Chapter 176


    Epilogue: Natalie – The Beast and The Blessed


    Natalie’s P.O.V.


    “You’re doing great, Lincoln! Keep it up!” I yelled, trying to encourage my son as he faced his opponent.


    Every kid had to go through it, the training, the cements, and thepetitions. If he could win at


    least 3 out of his five rounds, he would move up to the next level training ss. He had lost thest


    round, which had knocked his confidence down a notch, but he was still doing great.


    He had been working hard, training extra. The pressure to impress his dad drove him forward, but he


    had to know by Killian’s yelling and cheering that it didn’t matter if he won or lost. Killian would always


    be his biggest fan.


    I’d stand by my decision that I was the biggest, but if I was honest, Killian put me to shame. The man


    adored his kid, and even when Lincoln lost thest cement challenge, Killian cheered him on and


    told him how well he did, and Lincoln ate up every word.


    I told him the same thing, buting from me, he didn’t hear a thing. Everything his father said was


    like it came from the mouth of the Goddess herself. Our son looked up to him and wanted to be just like


    him. It was adorable.


    “Keep going! That’s my boy!” Killian shouted proudly from beside me. I let out a sigh of adoration as the


    corners of Lincoln’s mouth twitched up at the sound of his father’s voice before he regained his


    composure, his eyebrows dropping as he focused.


    ’TAKE HIM TO THE GROUND, LINO!” Amara yelled angrily, on her feet, as her father red at my son


    from next to her. She sure was a spitfire, and I had a feeling whoever she ended up with would be in for


    one hell of a ride.


    Just like Joselin and Killian, Amara and Lincoln were best friends.


    Amara was born three years before Lincoln. The day Joselin had her, I cried fat tears of joy.


    There was some jealousy and heartbreak in there too, but I wouldn’t ever tell anyone that. Each month


    that I failed to conceive, I would wait for Killian to leave our room and head to work for the day before


    letting the gut -wrenching sobs out. For years, I prayed to the Goddess, asking what was wrong with


    me and why I hadn’t given Killian the baby and heir he wanted.


    My mother had asked me to consider going to The Sanctum of Light to conceive, thinking it had


    something to do with my connection to the Goddess as one of her descendants. But I knew my parents


    had conceived me away from The Sanctum, and I was fine.


    Where I made the baby wasn’t the issue. I was the issue.


    I also didn’t want to risk my child having the attachment to the Sanctum that my mother and each


    generation before her had. I wanted them to be free instead of having to go back to The Sanctum every


    few weeks to replenish their magic and energy.


    “GET HIM IN AN ARM BAR!” Amara screamed again, throwing her fists above her head in frustration.


    She looked just like Joselin. Her long white hair and violent tendencies left little question in anyone’s


    mind about whose daughter she was. It was the brown eyes that Amara shared with her father that


    Joselin was the most proud of, gene-wise.


    She gushed over how beautiful her daughter’s eyes were from the moment she opened them. She was


    ecstatic when her three boys were born over the next few years, looking just like Tobias. I knew one of


    her biggest fears was passing on her white eyes to her children. They were unique and special, but


    they caused her difficulty growing up with people not epting her, and she didn’t want that for her


    kids.


    Lincoln flipped his opponent, dropping down on top of him. They wrestled until he could securely lock


    the other kid’s arm, on the verge of breaking it.


    Three taps to the groundter, Lincoln stood tall in front of the roaring crowd as he was dered the


    winner of this round.


    It was his fourth round but third win, earning him a spot in the higher-level training group.


    At eight, he was advancing faster than anyone had expected but considering who his father was; I had


    no doubt he would do well.


    “Yes!” Killian shouted, up on his feet, thrusting his fist into the air. It seemed so stupid now that I had


    ever questioned whether Killian wanted children. Lincoln was his world. We had been trying for


    another, but this time around, I knew it would happen when the time was right. I just had to be patient,


    even though I felt my frustration building with every passing month. Those months turned to years; with


    it, my soul hurt a bit more each time.


    “Good job, Lincoln!” Amara screamed, knowing her best friend had just earned himself a spot in her


    training ss. They would not get anything done now. The two of them together were just asking for


    trouble.


