Epilogue

|| Lilac’s POV || [Four Months Later] The grand hall of the Nightshade palace shimmered with golden candlelight, the scent of roasted venison and honeyed apples thick in the air. Aurora squirmed in my arms, her chubby fingers reaching for the towering cake decorated with edible silver wolves. It was her first birthday. "No, little wolf," Alaric chuckled, catching her wrist before she could demolish the masterpiece. "Let your poor father have one unruined celebration." Our daughter responded by baring her tiny milk teeth— already sharp— and growling playfully. The exact replica of my green eyes sparkled with mischief. No more nightmare or eerie violet glow. "Oh, she's definitely your daughter," Darius boomed from the head table, his silver-streaked beard twitching with amusement. Alaric's father looked healthier than he had in years, the weight of the kingdom finally lifted from his shoulders and we finally had peace. He had been living with us and Aurora was his heart. "Takes after her