Chapter 181 Vannie's Strongest Brew
The first light of dawn wasn't just a color; it was a promise. As the pack members trailed back from the forest, their skin cooling from the intense heat of the Silver Run, they slipped back into their clothes with the quiet, satisfied movements of wolves who had fed their spirits. The mist clung to the ground in white ribbons, but the atmosphere was anything but cold.
The bonfire had settled into a massive, pulsing heart of white-hot embers, but the party was far from over. Vannie and her kitchen team had moved with military precision, swapping the heavy roasted meats for carafes of steaming, bitter coffee and platters of honey-drizzled pastries that caught the light. Wine still flowed for those who weren't ready to let the magic of the night fade, the deep red liquid shimmering in crystal glasses like liquid rubies against the rising sun.
Caspian and Briar, having caught a second wind while tucked safely against Leela’s side during the run, were now a blur of blue-clad energy. They weren't ready for sleep—they wanted their Daddy. As soon as Fennigan and Jax stepped back into the clearing, their hair damp with sweat and their eyes still carrying the lingering glow of their wolves, the toddlers let out synchronized shrieks of delight.
For the next hour, the fearsome Alpha of the Blackwood and his formidable brother were reduced to human jungle gyms. Caspian climbed Fennigan’s legs like a determined mountain goat, his little fingers digging into the denim of Fenn's jeans. Briar, meanwhile, was demanding "airplanes" from Jax, her high-pitched giggles ringing out over the low, rhythmic murmur of the waking pack. It was a sight that made the battle-hardened warriors of the Whisper Wind smile into their coffee. Only when the toddlers' movements became jerky and their eyelids began to droop did they finally "conk out," slumped like warm, heavy sacks of flour against their fathers' shoulders.
Leela stepped forward, pulling Sarah and Toby into a final, crushing hug. "It was perfect," she whispered, her voice thick with genuine relief and the lingering emotion of the ceremony. "Not a single hitch, not a single shadow. You two deserve every bit of this light."
As the pack began to drift back toward their own cottages, the inner circle made the slow, weary trek back to the main house. The grand hallways were silent, the air cool and still, a sharp contrast to the crackling energy of the clearing. Inside the private living quarters, the four of them—Leela, Fennigan, Ginny, and Jax—found themselves lingering in the kitchen, reluctant to break the spell of the night. The weight of the "Double-Alpha" pregnancies was heavy now, and they all moved with a slow, rhythmic exhaustion that only comes from a heart well-fed.
"I don't think I'll ever forget the smell of the forest tonight," Leela murmured, leaning heavily against the granite counter while Fennigan poured her a glass of water. "The roses, the pine... it reminded me so much of our night, Fenn. Except, you know, I wasn't quite as round as a pumpkin back then."
Fennigan chuckled, wrapping a protective arm around her waist from behind and resting his chin on her shoulder. "You were just as beautiful then as you are now. Though I think I was even more of a nervous wreck than Toby was tonight. I’m pretty sure my heart was trying to exit my chest."
Ginny, perched on a high stool with her feet tucked up to ease the swelling in her ankles, let out a snort and nudged Jax with her elbow. "At least Fennigan spoke actual words. Jax here just prowled around me like I was a particularly interesting piece of steak he was trying to decide how to cook."
Jax smirked, his dark eyes softening as he trapped Ginny’s hand in his own large palm. "I knew what I wanted, Gin. Why waste breath on talking when the bond was screaming loud enough to wake the dead?"
"Oh, please," Ginny teased, her eyes sparkling with that familiar human mischief. "The bond was screaming 'Mine,' but your brain was screaming vanilla and honey. I thought you meant my shampoo so I shouted, 'Target Shampoo, five dollars!' Honestly, Jax, I’m surprised you didn't try to buy me in bulk right then and there."
The kitchen erupted in low, tired laughter. It was a rare, precious moment of pure domestic bliss—four survivors reminiscing about the chaotic, beautiful, and often ridiculous paths that had led them to this kitchen at five in the morning. They were two Alphas and the women who kept them human, standing on the edge of a new day, bolstered by the memory of blue tea roses and the lingering, sweet scent of vanilla shampoo.
It felt as though they had only just closed their eyes—the cool weight of sleep finally settling over them—when the peace was shattered by a tiny, determined hand. Caspian had managed to wiggle out from between his parents and was now perched precariously on Fennigan’s chest, his small fingers clamped onto his father's nose.
He gave a sharp, playful tug, his face splitting into a wide, toothy grin as he let out a peal of toddler laughter.
Fennigan let out a low, mock-threatening growl, his eyes snapping open. The sound, which would have sent a grown warrior running for cover, only caused the twins to erupt into bubbles of giggles. Briar, who had been curled up near the foot of the bed, scrambled up to join the fray, her little hands patting Fennigan’s cheeks as if to make sure he was actually awake.
Leela groaned softly, rolling over and squinting against the bright morning light spilling through the heavy curtains. She watched the chaos for a moment, a tired but radiant smile tugging at her lips.
"It was such a beautiful night, wasn't it, Fenn?" she murmured, her voice still thick with sleep. "Sarah and Toby... they looked so happy. So certain."
Fennigan managed to catch Caspian’s hands, pinning the squirming toddler against his chest. He looked over at Leela, his expression softening as he took in the sight of his wife in the morning glow.
"Yeah," he admitted, his voice a gravelly rumble. "It was perfect. Makes me not want to go down to the study and go through those files Jax found in Vane’s estate. I’d much rather stay right here and be a jungle gym for these two."
Leela’s smile turned a bit bittersweet. She reached out, resting a hand on the curve of her belly where the new pup was already starting to stir. "Well, it was lovely while it lasted... before the ugly came back."
Fennigan leaned over, ignoring Caspian’s attempts to eat his chin, and pressed a lingering kiss to Leela’s forehead. "I know. I'm sorry, Sparky. The world doesn't like to stay quiet for long when you're an Alpha." He took a deep breath, the smell of the forest still clinging to his skin. "Tell you what. Let’s go have some breakfast. We’ll get the twins fed, find where Jax and Ginny are hiding, and enjoy the peace for a few more hours before I have to open those folders."
Leela nodded, sitting up slowly as the twins began a coordinated effort to reclaim the bed. "Deal. But I want the extra-large coffee. Vannie’s strongest brew."
"Done," Fennigan laughed, scooping up a twin in each arm and swinging his legs out of bed. "Let's see if we can make it to the kitchen without waking the rest of the house."