    Neither had shifted yet, and everyone was wondering what gene they would take after. Now that we


    knew both could reside in one body, we nned to train them on both regardless, but one gene would


    always be dominant.


    Joselin was down on the mat, pping as she stood next to the rest of her training ss. She was


    beaming with pride, but I knew she was sad that Lincoln would leave her trainees. He was thest to


    fight, and I knew it was because he was the prince. He was the final event, and he did not disappoint.


    As we made our way down the bleachers to the training mats, I watched my son wrap Joselin in a tight


    hug, thanking her for teaching him before sprinting past her.


    My arms opened wide, and I smiled as I anticipated one of his big bear hugs. Sweaty or not, I adored


    them. Whenever I wrapped my arms around him, I could feel how small he was and remind myself that


    he was still a kid even though he acted older.


    Killian choked on hisugh when Lincoln flew right past me, his hands grabbing Amara’s shoulders as


    he shook her once in excitement.


    “We’re going to train together!” She cheered. “Next time, just break his arm!-


    Killian stepped to my side, cing his arm around my waist, and he kissed the top of my head as I


    straightened back up. “I think we have finally hit the age where we are no longer on his radar, my mate.


    It will get easier.”


    It was easy for him to say. Lincoln still hung on his every word. I wasn’t ready to let go of my only baby,


    but it seemed he wouldn’t give me much choice. Lincoln was eight now, but Killian had shifted around


    this time when he was a kid. Soon, Lincoln would too, and then he would be off training even more, and


    as he got older, he would start looking for his mate.


    My lips pursed together as I joined Tobias in ring at our children. They were still just kids, but I


    wasn’t ready for them to grow up this fast. He was protective of his baby girl being around a boy, but I


    was just upset that my boy no longer needed me.


    ’There will be no breaking of any limbs until you shift. That applies to both of you.’ Killian’s voice was


    thick with amusement as I leaned into his side, still pouting.


    Neither of the kids reacted; their selective hearing for when a parent spoke was turned on. Instead,


    they talked over each other and made ns to celebrate with the others from their training groups for


    ice cream sundaes in the dining hall.


    I didn’t even get to congratte him before the two ran off to meet up with their friends.


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    “You’re doing great, Nat,” Joselin said, bumping my shoulder with hers. Raising children together


    brought us even closer, and every day I was thankful that she had her vision and kicked Killian into


    gear toe to find me.


    ’You are too.” I picked up on my toes, watching as my son and her daughter made their way into the


    castle. “Where are the boys?”


    Her three boys were always out causing trouble, and she wouldugh it off, but I knew sheid down


    thew whenever they took things too far. “Last I heard, they were trying to craft homemade bows and


    arrows, so I’ll be in the infirmary with at least one of them to see the healers within the next day or two.”


    I nodded, but my eyes were wide at how rxed she sounded. She trusted her kids fully, and they lived


    a very free and exciting life. My blood pressure always went through the roof when Lincoln would run


    off to y with them.


    “Do you want to go celebrate with the kids?” Joselin asked, rubbing her slightly rounded stomach. I


    could practically see her salivating at the idea of ice cream over a hot brownie.


    “No.” Killian’s sudden response made me jump, and I pressed my lips together to stop fromughing.


    Tobias smirked before looking away, still not being asfortable around Killian as my mate had


    hoped. Their friendship was still beneath everything, but Tobias preferred treating Killian as the king


    instead of his friend. I didn’t know what happened between them, but I would continue to pray forthem


    to work things out soon.


    I was sure they would get over it one day, but I was surprised they had taken so long.


    “Message received. Have fun!” Joselin chuckled before grabbing her mate’s hand and dragging him to


    the dining hall to steal some dessert, even if she wasn’t nning to stay there with the kids.


    Killian wanted another baby, and I would spend every free second we had wrapped around him if it


    meant I could give him another one someday.


    ’Let’s go back to our room.” He whispered against the side of my head, nibbling on my earlobe.


    “No, let’s go to your office.” My chest rubbed against his as I spun around in his arms to face him. “I


    have a few things I want to do in there.’