Dead Luna
Epilogue

Leo's POV

I can't believe Amelia could go into labor with our triplets any second now, and I'm sitting in this stupid diplomatic meeting learning about the flagging tourism industry in the packs along the coast of the Olympic peninsula. I just want to get back to my mate, the stress of being apart is causing me a lot of anxiety!

Thanks to the nature of our current situation, at least the King is allowing me to be in the meeting via the internet. But if he sees me get up out of my chair or leave my office for any reason, I know he will make sure I regret it. Not that I haven't regretted this stupid oath he made me agree to every single day since it happened. It's like I'm in prison for life, with no chance of parole. But Amelia does her best to make it seem worth it all. She is my rock, and I couldn't be half the Alpha I am without her by my side.

It's probably a good idea that I wasn't in the meeting in person, as even my lycan Frank agrees that the king deserves a bite on his a*s for keeping me away from my mate at this time. He gave the whole kingdom a holiday to celebrate when his little Princess Isabelle was born a week ago. And then I hadn't heard anything from him until this stupid meeting popped up in my calendar this morning. Jerk.

Right around the time the diplomatic meeting was over, Amelia enters the room to ask what's taking me so long. Right as her father wants to go over the bits that went well and what didn't. It's like sitting through that boring meeting a second time just for kicks. Amelia places her gigantic preggo belly between the computer monitor and myself and whines loudly, "Leo! You promised to rub my swollen feet! When will this meeting be over!"

The king coughs once or twice like he is trying to get our attention and then asks Amelia how she's doing.

"Oh my goddess, I want these pups out of me right now! My whole body feels like a huge pimple that's about to pop! None of my clothes fit! And I'm so uncomfortable."

"I'm sorry, my love!" I tell her, kissing her hand. "Just as soon as your dad and I are done here, I'll help to do whatever you need me to do to make it all better. I promise!"

"I think we are actually done," The king says, possibly having realized how much of my time he has been wasting. But I doubt it. "Why don't you two run along and take care of my daughter and the pups."

"Thanks daddy! Or should I say grandpa?" Amelia says, giggling as she switched off the computer.

Then she is suddenly doubled over in pain, while my stress and anxiety level goes up.

"Oh my goddess, is the stress and anxiety I've been feeling all afternoon been coming from you?" I ask, as I watch her struggle, doing the odd breathing technique she had learned from the birthing class we had taken together. She nods, not able to talk for a moment. A minute later she seems perfectly fine.

"Yeah, I've been in labor for a couple of hours now,"Amelia says. "I knew you'd get in trouble if anyone but me interrupted things. And I didn't want to alarm you or tip off my father that I was in labor."

"Yeah, he'd be headed straight here, wanting to be present to make sure nothing happens to his precious heir, hmm?"

"Jason is sure to figure it out soon." Amelia says, and now I'm the one needing the breathing technique. "But it'll be fine. You and I are in this thing together. We make a great team."

"Yeah, we do!" I tell her. "Shall we go meet the rest of team Hart?"

Amelia smiles at that before she is hit hard by another contraction. Amelia's POV

Ambrosia's description of labor being similar to a first shift was deceptive. The pain was similar, sure. But it lasts a heck of a lot longer than 15 minutes, the exact area of my body involved is far more sensitive than any other area of my body, and once the birth is over, there will be other other things going on. So no, it's really not like a first shift at all!!!

Leo was incredibly supportive, but that didn't stop me from snapping at him when I was in pain and he's telling me to push. I'll push when I'm good and ready to push, thank you. Only I don't think I put it quite that nicely.

Jason was also trying to be helpful in keeping me calm, but his mate Hannah was feeling jealous having recently given birth herself, and so before long Leo is suggesting that Jason could leave and we would manage fine on our own.

"Says the wolf who is not actually giving birth to these pups, thank you very much!" I snap, angrily. But one look at their faces and I realize Hannah had also been in this position recently, so I guess I know how she feels. "Fine, go! I probably don't even need either of you!"

Leo kisses my forehead, and says, "You don't really mean that, my love."

I was just about to tell him exactly what I meant, when I was suddenly hit with the strongest contraction yet, and then the first baby was suddenly crowning, making that entire area down there feel like it was on fire. I may have said a few things at that point that would be better off forgotten. And then baby number one was sliding out of my body and into the hands of the waiting doctor, covered in all kinds of gross stuff, his face turning red from screaming, and still the most handsome boy I'd ever seen! He was laid on my chest immediately while the doctor got ready to receive the next pup a few minutes later.

"Oh my goddess, he's so perfect!" I say as I stare at my first born son, and instantly fall in love with his feisty spirit, fists clenched and angry with this strange new world he was suddenly thrust into, only used to the warmth and comfort of his mothers womb.

The next pup soon arrived, this time a girl, and obviously quite healthy and strong based upon the loud fuss she was also making upon entry to the world. This baby was given to the nurse to be cleaned up and then placed in her daddy's waiting arms. Then the nurse took the first pup to get cleaned up while the doctor places the last pup in my arms, another boy, this one somewhat smaller than the first two. The one I knew Leo would insist on calling Lance, after the wolf he had lost due to my fathers bite. He wasn't as loud as his brother or sister, but he stared at me in awe for a minute, before being taken away for cleaning and weighing, and whatever else it is that medical staff do to ensure a healthy pup.

A few hours later as I eat my dinner one handed, while nursing one of the pups, I hear a ruckus out in the hall. Apparently my parents had arrived. Leo had been napping on the couch, but is on his feet instantly before the door opens. The other babies were asleep in the bassinet, having already been fed. I toss a towel over the nursing infant, knowing instinctively that this is the one that my father will be most interested in. I wish I could hide him away from the world, forever out of the spotlight. But I know that's not going to happen.

My father barely notices me as he makes a beeline straight for the bassinet. Leo stands protectively next to them and doesn't allow my father to disturb the sleeping infants. My mother comes straight to me and asks how I'm doing, as she holds her own little princess in her arms. My sister, Princess Isabelle.

I hear my dad commenting on the other 2 pups, and asking questions of Leo, who tells my father their names are Lance Johnathan and Lucille Selene.

"I thought I told you my first born grandson was to be be named Alexander!" My father says,

getting loud.

"Shh!" I spit out, "He is! I'm nursing Alexander Leonard Hart right this instant!"

Suddenly my father realizes that there are other people in the room, as well as another pup, and he is now eager to talk to me and ask me how I'm doing. Obviously anxious to meet the child he had declared would be his heir, but I was having none of that while little Alex was

busy eating.

"Triplets, huh?" The king says, quite delighted at this unexpected news. "You did a great job of keeping that hush hush! I'm so proud of you, my girl."

He wants to take little Alex away as soon as he's fed, but I insist on burping the infant before relinquishing him to my father's care.

As soon as I allow it, the pup gets passed over to his namesake, who promptly poops all over his doting grandfathers hand. Apparently the tiny newborn diapers don't properly fit the large lycan pup all that well. He was 8.6 pounds, compared to his sister Lucille's 7.9 pounds and Lance's 6.5 pounds. It's no wonder I had grown to the size of a house with pups of that size in

me!

"Good job, son!" Leo laughs, and thankfully everyone else does as well. Even the king laughs as he hands the pup over to the nurse to be changed, and goes to wash his hands. Then he spends the next several hours holding the pup while describing to Leo all the future plans he has for the three of them, while I doze off, tired from my labors. And I dream about my own vision of what I want our lives to be like.