Chapter 84

Aurora

Lily Opal Knight, Dawn Emerald Knight, and Jax Hunter Knight.

I hold them all three in my lap, my wolf ready to pounce and lick each of their faces separately, lovingly, so desperate to be their favorite admirer in all forms possible. I lean back in bed, cradling each sleeping child in my tired, limp arms.

I haven’t been able to do much since the fight it took to give birth, and I’ve been out of my mind ever since. I have even sworn to hear Luke’s voice outside the hut, especially when Jaxson pounces to go to the kitchen or any other reason he has given when leaving the bedroom. I relish when he returns, aiding me in the smallest of acts that truly make me feel thankful to have a mate like him by my side.

He never fails to hold me when I feel the nagging after-ache of what my body has been through, and he helps me rest in the shower, letting the warm water drown over my body when I need a break from my otherwise, perfect angels. I patiently wait for his return now, seeing him bare three bottles tucked under one arm, a bowl of oatmeal in his other hand.

Jaxson works on getting the troops lined up for breakfast, or lunch, or whatever hour it has become now. I’ve lost track of day and night and I don’t care what it is at this rate. I just hope that Jaxson can handle all three at once. I need to relax, my body sore while I kick back in bed and take the oatmeal, the smell of cinnamon filling the room instantly.

“Fussy little pups,” Jaxson hums, Lily, the smallest of the bunch, kicking her little legs like she intends to break out of her pink onesie and make a grand escape away from her bottle. “Come on, princess, I know you want it,” Jaxson coos.

I blush, hiding a grin. He looks up at me expectantly.

“Well, what do you have in mind?”

“Dip it in sugar,” I say, shrugging.

Jaxson looks at the only bottle not taken by a pup at this point and hurries off to the kitchen, returning with Lily in one arm, his hand stroking a bottle as she clings to it like her little, precious life depends on it.

“You are wise, sweetheart,” Jaxson hums, shaking his head as he holds such a small, fragile child in his arms, admiring the other two that calmly suck on their bottles without a fuss. “Of course it’s my mother’s namesake that gives me the most trouble.”

I crack a smile, setting aside my oatmeal to reach for little Jax as he fumbles with his bottle. Jaxson manages to set him straight, giving me a sharp look and pointing to my bowl of oatmeal until I grab it and take another few hefty bites.

“You focus on yourself for five minutes, sweetheart. Please,” he groans. I ultimately nod, my head spinning. “Thank you, Aurora. These pups may be needy, but they need you above all else. I have to make sure you are in getting some rest while I worry about these little ones.”

“I’m fine,” I gasp, trying to sound convincing.

I stretch, my bones cracking and my body so damn tired. My wolf whines in my head. We haven’t been able to shift since before I got pregnant and since then I have been on edge, needing the release of adrenaline to puncture my bloodstream once again.

My mate isn’t buying my claims at all. “If you’re up for it, sweetheart, then go for it. I know you’ve been craving to shift for a long time. I think it would be good for you.”

I look down at my babies, so sweet and attached to my every limb. “I can’t leave them.”

“I’ll be here,” he says, firm.

I can spot the concern in his eyes from here. “What if you need help?”

“I’ll figure it out, Aurora. I am an Alpha, after all.”

I raise a single brow in his direction.

He rolls his eyes in response. “Just don’t make it a long run, and I’ll keep this ship from sinking until then.” He gives me a hopeful grin. I reciprocate.

I give in at last and stand, finally free of bed. My legs are weak, my body sore as I force myself to walk on such unsteady legs. I feel like a young duckling, figuring out how to walk in a straight line without collapsing over, even if I come close to doing so anyways.

Jaxson meets me upright, holding Lily in his cradling arms. She has already started to fight the bottle back out of her mouth. I kiss him quick, brushing a soothing touch over her little cheek, leaving the other two with a simple blow of a kiss before I make my escape.

My toes hit the sand and I can see it is night time over the Dawn pack. My eyes adjust to the moon above, full and powerful as always. I stretch first, feeling my body creak like an old house in a heavy wind. My mouth is dry and my wolf is buzzing, wasting no time before I burst outward, full of energy from the sudden shift.

My paws sink into the beach. My wolf is clear white, luminating under the full moon, and I allow it to shine over my back while I take off down the shore, kicking up the wet sand behind me, the cold water splashing with every push of a sprint. I am already exhausted in seconds but I don’t let it slow me down. I speed up, pushing faster, further, and needing every ounce of this run to tame my racing thoughts once and for all.

I feel so exalted, so free, that when I finally stop running, I collapse and shift back at the same time, skidding through the damp sand and feeling the cold ocean lap a wave or two over my bare back. I suck in a deep, sharp breath and release it with the mirrored ebbs of the waves beside me. I feel so in tune with the moon goddess for the first time in a long time.

I hear steps, anticipating Jaxson to come rushing over with at least one of the pups, maybe two, already tired of being outnumbered. Looking up, my assumption is wrong, my mind playing tricks on me for sure.

“Aurora,” Luke says, his head tipping downward at the sight of me, “it’s good to see you.”

I cock my head, obviously dreaming, my mind wandering in different places at different times, almost weightlessly floating through the air with no end in sight. I aim to stand, far to weak to do so, forcing my vision to straighten up as I finally look up to meet those old, familiar eyes of my best friend.

“I thought you were gone forever,” I say, breathless.

Luke gives me a lazy shrug, looking off in the distance, his eyes finding the dark, silhouette figures that walk down the shore in the distance. I meet his gaze, following it to the dark shore so far out of my eye sight that I practically just see shaded dots moving in the distance.

“Wha—Who is that?”

I panic, trying to stand, worried that royals or rogues are off in the distance, here to hurt my small family. I stumble, Luke reaching for my arm. I snap away from his grasp, feeling so dizzy in this hectic moment that I can’t help but panic.

Jaxson! Jaxson!

Yes, sweetheart, what’s wrong?!

I stare off in the distance, trying to make it to my feet but failing each time, my wolf and I so confused and tired from our run that it feels like I’m running in place.

Luke is here, Jaxson, and there’s people coming for the pack—I don’t know—they’re—they’re—

Relax, sweetheart, he hums into my mind. I know who they are they.

Who?

Your family.