Page 37 of Briggs
I smiled. He truly did care for all of us, even if we weren’t from his line or original eight. “Thank you, sir. I’m doing about as well as can be expected when coming off a six-day-long heat with my mate. I did want to thank you for the food and clean sheets. At least, I believe it was you.”
He chuckled. “It was. I apologize that I didn’t catch on sooner and help out in the beginning. I should have made sure to check in after our talk last week.”
“I appreciate all of the help as is. You did more than I would ever expect from others, let alone someone as busy as you are.”
“That is how family is supposed to be, Briggs. We look after our own.” There was a pause. “How is Todd doing?”
“He’s still sleeping,” I responded, still thinking about what Master Edison had said. “I slept around twelve hours, but I have a feeling that Todd will sleep a bit longer. I’ve checked in on him through our bond, and there seems to be no issues, just that he’s sleeping soundly.”
“That’s good. I’ll let Maxwell know to check in on Todd.”
“Sir?” I had no idea why someone named Maxwell would be checking on my mate.
“Forgive me,” Master Edison said. “Maxwell is Dr. King. Not only is he Todd’s boss, but he is the one who will be offering his medical care if it turns out he’s pregnant. Tell me, did the two of you talk about children before you claimed one another? Did Todd wish to wait? Or perhaps you?”
“We did. Todd said he would like a baby. I was willing if that’s what he wanted. I’ll do anything to make my mate happy.” I would, but I did have questions.
“You don’t sound so certain.”
I should have known that Master Edison would pick up on my tone. “About?” I asked, wondering what he was getting at specifically.
“Children. Do you want children, Briggs?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “And Todd said he did as well. And although I don’t think he would actually hurt his siblings, he’s said they don’t live with him because he’s concerned about that.” I sighed. “This is something I’m going to discuss with Dr. Swift in a couple of weeks. I would like to knowwhat he suggests for me with regards to how to best support my mate and everything that he’s going through and what we are going to face going forward.”
There was a bit of silence, but then Master Edison asked a question I wasn’t quite prepared for. “Are you ready to take on raising a newly shifting teenager and a preteen who has little memory of her sibling and would rather not live with him?”
I thought about it a moment, thinking back to what Todd and I had discussed. “I want what’s best for my mate first and foremost. But I also want that for his siblings as well. I haven’t yet had the chance to meet them. I was going to meet John, but he ended up canceling on his brother because he had plans with his friends.”
Master Edison chuckled. “Yes, and living with the created cheetah and his mate isn’t exactly a hardship. Trust me when I say that those children are perfectly happy where they are. John enjoys spending time with his brother and feels obligated to come live with him. But according to Babak, John and Tracy are not only happy and content where they are, but they are both more than welcome to remain with them. They would very much like to make them a permanent part of their family, but they do not wish to cause stress to Todd by discussing such things just yet.”
I sucked in a breath that I knew Master Edison could hear. “They wish…seriously? They want to adopt his siblings?”
“From what Babak has said in passing, yes. Mina very much misses their family back home, and although they visit as often as possible, and they understand John and Tracy cannot replace their children and grandchildren, they very much have fit into their lives quite well. They won’t approach the subject if Todd takes the children though. They understand they would be well cared for by their brother.”
I sighed. “How do I bring this up with my mate?” I said absently.
“You don’t. You let Todd decide.”
“He’s stressing about not having them with him already,” I said. “This isn’t something I can keep from my mate. Not when he’s so overwhelmed and pressured about getting ready to have them all the time.” A sudden thought hit me. Did Todd press for us to claim each other so soon because of his siblings? Because he needed a backup parent? I shook my head. No, I’d seen Todd’s memories about meeting me and, during his heat, his thoughts about us together. He was with me simply because he wanted to be. It had nothing to do with his brother or sister.
“Briggs? Are you still there?”
“Yes, sorry. I was thinking about this new information.”
Master Edison sighed. “Then perhaps it was a good thing you didn’t hear me.”
I was instantly focused on Master Edison and what he could possibly have to say that would add to everything else going on. “Am I needed back at work right away? Have there been developments in New Mexico with Todd’s pride?”
“No and yes. You have three more weeks off. You are not due back until the third week of September. There have been developments in New Mexico, but you will no longer be involved as it is related to your newly claimed mate.”
I scowled but knew nobody could see but me. “Why? I’ve not done anything wrong as far as I know. Have there been complaints?” My team and I got along well.
“That isn’t it. The hellhounds are working as a pack to take care of the developments in that area. Only because they are the only ones that can. You will be briefed when you return. For now, you are to concentrate on your newly claimed mate, think about which house the two of you would like to relocate to, and strengthen your bond.”
I closed my eyes. We would be moving. I looked around the office. There wasn’t much in it. A small desk that had already been here. I only had my computer in here simply because I didn’t want work to take over everywhere in the house.
“I’ll ask Todd about moving. Is there anywhere that we need to be looking?”
