He automatically went to his mate. Eli made some space for him as Liam sat on the edge of his bed. Liam studied his smiling mate for a moment, then the crying baby in Eli’s arms.
“Eli? How are you feeling?” He asked.
“Exhausted,” Eli admitted.
Liam leaned over. He pressed a quick kiss to Eli’s mouth.
“Can I hold her?” He asked.
Eli nodded, transferring the baby to his arms. She looked like an exact miniature version of Eli with her tiny turfs of gold hair and big brown eyes.
The baby automatically stopped crying and stared up at him. Liam looked at her in wonder. He couldn’t believe this little treasure and her twin just came out from his mate. She held out two chubby fists at him. Liam blew her a kiss, not caring how ridiculous he might look.
“Have you decided on names yet?” Liam asked. He gently rocked her in his arms, amazed she shut her tiny eyes, and instantly fell asleep.
“No, but Lucas had been giving me suggestions,” Eli answered. “Wow, who knew my big and tough werebear has a way with kids?”
“Ella and Ellie. Cute, right?” Lucas called out.
“Hold on a second. If Lucas can name one baby, I get to name the other,” Logan said. Both his brothers were peering at the pink bundle in Lucas’s arms.
“What about Sophie and Sarah?” Logan pointed out. Logan and Lucas started to argue.
“Don’t wake her,” Liam said in a low voice. He made sure his brothers heard the threat in his voice. They both wisely shut up.
“What do you think?” Eli asked him.
Liam thought about it for a moment. “I like Ella and Sophie. Ella’s the one in my arms.”
Eli nodded. “That sounds good.”
His Omega looked all hammered out. No surprise there, given everything that had happened today. First, Lucas and he had to fight off those three Rogues who entered their territory.
After that, they all had to deal with Steve and his lackey. They all could use some peace and quiet for the next few days or months.
“Go to sleep,” he told his mate. “I’ll be here to keep watch over you, Sophie and Ella.”
“Okay,” Eli said, closing his eyes.
Liam moved from the bed to the chair next to it. Ella continued to snooze in his arms. Liam was covered in rake marks and bites. He could use a nap but he wasn’t leaving Eli’s bedside after today’s events.
He doubted there would be more trouble but he wasn’t going to let his guard down anytime soon. Once Eli and he put their plans in motion to make Eli appear legally dead, he hoped Eli and the twins would no longer be in danger.
If Eli’s family decided to continue pursuing Eli, well. They would have to face Liam and his brothers. Liam would make sure they’d taste hell’s finest.
Epilogue
Two Years Later
Eli
“So you guys booked two double rooms, both non-smoking?” Eli asked.
Mr. Tanner nodded. His wife was telling their teenage sons to behave. Eli checked them in and printed out a form for the husband to sign.
He wasn’t usually in charge of reception but Daisy, the assistant manager, was on maternity leave. Eli didn’t mind helping around the lodge when he was needed.
Two years had passed since the lodge’s re-opening. So much had changed, Eli mused. The lodge no longer looked dated or in dire need of repairs.
Another family and their kids sat around the fireplace. There was chatter in the dining area where a couple of guests were having breakfast. They’d constantly managed to draw a large number of tourists every year, enough to keep the place running.
They started including outdoor activities in their packages and that seemed like a big hit. The Griffin brothers still managed to scare off their human and submissive shifter guests on occasion.
That was where Eli came into play. Guests weren’t afraid to chat him up or approach him. No one came after Eli or his girls again after his fake death appeared in the local papers.
His family sent out one investigator but by then, Eli Reeves was now Eli Griffin. The investigator returned, empty-handed. Hearing a series of thuds and clangs from the kitchen made him wince.
“Must be the cook grumbling about this season’s berries,” he told the Tanners. After handing them their hotel key, Eli sped toward the source of the noise.
“Come back here, you little furry menace,” he could hear Logan mumbling.
“Logan, how many times have I told you to not bother me in the kitchen while I’m cooking?” Came a familiar and haughty annoyed voice.
Eli entered the kitchen. Their head cook, Billy, was scowling at Logan over two large cooking pots.
Logan had a tiny wolf pup in his arms. Both Logan and Sophie were covered in pastry crumbs. Eli’s gaze moved to the decimated pie dish on the floor. Oops. No wonder Billy looked pissed. Once Sophie saw Eli, she let out a cute little growl that made Eli giggle.
“Eli, thank God. Please get these two thieves out of my kitchen,” Billy said.
“Your kitchen?” Logan boomed. “Omega, before you arrived here, I was the one doing the cooking for all the guests.”
Having witnessed Logan and Billy clash far too many times to count, Eli had gotten used to their bickering. Logan didn’t look particularly imposing when he was covered in blueberry jam, pie crusts, and with Sophie biting his forearm.
Billy huffed. “No wonder the guests left one to two-star reviews on Yummy.com.”
“What the hell did you just say?” Logan demanded. “Did you just my cooking?”
Eli decided now was the time to intervene. He kissed his daughter on her tiny nose. Sophie lolled her tongue out at him. Clearly, she’d been having fun with her Uncle Logan.
“Where’s your sister, baby girl?” He asked.
Eli remembered his mate had taken the girls out to the woods to teach them how to hunt. They had designated a proper hiking trail for the guests but a large percentage of the woods surrounding the lodge remained untouched.
“Ella’s still with
