| J O S H

It was later in the evening by the time we got back. Our clothes were in piles where we left them, far enough from the house for privacy. Despite our conversation, Darren had gone quiet, face set impassively.

He went to walk in the dir'ction of the house, but I stepped into his path. Darren tilted his head, a slow smirk pulling at his mouth as he raised a questioning brow.

"What?"

"We can stay out here a little longer." I said, searching our bond for any reluctance to rejoin the pack. If he still needed space to help with his mental, then we'd spend the rest of the night in the woods if we had to.

Darren smiled at me, a genuine one that made my heart race.

"I'm good, pup." He stepped closer, tugging me into him as he pressed a kiss to the side of my head. "I have you, so I'm good."

Deciding to take his word for it, I let it go, following obediently as we continued back.

The sound of laughter and playing pups reached us as we exited the tree line. It didn't take long to find the source. Sami was being attacked by at least twenty adrenaline crazed pups. They tripped over each in wolf form, all trying to bring the poor girl to the ground.

I felt Darren's own amusement when he noticed them too. He made his way over and I was close behind, not wanting to be more than a foot away from him. Sami noticed as we got a little closer, brown eyes flashing a shiny grey.

I'm a bastard, but even I can't deny feeling some of the infectious energy radiating from the group. I was grinning before I knew it.

Sami ran over. Like, actually hauled ass. A grin split her face as twelve yipping pups chased after her happily.

"Lunos!" she cried, barreling straight at me. I squatted, bracing for impact and held my arms open. Laughing like a maniac, she launched herself into my chest, somehow managing to scale herself into a piggy back position. Not a second later and the pups were yipping around my legs, a mass of jumping knee-high bodies tumbling and rolling over each other.

Darren, the fucker, was laughing loud enough to contend with the chaos happening at my feet. Sami wasn't helpful either, her giggles were just as obnoxious as Darren's amused rumbles.

I might have smiled...

Maybe.

"You might want to run, Lunos!" Sami yelled over the clamor.

Jumping over the little ones, I left Darren to fend for himself as half of them redirected their attention toward the alpha, the rest were hot on my heels.

"Traitors!" he yelled after us. My face hurt from how hard I was grinning.

Sami cackled like a lunatic in my ear as I ran in circles, staying just out of reach of the mouths nipping at my ankles.

There were only a few other pack members milling about enjoying the now cool evening temperature. They all watched in amusement as their Alpha and Beta were terrorized by a horde of tiny wolf-children.

After a few more laps, I set Sami down. The pups were struggling to catch up to where we were, stumbling over their own feet.

With a smirk at the she-wolf, I shifted and took off. Her mouth dropped in betrayal, but not a second later her smaller light brown wolf was chasing me, with much more success than the pups.

'Lunos!' she growled, romping after me.

'Sami!' I mocked.

I didn't get to laugh for long, taking me by surprise, Sami actually managed to knock me off kilter. She'd caught up enough to spring onto my neck. I wasn't expecting that at all and ended up missing my next step. Next thing I know, I'm on the ground being bum-rushed by little ones, with an oversized pup pulling on my ears with her teeth and growling. Little shit.

I was being trampled by dozens of tiny paws. The ones that weren't scaling me like a tree decided, tugging my tail was the only other logical thing to do.

'Accept defeat!' Sami roared through the bond, still nipping my ear.

'Yeah!' Akira cried, her tiny wolf launching itself at my face. Goddess, these kids are vicious.

'Fine, I yield,' I sighed dramatically, rolling onto my side. The pups yipped, scrambling out the way so they didn't get squashed. Terrors, all of them.

I was saved when the pack mothers began coming outside, the pups ran to them after they saw the cookies being brought out. Even Sami deserted me in favor of the sugary treats.

Once they were all gone, I stood, shaking out my fur. Almost unconsciously, I found myself gravitating towards the trees.

The stars now lit the sky, the moon a full, pale disk illuminating the front lawn of the packhouse. I'm not sure how it happened, but it seemed that all of the pack had migrated outside. Some of them shifted and the rest remained in human form.

Nik and Devin had built a fire pit and set dry wood ablaze inside it. The enforcers gathered fallen tree trunks from the forest and set them around the flames. The pack mothers gathered the youngest pups, recruiting some other pack members to set up the play pins close to fire to keep them warm.

Couples lounged on the grass cuddling in wolf form or pressed together on blankets as humans. I walked the edge of the tree line, one ear listening for danger as I watched my pack enjoy our hard earned peace. An instinctual sense of completeness washed over me at the sight.

