“I’ll tell you but first let me get all the food out here, so we can eat while it’s still hot. Do you need anything for Daniel?”
“No, he drank his bottle and now I’m just waiting for him to…” Logan answered just as his nephew burped. “Good job, sweetie,” he said to Daniel, rubbing his back.
“I’ll get the rest of the food,” said Dakota.
Logan could hear the laughter dying down in the great room. “It’s about time,” he grumbled to himself.
Jackson came back into the dining room, his eyes still dancing in merriment, and walked over to Logan. “Sorry about that. I guess I just needed to do that. Did he drink his bottle?”
“Yup and I burped him,” Logan replied.
“Thanks,” Jackson said as he picked up his son. “Hey, I have a favor to ask. Can you watch Daniel after breakfast? I have to meet with Cody, Dylon and Oracle and it will probably run most of the morning.”
“Sure,” Logan said, then added, “is everything okay with Cody?”
“Yes, I think so,” answered Jackson.
Dakota hustled in with more food and yelled out to Zane, “If you don’t get in here to help me right now, I’ll add another week to your punishment, bro.”
When Zane heard Dakota’s threat, his laughter stopped abruptly. “Aww man, I gotta go. I don’t want more time in the kitchen.” Rushing out of the great room, Zane made a beeline for the kitchen where he grabbed more platters of food and rushed them into the dining room as he heard Dakota issue his final warning about everyone being at the table within one minute. As he was setting the food down, a stampede of his brothers and mates shook the table as they made a mad dash to claim their seats.
“Now that’s more like it,” said Dakota as he sat down. For the next while, the only sounds heard in the dining room were muted requests for platters of food to be passed, the clatter of silverware being used, and the slurping of coffee being drunk.
Finally, when everyone had finished, Jackson looked around the table and smiled at Ian. “Why don’t you start?”
Ian grinned at Colton and grasped his hand before turning to Oracle and announcing, “I’m pregnant! We’re going to have a baby!”
“Congratulations, Ian, and you too, Colton. Have you told your parents yet?” Oracle asked, smiling.
“No, we’re going to do it when we meet up with them in Scotland,” Ian said. “I want to see their faces and, well, Colton thought it would be nice to do it when we’re all in Scotland.”
“I am sure they will be very pleased,” Oracle said, before asking Maximus to hand her the shopping bag behind his chair. Taking it from her husband, she continued, “I never doubted for a second you and Colton would have a pup, so when I was in San Francisco, I bought a few gifts for you.” Oracle pulled out several boxes and handed them to Ian.
“Oh wow, thank you, Oracle. Should I open them now?” Ian asked.
“By all means,” she said, “I think Colton is quite eager to see what is in the boxes.”
“You aresoright, Oracle,” Jackson said, “Colton never could wait. Year after year, the wrapping on Colton’s presents would always be loose because he’d open them early when he snuck down in the middle of the night. He never could wait to see what he got, like the rest of us did.”
Colton stuck out his tongue at his brother before saying, “Well at least I didn’t buy myself a gift.”
“No, you just switched gifts with me or Carson if you didn’t like what you were getting,” Cody said, smirking.
“How did you… did not,” Colton protested.
“Oh yes, you did.”
Colton leaned over to Ian and whispered, “Save me babe, please.”
“It’s going to cost you a blow job…my choice of time and place,” Ian whispered back and, after receiving a short nod, Ian tore off the paper and opened the box. “Oh, my gods, Oracle, it’s perfect.” He held up a tiny, red, plush bathrobe with a tiny, gold crown embroidered over the heart and, on the back, also in gold thread, were the words: ‘The Royal Highness’.
Colton gazed at the gift, realizing he was going to be a father. Something he never thought would ever happen and yet here it was, staring him in the face. He turned to Ian and hugged him.We’re having a pup!He exclaimed through their mind link.
Yes, we are!Ian answered back. Eager to see the other gifts, Colton opened the next one and found a tiny kilt and a white onesie.
“That is the tartan of Scottish Wolf Royalty,” Oracle explained.
“I remember wearing it when I was young,” Ian said, as he quickly tore off the paper of the largest and heaviest box. Inside were two kilts, made of the same plaid, white linen shirts with bellowing sleeves, tall socks—everything needed for the traditional formal dress of Scotland. “Oh my! Wow! I remember my father wearing this when he was sitting on the throne! Look darling, here’s yours,” Ian exclaimed as he held up the kilt.
