3

I’m exhausted. Even with Caron’s blue juice still buzzing in my veins, the day has drained me. All I want is a quiet dinner and a peaceful evening.

I smile as we reach the dining hall. Scanning past the crowd, I spot Caden, Baylee, Ryan, and May outside, lounging with their wolves.

Baylee’s collection has grown. She now has over ten mated pairs—wolves everywhere. But they’re more than pets. Each pair guards a child, shadowing them around the pack grounds like silent, loyal sentinels.

Drake built them a massive enclosure, meant to separate them from the rest of the pack—but honestly, he didn’t need to. Baylee has trained them so well they wouldn’t touch a soul unless that soul was a threat to us or the kids. It’s strange but beautiful, watching children laugh and play with creatures twice their size, completely safe.

Baylee spots us and breaks into a grin. She bolts toward us, feet flying across the grass.

“Daddy!” she shrieks.

She leaps into Drake’s left arm just as May dives into his right. He growls playfully, pulling both girls up like they weigh nothing, and presses raspberries into their cheeks.

They squeal, thrashing and giggling as his beard scrapes against their skin.

“Mummy, save us! Save us, please!” Baylee cries, laughing breathlessly.

I grab her by the legs and tug, grinning. “Save you? Like this?” I yank harder just as Drake lets go of her. She shrieks—but I’ve got her, legs tight in my grip.

She dangles, gasping. “Mummy! That was so scary! You’re evil!”

I cackle, full witch-mode, and swing her side to side. “Bwahaha! Now I feed you to the wolves!”

“Oh, now you’ve done it,” Drake says, eyes wide with mock horror. “She’s definitely gonna feed you to the wolves.”

As if on cue, Aspen bounds forward and starts licking Baylee’s face and ears.

“Ew! He licked his butt like ten minutes ago, Mummy!” she squeals.

I laugh, yanking her upright and setting her on her feet. “Gross! That’s so nasty.”

I kiss the top of her head. “Hey, monster. Were you good today?”

She nods solemnly. “I’m always good.”

I tug at her cheeks and kiss her nose.

She bats me away, growling, just as Drake sets May down beside her. I smother May’s cheeks in kisses, too.

As usual, she’s streaked in mud, her dress damp and speckled with grass. She lives outside more than in, our wild little wolf-girl.

“And were you a good girl today?” I ask.

Before she can answer, Ryan snorts from behind her. May spins on him, glaring. He ducks his head, barely containing his laughter.

Drake raises an eyebrow, sitting down and pulling me into his lap. “What happened?”

May scratches the back of her head, lips pursing as her dirty, bare feet swing under the table.

“Notting weally. Just a widdle… something or odder,” she says, sneaking a glance at Baylee.

Baylee shrugs. “Don’t worry, sis. She deserved it.”

I blink. “Deserved what?”

Baylee lets out a long, dramatic sigh. “She might’ve pushed bitchy Bianca into the mud when she was being mean to us.”

Drake arches an eyebrow. “Might’ve pushed her?”

His tone is stern, but the gleam in his eyes betrays him. He’s amused.

Bianca’s been a brat from the moment May arrived. Always picking, always pushing. We’ve taught the girls to ignore it—but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t piss us off. If I could toss her into a lion’s den, I might.

“Don’t worry, Daddy,” Baylee says sweetly. “It looked like she fell. Promise.”

“Mmhmm. Was her mum there?”

“Yeah! She thought she twipped!” May giggles, eyes sparkling.

Drake buries his face in my shoulder, shaking with silent laughter.

“She deserved it,” Layla huffs in my head. “A little mud might purify the little thug.”

I grin to myself and glance back at the girls.

“Okay, okay. Let’s not do it again, alright?”

“Otay,” May says, giving me her most innocent smile.

“Good. Now go ask Sarah to help you get cleaned up for dinner.”

She darts toward the playroom, feet leaving little smudges of mud behind.

Baylee turns to Drake with her signature puppy eyes. “Daddy, can you help me feed the wolves?”

“Of course,” he says, already getting up.

“Boys, go to training,” I add. “You’re late. Tell the trainer you were watching the girls and lost track of time.”

Ryan and Caden nod and head out, no complaints.

Craig, however, groans dramatically. He turns to Emma with a pout. “But I just got here…”

“Don’t worry, baby,” she coos. “You train enough.”

Matt snorts, shaking his head as he levels Craig with a sharp stare. His aura starts to pulse, a warning heat building in the air.

“GET. TO. TRAINING. NOW.”

His voice cracks like thunder. His power rushes out in a wave, washing over Craig, who gasps and clutches his throat before bolting for the door.