Chapter 135 Just a Normal Lunch
Down the hall, the doors of the study remained shut until almost noon. Inside, the air had grown stifling and thick with the grim reality of compiling lists of corrupt doctors, traitorous council members, and dark magic sympathizers. They had spent hours mapping out the terrifying scope of Vane's network.
Finally, Fennigan hit a wall. He pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling a long, ragged breath that ruffled the papers on his desk. He looked at the exhausted faces of the Elders, Jax, and his father.
"That's enough for now," the Alpha declared, his deep voice leaving absolutely no room for argument. He pushed his chair back and stood up, "I need a bright side to my day before I lose my mind entirely. We aren't having another word of this talk until after I've eaten and cleared my head."
Leaving study behind, Fennigan strode down the hallway. The moment he pushed open the door to Ginny’s guest room, the weight on his chest instantly began to lift.
He was immediately met with the bright warmth of the women's laughter and a chorus of enthusiastic, squeals.
"Dadadada! Dadadada!" Caspian and Briar chanted in unison. They scrambled over the quilts the second they saw him, their little arms reaching out toward the doorway.
Fennigan’s tight jaw finally relaxed into a genuine smile. He walked over to the bed, his eyes finding Leela’s. Through the mate bond, she could immediately feel the heavy, jagged edges of his morning, the dark stress vibrating just beneath his skin.
"Can we just get some air before lunch?" Fennigan asked her softly, his voice stripped of all its Alpha command, leaving only the tired mate and father underneath.
He reached down and easily scooped Briar up into his left arm, burying his face briefly in her soft, lavender-scented curls. Then, he looked down at Caspian. The little boy was practically vibrating with excitement, though his cheeks, nose, and chin were still thoroughly crusted in dried, yellow scrambled eggs from his earlier breakfast battle.
Fennigan let out a startled chuckle at the ridiculous sight. Without hesitation, he bent down and scooped the sticky, egg-covered toddler into his right arm, pulling both twins securely against his broad chest.
Leela stood up from the edge of the mattress, a slightly concerned look crossing her beautiful features. She studied the tired lines around his eyes, instinctively reaching out to rest a comforting hand on his forearm.
"Sure," Leela said softly. "Let's go get some air."
He led them to the large, weathered wooden porch swing suspended at the far end of the deck. They sat down together, the heavy metal chains groaning a familiar, rhythmic protest under his massive weight. Leela settled comfortably into the corner, while Fennigan took up the lion's share of the seat beside her.
Between them, they situated the twins. Leela held Briar securely on her lap, while Fennigan propped a still-slightly-sticky Caspian on his knee. Positioned so they were facing each other, the babies immediately picked up their twin-babble conversation right where they had left off on Ginny's bed, exchanging very serious squeals and animated hand gestures.
Leela watched the babies for a moment, a soft smile playing on her lips, before she shifted her perceptive gaze up to her mate. Even out here in the sunlight, the dark shadows of the morning's war council still clung to the exhausted lines around his eyes.
"So, spill it," Leela prompted gently, her voice cutting softly through the babies' happy chatter.
Fennigan let his head fall back against the wooden slats of the swing, closing his eyes as he let out a long, ragged exhale. He gently set his hand swaying, setting the swing into a slow, rocking rhythm. The sheer exhaustion of leading a fractured world momentarily caught up with him.
"There's really nothing to spill," Fennigan murmured, his voice a low, gravelly rumble that vibrated through the wooden seat. He opened his eyes, turning his head to look at her and the two beautiful, babbling children between them. His fierce, hardened gaze softened entirely, melting into pure, unadulterated devotion.
"I just needed to get rid of the stench of all that death for a minute," Fennigan admitted. He reached across the small space, his fingers gently tracing the soft line of her jaw before resting warmly against her neck. "And I needed to see my three favorite wolves in the entire universe."
They let the wooden swing rock for just a little while longer, the rhythmic creak of the metal chains serving as a soothing metronome against the quiet rustle of the surrounding trees. Fennigan closed his eyes, soaking in the crisp air, the warmth of his mate pressed against his side, and the happy, innocent babbles of his children. He knew the stuffy, oppressive air of the study was waiting for him. He knew the horrible, gruesome realities of Vane's treason still had to be dragged into the light. But for these few stolen minutes, he was just a man holding his entire world.
When the chill finally started to creep through Leela's sweater, they decided it was time to head back inside. But by an unspoken, ironclad agreement, this meal was going to be completely, unapologetically normal. No war talk. No Council business. Just the pack.
To keep the peace, they naturally divided the house. Elder Thorpe, Horne, and Veda were ushered into the private family kitchen to eat with Elana and Damon, keeping the heavy political tension isolated away from the rest of the members. Jax, unsurprisingly, had already loaded up a massive tray of food and disappeared back into the downstairs guest room to eat with Ginny, more than happy to escape the elders' company.
That left Fennigan and Leela to head straight into the bustling main dining hall with the twins.
The moment they stepped through the double doors, the lively, comforting hum of the pack washed over them. And immediately, Caspian and Briar were in their absolute happiest element. The pack descended with bright smiles and eager hands, and the twins didn't protest for a single second as they were scooped up and happily passed around the long wooden tables.
They were the undeniable pride of the pack, and they were treated like tiny royalty. Caspian happily gnawed on a piece of soft roasted chicken offered by a seasoned guard, while Briar sat on the lap of an older omega, completely delighted as she was fed tiny, sweet pieces of fruit. They went from lap to lap, soaking up the endless affection and getting a little bite of something delicious from every single person they visited.
Freed from wrangling two very active toddlers, Fennigan and Leela finally got to sit down side-by-side at the head table. They filled their own plates, their shoulders dropping as the beautiful normalcy of the moment settled over them. Between bites of warm food, they simply smiled, their hands resting together over Leela's knee as they watched their children be loved by the family they had fought so hard to protect.