Page 23 of Return to the Pack

Luna places her palm on my belly. I can practically see the wheels turning in her head.

Warrick strides into the room with a cigarette balanced between his fingers. He perches by the open window and blows a stream out through the crack. “What are y’all talking about?” he asks, a frown creasing his brow. “You look serious.”

“We were talking about what to do when Luna’s with child,” I tell him.

Warrick chuckles. “The swimmers of four potent males are all duking it out right now, vying for dominance. One of us will fill her womb this heat.” He takes another drag from his smoke. “I’m sure it will be mine.”

“Asshole,” I say. “It could be any of us.”

“Hey, Alpha,” Warrick calls out, pushing the window wide.

“Yeah?” calls Axel’s voice from the edge of the woods.

“Get on over here,” Warrick calls through a lungful of smoke. “There’s a serious talk going on that you need to be a part of.”

A minute later, Axel props his forearms on the windowsill. “What’s up?”

“We need a bigger house for all the pups Luna’s going to pop out,” I say. “No way can we all live here.” I extend my hand to Warrick, indicating I want a drag of his cigarette. I quit years ago, but every once in a while, I still get the urge.

He hands it over, and I bring it to my lips and inhale, taking a long, deep draw before handing it back. A stream of blueish smoke leaves my lungs, and the nicotine buzz fills my bloodstream.

“So, what are you thinking?” Axel says.

“There’s no fucking way I can live without these assholes,” I say, nodding at each of my brothers. “We’re a family, you know?”

“And us?” Axel asks, raising a brow.

I shrug. “Yeah, you’re right. Maybe you’re family now, too.”

The only people I’ve ever called family are Warrick and Callan. Now, I’m claiming Luna and Axel as part of my tribe.

Axel nods. “Even though we all joked about who gets the rights to claim fatherhood to Luna’s child, it doesn’t matter which one of us gives her pups. We’ll all be the fathers.”

“Fuck yeah, we will,” Warrick growls. “All I care about is that our baby-girl’s needs get satisfied, and she gets what she wants.”

“Same here,” Callan says, opening his eyes.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Axel says. “As long as we’re all in agreement as to who got there first.” He winks, and a cocky grin splits his face.

“Fuck off,” Warrick says, but he’s grinning, too. He grinds his cigarette out on the windowsill and flicks it outside.

“We haven’t heard from you, Luna. What are your thoughts?” Axel asks, gazing at her with the same soft gaze we probably all have right now.

Luna stretches her toes and gives a big yawn, her body still flushed with the afterglow of all the orgasms we gave her. “I want to be a family more than anything.”

“Me too,” I say, squeezing her to my side.

She looks at each one of us in turn. “I don’t ever want us to fight again about anything. We’ve all had our upsets with our first families. Do you think we can agree to be the loving families none of us ever had?”

I don’t know about the others, but the way she regards us with all that innocence she carries makes me all choked up. It’s like someone stuck a candle inside my ribcage. “I’m down with that,” I say gruffly.

Her eyes start to mist over. “Thank you,” she whispers.

“Same here,” Callan says, and she trains her gaze on him.

“I’m in,” says Warrick, tipping his chin at us.

“Then we’re all in agreement,” Axel says. He pushes away from the window. “Let’s make it official. As soon as you’re out of heat, let’s perform a commitment ceremony in front of the pack. We’ll get it all out in the open and get their blessing. Hopefully.”