I made sure to keep a close eye on my mate. On the outside, to everyone else, he looked completely normal. But I could feel what was going on inside his head since our bond was still wide open. From what I could tell, for all intents and purposes, he was fine. His emotions were a steady buzz of peace and contentment. Soft bursts of joy exploded randomly as he played with the pups who were currently using his furry body as a jungle gym.

Sami's tawny wolf joined me. She had to trot to keep up with the strides of my much larger wolf. I guess he was done scarfing cookies.

'Lunos,' She greeted, 'Why are you all the way over here?'

'I'm keeping an eye on all of you,' I huffed. 'And just call me Josh for goddess' sake.'

'Mhmm, sounds boring,' Sami intoned. I couldn't help but snort.

'Well, you don't have to join me.'

'I know...' She paused, 'but you don't have to—you used to do this before too.'

'Do what?' I stopped walking and she halted with me.

'Separate yourself,' Sami continued. 'You're just as much a part of this pack as everyone else.'

I blinked, torn between walking away and continuing to stare at the little she-wolf as if she was crazy. Maybe she was. No, the crazy one between the two of us was definitely me.

'I mean... you don't have to anymore.' She stumbled over the words, dropping her gaze to where she was pawing the ground. 'We'll all be just as safe if you join the rest of us.'

'Aw. That's touching.' I nosed her side causing her to nearly tip over. She yipped, catching herself before baring her teeth at me in annoyance. Sami glared as I laughed.

'I changed my mind. Stay over here.' The she-wolf huffed, but she didn't leave me to my solitude.

I shook out my fur, holding back another laugh. 'Alright, one more lap and I'll head over. Cool?'

Sami did the wolf equivalent of a shrug. 'I guess, old timer.'

I stopped in my tracks, whipping my head around at the smaller wolf. 'Wait, wh—'

'Sorry, Josh, my mama's callin' me.' Sami scampered away like the little shit I was coming to realize she is.

Old?! What the fuck? It was enough to make my stomach turn. I looked over at Darren's geriatric ass still playing with the pups. At least I'm not decrepit like him. That makes me feel better.

Despite her being blatantly disrespectful, I did as promised and joined the other shit-heads known as my pack.

As I made into the heart of the chaos, Nik trotted over in his wolf form, nodding as he passed. 'I'll take over for you, Lunos,' he said, not even stopping to hear my response.

I huffed, catching Sami's gaze as she looked over nosily. The liar wasn't with her mom. She'd shifted and now wore a black tee and shorts she'd managed to get her grubby little hands on. She smiled before turning to continue her conversation with another she-wolf her age.

I rolled my eyes, making my way to the makeshift changing area. Once I was behind the screen, I shifted and dug through the communal clothing bin. Throwing on some clothes, I walked back out intending to search for my mate.

I can honestly say the one person I wasn't expecting to see was Kaleb, but there he was in the flesh—cubs, overprotective house kitty and all. The omega beamed when he caught sight of me, immediately rushing over. He was clutching an old box in his arms, like he was cradling something precious.

Zev followed like a menacing shadow, well, as menacing as someone could be while cradling a baby in each arm—impressively enough, he managed to make even that look terrifying.

People darted out of their way, some doing full 180s just to not cross their path. It was kind of funny to watch actually.

"Josh!" Kaleb yelled as if we weren't six feet away and I wouldn't have been able to hear him just fine if he'd said it. If I rolled my eyes any more they'd probably fall out of my skull, but I couldn't help it. Unfortunately, I couldn't help my lips pulling into a smirk either.

"Runt," I greeted once he was closer, like a normal person. The omega beamed, rushing into my arms. I almost shat myself from the glare Zev leveled at me. If it weren't for his kids and his mate currently being a shield between us, I'm certain I'd be down at least three limbs.

I coughed, patting Kaleb on the back before gently disentangling myself.

Kaleb pouted, taking a step back, but was grinning again fast enough to give me whiplash. His grey eyes looked around excitedly—almost masking some of the sadness in his gaze—taking in all of our pack members.

"Zev and I were just about to put the pups to bed, but I noticed everyone coming outside. I was hoping you and Darren would both be out here, I want to show you something." Kaleb gazed at our pack a moment longer before looking at me again, his smile wobbling. "Goddess, it's been so long since the last time everyone was together like this!"

