Han had just finished collecting water from their rain well when he heard light, soft footsteps approaching. He sighed, already knowing who it was. Arc's steps were chaotic, Rion's were near-silent, and Zhian's had a slight limp from his previous life that never truly went away. So, that only left one person.

"Hello, my love." He stood up from where he crouched and smiled softly as Enya approached. "I thought you went to bed."

"I did," she took a rag and began scrubbing one of the bowls, "but it's not often that Zhian is angry with you."

Han let another heavy sigh escape him, and he looked up at the star-dotted sky as he thought. Enya waited.

"I used the alpha's tone on him."

Enya immediately stopped washing and snapped her attention up at him. Her mouth was open and her eyes narrowed, seconds away from reprimanding him, and yet, she didn't. Instead, she put the bowl and rag down and stood.

"Look at me, Han." Her voice was sharp, and she waited until he did. "I'm sure there was a reason for it. What happened?"

"There was an emergency meeting today—as you've already deduced—about the Everborn, but it was also about who would take over training and supervising the Firstdawn, hence why Zhian was there. He did the evaluations today, and it's been decided he'll replace Gamma Issilo." Han grimaced. "Her brother's illness has taken a turn for the worst, and they didn't give him long to live. She left this morning to see him one last time."

Enya frowned in sympathy. "May the goddess take him into her blessed light." She shook her head. "What does this have to do with the Everborns and you using your alpha's tone on Zhian?"

"Everborns were spotted outside Irhart, so Issilo said she would check on Irhart security there to confirm if this is a threat or just a border check. As for what I did...well, it was brought up what we would do if we were attacked."

Enya tilted her head in confusion, not understanding what he was getting at until it dawned on her. "Oh."

Han laughed humorlessly at her reaction. "'Oh,' indeed. I'm not sure which upset Zhian more. Him being sent away or the fact I won't be joining them when told to flee."

The plan was an old precaution the Unclaimed made years ago, near the beginning of their formation and before the Everborn was a threat. The newly formed pack of rogues was unsure if the traditional packs would accept them. It was agreed if they were attacked and there was no hope, the leaders of the pack would stay—along with anyone else who pledged to fight—and hold off their attackers so the rest of the pack could escape.

None of this was told to Zhian when they promoted him to Zeta. He was too young to take the oath.

"He didn't react well to it, did he," Enya stated.

"I don't think I've ever seen him so angry." Han kneeled next to the unwashed items and continued to work. Enya followed suit. "He was shouting at Soleva, demanding why he was made a Zeta then if he wasn't allowed to protect his pack, and, when he didn't listen to me when I told him to sit down, I commanded him to keep quiet before he did any more damage."

Enya grimaced. "And using the tone was the only way?"

"I'm sure there were better ways. At the time, however, others got involved and began yelling at Zhian for what he was saying. There were a lot of voices during that argument. And at that time, I could only think of two options: To force him to submit physically or through the tone, and I was not about to lay a hand on him."

"...Well, I'm sure things calmed down after that. You probably surprised everyone else as well, " Enya said, trying to lighten the mood. "I can count on one hand the number of times I've heard you use it, and that's including you using it halfheartedly to keep the boys in line." A pause. "Not that I would mind it being used on me, I think it's—"

"No, stop." Han gave her an exasperated look before hiding his face in his hands. "My moon, my love, the light of my life and mother of my children, you already do enough to me by simply existing. Please don't finish that sentence."

Enya laughed, leaning over to place a kiss on his head before gathering the now-cleaned dishes. "Come on, now. Get the pot, and let's go inside."

Han said a small, "Yes, dear," before covering the basin with a lid so they could use the water for cleaning tomorrow. But when they got to the door, Enya turned to him with a tentative look.

"Does Zhian know I made the oath as well?"

Han shook his head. "No, but you made the oath before we had children. No one would blame you if you went with them, especially since the twins are only fifteen, and Zhian would still be a Phi if he weren't a Zeta."

"I'll... decide if the time comes."

Neither of them continued the conversation after that. Enya put the bowls and cutlery away as Han repositioned the pot over the firepit. These moments were becoming more common, Han noted, when it was just him and his mate. Usually, there was at least one boy with them. It was just as they had hoped when they started their family, to have a lively home, but as their boys got older, the quieter moments of just the two of them became less sparse. There was a certain peace that came with the revelation, at least.

He just hoped he would get the chance to see his boys grow into full-fledged adults; to get the chance to grow old with his love.

Han followed Enya to their bedroom, but he paused at the threshold to look back at the door opposite of theirs. It was an irrational impulse to check on them. His boys were safe, and not to mention, they weren't children. Nonetheless, he stepped up to the door and opened it quietly, just a crack.

There wasn't much in the room. Only a small table, a large chest, and a straw mattress piled with pillows and furs. The window was opened ajar, letting in a cool breeze and the sound of crickets. Han would've laughed if Zhian wasn't a light sleeper, as the boys' positions hadn't changed much since they were little.

Zhian laid between the twins on his back, one arm above his head while the other wrapped around Arc—who was notorious for rolling off the bed. Rion laid on his side with his back pressed against Zhian's side. Arc, contrary to the other two, laid on his stomach slightly skewed. One foot hung off the bed, and he had an arm flung across Zhian's middle with his knuckles brushing against Rion's back. All of them were fast asleep.

It was odd for Han to think of the time before Zhian joined their family. As far as he was concerned, Zhian was always meant to be with them. It wasn't a smooth transition, not by a long shot, especially when first introducing the twins to Zhian since they blamed Zhian for hoarding their parents' attention. But they worked through it all, and there wasn't a day where Han and Enya didn't think of Zhian as their son, and the twins didn't think of him as their older brother.

Han smiled softly as he shut the door and turned back to Enya. She had a knowing smile of her own. He couldn't help it as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to his chest and relishing in the feeling of her melting into him. The scent of roses blooming after the rain melded with eucalyptus. Notes of storms, earth, and apples lingered on the side as the house remembered its occupants.

This was his family, and he would do anything to protect them.

*hiding a match behind my back*
I'm totally not setting this up to be burned to the ground, why would I do that? What strange rumors hahahahaha...hah.

Anyway, vote, comment, ignore me, you do you, boo, lol. Someday I'll get the inspiration to make my begging for validation more creative XD