Page 11 of Protected By Her Wolves

Luc swallowed at that. His mate was in good hands. He had nothing to worry about, but he’d feel much better once they were far away from here.

“Luc.” Amara’s whisper sounded strained, and he knew she was trying to keep it together.

He knelt beside her, taking her hands in his. “Yes?”

She visibly swallowed, her eyes glossing over. “Come home soon.”

He kissed her forehead, his lips lingering. “As soon as I can, my love.”

Another howl rent the air, this one more urgent than the others. With a howl, he shifted into his wolf form and bounded out of the safety of the warm tent and into the frozen Alaskan tundra where the unknown awaited him, knowing he’d have to rely on his instincts, his fellow trackers, and a bit of luck for survival.

* * *

Rone

Rone and Skoll finishedadding the last of the latches on the cabinets while Mihaela packed away the knickknacks and pictures. Amara had taken such beautiful black and white portraits of the children, the new centerpieces of their living room, but even if he bolted them down, Alexi’s tantrums could shatter the glass. Amara wouldn’t like the plain cabin walls, but he had no choice. The pictures would stay down until Alexi was old enough to control his quakes. He climbed down from the cabinets, admiring his handiwork. It would take a little longer to get dishes out of the cabinets, but they should be secure.

Mihaela wrapped the last picture in paper and then nodded toward the playpen. “He’s waking up. Do you have a bottle ready?”

“I do.” Rone looked over at the playpen, wincing when he saw Alexi stirring, then feeling a stab of guilt at his reaction. For many years he’d longed to be a father. Now that Amara had given their pack two beautiful boys, his only longing was that Alexi would behave better. Babies were supposed to be sweet at this age. He had no idea how he was going to handle Alexi’s terrible twos.

He grabbed the bottle of Amara’s defrosted milk from the warmer and cautiously approached the playpen like he was trying to corner a wild animal.

Alexi sat up and looked at him with foggy eyes, his straight, dark hair standing up in all directions, his cheeks flushed from sleep.

Rone knelt beside the playpen. “Good morning, Alexi.” He forced a note of calm into his voice while summoning the nerve to give him the bottle.

He sighed in relief when Alexi flashed a wide smile. He was in a good mood, a promising start. Rone handed Alexi the bottle. “How about some of Mommy’s delicious milk?”

Alexi let out a demonic-sounding screech and threw the bottle across the room. Rone swore when the walls heaved and shuddered as if a giant was trying to lift the house from the foundation. He stood, giving his parents a helpless look.

“Don’t look at me,” Skoll grumbled before stomping onto the patio, the sky outside a dusky dawn. “You don’t like the way I handle things.”

Annie called up the stairwell. “Everything okay?”

“Just Alexi being Alexi,” he called back. “Sit under the table with Hrod for a bit.” Unfortunately, taking cover under the table was a common game they played in this house. Amara’s cousin had been in the downstairs game room with Hrod and the dogs. He’d never been more grateful that she was staying with them, for clearly taking care of Alexi, Hrod, and the house was more work than one gamma could handle.

Alexi stood, clutching the side of the playpen, his eyes watering with tears. “Mama.”

Rone retrieved the bottle, his legs feeling like deadweights as he approached their unruly child. “Alexi, Mama isn’t here. You have to take the bottle.”

He handed Alexi the bottle, and he threw it across the room again. Mihaela gasped when the house shook harder.

“Okay.” Rone dragged a hand down his face. He didn’t know how their family would survive much longer without Amara. “How about some baby food?” He picked up Alexi and placed him in his high chair. “Papa made your favorites.”

He sat in front of Alexi’s chair with a jar of baby food. He’d need to wash it down with something. Maybe he’d take the bottle or one of Hrod’s sippy cups after he ate. He tried to spoon food into Alexi’s mouth, but the baby swatted his hand away, crying out for his mama.

The house shook harder. Fuck.

He turned toward his mother. “What do I do?”

Her lips twisted together in a scowl. “Call Cyan.”

“She said she’d be here at noon.” He checked the clock. It was almost nine AM. The sun had yet to rise, and Cyan’s family was probably still starting off their morning.

Alexi cried out. The house shook again.

Mihaela chewed her lip, looking nervously from Alexi to Skoll, who was pacing the back patio. “We can’t wait that long.”

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