Danny and Logan followed closely behind, eyes half-wild with excitement. They were growing bigger every day, nearly ten years old. It wouldn’t be long until their first shift. Then Felix would really have a challenge on his hands.
They dropped down either side of Thea, kicking at each other for more space on the carpet, and she wrinkled her nose imperiously at them. “Can you not.”
They, of course, ignored her in favor of arguing.
“Budge over, would you?”
“I was here first!”
“I don’t care!”
“You will when I punch you in the—”
“Boys,” Felix interrupted, his voice stern but his eyes warm. They trailed off, muttering an apology, shooting each other death glares.
Rick smiled wryly. He was glad for his dignified little daughter.
Eva threw a cushion at Logan—“That’s for chasing me earlier!”—and Rick promptly forgot his smugness.
Dane laughed, low and husky, his tired eyes shining in the firelight. “How you kids still have energy is beyond me.”
“You’re getting old,” Lola said fondly, leaning further into him.
Dane snorted. “Not fuckin’ likely.”
“I don’t know,” Nicolas said mildly, absently playing with Daisy’s fluffy blonde curls. “We’re the same age, and I’m exhausted.”
“That’s ‘cause you’re weak,” Dane muttered, stifling a yawn.
Nicolas just rolled his eyes, exchanging a secretive smile with Daisy.
“Weakness has nothing to do with it,” Felix said, crossing one long leg over the other. “As alpha, I believe it’s my right to say that we have well and truly celebrated the Club opening and can celebrate no more.”
“Nice try,” Cassie replied with a wink, “you promised we could go until the weekend!”
“Isn’t it the weekend?”
“Nope,” said Cassie with a smug grin. “It’s Thursday.”
“Christ,” said Felix, head falling back against the armchair, “wake me up when it’s Saturday, would you?”
Rick hummed, “And deny the pack the joy of their alpha’s presence for the next two days? Seems cruel.”
Felix groaned, covering his eyes as the music beneath them swelled. “I don’t want to be alpha anymore. Someone else do it.”
“Me!” Thea shouted, sticking her hand up in the air and waving it about, much to the chagrin of the two boys. The three quickly fell into further fighting, swatting at each other’s hands and hollering to be the loudest.
“Careful,” Nicolas said, smiling at his daughter, “because I don’t think she’s joking.”
Felix eyed her. “No, I don’t think she is.”
Rick shifted, pulling Rosalia closer, his head falling to rest atop hers. Perhaps he could have a nap here. He doubted that anyone would notice in the chaos. Rosalia adjusted, letting Eva slip from under her arm to join the battle on the carpet, her arm falling across his middle. She sighed contentedly, and Rick suspected that if he looked down, he’d see her eyes slip closed.
It had become one of his favorite things, having her fall asleep in his arms. Falling asleep in hers.
But alas, the chaos on the carpet reached a crescendo, forcing Felix to separate his two sons before they got too rowdy.
“Can you two pack it in or take it outside?”