Chapter 74
Julian
“Stop touching my feet,” I snap, prying my feet away from Aiden’s hands. “Why did you offer a foot massage if you suck at them?”
“Sorry,” he mumbles, pouting up at me as he tugs the covers back over my assaulted toes. “What can I do for you?”
“Nothing, Aiden. I’m fine,” I promise as I lie down. He’s there in seconds, fluffing my pillows like his life depends on it. “Aiden, I’m fine,” I groan, slapping his hands away until he relents. “Go. You’ve got work to do.”
“Right,” he mumbles, stepping back before he hastily backpedals to give me a quick kiss.
He makes it all the way to the doorway before he wavers, eyeing me and the watermelon I’m trying to pass off as my stomach.
“Aiden, go!”
“Okay! Okay!” he groans, running off before I can throw something at him. I wait with ears perked until I hear the front door shut behind him before I sink back into the bed.
I slide my hand over my stomach, lips twitching up. “Only a few more weeks.”
Excitement courses through my veins, and I can barely contain it.
Life had taken a sudden turn four months ago with news of the pregnancy, but the shock and strangeness of it had passed. It helped that every visit to our healers confirmed that I’ve been having a normal werewolf pregnancy.
The pack realised as much and any lingering unease about the situation had drifted months ago. Now, everyone is excited to welcome our latest addition, who’d eventually be their next alpha.
There were concerns after Levi’s adoption about where he’d fit into things, but Levi wanted a home with us, nothing else. If that changed one day, and he felt a calling to lead, then we’d work through that together. But for now, our greatest concern was being the best parents to him.
Levi hadn’t changed very much. With us, the smiles came freely, and he and Aiden got into little play fights all the time, but that still was a side of himself that he didn’t share with others. He was part of the pack’s kindergarten years, but integration was slow.
On his good days, he went, and on his bad ones, he stayed home with me, since I’m banned from all things stressful under Aiden’s orders.
“Julian.”
I slide my gaze over to where Levi stands in the doorway, dark eyes fixed on me.
“Hey,” I greet as I drag myself up. “Did you just wake up?”
He nods quickly.
“Alright, let me make you something to eat.”
“It’s okay. Aiden left food for me,” he says quickly, a frown already muddling his features as he watches me move.
Like Aiden, Levi hates making me do anything since we told him I was pregnant. It was easiest sharing the news with him since he’s so young that he accepted it without any questions.
“I’ll come warm it for you,” I say as I slip out of the bed before he can say otherwise.
“I can do it myself,” he protests, already at my side so he can hold my hand. I smile at him, not sure if he just wants to be close or if this is him trying to help me along.
“You can’t even reach the microwave.” I point out. Levi looks down at our hands with a pout matching the man who just left, but Levi’s is actually cute. “Don’t worry. You’re growing so much, you’ll be able to reach it by next month.”
“That’s what you said last month,” he mumbles with enough attitude to make me laugh.
While Levi’s food warms in the microwave, I get my tub of ice cream out and then find Doritos to use as a spoon. I eat Goddess’s gift to Earth while Levi eats real food, but he’s not as quick as usual. He pokes his food around and hardly looks at me.
“You okay, Levi?” I ask gently as I slide the ice cream aside. Big eyes lift to mine, teeming with hesitation. “You can ask me anything you want, you know? I won’t get mad.”
Forking his food around again, Levi’s face crumples before he finally gives in.
“Will I ever have my mate?”
My eyes widen in surprise as I sit up, but I don’t let myself make another move. I want to be at his side, but I know my pup well enough now to know he’ll clam up if I do.
“Of course, you will,” I say quickly while I watch him fiddle with his fingers. “They may be a little hard to find, but they’re out there.” Levi nods, and when he drops his head, I approach slowly, moving around the counter until I’m right next to him. “Why would you ask that, Levi?”
I didn’t even know he knew what mates were, let alone that he wanted one.
Levi gnaws on his lip, gaze fixed downwards, until I kneel beside him and spot his tearful eyes.
“Levi,” I whisper as Alex whines uncomfortably.
“Rogues don’t get mates,” he mumbles on a sob. “A-and I’m a rogue.”
My stomach coils painfully as I take his face in my hands. The second I do, more tears spill free, and my heart clenches as his pain becomes mine.
“You are not a rogue,” I state, making my voice hard so he hears the truth of it. “You aren’t, Levi.”
“I-I am. That’s what they said at the school,” he whimpers, and my blood runs cold. “They said that I’m a rogue and a-a abogimatiun.”