It had. Even when Drake was Alpha, we didn't have many gatherings unless they were business related. The perfect example of that happens to be standing right in front of me holding his children like a buff nanny.

"We're...safe," He breathed, tears filling the corners of his eyes, but his smile didn't drop. Zev stepped closer to his mate, looking down at him with a furrowed brow but overall soft expression reserved only for Kaleb. The runt seemed to relax, nearly melting into his mate's side.

"Yeah," I agreed, looking at my family, taking them in. I turned back to Kaleb and found that he was already looking at me. My heart cracked as the memories of us chained up in that fucking shack came unbidden. I shook them off, placing a hand on Kaleb's shoulder. "We are."

His smile widened, a tear streaking down his cheek. Zev chuffed, claiming his mate's attention. Kaleb chuckled softly, wiping at his face and then looked at his children.

"We're all okay now," he cooed to his pups, placing a kiss on each of their forehead.

My hand was starting to feel like it was on fire, I realized it was because Zev resumed glaring a hole into it. I immediately drew back, shoving both hands in my pockets.

Where was Darren when I needed him? My mate seemed to be the only one other than Kaleb the terrifying tabby was able to tolerate. Which I guess wasn't surprising—Darren had an affinity for overly violent strays apparently.

As if sensing my thoughts, Darren was walking over, now in a new pair of shorts since we'd both shredded our clothes to play with the pups. He was practically beaming. Happiness radiating off of him to the point I felt the need to squint in order to look at him. Love rushed from his end of the bond, making him all the brighter.

When he'd gotten closer Kaleb rushed to hug him as well, damn near giving me a heart attack. I flicked my gaze to Zev warily. I make no promises that I won't knock his teeth out if he growled at my mate.

Darren being so vulnerable with me had me feeling over protective.

Seeming to sense my death stare, the Alpha stepped out of Kaleb's embrace with a pat. It's kind of scary how attuned to me he is. The omega just smiled, moving back to his mate's side almost giddy.

The runt and his house kitty were immediately too wrapped up in each other and their offspring to pay us any attention.

Darren made his way to my side, capturing my chin in his } large palm once he was close enough. I was forced to look into his playful gaze.

Smirking, Darren pecked my lips. I almost hate the way every muscle in my body instantly yielded to him. There was no resistance—only Darren's familiar, consuming warmth.

'Breathe for me, baby,' my mate rumbled through our mind link. I took a breath like he wanted, drowning in his beautiful brown eyes. 'Good boy, pup.'

Fuck.

I swallowed a whine at the praise, fighting a blush. I'd be damned if I let the sound escape in earshot of the happy idiots next to us. Leaning away from him, I tried to run from the spell he was casting over me not wanting to get swept up in it.

He wanted me to calm clown and stop growling at the cat. I could do that. What I can't do is ignore the way his words have my gut tightening.

I really didn't want to get aroused and turn into a submissive puddle in the middle of our pack, let alone five feet from the runt and his mate.

I don't think the bastard cared— the hand on my chin moved to tangle his fingers in the hair on the nape of my neck. I couldn't catch my whine fast enough. Good goddess, all it takes is a touch and I'm ready to fall to my knees for him.

I knew he could sense that too, so why isn't he stopping?!

'Cut it out,' I growled through our bond.

'Cut what out, pup?' He asked, head tilted, he eyes locked on my teeth biting into my lip.

'Seriously, Darren, its not like you're gonna fuck me in the middle of the pack, so stop it.' I tried to joke to cut through the tension. It didn't work.

Darren's gaze turned gold as he stepped closer. Oh shit.

'I don't particularly see a problem with an alpha claiming his mate for everyone to see.' My wolf voiced unhelpfully, coming forward in response to Darren's wolf surfacing.

'There are pups out here!' I snapped. My wolf huffed, putting himself back in his corner before I could.

'Kill joy,' he muttered, sulking away.

'Please,' I whimpered. 'You're driving me crazy, Daddy.' I took another step back, attempting to move away from the building heat between us for the second time today. We haven't fucked in days and Darren being controlling was obviously enough to turn me on—to the point that I became a needy, obedient pup.

Thankfully, Darren let me go, watching each step I took with a predatory gleam. I swallowed thickly, attempting to fight off a tremor. His eyes flashed gold and I stopped moving before I provoked the Alpha into a chase. It was Darren's turn to take a breath.

As soon as he did, Kaleb was calling his name, garnering both of our attention. Darren turned to face our friends, and I shuffled closer to his side again now that I was no longer the center of his focus.

