Page 29 of The Gryphon Guardian
I put my arm around him, pulling him close enough to feel his body heat.
"Not quite, my love," I teased. "It's wherewelive."
11
Epilogue: Leo
1 Year Later...
The ocean spraytickled my bare feet as I walked along the shore. Everything was painted gold and pink by the setting sun that inched towards the horizon. The sunset's light glinted off the ring on my finger, illuminating the diamond. The waves washed away three sets of footprints; mine, Maverick's, and Walker's.
Turns outWalkerwas a hell of a fitting name, because our talented baby boy was only a few months old and already walking around like he owned the damn island.
Walker giggled. I turned around to see him slapping his feet down in the wet sand. A huge smile spread over my face every time I saw him having fun. He was too stinking cute.
Except when he ate sand. But I think that phase was thankfully over.
"You made such a beautiful baby," Maverick purred in my ear.
"I can't take all the credit," I said playfully, nudging him. "You helped. A little."
Maverick chuckled.
"Cab!" Walker shouted.
We turned around. Since Walker was a shifter like his daddy, he matured faster than a human. He was already walking and talking—and currently, digging out hermit crabs from the sand and waving them around like the catch of the day.
I kneeled down to see his prize. "Wow, would you look at that! He's got so many legs."
Walker nodded enthusiastically, then shifted to gryphon form—which was the cutest damn thing I'd ever seen, since he was the baby version of an eagle and a lion cub mashed into one—and opened up his beak to bite it.
Maverick was faster than me. He swooped in and saved the hermit crab before it became a baby gryphon snack.
"You'll ruin your appetite if you do that," Maverick teased. "Let's put the crab back where we found him, all right?"
Walker nodded and let Maverick bury the crab back in its rightful home. He was safe... for now.
"My hero," I said to Maverick. "And hero to all crabs. Is there anything my fated matecan'tdo?"
He gave me a flirty glance. "There is one thing."
"And what's that?"
Maverick took my hands and spun me around in a little dance. I laughed as I squished the damp sand beneath my feet and a cool wave soaked our ankles.
Maverick leaned in, his lips inches from mine, and said, "The one thing I can't do... is stop loving you, Leo Gryphon."
I smiled so hard it hurt.
"I can forgive you for that one, Mav," I said, then closed the distance between us.
THE END
