#Chapter 263: Epilogue — Part I

Ava My hand rested on my belly as I waddled through the doors, half-ignoring Chris’s presence. He sighed, letting the door fall shut behind me. “What’s wrong?” he asked, following me to the circular council table in the center of the room. “Nothing.” That was a lie. It was my 40th birthday, a milestone by anyone’s standards, and yet my husband—my mate—hadn’t mentioned it once. Not even a ‘happy birthday’ kiss this morning. Chris, oblivious, shrugged and followed me into the room. The smooth, cool wood of the council table greeted my fingers as I settled into my chair, the leather creaking considerably beneath my weight. As I waited for the Elders to file into the room, I let my gaze wander. Five years. It had been five years since everything had happened, and so much more had happened since then. The Packhouse was larger now, grander, but the essence was still the same. A cobbled stone foundation and dark wood walls made from the o