"I was telling Josh I wanted to show you guys something." The omega smiled, proudly presenting the dusty old box he'd been clutching. It was a deep navy blue, questionable stains adorned its dented sides. It had a lid that obscured its mysteries contents.

I raised an eyebrow. The damn thing looks older than all of us combined.

"What the fuck's in it?" I asked. Kaleb scowled, flicking me off.

"Being rude is a choice, you know," The runt grumbled and then decided to ignore me in favor of my mate.

"I know." I smirked as Kaleb rolled his eyes at me.

"Anyway—I found this while cleaning out the closet in our room." The runt glanced back at his mate with a loving smile. "Actually, Zev did."

"What's in the creepy box, runt?" I repeated, before the two of them could get lost in their own world again. It was sickening to watch, truly. I smiled as Kaleb shot me another look.

"C'mon, don't kill us with suspense." Darren snorted with a smile, throwing an arm over my shoulder. I'd like to say that I didn't immediately relax into him like a particular loves sick runt, but we all know that would be a lie.

"Pictures," Kaleb said softly as he pulled back the old lid.

I felt Darren stiffen beside me as a chill skittered clown my spine. Well, definitely wasn't expecting that. With the top out of the way, the old images saw we light of day for the first time in a decade.

A sense of uneasy excitement pinged down the bond. I turned my head to look at Darren. He was still smiling, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Kaleb eagerly picked up the one on top of the messy pile, smile widening as his gray eyes drank in the frozen moment. Then he flipped it, holding it up for Darren and I to see.

"Do you remember this?" The runt asked excitedly.

It was kind of strange looking at a moment I barely had memory of. In the picture, I was clearly attempting to mimic something Darren was doing—and failing.

Darren's grin doubled into a genuine one, chuckling he took the photo for closer inspection. The hand on the arm still wrapped around me drew lazy circles on my shoulder.

"You couldn't do a cart wheel for shit," He laughed, resulting in the unfortunate jogging of my memory.

I growled, grabbing the picture from him and giving it a grudging once over. That only made the bastard laugh harder. He took a different picture that Kaleb handed him.

Huffing, I ignored him and took in the picture. In it, Darren had landed his cart wheel just fine. I somehow had one leg skyward and the other barely off the ground, a scowl on my small face.

It was weird seeing us so young. Darren was a cuter kid than me. His dimples seemed more prominent back then, maybe because his face was a little chubbier and always pulled into a smile. He was adorable.

I hope our kid looks more like him.

My thoughts cleared abruptly. Oh.

'I want that too,' my wolf admitted softly, responding to the unexpected rush of... baby fever?

I swallowed, suddenly more aware of Darren's presence next to me. His warmth, the feel of his skin against mine, the way I could feel his breath syncopated to mine. I couldn't help leaning into him.

My mate.

Unable to fully untangle my emotions, I turned my attention back to the photo.

Compared to Darren I literally looked like something dragged out of the woods. My hair hadn't been cut yet so it reached my shoulders in length. Parts were matted to my skull. You could even see the sunkeness of my hallow face though the picture. The clothes I wore hung from my frame two sizes too big— they were Darren's and although we were similar in height and age, I had been too malnourished to properly fill them out.

To be fair it drove Luna Eden and the pack mothers crazy that I was walking around like that. Unfortunately for them, I wouldn't let anyone close to cut my hair, let alone sit still long enough to allow them to.

Despite this picture being taken right in this very yard, during one of the most difficult periods this pack faced, it still succeeded in reminding me of simpler times. I found myself smiling at the younger versions of ourselves.

Sensing my mates gaze, I turned to meet it head on. He was staring at me, his smile small and exposing those dimples that drove me crazy. It was trippy trying to wrap my head around the fact that the Daman in front of me was the same as the one in the picture. So similar, but so different. What made it worse was that – I had been beside him as he went from a pup to the Alpha next to me— crazier still that he ended up being my mate.

The fondness In Darren's warm eyes had me fighting off a blush. He was looking at me like I made up his entire world. I knew I reflecting the same hearts in my eyes back at him.

"Look at this these," he prompted, holding up the ones he'd taken.

It was a picture of him with scissors and me sitting in a chair with a white sheet around my shoulders. I bust out laughing— the memory of the aftermath playing my head.

Luna had been pissed once she'd seen Darren's handiwork. I was damn near bald—and the mess! Drake had been the one to take the picture, and he got some of the heat for letting it happen. He'd finally gotten tired of me walking around like someone's lost pet and figured since I wouldn't try to bite Darren's hand off if he did it, that made his son a certified barber at 8 years old.

