My Iri looks mighty fucking pleased, too. The way he’s looking at me, all proud and satisfied, has me wanting to bite him all over again.
His haughty smile fades into something softer. He reaches up, places his hand on my cheek. “I could see how sad you were when you realized we didn’t need to leave.” I shake my head to correct him, but he doesn’t let me talk as he brings his fingers over my lips. “I said that wrong. You were happy we didn’t need to leave, but you were kinda devastated that we were no longer going to be with the pack you found for us.”
“You could see that, huh?” I ask. So much for keeping it to myself.
Iri leans forward to kiss me. “I could feel it, Luken. That ache never left. It never lessened. It never healed. That absence grew every day. You found our pack, and just as much as you and I belong together, we also belong with them. So I stole your phone and hijacked their phone numbers and told them I’m shit at anything technical, but that they needed to get their asses in gear to come home to us.”
“Practically in those words, too,” Hakan says.
Iri nods. “It took longer than we thought it would,” he admits. “Apparently, it’s not easy to be allowed into Alyra.”
“I’d like to say that the hoops you jump through are fucking insane and out of control, but the truth is, it was very clear that every outrageous step they took to ensure we were who wesaid we were and that we had no tie to anyone intending the breedables harm is quite comforting,” Rhydian says.
“The wait gave us a lot of time to get to know Iri, though,” Hakan says. “Something thatwe’vestruggled not to make obvious.”
“Does this mean… you’re staying?” I ask.
Iri grins again.
“Yes,” Daunt says. “Forever.”
“We weren’t just missingourpack,” Iri says. “Their pack was incomplete, too.”
I close my eyes, trying not to let my emotions get the better of me.
“You did a good job finding our pack, my breeder,” Iri murmurs against my lips. “I can’t wait to make it all real and official and whatever. Forever is looking really good, don’t you think?”
My hand drops to his stomach, over where our growing little one is. More hands follow mine, and soon, we’re all touching Iri. Feeling the new life we created grow.
There aren’t enough words to express what I’m feeling, so I don’t answer.
IRI
Ten months later
Baby kicking iswhat wakes me. I’m surrounded by purrs. All at slightly different pitches. If I could purr in return, I would. It’s entirely far too comforting to have them everywhere. To feel the rumble in their chests and their body heat.
Daunt is behind me. My head rests on his folded arm. His other hand is on my stomach. In front of me is Luken. His hand lies over my stomach, too. Behind Luken is Rhydian, wrapped tightly. Rhydian’s hand is over Luken’s, his fingers pressed between Luken’s, resting on my bare stomach.
Hakan is where he always is. Lying between my legs with his head on Luken’s hip, his face pressed into my stomach. His arm is over my hips, hand gripping my ass cheek tightly. Even in his sleep.
It’s incredible to think that not long ago, we didn’t have this. We weren’t a pack. It was just me and Luken. It feels as though they’ve always been here. In some way, they’ve always existed in our love.
As a history teacher, I know what traits from our ancient ancestors carried over and which science says didn’t. That’s what I teach—historical and scientific facts.
There are things that were carried down the generations that maybe aren’t as widespread as what exists for everyone, though. Purring, for example. I think only a quarter of the breeder population and the rare breedable here and there can purr.
There’s an untested hypothesis that states if we looked hard enough and followed the genetics backward, we would see that the betas from long ago, whose family line transitioned into breeders, are the familial lines unable to purr. To me, someone who is not a scientist, that makes sense. But then again, maybe it’s just a muscle mutation not everyone has. Like being double-jointed.
I love their purrs. There’s nothing more comforting and calming than purring. It instantly soothes any nerves, calms my stress, and relaxes my muscles. They are simply the Zen-iest of Zen. I could lie here like this all day.
But baby is now pushing in a very uncomfortable way. If I don’t get up to pee soon, I’m going to wet the bed. He seems to like using my bladder as a pillow, pounding it into submission before snuggling up with it—as one does.
After taking a closer inventory of my need to pee, I decide I can spare another minute or two. I hate the idea of getting out of bed. I just want to stay here for the entire day, cuddled up with my pack. With their hands over our growing baby.
I’m not sure I made it a full two minutes before my bladder threatens mutiny if I don’t get up. Sighing, I say, “I need to pee.” It’s far whinier than it needs to be, but I’m feeling a little whiny since I don’t want to get up.
Hakan immediately sits up and disentangles himself from my legs. He offers me his hands, and I let him help me downthe length of the bed and to my feet. He kisses my forehead, and when I turn, he gently grabs my ass.