Page 7 of Wild Born

“Bane?” I poked him over our mating link, because in my lucid dreams and nightmares our mating link never worked. It was the one sure-fire way for me to know if I was awake for real or not.

“The kids are all at Jake’s along with Blake’s kids too for now. They’ll bring them back this afternoon. I’m in the nursery with our youngest.”

“You should’ve woken me up.”

“Nope. You were out cold all night. You were tired.”

“It was a long run and it broke my heart to leave her like that without her pup,” I yawned.

“Coffee and a bloodshake in the kitchen,” he informed me.

“Did I ever tell you how much I love you in the morning?”

“A couple times, but it’s always nice to hear.”

After swinging into the bathroom to wash my face to wake up, I grabbed the drinks from the kitchen and headed into the nursery. Bane was stretched out with his long muscular legs crossed at the ankles in the nursery’s recliner. The baby slept in his russet wolf pup form on his chest. Bane stroked his back and grinned up at me.

“How’d he do last night?” I asked before taking a sip of my shake.

“Five or six feedings. Wild-borns are known to be hungrier. The formula probably isn’t as nutrient dense as his mother’s milk. So, there’s that to take into account too. He’ll probably eat more often with the formula.”

“You should’ve woken me up,” I told him again. “You said you’d take first cry.”

“Mate, when you don’t hear a crying baby, I know you’re tired,” he smiled up softly at me.

“But you’ll be tired now.”

“Eh, I’m okay,” Bane shook his head. “I managed enough sleep last night. Took a nap after Gary and Jake picked up the kids too. I told Blake about him, because there was no way your brother wasn’t going to ask about an extra baby when he dropped off his kids. I think he’ll keep it to himself.”

“He better,” I laughed. “Want to switch me places.”

“Not until you have a real breakfast,” Bane shook his head. “Bloodshakes don’t count.”

“Technically they could,” I pointed out.

“Feed your wolf before I eat you,” Bane laughed.

“You saw how well that went last night,” I laughed and headed back out into the kitchen.

Chapter Five

Bane

As the days passed until the Guardians of Glitter Bomb doctor arrived, we played around with name ideas for the newest member of our family. I leaned toward loving the name Wild, but gave in when Lee said his beginnings would follow him around for the rest of his life without his name giving it away. Sure, not everyone would guess it right away, but the kid himself would know. Sometimes the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves are more important than what the world says.

“Okay, then what’s your idea?” I asked Lee as he gave the baby his bottle.

“I’m thinking,” he said and pressed his lips together. “Maybe we should give him a really common name. That way he can fit in better.”

“A common name in this family? He’ll stick out like a sore thumb,” I laughed.

“Travis and Mildred are common names,” he countered.

“Mildred was common when the first Mildred was born,” I teased him.

“Fine,” Lee sighed. “So, nothing too common, but nothing too out there either.”

“What about Romul?” I asked.

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