16
Xander
It had beentwo weeks since Starry was born, and Sage had barely moved from the den. Not because hecouldn’tbut because he was indulging in being utterly spoiled as the parent of a newborn. I brought him everything he wanted, and I enjoyed doing it. My instincts as an alpha kicked in hard. I would do anything to nurture and protect both my mate and my baby.
The other kids were present when Starry came into the world, but they hadn’t seen much except a tiny wet-furred blob. Their curiosity cranked up to a hundred the longer they had to wait to meet her, so when Sage finally invited them into the den—and Len and Morgan reminded them of their manners with newborns—they practically exploded with excitement.
“Remember, no loud voices,” Len said. “And no teeth. And—”
“Iknow, daddy,” Lupa complained in a hushed whisper.
They came inside shifted, both because of space constraints and because both Sage and Starry were shifted. Sage had spent most of the time as a wolf since it was easier to lay down that way, and Starry followed her parent’s lead. She hadn’t shifted into human form yet, but considering she was less fragile as a kitten, I didn’t mind.
“It’s interesting how vulnerable predator babies are,” Morgan remarked in amusement.
“Oh, yeah,” Sage said. “I remember Ashe was up and walking like, almost as soon as he was born.”
Ashe beamed proudly, even though he probably didn’t even remember that night.
“All right, guys. Come meet your cousin,” Sage said.
He nosed Starry to get her attention, which she didn’t have much of yet. As a shifter, she grew faster than a regular mute kitten, so she opened bright blue eyes to stare at the kids.
Three little shifters inched forward in quiet awe. They all took turns gently touching noses with her. Lupa went first, then Ashe, and finally Leveret. Even Leveret, who was the closest to her in size as a hare, was quite larger than her. It reminded me just how fragile Starry was, and how hard I needed to work to protect her.
“That’s enough for now,” Len said. “She’ll be big soon, but right now she has to rest and grow.”
“’kay!” Lupa said. “I wanna go play with Uncle Red.”
I thought it was cute that the kids weren’t related by blood to Red or Remington, but still referred to them as their uncles. They bounded off in a furry mob to harass the fox shifter, with their omega fathers giving Sage a greeting goodbye to follow them.
“Phew,” Sage said, laying his chin on the ground. “Being spoiled is nice, but I can’t wait ‘til I can go run around again, too.”
I gave him a reassuring pat on the head. “It won’t be long now. Soon you’re going to miss when Starry was this immobile and quiet.”
He smiled down at our daughter, whose fur was still as spotted with stars as the night sky. “Heh. I’m sure I will.”
The sudden sound of paws outside drew my attention. I felt like my senses had sharpened since Starry’s birth. I was right—Remington approached the den with an expression of forced non-concern. I immediately knew something was going on.
“Hey, Sage,” he said. “Do you mind if I borrow Xander for the afternoon?”
Sage apparently didn’t notice the tightness in Remington’s voice. Either that, or he was too tired to notice. He laid back casually and said, “Nope. Especially not if you’re gonna bring me more fish. I’m having another craving. Do you still get cravings after you give birth?”
“I can bring you fish,” I promised, then hesitated. The den was inside pack territory, with the other members not far away. Sage and Starry were safe here even if I left for a bit. Despite my instinct to stay, the urge to seek out potential danger and destroy it was stronger. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay! I’m gonna take a nap while Starry’s doing the same thing.”
I shifted and padded out of earshot while Remington hurried alongside me.
“What happened?” I asked him under my breath.
“The golden koi. I saw it again.”
My instincts flared and my blood started to race. I growled. “He’s not getting away this time.”
“I don’t know if it’s the same man, or if we’re jumping to conclusions,” Remington said. “But I caught it, just in case.”
“You caught it? How?”
