Chasing Tail: A reader x shifters romance

Epilogue

5 months later

You close your computer and sit back with a sigh, celebrating a job well done. You've finally finished organizing a big part of the plan for the pride's financial expansion.

You get up and stretch, looking around at the corner office you've called your own for about two months now. A few plants and pictures decorate the space, but you're still working on really making it feel comfortable.

Several tall bay windows overlook the compound outside, including the courtyard where it all went down. While the pack compound used to be a place of bad memories, you and your mates have spent the past few months making new, happy ones here.

The distant sound of construction reaches your ears, which are becoming more sensitive the more your mate bond deepens. There's always construction happening on both the pride's and pack's headquarters, as both expand to fit a new era for the shifters in this city.

You graduated with high honors in the spring, despite everything that happened to derail your studies. After a period of blissful rest and some roadtrip travel with Ash and Cody, the three of you returned to take on new responsibilities. With your degree in financial analytics, you took a job overseeing the pack's and pride's financial planning. Both have a surprising amount of wealth built up from its shifter members, many of whom hold various positions of leadership in the human world. Ash, for instance, comes from a line of C-Suite executives. Your jaw just about dropped when you found out just how much his family is actually worth.

Under Ash and Cody's careful leadership, the pack and pride shifters are slowly but surely integrating into one big shifter community. Their joined territory has expanded to cover the entire city. Old prejudices and grudges are still causing conflict, but as alphas, Ash and Cody have a strong hold over their shifters and can shut down any fight immediately. If there's one thing you can say about these supernatural beings, it's that they fall in line when their leaders demand it.

Speak of the devils—the door to your office bangs open, and Cody barges in. Despite the heavy workload he manages nowadays due to his position, he's always full of energy when he's around you. In a sleeveless tee and baggy shorts showing off his toned limbs, he looks the same as ever—except for his skin, which has a deeper tan and sports a few new scars he gained from fighting off challengers in his early days as alpha. Once the more dominant pack members figured out that they couldn't match Cody's strength, they gave up challenging and accepted his leadership quickly.

With his signature grin lighting his features, Cody runs at you and scoops you into his strong arms, spinning you around as he plants a flurry of kisses across your neck and jawline. Laughing, you slide your fingers through his sun-bleached hair and hug him tight until he sets you down.

Back on the ground, you're at eye level with his shoulders. Your gaze fixates on the place you re-marked just last night. The mauve mark is clearly visible between the straps of his sleeveless shirt. You're convinced half the reason he keeps wearing these tees is so that the mark will show, so that the world will know he's taken.

The thought sends a bolt of heat straight to your core.

Cody's nostrils flare. He gives a satisfied growl as he inhales the scent of your arousal. "Here? Now?" Excitement lights his eyes. Before you can even respond, he's herding you toward the padded seating arrangement by the windows.

Not that you were planning to stop him. Just one word from your mates is enough to get you in the mood, anytime, anywhere. You can never get enough of them. You keep waiting for this honeymoon period, this borderline obsession with each other, to wear off, yet it never does.

"Stop distracting her, Dog." Ash's deadpan voice sounds from the open doorway.

He's looking sleek and out-of-this-world handsome in a three-piece suit, the jacket slung casually over one shoulder. The professional attire contrasts with his black hair, long and unkempt as ever, making him look powerful and free all at once.

Cody pulls back, looking sheepish. "Oh. Right. We were going to show you something." He steps away after sneaking in one more kiss on your lips.

You head over to greet Ash, whose eyes light with hunger when they meet yours. He tugs you close in a swift, decisive move. His lips come down hard on yours. He robs you of your senses within seconds, then pulls back, leaving you swaying on your feet.

"Hello, love," he says in his smooth, silky tone.

"Hi," you breathe.

He smirks, eyes twinkling with mirth at how obviously flustered you are. Cheeks reddening, you turn back to Cody and ask, "What did you want to show me?"

"You'll see."

Each of your mates slings an arm around you, leading you from the building.

—-----------------------------

For the time being, you still live in your old apartment. Ash and Cody both have massive suites standing by for the alpha at their respective compounds, but neither of them spends much time there, preferring to spend nights with you instead. It's starting to feel more cramped than cozy in your small apartment, but you'd much rather have their company than more space for yourself, so you don't complain.

However, your mates don't take you to the apartment like you expected. Instead, the car pulls into the garage of the fanciest building in downtown. Your eyes grow big and round as they get out with you and Ash hands the keys to a valet.

"What is this? Why are we here?"

"Just wait," Cody replies, taking your hand. "You're going to love it."

They take you up to the penthouse. It even takes a special key to press the right button in the elevator. Your heart's beating hard. This is the kind of luxury you could only dream of less than a year ago.

The elevator doors open to reveal the most beautiful living space you've ever seen. You feel like you're floating as you step inside, gazing wide-eyed at the lovely furniture and the incredible view out the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Your brow furrows when you notice that some of the decorations on the shelves and walls are matching those you've got in your own apartment. In fact, when you look closer, you realize they are the decorations from your apartment, with scratches smudges in exactly the same places.

"Do you like it?" Ash tucks a strand of hair behind your ear, scanning your features.

You shake your head, not in denial but in bafflement. "I love it, but...I don't understand. What are we doing here?"

Cody strokes his thumb over the back of your hand, his fingers still twined with yours. "We got this place for you. For us. This is our new home."

"If you want it," Ash adds, an uncharacteristic note of apprehension in his voice.

You blink, trying to wrap your head around this incredible news. "You bought this place?"

"We bought the whole building, actually. It's going to be the new headquarters for all the shifters in the city to come together. We've got so many plans for the future, our plans have plans." Cody grins at you. "But this penthouse is reserved just for us."

"So...do you like it?" Ash asks.

You meet his gaze, then Cody's in turn. Tears prick at your eyes. "I love it."

Joy floods across the bond, suffusing you and echoing back to your mates. Ash captures your lips in a searing kiss, followed by a possessive kiss from Cody. All three of you are laughing, smiling wide, the happiness and excitement uncontainable.

"Come on, we'll give you a tour." They each take one of your hands and pull you forward. "We set up the whole space for you. It's got everything you need."

"You are everything I need."

Your mates pause, looking back at you, both their faces filled with warmth.

"I love you," Ash murmurs.

"Ditto," Cody says with a smile.

You let your shifters lead the way to the next and brightest chapter of your lives.