Claimed by The Rogue Alpha
Claimed By The Rogue Alpha Epilogue

Few months later... ==Olivia==

I applied one last coat of lipstick on Leah's lips, before bloating the excess. It was said that pregnancy brought out a person's glow. Well, I partly agree with that. Leah was a beauty queen. Her dark hair had taken up this lustre I didn't know its origin. Her skin was smooth, her body chubby. Pregnancy looked so good on her.

However, my case was different. I was fatigued most of the time, and the only plump thing right now was my boobs. Although, in retrospect, I'd have squealed in glee. The baby had begun to kick, especially at night. Phew. If I didn't know better, I'd say there were as much as five foetuses in me.

"Isn't this too much?" Leah asked, looking at the mirror skeptically.

"Too much for your baby shower and my housewarming?"

She rolled her eyes and I couldn't help but smile. I was glad she agreed with me that this wasn't much.

I helped her hold down in a French braid and added some decorative pieces around it.

"And done," I said. I let out a sigh. Here came the shortness of breath. "Lemme grab my purse, okay?"

I walked towards my bedroom, and when I opened the door, I gasped.

"Matteo!" The dude still had a towel tied around his waist, and his hair was a haggard mess. "You aren't dressed yet! The car is here already."

His moody face made me repent of my annoyance. Concerned, I walked up to him and held his bulky arms.

"Anything the matter?"

His brow rose a bit. "What? No."

"Lie. Your face is so scrunched up, one can get a stroke."

He pursed his lips, causing me to roll my eyes. "I know it's a lame analogy, Matteo. You don't have to slap that on my face every time."

His face softened as he stroke my chin. "I'm sorry."

"Accepted. So, why the moping?"

A drawn out sigh came from his lips "I'm nervous. This whole change of environment, è snervate."

I was amused, not just at how cute he looked with the tiny frown in his face, but at the fact that he thought I got the Italian he'd said. "You never cease to amaze me. Look, we've come a long way, okay? We've got this."

I wondered why Matteo had grown nervous now that the entire Brookehurt had accepted him as the true alpha. Yet, I had to remind my self that he was human...well, partly. Therefore, he got to show those emotions. I felt more attracted to him for that.

"We've got this, hmm?" I pulled him in for a kiss. Holding my waist, Matteo worked in my lips like the craftsman he was. We pulled apart and stared at each other. Even though, it'd been months, I still felt this strong pull towards him. It still felt like th first time I set my eyes on him.

Matteo looked down at my belly. I followed his gaze.

"So..." He bent towards it. "how is my Piccola doing today?"

"Piccola?" A playful frown sat on my face. "We've been through this, Matteo."

"What?"

I crossed my arm. "It's boy. The correct name is Piccolo."

He quirked his brow as he stood erect and mirrored my stance. "What does the ultrasound say?"

I rolled my eyes. "Not valid and you know it. The doctor said we can't be sure of the s*x till about twenty weeks."

"Yeah, right. I know what I put in there."

I gasped. The guts! My shocked made him chuckle, and I couldn't help but smile. We always argued about our baby's s*x and I was counting on winning his war.

As I watched Matteo chuckle, my mind drifted away.

I couldn't believe I'd been this close to losing him too. The fact that I'd have robbed our child the privilege of having a dad had plagued my mind for a long time. Within the next few days after Lyons death, I had locked myself in the bathroom, shedding tears of relief and remorse. That possibility, that tiny possibility of taking away a vital figure from our baby's life was scary. Haunting.

No doubt, Matteo would be a good dad. A great dad. I was lucky to have a baby with him. True that this pregnancy was rough on me, however, Matteo made it quite bearable. He helped me with my supplements, massaged my waist each time the cramps came, was always by my side whenever I threw up, and would get me my newly-fangled obsession: ramen.

He indeed was the changed person I'd believed he was. He hadn't killed my father. And about his former girlfriend, Peggy, he was just as innocent. It was true she'd been pregnant when she took her life, it was true Matteo had been an a*s by breaking off their relationship abruptly. However, he hadn't no idea she was pregnant. It just showed how...how horrible Lyons was. Even with his tale that my stepdad had been decapitated.

I shut my eyes. No. Stop thinking about that. All that were in the last now. This was a new beginning. A new Brookehurt. Yes, Matteo and I had a new home now. A better one that wasn't as obscure as the Malchian Grove. Our home was at the heart of Brookehurt. As the true alpha, Matteo ought to be close to the people. There was no need hiding again.

I left him to dress up. When he was done, we left the room. The brown jeep sat under the pear tree. I could see Leah at the backseat, conversing with the driver.

As we neared the vehicle, Leah wound down the glass. "What kept you guys?"

"A quickie," Matteo said.

Colour drained from my face and I slapped his arm. He wrapped his arm around me as he chuckled. A*****e.

Leah worsened my embarrassment by wiggling her brows.

As we entered the highway, I rested on Matteo's chest while placing my hand in Leah's. Yes, life had dealt with me. Yes, it had rubbed my b**t on coarse sand. However, I'd triumphed. Yes to a beautiful future. The End.