Page 54 of The Wolf's Prince
CHAPTER12
ANDREY
“Are you sure you have to leave?” Anzu asked, stroking her large belly. She often did when she was fatigued or worried. Andrey thought the babies probably moved around most at those times, wanting their mother to be at ease. And the fact that Andrey knew that already, in just two days was not lost on him. He had become so at home here.
“I do have to head back. My family is anxiously awaiting news on Nik’s condition.”
“Well, you’re welcome back at any time,” she said, hugging him.
Andrey returned the hug, smiling when he felt a push from her hard stomach.
“Thank you,” he said. “I will be back to visit. Hopefully often.”
“And you can stay with us,” Enkai said, coming forward to get his hug next. “Forget your brother, you don’t want to be sleeping in their bed until they’ve been together for a couple of years.”
Andrey laughed, his cheeks heating.
“No,” he agreed. “I will avoid that at all costs.”
They had walked him out to the main plateau where he could easily depart from. One of the others had volunteered to get him a horse and cart from the nearest village early this morning and it was already waiting for him at the bottom of the path. Andrey was glad he didn’t have to walk all the way there alone on his own. The entire pack had been so hospitable.
As people gathered for their morning routines and the village came alive, a touch of sadness filled Andrey.
He would never have expected a soft tendril of envy to weave through his body at his brother's newfound place.
But the shifters were warm and welcoming and at once had made Andrey feel at home with them. Now Nikolai would get to know them all like family, he would be surrounded by love and affection and the fun spirit of the people he had become a part of. All because he was outgoing and easy with his affections.
He had always been someone to put himself outside his comfort zone to get what he wanted; fun and men, mostly, but still, Andrey admired that.
Sometimes he felt like he held himself so rigidly that he would never be able to even relax, let alone find love.
And that certainly seemed to be what Nikolai had now...
Shaking himself, he looked around, still seeing no sign of his brother, even as the sun began to rise high in the clear sky above them.
“I have to leave soon. Do you think I should go see if they're awake?”
“They probably slept in,” Anzu said. “I will go wake them.”
“No, no,” Enkai said at once. “Let me.”
He winked at them, passing at just the same moment that one of the cubs came running to clutch at Andrey's knees.
All of the children were just as cute in human form and his heart ached as he looked down at her huge round eyes.
“Do you have to go?” she asked. “Stay and play.”
Andrey patted her soft, tangled hair.
“I'll be back soon,” he promised. “We can play then.”
“And you'll spin me?” she asked hopefully.
All the children had been obsessed with him once he had spent the better part of an hour spinning them around on his first evening staying with them.
Enkai had warned they were relentless and he was right. Andrey couldn't make it through an hour without one of the children begging to be twirled through the air.
“I'll spin you until I get sick,” he promised.
