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Waking up early, Dakota smiled as he listened to the even breathing of Slate—enjoying the quietness of a morning without having to rush to get breakfast started. He felt so decadent the last few days; he could sleep late and enjoy a morning blow job or a fuck with his mate before taking a long shower where more sex was always on the agenda. But it was coming to an end—his pack needed him.
With all the changes Slate told him about last night at dinner, Dakota was especially grateful for his gift since he knew it would have been impossible for him to handle the additional feelings from the new pack members that would join them. And he was eager to have Theo back so they could continue their cooking lessons; he’d need his help during the last months of his pregnancy. His hand moved down to his belly and rested over their bean, amazed at his feeling of protectiveness for something that didn’t even look like anything yet. But there it was—like it had always been part of him—so strong and growing stronger still.
“Dakota?” Slate asked, his raspy voice igniting his mate’s desire.
“Good morning, mate,” Dakota murmured.
“Is it time to get up?”
“Nope, go back to sleep, babe. We have plenty of time before breakfast.”
“Love you,” Slate whispered, before drifting off again.
“Love you, too.” Dakota listened as his mate’s breathing became slow and even. His thoughts then wandered back to the many decisions he and Slate would have to make starting with what day he wanted off, what suite they’d choose, and where the nursery would go. Then they had to see Colton and Ian when they came back so he could get a check-up to make sure their bean was okay. And the list went on, but Dakota wasn’t concerned because his mate was an expert at handling all of it. All Dakota had to worry about was keeping his kitchen stocked and figuring out what to cook each day.
Moving back against Slate, Dakota loved feeling his mate’s naked body against his. The warmth emanating from Slate caused Dakota to feel sleepy again. Closing his eyes halfway, he inhaled his mate’s rich scent that reminded him of his mother, but this time the grief he’d suffered since the massacre was more muted, softer, with rounded edges that could no longer cut him. And that’s when he realized he could remember some of their fun times, memories previously lost by being cursed with always having to feel his father’s hatred. Smiling as he fell asleep, his dreams were filled with happy memories of his childhood and his mother—stitching back together the part of his heart that had been torn when he learned of her death.
Chapter 31
When breakfast was nearly over, Jackson couldn’t wait to show off Daniel’s newest achievement. Rapping the edge of his knife against the water glass, he waited until he had everyone’s attention. “This morning, when Steel walked into our son’s nursery, he was greeted by Daniel. Care to know what my son’s first word was?”
Cody looked at Dylon and mouthed the word ‘shit’ which caused his mate to chuckle.
Jackson saw his brother’s exchange with Dylon and said, “Is that your guess, Cody?”
“What did he say?” asked Zane.
“Did you know we have a pool on it?” asked Carson. “My bet was ‘fuck’.”
“I had ‘damn’,” announced Zane. “Cody picked ‘shit’. Colton’s was ‘crap’. Logan had…damn whatdidLogan have?”
“He had ‘asshole’,” Carson said.
Steel looked at Dakota. “Did you have an iron in this fire?”
Sheepishly, Dakota nodded.
“What did you pick?” asked Slate.
Dakota glanced at Jackson who wasn’t looking happy and he knew right then, he’d lost the bet. Trying to avoid listening to his brothers tease him for his choice, Dakota said, “It doesn’t matter.”
Snorting, Zane exclaimed, “Dakota picked…are you ready for this…‘dada’.”
“Really?” asked Jackson, “Why did you pick that word?”
Dakota’s cheeks turned red with embarrassment. He looked down at his plate, and said, “When I was researching what formula I should make for Daniel, I came across an article about how babies learn to talk. It said the first word is usually ‘da’ or ‘dada’ because it’s the easiest sound to make. So that’s what I picked, but obviously the article didn’t take into account a pup living with all of us.”
“Before I announce the winner, what was the bet for?”
“The winner could order any loser to do something for him,” Zane answered. “So who won?”
Jackson grinned at his brothers, then pointed to Steel. “Daniel, who’s that?”
“Dada. Dada. Dada,” Daniel said, waving his arms up and down, bouncing on Jackson’s lap.
Steel smiled at his son, then said, “Congratulations Dakota, you won!”
