Lorcan & Evette

Epilogue

"Lorcan?" she called, feet up on her new, finely polished sales counter. "I'm going to need you to put the sign on closed."

"It's midday," he called back.

"Yeah, that's what people do when they own a shop. They shut at midday for a lunch break." Or at least that was what she did. Alas, just because there was a long line of immortals waiting outside to see her, didn't mean she'd be changing that.

If they wanted to know the future so bad, then it wouldn't kill them to wait just a little longer.

Note to self. Don't introduce the werewolf as my familiar. Call him the guard dog.

He'd been taking his job as business partner extra seriously. Anyone who stared at her too intensely was growled at. Lorcan interviewed her clients before letting her at them. If they were mated, he eased up. If not, they were in for the hostile werewolf treatment.

She planned to sack him by the end of the day, though she wasn't sure how that kingly ego would survive such a harsh jab.

He did as told regardless, turning the open sign to closed. Then, he skulked back over, dropping into the chair across from her.

"Do you always tell the truth to your clients?" he asked her.

"No. You heard what I told the centaur, didn't you?"

A nod. "Look, I don't make a habit of lying for shits and giggles, but I didn't like that one. Met him a couple hundred years back. Mega dick. Trust me. He deserved it."

"I'm sure he did."

"Oh, he did. I could give you a reading, if you'd like."

Her communication book was spread out across the sales counter. Together, they'd penned a polite entry to Annaliese, requesting an audience. Now, it was just a case of waiting for the witch Queen to reply.

She was taking her damned time, too.

"It wouldn't work," he told her.

"Sure it would. Give me your hand."

"No it wouldn't. You can't see the future if you're in it."

Damned smooth werewolf. She was always going to be in his.

"Alright then- but just let me try. Just this once." She had more riding on this. "You never know. I might actually find something."

"It won't work."

"There're going to be fleeting moments in which I'm not around."

"No, Evie."

"Oh come on-"

The bell chimed. Someone was entering, despite the sign explicitly saying 'closed'.

Caspian and Claudio. Irritating bastards. They thought because they called themselves friends they had an unspoken right of entrance. Huh, well, both of them were wrong.

"Is someone having a baby?" Claudio asked, his booming voice obnoxiously loud. "This place reeks of pregnancy hormones."

Her mouth fell open.

Gods she was going to murder that demon.

"You're pregnant?" Her gaze snapped back to the werewolf.

"I mean, yeah. I was literally about to tell you this, so thanks a lot demon."

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "No harm done, right witch?"

Bastard.

"We're pregnant?"

"I'm pregnant." He stared at her blankly. "Alright, yes. We're pregnant."

His face lit up.

"I'm not too sure what to expect. I've never heard of a were-witch. But, rest assured, I've heard of a witch vampire. Our kid can't be freakier than that."

"Do you know what I see in the future?" he asked her, leaning forwards. "I see these demons pissing off so I can fuck you again right here."

Claudio made another retching sound.

"I agree. I see them dying if they're not out the building in the next ten seconds."

Her werewolf hummed in agreement.

Neither of them turned to check if they'd left or not. Lorcan was busily staring at her in wonder.

"I had this all planned out. I was going to give you a reading and be like, hey, we're having a kid. But you had to be damned difficult and wait for Claudio to come ruin it."

She'd been thanking her lucky stars he hadn't picked up on the hormones. He'd been busy with other things. Suppose, she had the Inferno demon King to thank for ruining that.

"We're having a baby," he said in awe. A thousand or so years of meaningless existence and it had never occurred to him that he might someday be a Father. He leaned forwards, his lips at her ear. "This won't change our bet, will it? If I remember correctly, you still owe me a lap dance."

"Insufferable werewolf."

"Well?"

She blushed, pushing at him. "No. A baby won't change the bet."

"Great. I'm calling on that dance now pet."

"Are you ready for another bet?" she asked him.

"Always."

"Alright then. I bet I come up with better baby names than you."

"You're going down, witch."

"Bring it, werewolf."