My canines descend, sliding past my lips as rage seats itself in my soul and spreads without control. An abomination? Someone in my pack called my pup an abomination, and they’re still out there breathing?
“They said you’d send me a-away soon,” he cries, crying so hard I have to suppress a growl so I don’t scare him.
“Levi, listen to me,” I whisper as I hold him close, trying to calm him while rage and misery swell within me. “You are not a rogue,” I promise him. “You are and will always be my son. You are a member of our pack and nowhere close to being a rogue.”
I smile up at him as I wipe his tears away. “You’re not an abomination. You are our beautiful boy, with the kindest heart, and Aiden and I love you very, very much.”
Levi sniffs as he stares at me with so much hope in those dark eyes that it breaks my heart.
“We will never send you away, Levi,” I vow as my eyes fill. “You are our family. I love you too much to ever send you away.”
My words make him cry harder as he slips from his chair to loop his arms around my neck. I hold him to me, shushing him while I rub his back.
“I love you, Levi,” I promise, and he sniffs. He doesn’t say it, but I feel it in my heart, from the tender place where our family bond has been putting itself together.
Eventually, Levi’s sobs stop and his tears with them. I clean him up and don’t force him to eat the rest of his food when he says he’s not hungry. Instead, I lead him to the couch and let him curl up beside me while I whisper promises I mean with my whole heart.
I love Levi with every fibre of my being. He’s mine—my pup, and Goddess help whoever said those awful words to him when I got my hands on them.
“He called him a what?!” Aiden shouts, making Levi startle as he watches his eyes glow. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”
Aiden marches out the way he came, and I’m right behind him.
“No!” Levi squeaks as he runs after us. “Please don’t hurt him.”
“He hurt you, Levi,” Aiden says, only stopping to pick him up. “He has to pay for that.”
“It’s okay,” he whispers, and Aiden and I don’t bother masking our disapproval.
“No, it’s not okay,” I dismiss as I squeeze his shoulder. “You matter, Levi, and we’re not letting anyone get away with making you think that you don’t.”
“But everyone will hate me,” he whimpers, making the red in Aiden’s eyes flicker out slowly.
When Levi first saw Aiden’s eyes, he ran like hell. It was like our first night all over again, with Levi locked in his room and us trying to coax him out from the other side. No words had worked that time to get him to come out, not until Aiden started telling him his story the best way he could.
I’d been with him at first, but when Levi opened the door, I left them alone so they could share that moment. By the time I returned, they were both in tears, with Levi curled in Aiden’s lap.
Only time would tell whether or not Levi would have the red eyes too, or face issues with handling his emotions, but for now, he’s remained calm almost always.
The elevator dings before the doors split open, and Aiden wavers as he looks at Levi.
“Do you really not want me to put the guy down?” Aiden asks carefully, and I frown at him.
I didn’t plan to kill anyone in front of Levi, but I needed this man dead. One of our caregivers called Levi an abomination when he wasn’t even old enough to pronounce it. Someone like that didn’t belong in this pack or around other children.
“I don’t,” Levi says as firmly as he can.
“Fine,” he grumbles as he steps in. I follow, pressing the button for the ground floor. “We’ll take away his job and rough him up a bit.”
And kick him out of the pack, I want to tack on, but I don’t want Levi putting the blame for that on his shoulders.
“You do know that we love you, though, right?” Aiden asks as he fixes him on his hip.
“Yeah,” he mumbles as the elevator slows, but he sounds unconvinced.
“What’s with that?” I ask, making his eyes shoot to me. “Aiden, I think someone needs a little more convincing.”
Aiden cocks his head to the side as the doors ding open. “Is that so?’”
Levi’s eyes widen, a giggle already escaping before Aiden starts gnawing on his neck and tickling him in all his weak spots. He screams and shouts, kicking up a fuss while Aiden walks them out amid his attack.
I watch them go, smiling as I follow them out of the packhouse.
Jumping down the steps, Aiden makes Levi squeal before he’s back to tickling him. By the time I join them, Levi’s got the biggest smile on his face, one that warms my heart.
“Do you believe us now?” Aiden asks when he stops his attack.
“Yes,” Levi answers between desperate gasps for air.
“Do you?” Aiden asks, wiggling his free fingers threateningly.
Levi squeals and hides himself in Aiden’s neck. “Yes! Yes!” he shrieks, and finally Aiden has mercy. He presses a kiss to his forehead, and I add one too, making Levi beam as our family bond warms.
The happy atmosphere remains until we reach the pack’s school for our youngest.