"You won't be alone. You know that if you need help, you can always come and ask me. I don't know if I can help you with your work in Bourdier, but as your mate, it's my job to help you assimilate into your role as Luna, and even then I won't abandon you." He offered her a lopsided smile. "We're in this together, Ananya. Don't worry."

"That's easy to say, but I appreciate your help," Ananya said. She studied the pancakes as they cooked in the pan. "

"I know it sounds like it's a lot of work, but you get used to it after a while. Besides, I don't work all the time. It's strenuous at times, yes, because I'm at a higher status than other Alphas, but I still find time to relax, let out steam, and do things I enjoy." He shot her a coy wink. "As I'm sure you saw last night."

Ananya blushed. "You can be so naughty at times," she said, waving her spatula.

"It's one of the things I excel at, my darling." Oscar paused. "Wait, is your uncle still here?"

Ananya smirked. She considered frightening him by lying and saying that Aman was still in the house (and therefore could have heard him) but she decided against it. "No, he left a while ago. He said thank you. Can he come back again?"

"Of course, darling. He can come here anytime he pleases." Oscar stood and took the plate from her shaky hand. "Here. It's a bit heavy, isn't it?"

"A bit." Ananya piled a few pancakes onto the plate. "Do you want syrup?"

"No, thank you." He kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too." She blushed, and when she sat next to him, it dawned on her the mundaneness of their interactions that morning. It was so...so normal that she almost forgot that her boyfriend was a werewolf, or that she was the Luna of an enormous pack.

"Darling?" Oscar nudged her shoulder. "Is everything okay?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, everything's...everything's great." Ananya leaned on his shoulder, and he smiled. It was calm, and she enjoyed it. She knew it wouldn't last forever - that was a given - but she wanted to savor every moment they had together before their responsibilities tore them apart.

Evidently, as she would come to realize, their tranquility wouldn't last long.

"It happened! It happened!" Cai's distant voice grew louder when the entrance doors slammed open. "It happened!"

"Wonderful," Oscar grumbled. "Cai, what are you doing yelling this early in the morning?"

"Okay, firstly, it's almost noon," Cai said, bouncing into the kitchen. "Secondly, they're here! They're finally here! I'm so fucking excited!"

"Who's here, Cai?" Ananya tried to follow him as he jumped around the room. "Who is it?"

"The pups!" Cai exclaimed, his cheeks flushed a dark red. "Samiya's given birth!"

-------

Ananya and Oscar rushed to follow Cai to the hospital, where the nurses were bustling and smiling, bowing to the couple as they trailed after Cai. Ananya could smell the plaster and dust coming from the back rooms, where construction was still ongoing.

Samiya's room was the last in the fifth hallway, which served as the maternity ward, and was also the biggest ward in the hospital. She sat upright on the bed, covered with only a scruffy hospital gown. In her arms were two, whimpering balls of pink, their faces scrunched and their eyes fluttering.

"Aww, they're so adorable!" Ananya squealed, pushing past Cai to the pups. Quickly, she sanitized her hands and took one of their small fingers; she gasped. "He's so tiny..."

Samiya laughed. "He is," she agreed. "Do you want to hold him?"

"Can I?!"

Samiya eased the baby into Ananya's arms, instructing her how to hold his head. Ananya's bottom lip was drawn between her teeth in concentration as she fixed the baby in her arms. She turned to look at Oscar and Cai, who were watching the exchange silently.

"Look, Oscar!" She marveled, beaming from ear to ear. "I'm holding a baby!"

"I see. He's adorable," Oscar said. He shook Cai's shoulder. "Congratulations."

Cai flushed. "Thank you, thank you." He grinned haughtily. "They're just like me, aren't they?"

"They're only a few hours old," Samiya said with a weary sigh. "They don't look like anyone yet."

"They'll be just as strong as their dad, then," Cai promised. "Just you wait and see."

"We'll do that." Samiya laughed. Ananya noticed that she looked at the baby again, then at Oscar, who was standing awkwardly in the corner of the room.

"Samiya..." Ananya began.

Samiya exhaled deeply like she was struggling to speak. She kept her smile up and said: "Would...would you like to hold the baby, Alpha?"

Oscar didn't respond for a moment, then turned and blinked. "Me?" He frowned. "You...you want me to hold him?"

"Only if you want to," Samiya said. She clenched her hands. "If...if it's okay with you..." she nodded toward the baby in Ananya's arms.

"I..." Oscar's throat bobbed and his arms trembled as he took the infant from Ananya. "Wow..." he studied the child's small face as he shifted and gurgled, struggling to open his eyes. "He's so...so small...so...helpless..."

"All babies are like that, Oscar," Ananya laughed, peering at the infant over his shoulder.

Oscar held the child for a few moments longer, then, hesitating for a moment, approached Samiya. He stood at the side of her bed for a second, then offered the baby to her with a smile. "Congratulations, Samiya."

Samiya took her child and returned his smile. "Thank you, Alpha."

Oscar nodded and stepped back. He and Ananya retreated from the room, giving the couple space as they marveled at the joy of their new, growing family. Oscar wrapped his arm around Ananya and tugged her close to him.

"Do you think...that can be us one day?" He questioned softly, gently prodding the suggestion.

Ananya giggled and nodded. "One day, I hope so," she said, leaning into his side. She didn't know why her stomach was leaping, why her heart was beating soundly, or why for some reason she was unable to find the weights that usually rested on her shoulders. She closed her eyes and searched for the crackle of anxiety that would often spark her nerves, but she didn't find it. She found nothing but a sense of emptiness, and yet, it wasn't frightening or nauseating.

I feel...

"At peace," she said out loud. "Yes, that's a good word. At peace..." she locked gazes with Oscar, who she knew had been reading her mind, and smiled.

"Peace...that's a good word," Oscar decided. He held her shoulder and sighed. "I feel..." he paused, closing his eyes, accepting the smooth sensations that traversed through his body like a gentle stream. "I feel...free."

--()--()--()--

And guys, this is it! Oscar and Ananya's story has come to an end! I hope you all enjoyed their journey and I hope you all stay tuned for the next stories that I'll be posting! Thank you so much for all of your support, and maybe I'll post side-stories of our favorite werewolves :D

Again, thank you so much for all of your support! I may post some behind-the-scenes ideas and/or notes and character notes, but I'll see :) This book is already more than 100 chapters long LOL