Page 36 of The Wolves At My Sides

We’d talked about this before, but I loved how he was always checking to see if I changed my mind on anything. A shadow crossed over us and we both glanced up to see Marcus standing in the sitting room’s doorway, clad only in one of the hotel’s towels.

“Do you two need a minute?” He asked.

“You have to be part of this conversation,” I spat the words out before I lost my nerve.

“Alright,” he nodded and crossed the room to sit in one of the armchairs. “I did bring condoms, if that makes anyone feel better.”

“At least you thought ahead,” Irwin laughed and ran a nervous hand through his hair.

“I know Faran’s still young,” I said, resting a hand on Irwin’s knee to tell him I hadn’t thought about packing condoms either.

“He is,” Marcus nodded, “but he won’t be forever.”

“Did you like growing up with siblings so close to your age?” I asked him.

“I did. Fara and me were pretty much the same age and Daniel’s not that much older than us. It was good. We had built in friends. I know not all siblings get along like we do, but I think that’s all in the environment you build. We never competed with each other, because our parents never allowed anyone to make us feel like we had to. I think we have to do the same thing with our kids.”

I opened my mouth and shut it again. Now wasn’t the time to say I was glad I was an only child, because that meant no one else that shared my genetic makeup had to go through what I did.

Irwin wrapped his arm around my shoulders and kissed my cheek.

“My scent isn’t about babies,” I said.

“We know,” Marcus said. “Maybe we should eat while we talk.”

“Definitely,” Irwin laughed and pulled the cart over.

The sitting room did have a table to eat at, but we sat around on the plush furniture shoving food in our faces and discussing how many kids were too many.

“He doesn’t know the definition of too many,” Irwin laughed, pointing at Marcus.

“I do too. We just never hit that limit at my childhood home,” Marcus laughed. “Plus, there’s three of us.”

“Irwin has a job he likes,” I pointed out.

“I know that, and I know there is a limit of how much attention we can give a kid and that gets juggled around by how many kids there are. I’m just saying the thoughts of multiples still doesn’t put me off the idea of having more kids. At the end of the day, it’s up to you two. I’m okay with it, but I’m also okay with waiting, because I’m not the one who’ll be pregnant.”

“You’ll be the one taking care of pregnant mates, though,” Irwin pointed out.

“Mates? Is there something you want to tell me, Irwin?” Marcus laughed, arching a brow.

“I’m not pregnant again. At least not yet,” Irwin said, blushing as he shoved fries into his mouth to buy him time before he spoke again.

“Do you want to have another baby?” I asked him. “I can wait to have one, because you were here first and ---”

“Nope,” Irwin and Marcus said at the same time.

I startled into the arm of the sofa.

“We’re not doing the who was here first thing,” Irwin said. “We can’t. No one deserves to feel like a second-class citizen in their own relationship and this is your relationship too.”

“I know. I just---”

“You’re used to not getting what you want?” Marcus arched a brow.

I wanted to tell him to turn off his therapist voice like Irwin did, but he was right. I nodded, but didn’t speak.

“I can’t promise you all the stars in the sky, but we both want you to have what you want in life, Fen,” Marcus said.

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