Chapter 76
Aiden
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”
Levi’s scream jolts me awake half a second before he launches himself onto our bed. I sit up just in time to see him kiss Julian’s cheek, then scramble over him to get to me. He plants one on my forehead, then he’s off, tumbling off the bed like a terror.
“I made breakfast, so hurry up,” he says, only pausing the madness to play with a squealing Damon from over his crib. Levi grins down at him, playing with his fingers, then turns back to us. “And Happy Anniversary!”
Then he’s gone again, leaving us to go check on our alleged breakfast.
My hearts still racing when I look across to my mate, who’s already watching me with those stupidly beautiful blue eyes. He pushes himself up and leans in, pressing his lips to mine. Sparks skitter down my spine as I kiss him back, until I’m all out of breath.
“Happy Birthday,” he whispers against my lips.
“Happy Birthday, Jewels,” I murmur, before I peck his lips again. He smiles against me as I roll on top of him, kissing him down his neck as he laughs beneath me. “And Happy Anniversary.”
Julian giggles against me, his scent a mix of his and mine that I’ve been addicted to since that day a year ago when we found out that we were mates.
“As much as I’d love to start this day off the right way,” he says as I sit up to see him, “we have two boys waiting for us and a very long day ahead of us.”
“Then I guess we’ll have to wait ‘til tonight,” I say, and yank him up with me. He laughs as we stumble from the bed. I scoop Damon from the crib and he squeals, kicking with delight as I carry him out to the living room.
“Oh wow,” Julian breathes as we come upon our dining table.
It’s a mess. Plates and bowls cover most of it, with piles of fruit and a stack of burnt toast. There’s a splattering of yoghurt beneath a large bowl, and cereal spilled like confetti.
It’s all crammed into the centre where Levi probably pushed it to, but at our seats, there’s three perfectly placed plates and Damon’s highchair.
“This is amazing!” I cheer to Levi who beams beside it.
“I got everyone’s favourites,” he announces proudly. “It’s my gift.”
“And we love it,” Julian says, scooping him up to spin him around. Levi screams happily while I settle Damon in, fighting like all hell to buckle him in with the way he kicks and screams, wanting to be in the air too.
“Soon, kid,” I promise the little tyrant as I leave him be to ready his formula. “First food.”
Levi sways on his feet when Julian sets him down, but manages to run over to me. I grin down at him, keeping him close while I set the water to warm.
“So, are you ready, kid?” I ask, and his giddy smile slips a little.
“No,” he whines. “Why can’t I just stay with you guys?”
“Because you’re almost six and you have to learn how to get out there,” Julian answers gently, wiping drool off Damon’s chin, but speaking to Levi. “The first go around was not great, but it’ll be better this time. We promise.”
After Levi’s first disaster of a school experience, we’d kept him home with us, but he couldn’t stay away forever. He’s too smart for that, and he needs to learn how to make friends.
We’d prepped him for it, but he was still scared. It didn’t help that his emotions were getting the better of him lately. He got angry quickly, and sad too, but we were helping him through it. Talking, listening, and teaching him to ride the wave instead of trying to block them out like I used to.
“You’ll be fine,” I promise, testing the water before adding it to the bottle already filled with powder. I shake it as I head back to the table, filling the seat on Damon’s other side, since he refuses to drink from anyone but me.
Levi climbs into his chair and immediately starts shovelling burnt toast and fruit into his mouth while Julian picks the safe route with the cereal.
“Bruuuu,” I trill as I steer my bottle like a plane, “there goes the knife—straight into the heart!” Damon opens his mouth, latching around the bottle and I cheer. “And they die!”
“Stop with the violent themes!” Julian snaps for the umpteenth time, glaring daggers at me. “Be normal. Do trains or planes or something.”
“He likes knives and bombs,” I argue. Damon giggles—confirmation enough.
I’d done it the first time in a haze of sleep-deprived madness.
He kept refusing his bottle but screamed from hunger.
So I improvised. But then he was opening up and I refused to let it go since. “He’s going to be a great fighter.”
“He’s going to be violent,” Julian corrects, but I swat him away.
It wasn’t time yet, but I had a plan to make Damon the greatest alpha that ever lived, and if he was a bit violent, then that couldn’t hurt.
Eating together, I take the brunt of the toast and yoghurt, finishing it all so there’s no doubt in Levi’s mind that we don’t appreciate every bit of this. My stomach churns when it’s all gone, but it’s worth it.
