“Hi bro. Well, we’re here, everyone fed and clothed. Arald is locked up in a cell in his fortress leaving me with a shit mess on my hands.”
“I know. I’m working on getting everything set up so you can go in with a strike force and take control of his army. Get some rest and we’ll talk again in the morning,” Steel said, then added, “are you okay? He didn’t harm you, right?”
“No, I’m fine…just tired and pissed at that fucking asshole. I can’t wait to hear the stories of the other two Alphas now that Arald won’t be part of the conversation anymore.”
Chuckling, Steel said, “Go get some rest. Glad you’re okay.”
~/~/~/~/~
In the middle of the night, Cody was awakened by the sound of some unhappy pups. Getting up, he was drawn to the room where the howling was coming from. Standing in the doorway, he saw Kieran trying to comfort two pups without much success. “What’s the problem?” he asked.
“I don’t know. They won’t settle down and I’m afraid they’ll wake the others,” Kieran said, leaning over one of the cribs.
Moving closer, Cody felt it—the life threads of the two pups—twins—seeking out his chest and latching on to his heart. The jolt woke Dylon who rushed in to see what was happening to his mate. Glancing at Cody’s heart, he saw two, new, very thin life threads embedded in his mate’s chest. Looking up at Cody’s face, Dylon saw a smile of pure radiance as his mate realized what the Fates had given them.
“They are ours?” whispered Dylon.
Cody nodded, too overcome with emotion to speak as he walked to one of the cribs. As soon as the crying pup saw Cody, he stretched out his arms, wanting the comfort of his father. After picking him up, the pup stopped howling and smiled as he grabbed Cody’s nose. Laughing, Cody said, “You are going to be a real heartbreaker when you grow up aren’t you?”
As Dylon stood watching the scene unfold, he felt a jolt as two, tiny, life threads embedded themselves inhisheart, finally completing the circle. Walking over to the other pup, he picked her up and cuddled his new daughter. Looking over at Kieran, Dylon said, “These pups are ours. Given to us by the Fates. We’ll take care of them now…you can go back to bed.”
Kieran smiled at Dylon. “They have been waiting for you. These are twin Tundra wolves. Arald killed theirmother and father because he had a buyer who wanted twins, and these were the only set he could find who were the right age. The buyer was coming in two days’ time to pick them up.”
Growling at the news their parents had been killed so the pups could be sold, Dylon felt murderous rage overcome his body. And just when he thought he should set his daughter down so as to not hurt her, Dylon felt cool water rushing through his body, quenching the fires burning within him. Looking for the source of the water, he looked down and saw his life thread had turned to a brilliant Caribbean blue, courtesy of his mate.
Kieran said, “I’m very happy you found each other. I’m going to bed; the rest of the younglings will be up soon and I need my beauty sleep.”
Dylon and Cody held their pups, until they fell asleep. Laying them gently down in their beds, Cody tucked the blankets around both before tiptoeing out of the room with his mate. Once back in their beds, Cody whispered, “Can you believe it, babe, our own pups. We’re a real family now. I’m so happy, I could burst.”
“You know my mother is going to go wild when she finds out she has, not one, but two grandpups. They will be so spoiled.”
“But they’re our spoiled pups. Can you believe it?”
“Did the Fates show you this in a vision?”
“No, I had no idea until their life threads went into my heart,” Cody said. Then a thought hit him. “You do want them, don’t you?”
“Oh, my gods, yes…a thousand times…yes! I mean I wasn’t thinking of having pups, but when I found out the Fates had given them to us, all I could think of was how right it felt.”
Cody snuggled with his mate, listening to his strong heartbeat. Then another thought popped into his head, “What are their names? We need to decide on names!”
Dylon smiled. “Ma moitié, tomorrow. Let’s ask Kieran if he knows the names their parents gave them and if not, I’m sure we can come up with two perfect names.”
“Wait until my brothers find out about them! I wonder what they’ll be betting on this time. Shit, we need a nursery for them. Crap, Logan is doing one for Colton and Ian. I wonder if Lizzie would like to help us set one up until Logan can give the twins one of his masterpieces.”
“You won’t be able to stop her. My mother is a force of nature when she sets her mind to something. And if it’s for her grandpups? Better stand back because you’re about to see Hurricane Lizzie at work.”
“Hurricane Lizzie?” Cody said, giggling, “Does she know you call her that?”
“No, and you better not tell her,” Dylon said, sternly.
“Oh, I don’t know. I think it will come in handy at some time.”
“Are you threatening me?” Dylon asked, tickling Cody’s sides.
Laughing so hard, his mate could only gasp, “No…no…I won’t…Promise.”
Dylon gathered Cody into his arms and held him against his chest. “I love you, ma moitié, I will always be there for you and no matter what you need, I will be your everything now, tomorrow and for the rest of our lives together. We are one and we will always be one.” Lowering his lips to lightly touch Cody’s, Dylon whispered, “I will be your light in the darkness, youranchor to this world, and your port in the storm so you’ll always find your way back to me.” Then he pressed his lips against the ones belonging to the one who filled his life with joy and happiness.
