and Seraphina kept expanding their family, conveniently filling the age gaps between Evelyn's and my three children each. Everyone jokes about Felicity being their "surprise baby" - though we all know Seraphina schemed for that fourth child after nearly dying during the twins' birth. The moment Sebastian said no more babies, the countdown began. Three years later, she got her way.
Victor and I weren't about to be outdone. Six months after Isla was born, we welcomed Riley Paige. Naming her after my mother was Victor's idea - he knew I couldn't bear using Paige as a first name, but suggested we honor her memory this way.
Where Isla runs wild with Sebastian, Donovan and Leopold (all born within six months of her), Riley prefers tea parties with Seraphina's twins Luna and Stella. Those three are already giving us gray hairs.
Between our three packs, the sprites who challenged Seraphina and Sebastian's fertility, and general pack baby booms, our territory overflows with children. Alistair and the twins produced fourteen - seven per twin, always born simultaneously. Evelyn's pack started taking bets on it. Theodore and Elara have six, while Titania and Rafael proudly claim four. And that's not counting other wolf-sprite pairs still expanding their families every six months.
We transformed the land between our territories into a massive playground. Nathaniel and craftsmen from all three packs built climbing structures for older kids, swings and sandboxes for little ones - every imaginable amenity.
A special zone accommodates our young shifters. Watching Jules, Ivy and Tobias race around with Felicity never gets old. When she finally shifted last year, we discovered her unique heritage - a rare wolf-bear hybrid.
The hunters' experiments left their mark. Felicity's build leans bear-like, but with wolf markings. Whether from her bear bloodline or Alpha father's genes, her strength is extraordinary. Leopold trains her privately to prevent accidents - warrior sessions let her unleash power safely among adults who can handle it.
Personality-wise, she's beautifully balanced. Pack-oriented yet needing solitude - unlike wolves craving constant company. School bullies learn quickly not to mess with her when our entire pack stands behind her.
Fate delivered an unexpected gift when Reginald found love again. His second-chance mate arrived grieving but open-hearted, stopping at our diner during her cross-country healing journey. She never left. Now they run the place together.
Rosalind, Aurora and Gwendolyn all found mates at our gatherings. Rosalind and Aurora remained with us, while Gwendolyn joined Adrian and Evelyn's pack. Vivian remains hesitant about mating again after her trauma - whatever path she chooses, I hope it brings her peace.