“Thank you so much for the breakfast, Levi,” Julian says once they’re done cleaning up. He leans down to kiss the top of his head, and Levi leans into it. “Let’s get ready so we can see your Aunty Isabel in time.”
Levi runs like there’s a clock on him, and Julian laughs before he turns to me. Arms raised, he flexes his fingers towards Damon. “Give him here.”
“No,” I whine, holding my pup closer while he pokes my cheeks with his chubby fingers.
“We don’t have time for this, Aiden. Give him to me,” he growls as I take a step back. Maybe I could make a run for it. “If you even try it, you’ll spend the night with your hand.”
“You’re sick,” I growl, but hand Damon over.
“Whatever, just go get ready while I bathe him,” he says as he disappears down the hall with a giggling Damon in his hands.
In our laundry room, I throw on a clean shirt and my usual jeans before squeezing my boots on. I head to Levi’s room and find him already dressed and colouring on the floor.
“You’re getting better,” I say, sitting down beside him. He smiles at me before returning to his work. I wait for a moment before I say, “You know nobody’s going to hurt you there, right?”
His crayon stills, and it takes him a moment to peek up. Dark black eyes stare back at me, but I only see the olive-green I once glimpsed.
“They might,” he whispers quietly as he sits up to face me. “Someone can always hurt.”
My chest tightens like there’s a fist around it, but I force myself to be strong as I slide a hand over his hair.
“That’s true,” I say, and I hate myself for saying it when his heart kicks up. “But what do you do if they try to?”
Levi blinks a second before s smile breaks across his face. “Call you!”
“Where?”
In here! he says through the family bond, and it warms from both our sides.
“And what do you do when I’m on the way?” I ask and that grin widens.
“Hold my hand like this and hit the neck as hard as I can,” he answers as he lifts his palm up.
“That’s my boy,” I say, smiling proudly as I pull him in for a hug. We pick up his crayons and colour side by side until Julian shouts for us. “Alright. Time to go, kid.”
“Dad,” Levi calls before I can reach the door.
“Yeah, bud?”
“Thanks,” he says.
My cheeks hurt with the smile that tugs out of me. “Anytime.”
“Emitt, stop crying,” Isabel grumbles as he sobs over her shoulder for Goddess herself to hear.
“I’m t-trying,” he stammers, but it doesn’t look like it with the way he clings to her. “I’m trying!”
“Beckett,” Isabel begs and he’s at their side in a moment to gently peel Emitt off so the rest of us can get to her.
I go first, smiling as her nervous brown eyes meet mine. “Don’t get yourself kicked out.”
Her lips twitch, that nervousness turning into mischief. “No promises,” she teases before we crash together for a hug.
When the Board offered our pack a place at the Academy, we didn’t really know what to do with it—if we should send anyone at all. The place was meant for the best, brightest, and strongest creatures you could find, and it was a massive honour to be accepted, but it was also supposed to be brutal.
The Board had asked for Kat, but we barely managed to convince her to stay with the pack, so that was a hard no. Then Isabel offered, and suddenly, I couldn’t think of anyone better.
We break apart and she grins up at me—just before a short hellion dives for her again. Emitt clambers back into her arms, sobbing all over again like he’s her best friend and not the pair groaning behind us.
“Who’s going to send me porn now?” he whispers, and my eyes damn near shoot out of my head. I glance at Levi, but he’s too busy playing with Damon to notice.
“You’ll survive,” she whispers back, snorting as Beckett claws Emitt away so he can get his own hug. I step back, dragging Emitt with me so the rest of them have space.
“I’m going to miss you,” he says, hugging her tight. “Write to me all the time. Okay?”
“I’m going to drown you in letters,” she vows, making him smile while he tries to keep his tears back, and then Julian’s no better.
“Can I have her now?” he asks, making Beckett step aside as Isabel turns to Jewels with wobbling lips.
He basically jumps on her, squeezing her like his life depends on it, and she does the same.
“Don’t make me cry, Julian,” she begs against his shoulder. He laughs—but it’s tight, like he’s holding on by a thread. “Maybe I’ll find him there,” she whispers, and my heart breaks for her.
“I hope so,” Julian replies, giving her one last squeeze before they break apart.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” she says as she shuffles to one of her waiting duffels and pulls out a present wrapped in blinding red paper. “Here’s a little something for both of you.”
“You didn’t have to,” Julian says as she hands it over to him.
“Of course I did,” she replies, grinning. “Just promise to stay in one piece until I get back.” She glances at Beckett. “Especially you.”