Page 59 of The Wolves At My Sides

“You didn’t. It’s just the state of the world we live in. Given where I came from, I shouldn’t be surprised,” I frowned at my tea. “Now, I have to admit, I feel a little helpless too.”

“Come to our next meeting,” Starry said.

“Huh?” I opened my mouth to say I wasn’t a witch, but Starry shook his head.

“Just come. We put together care packages and eat our weight in snacks. We read through requests and coordinate with the magic users in London to try to help things along. No witchcraft is needed for most of what we do. Even if you’re being there doesn’t totally cheer up Irwin, you’re still helping a good cause. Every pair of hands means we get them back to their normal lives a bit sooner. We’re not the only group working on it either. The war got the ball rolling, but we’re not stopping there,” Starry beamed.

His smile was contagious, and I grinned. I could see why Irwin would kiss him.

“Okay, I’ll come,” I nodded.

As I walked home, I realized I shouldn’t have been surprised at all that Starry and his friends were still helping in London. They knew so few of Bram Valen’s victims when they crossed through the Other World to save us all. I didn’t know if I’d ever find that sort of courage, but I could put together care packages and supplies as well as any other person.

Chapter Forty-Six

Marcus

As with most pregnancies, having two pregnant mates changed almost everything about my life. From the outside our lives probably looked unchanged and maybe they were. Only now, more than ever, I weighed every choice against how it would affect my family’s future. A group of Alphas from back home were going to help out in London. Daniel and I were invited. Both of us declined the invitation, because the work we did in Heartville was vital to the wellbeing of those who lived within the village. I also couldn’t run off to play hero while Fen and Irwin were pregnant.

I was also invited to a group of therapists willing to take around the clock calls from those affected by the war. There were only so many hours in the day and unless I was willing to forgo sleep, I didn’t have the hours to volunteer. It felt selfish in some ways to devote all my time to my family who were whole and healthy, but there wasn’t another choice. I couldn’t let them or my clients down.

Even as the calendar pages slipped through my fingers it felt as if I could track time by the growth of my mates’ bellies. The week after the double pixelated babies, Irwin’s baby bump seemingly grew in overnight. Fen wasn’t far behind him. Baby Faran was fascinated by the changes. He liked to nuzzle his furry little head against their bellies. He yiped and whined, as if he could speak to his younger siblings through their flesh and muscles. As time went on, he got ‘kicked’ a few times. The first time, he ran away with his tail between his legs.

The house filled up with baby supplies. Not that we were low on them to begin with, but Faran had already outgrown the tiniest diapers we bought, and we hadn’t replaced them when we no longer needed them. Besides, three kids in diapers would go through a whole lot more than just one. I bought a couple extra play pens and set them up anywhere I thought we might need them, including upstairs in Irwin’s office and one in mine just in case too. I bought a dozen chest carriers, in case they got dirty, lost, or lent out.

We might have run almost as a cashless society, but that didn’t mean the rest of the world did. I tapped into my savings and started college funds for both of the incoming pups. I added them and Fen to my will. Everyone had a will at the Sanctuary, because we’d seen all too often what could go wrong. I also tweaked my will to include leaving any of my medical books that Irwin or Fen didn’t want to keep for sentimental reasons to Dara. He’d find a good home for them. It was morbid to think about death amidst so much life, but it was part of preparing for their future. My parents wouldn’t have let any of them do without, but better safe than sorry.

I started taking afternoons off two weeks before Irwin’s due date. I started a support group for London refugees which Cade and Dara took turns peer leading. That took some weight off my shoulders.

I got up a bit earlier in the mornings and joined Cade and Dara for their workouts at Adrian’s gym. I was fit as ever, but it was nice to blow off steam before most people were out of bed. Dara was still waiting to hear back about possibly taking on a student healer who needed practical hours. Abel and Sam were excited at the prospect of another doctor in the village, even if they were only a student.

Cade was in a better mood than I’d seen him in for a while. With all the work going on in London, Medwin had brought Sunny back to Cade for the time being. Sure, it would mean another goodbye at some time in the future, but Cade was more than a little attached to his baby brother.

“How’s Eston feeling about Nicky running off to London?” Dara asked.

“He’s not thrilled. I’m not thrilled, but Manny built some of the new buildings that were blown to smithereens. So, he’d be useful. Nicky’s magic too. Nicky’s determined, but he’s a mess too. The kids are staying here, of course,” Cade said, setting down his weights. “The trials are just about over. They should be safe. Only I can’t promise that to Eston. I can’t promise that to anyone. Starry said he doesn’t think anyone violent could’ve escaped the spells that night, but I don’t trust the universe to work as it should.”

“The universe works just as it should,” Dara shrugged. “It’s in its nature to be unpredictable.”

“Maybe,” Cade shrugged. “That’s the part that I still don’t like.”

“No one likes that part. That’s the whole reason I have a job in the first place,” I chuckled.

“How are you holding up?” Cade asked.

“Irwin’s due next week,” Dara answered for me. “Fen isn’t far behind him. He hasn’t bit me yet, though.”

“I’m right here, lizards,” I shook my head.

“You got everything you need?” Cade asked.

“Yeah, we’re good. We probably have more than we need for the kids. We have extra of everything in one of the office closets. So, if you know anyone who needs stuff, let us know.”

Dara’s phone buzzed and he sprinted across the room to where he left it on a bench.

“That’s me. You’re about to be an uncle again,” Dara said, waving as he left the room.

“You gotta go too?” Cade asked.

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