After two weeks my hair was long enough again to get a proper cut. Darren wasn't allowed near scissors for at least a month.

"Luna made us wash dishes for a whole week," I recalled aloud, earning a soft chuckle from my mate and kiss to my cheek. I blushed but didn't comment.

The next photo was of—

I swallowed thickly, gazing at the smiling faces of Luna Eden and Alpha Drake as they sat cuddled up on Drake's favorite recliner, smiling at each other with clear adoration.

"I remember taking that one," Darren said, his voice a rough husk in my ear. I felt the weight of his sorrow, to combat it I poured all the love I held for him in every square inch of my body down the bond.

"It's a good picture." My voice was  just as rough. "We'll frame it."

Darren placed another kiss on the side of my head, lingering there for a few heartbeats. I didn't complain.

Kaleb squealing with delight forced me back into my surroundings as he showed the photo that caused the sound to his overly indulgent mate. The big man happily gave into his mate's whims, bending a little to get a better look. Kaleb was grinning hard enough I could feel the ache in my own checks.

"It's little me!" he laughed. The murder kitty actually smiled.

"Nox looks just like you." Zev might as well have hung the moon. Kaleb went scarlet, beaming at his sleeping little pup. The twins had been knocked out this whole time. Which was impressive considering their dad had to be the loudest person out here.

"Wait," I said, realization dawning on me. "They haven't shifted yet, have they?"

Kaleb looked back to us, overflowing with so much joy and excitement I could almost feel it even without our pack link being there anymore. He nodded exuberantly, midnight curls bouncing.

"They shifted yesterday, but only for a few hours before turning back." The runt said proudly. "Amelia said they'd continue going back and forth for a few days."

"That's amazing!" Darren exclaimed, his eyes lowered to the pups in Zev's arms.

I blinked, my world unsteady, then solid again when Darren squeezed my shoulder.

Kaleb looked at me expectantly, smiling so hard I was beginning to think his face might get stuck like that.

Despite this meaning their inevitable departure was happening sooner than I'd like, I matched the runt's grin with one of my own.

"I'm happy for you." I meant it.

I didn't think Kaleb could look any happier—he proved me wrong.

"I can't wait for them to officially meet their uncles!"

"Uncles, huh." I looked at the newest additions to my family— my chest felt heavy, but it was a good weight to carry. I smiled softly, something in me healing.

I wasn't a packless pup or Darren's volatile beta anymore. I was Lunos to an amazing pack, Darren's mate and an uncle.

An uncle.

"Kaleb," I rasped. The runt smiled at me, not a speck of fear or apprehension in his gaze. "Thank you."

In the next second Darren and I had our arms full of a very happy omega.

"You don't have to thank me, I love you guys."

I hurried a laugh and patted his back. "Alright, enough."—before your mate tries to eat us. The terrible tabby was already glaring like he wanted to and the only thing preventing him were the twins snoozing in his arms.

Darren squeezed his shoulder gently, "We love you, too, Kaleb."

The runt somehow burrowed deeper into our embrace, tightening his arms around us as much as he could, causing Zev to growl irritably. Kaleb either didn't hear, or didn't care if Darren and I got torn to shreds by his mate's massive murder mittens—he squeezed again before stepping away.

"Come on!" Kaleb smiled, practically bouncing in place. "Let's all go sit by the bonfire!"

Then, I was being dragged in the direction of the flames. Rather, I wasn't putting up any resistance that could make the omega even slightly struggle. Zev was immediately at his mate's side, alternating between gazing at him lovingly and sneering at where Kaleb's hand shackled my wrist.

Good fucking goddess.

Darren fell into step to the left of me and I glanced over at him—the piece of frog feces was biting his lip to hide his fucking smile. Our gazes met and I flashed my fangs at him. He snorted, the poorly built mask cracking around the laugh he was attempting to swallow.

'I fucking hate you.' I growled. He bit his lip harder, but his dimples were prominent regardless. 'Like really fucking hate you.'

'Yea, sure you do'. He said, openly laughing down our bond.

'I seriously do,' I grumbled back, turning my face forward again. From the corner of my eye, I could see Zev's face had turned constipated. The tiger looked like he wanted to bite my elbow off, leaving my forearm as a trophy for Kaleb to carry around. I sighed, eyes rolling skyward. I was happy five seconds ago, I was.

