I smiled. “That’s right.”
Leveret grasped my leg the same way he’d done to Sage. “Uncle Xander.”
My heart melted.
“Aw, he’s already calling you his uncle!” Sage cried. “That’s so cute.”
Not wanting to be left out, Lupa and Ashe suddenly joined Leveret in their hugging of my legs. “Uncle Xander!”
I could’ve died happy in that moment. This was all I’d ever wanted—to have a mate, and a family, with a bunch of kids crawling all over me.
“How’re you holding up, Xander? Tired of being used as a playground yet?” Len asked with a laugh as he joined us. The kids, who got tired of hugging my legs two seconds later, all ran back to play in the stream.
“Not at all,” I replied.
Len noticed Sage bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet and asked, “So, how did the big talk go?” He put a hand to Sage’s forehead. “Ah, your temperature’s back to normal. Is your heat already over?”
“Yeah, I think so,” Sage said. “And, uh, about that…”
“Hm?”
Sage leaned his head against me. “Me and Xander are kind of a thing now.”
“Oh.” Understanding flashed across Len’s face. “Oh! I see.” He smiled, then gasped and lowered his voice. “Does that mean you’re expecting?”
Len didn’t sound judgmental, just the opposite. I got the feeling Len was one of those people who was kind and open to everyone. I was glad to have him as part of my new extended family.
“Well, we’re not a hundred percent sure yet,” Sage said, grinning. “But we’re trying.”
Len looked like he might cry from joy. He nodded and hugged Sage. “I’m so happy for both of you!”
I smiled along with their radiating happiness. I didn’t think I’d ever smiled so much before meeting Sage and this strange, unique pack. But it wasn’t like Sage was changing me into a different person. It felt more like the sun’s rays hitting a shadow. I was still the same Xander, just with a little more light in my life.
“We wanna play with Xander in the stream!” came the kids’ war cry. Evidently, they’d gotten bored playing by themselves and wanted me along.
Sage laughed. “Don’t you guys know cats don’t like water?”
“What?” Ashe said, frowning. “Why?”
“Yeah, water’s fun!” Lupa added.
Leveret tugged on my ankle with his hand.
I smirked to Sage. “That’s a little stereotypical, don’t you think?”
I shed my human form, slipping into the lithe and powerful shape of a mountain lion. I stretched briefly, then plunged into the water, careful not to jump on any of the kids. They all cackled with joy as the resulting wave of water crashed into them.
Lupa was the best swimmer, especially with her wolf paws that were too big for her little body. Ashe was tall enough to stand on the stream floor with his long fawn legs. Leveret stayed in his human form as he paddled around me with Len’s help.
“I wanna play, too!” Sage complained. Without waiting, he shifted and cannonballed into the water, sending another wave through the kids. His golden fur was drenched. He shook his pelt and sprayed everyone with droplets, then shot me a big, toothy grin.
“You look like a soaking wet hamster,” I told him.
Sage snorted. “Well, you look like an overgrown kitten caught in the rain.”
I batted him playfully with my paw. He ducked and slapped the water’s surface with his own paw, splashing me in the face.
The kids all giggled at our play-fight. They started chanting, “Uncle Sage the hampster!”
“Look what you did, Xander,” Sage said with mock horror. “Now they all think I’m a hamster. I’ve lost all pride as a wolf.”
“Hampster, hampster!”
I gave his cheek a lick with my rough tongue. “Well, you can take pride in the fact that if I had a favorite hamster shifter, it would be you.”
If Sage was in human form, I knew he would’ve been blushing. He grinned and dunked me underwater, which caused a war in which the kids and I rallied against him. We spent the rest of the afternoon splashing around in the stream beneath a perfect blue sky.
I realized that I was happy here—and very much in love.
