Chapter 142 We Need a Pack Bonfire
While Elana watched the sunlit courtyard from the Great Room windows, the heavy, muffled baritones of the Alpha, his men, and the Elders bled through the thick mahogany doors of the study down the hall.
They had spent the last hour throwing out every possible tactical avenue. Damon had briefly suggested taking the evidence of Vane's underground labs straight to the capital police, but Jax had immediately shot it down—at least one of the highest-ranking commanding officers in the capital was sitting right there on their newly compiled list of corrupt officials. Handing over the evidence would be a death sentence.
Trapped in a political corner, they ultimately made the only strategic choice they could. They would try the legal, diplomatic route first. Fennigan drafted a formal, unyielding notice to the High Council, requesting an immediate summit.
With the missive sent off, there was nothing left to do but wait.
The study doors finally clicked open, releasing the men from the suffocating, dark magic-laced room. The group instantly fractured, desperate to shake off the heavy mantle of war. Jax didn't say a word to anyone; he just turned on his heel and made a beeline straight for the downstairs guest room, needing to lay his eyes on Ginny. Damon let out a weary sigh, gesturing for Elder Thorpe, Horne, and Veda to follow him into the Great Room.
But Fennigan didn't stop walking until he hit the heavy glass doors leading to the courtyard.
The moment the Alpha stepped out into the crisp air and saw his mate sitting in the grass surrounded by their laughing people, the rigid, terrifying tension in his broad shoulders completely shattered. He needed to let it all go. And for the first time in weeks, he actually did.
Fennigan didn't just walk over to Leela; he threw himself directly into the chaotic joy of his pack. He started by joining a wild, breathless game of tag with the younger pups, his deep, rumbling laughter echoing across the lawn as he easily dodged their clumsy attempts to catch him. When he finally let them tag him out, he moved over to the older kids, spending a few focused, encouraging minutes demonstrating a set of complex defensive maneuvers to a wide-eyed Toby and Sarah.
Finally, thoroughly exhausted and completely at peace, the formidable Alpha of Blackwood dropped heavily into the grass right beside Leela.
He stretched his massive frame out on his back, closing his eyes against the warm sun with a contented sigh. It took less than three seconds for Caspian and Briar to abandon their playmates and gleefully launch themselves at their father, immediately turning the deadly warrior into a living, breathing jungle gym.
Back inside the pack house, Elana watched the beautiful, chaotic pile of her son and grandchildren from the Great Room window. She heard the soft thud of a cane against the hardwood floor as Elder Veda stepped up beside her.
The ancient witch leaned heavily on her cane, her sharp, weathered eyes taking in the sight of the Alpha letting his toddlers pull his ears and climb over his chest, all while Leela watched them with a radiant smile.
"Your pack's future has nothing to worry about with those two at the helm," Elder Veda murmured quietly. She turned her head, giving the former Luna a crooked, tired smile that reached all the way to her eyes. She truly, deeply meant it.
As Fennigan lay flat on his back in the grass,he let out a deep, rumbling laugh as Caspian successfully scaled his chest and Briar claimed his left arm as a chew toy.
Beside the chaotic pile of her family, Leela sat with her legs tucked beneath her. She watched the heavy lines of stress completely vanish from her Alpha's face, her heart swelling with an overwhelming, protective love.
"You know what we haven't done in what feels like forever?" Leela asked softly, her eyes tracking a stray breeze as it rustled through the courtyard trees.
Fennigan turned his head in the grass to look at her, his golden eyes bright and attentive even as Caspian tried to squish his nose. "What's that, Sparky?"
"We need to have a bonfire and a massive pack cookout," Leela declared, the idea taking firm root in her mind. "We haven't had a proper one since the babies' welcoming ceremony. We need to let the pack know that, yes, there has been a massive storm of tension brewing inside the house lately, but out here? We are still one big, united family."
Fennigan’s smile softened into something deeply appreciative. "That's a beautiful idea. But what about Ginny? She'll go crazy if she has to hear the party from her bedroom window."
"We bring her out," Leela said simply, a playful, secretive spark lighting up her eyes. "And we put her right here."
Leela shifted her weight, leaning forward to press her bare palm flat against the cool earth. She hadn't truly called upon her elemental gift for anything other than teaching in weeks, but the moment her skin made contact with the soil, the ancient magic surged forward eagerly to meet her.
A soft, emerald-green light pulsed from her fingertips, sinking deep into the root system of the courtyard.
Instantly, the earth responded. Thick, vibrant green vines shot up from the dirt between two massive, ancient oak trees nearby. They moved with unnatural, liquid grace, weaving and twisting over themselves in mid-air until they formed a stunning, perfectly suspended vine hammock. The broad leaves overlapped to create a soft, cushioned bed that swayed gently in the breeze.
It was an exact, perfect replica of the hammock she had inadvertently summoned the very first time Fennigan had taken her to the sacred grove. It was the same magical cradle where they had laid together beneath the stars, and the same hammock that had gently held her while the old magic of the grove healed her body after she was nearly drained at Whisper Wind.
Fennigan stared at the hammock, his breath catching in his chest as the flood of beautiful memories hit him. He reached out, wrapping his large hand around the back of Leela's neck, and pulled her down into the grass with him.
He captured her lips in a deep, sweeping kiss that tasted of the sun and raw devotion, entirely ignoring the twin toddlers who were now trying to crawl over their parents' heads.
"That is a wonderful idea," Fennigan murmured against her mouth, a fierce, loving smile breaking across his face. "It's exactly what we need to get this family's mind off things, even if it's just for one night."
Leela beamed, stealing one more quick, breathless kiss before pulling herself out of his grip and standing up, brushing the dirt from her jeans.
"You watch the babies," she instructed, pointing a playful finger at her fierce, earth-shaking Alpha who was currently pinned down by two toddlers. "I'm going to go talk to your mother and Ginny and get this organized."
"Yes, Luna," Fennigan chuckled, securing a squirming Caspian against his side.
He didn't make a move to get up. He just lay there in the grass, his heart impossibly full, and watched with absolute, unvarnished awe as his beautiful mate walked back toward the pack house to rally their family.