Zev took the lead for a moment, headed toward a mostly empty log—it was completely vacant by the time he took his next step. The two wolves had quickly darted towards another spot to sit, not daring to look back. I can't wait for him to leave so he can stop terrorizing my goddamn pack.

The runt released me—finally, moving to get situated next to his mate. Zev handed him their wolf pup after Kaleb set the now lidded box next to the log. Then the big bastard sat, pulling his smaller mate onto his thigh. I can admit the fuckers painted a cute picture of a perfectly loving family.

That feeling from earlier resurfaced...I want me and Darren to have that.

'You can sit on my lap if you want, pup,' Darren husked. Unfortunately, heat had already rushed to my ears before I could attempt to fight off the blush.

'Really, really, really hate you.'

Darren just chuckled out loud, taking up the space on the empty end of the log, far enough away so that the overgrown feline wouldn't get his panties in a twist. I sat on his other side, using his ass as a barrier between me and the only creature I'd ever met more violent than me.

The heat from the giant blaze warmed my face as I leaned into Darren's side. Yeah, we were surrounded by others but, I needed the contact.

"Thought you hated me," he murmured smugly.

"Shut the fuck up, dickface," I whispered back. Darren's broad chest filled with the laughter he didn't bother to suppress, his arm locking me against him. A smile pulled at the edge of my mouth, the sound of his steady heartbeat and warm laugh were music to my ears. I pressed closer to the source of my happiness, melting entirely—I didn't give a fuck who saw.

Maryn shuffled to stand near the fire and gaze around at the gathered wolves.

 "I know this wasn't planned at all, but it's wonderful to see all of your smiling faces gathered here tonight," she said, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Even the ones we've lost are here, they never truly leave us, we keep them in our hearts. On nights like tonight, they remind us to hold the ones we still have tight while we can—so, do that. I've been around a while," she chuckled, "I've seen this pack through many of its stages of loss and triumph—but I've never seen us stronger. That strength can only grow from here." The elderly she-wolf smiled fondly at all of us.

I saw Sami across the fire, wiping tears from her cheeks and leaning heavily into the she-wolf next to her. Anger boiled, as I took in what the collateral damage of Jared's demented plain looked like—a young girl crying over the loss of family and the life she had—should still have. His death should have been slower, more painful. I should have laid his tattered remains at Sami's feet so that—

'Breathe, pup,' Darren commanded. I hadn't realized I was growling low in my throat. 'He's dead. Our job now is to make sure all the Samis in our pack never have to go through this again. We'll protect them.'

I took a breath, centering my world around the rhythm of Darren's heart. 'If it weren't for me—"

Darren snarled low enough that the sound blended with the crackling of the large fire. 'None of this is your fault, Josh, you can't blame yourself for the actions of that piece of shit. We killed him. Now, we fix everything he's broken. We protect what's ours.'

I looked back to Sami, my blood still molten lava in my veins, then my gaze trailed to the other faces surrounding us. Some just as broken, others openly hopeful—practically bleeding optimism, and just as Maryn said, they held onto each other tight. The pack bond was filled with grief, but it was also overflowing with love.

I pulled away from Darren, my head instinctively tilting skyward, a howl climbing up my throat and pouring into the night sky. Not a moment later, and the voices of my pack joined, creating a chorus that filled the air with our song, a lament and the promise of a new start. I heard Zev curse under his breath and couldn't stop myself from peering over out of the corner of my eye.

The little ones had woken in Zev and Kaleb's arms. The noise didn't make them fussy, the twins just looked around curiously. Then the little wolf pup tilted his chin up, adding his little squeaks to the cacophony around him. Kaleb chuckled delightedly, head falling back with a closed-eyed smile as his own howl poured through his lips. Zev rolled his eyes, but even I could see his soft smile, his thundering roar was soon to join, and the tiger cub did his best to imitate his father.

Then I looked at Darren, whose voice I'd yet to hear. He was already looking at me, with love, with adoration burning in his golden gaze. I didn't need to think about it, I brought our lips together—kissing him deeply.

When we broke apart, he joined the song and his howl was the most powerful of them all—ringing through the night as a declaration. As an Alpha.

My heart swelled.

Eyes falling closed, I listened to the voices of everyone I loved, taking them in, then answering their call once more.

Howling for loved ones lost, for the ones here now and the future yet to come.

| AUTHOR'S NOTE

Thank you all so much for sticking with me and this story, it truly means the world to me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next one.

Please let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Love,

-J.T.