Chapter 242 I Don't Know Yet
Fennigan stepped fully into the room right behind his mate, his massive frame filling the doorway. He crossed his arms over his broad chest, a wicked, teasing glint flashing in his glowing silver eyes as he looked at the two guards managing his sticky toddlers.
"So," Fennigan drawled, his deep voice rumbling with pure amusement as he nodded toward the domestic scene on the couch. "Are you and Sarah ready for pups of your own yet?"
Toby, the towering, battle-hardened Gamma who had unflinchingly faced down rogue wolves and executed a traitor just the night before, instantly froze. A furious, bright shade of red crept rapidly up his thick neck and completely swallowed his face.
"We've... uh," Toby stammered, his eyes widening in panic as he suddenly found the picture book in his lap incredibly fascinating. He cleared his throat nervously, avoiding his Alpha's gaze. "We've not really talked about it, sir."
Beside him, Sarah looked up from Briar and burst out laughing. The bright, genuine sound echoed in the cozy room, completely shattering her usual stoic guard demeanor.
"Not yet," Sarah chuckled, her eyes sparkling with affectionate humor. She gently patted Briar's back, leaning back against the couch cushions. "But I don't know... I think I'm kind of getting the hang of things."
Toby snapped his head toward her so fast his neck practically cracked. He stared at his mate in absolute, wide-eyed shock, completely blindsided by the admission.
Sarah just offered him a playful, nonchalant shrug, a small, knowing smile pulling at the corners of her lips as she met Toby's stunned gaze. "I don't know yet," she teased softly, entirely enjoying the sheer panic radiating off the big Gamma.
Fennigan threw his head back and let out a booming laugh that shook the room, while Leela leaned against his chest, her own musical giggles mingling with the happy babbles of the twins. It was the perfect, grounding end to a terrifying twenty-four hours. The absolute, unshakeable joy of their pack was the ultimate shield against the dark, and they were ready for whatever tomorrow would bring.
Toby was still completely frozen, his wide eyes locked on Sarah as his heavily trained brain short-circuited trying to process the sudden idea of fatherhood.
Caspian, however, was not interested in waiting for the massive Gamma to reboot.
The little boy had found another fascinating animal in the picture book. He pointed a chubby finger excitedly at the page, babbling a loud, demanding string of toddler gibberish. When Toby didn't immediately look down to praise his discovery, Caspian took matters into his own hands.
With absolute, innocent precision, the little boy reached up to get Toby's attention. He firmly patted the towering guard squarely on the cheek—using the exact same hand that was currently gripping his half-eaten peanut butter sandwich.
Smack.
A thick, gooey glob of peanut butter and smashed bread immediately plastered itself right against Toby's stunned, red-hot face.
The room went dead silent for exactly one second.
Toby slowly blinked, the sticky sandwich still pressed firmly against his jawline. He didn't dare move a muscle. His eyes slowly shifted from his mate down to the toddler sitting happily in his lap. Caspian just grinned back, entirely proud of himself, and pointed a sticky finger back at the book, completely unbothered by the absolute mess he’d just made of the fierce Blackwood warrior.
Fennigan absolutely lost it.
The Alpha threw his head back and let out a booming, chest-rattling roar of laughter that echoed through the entire first floor. Sarah completely lost her composure, doubling over on the couch with a loud snort as she tried and failed to muffle her giggles into Briar’s curls. Leela buried her face against Fennigan’s chest, her shoulders shaking with pure, unadulterated hilarity.
"Well," Fennigan gasped, wiping a tear of mirth from his silver eyes as he looked at the sticky, utterly defeated guard. "If you can handle a surprise peanut butter facial without flinching, Gamma, I'd say you're definitely ready for fatherhood."
Toby just let out a long, heavy sigh, completely accepting his gooey fate.
"Yes, Alpha," Toby muttered deadpan, not daring to wipe his face as Caspian continued to happily babble at him. "Understood, sir."
The next morning dawned crisp and bright, but the Blackwood packhouse had been awake long before the sun crested the horizon.
The air across the expansive main grounds was thick and mouth-watering, heavy with the rich, savory smoke of the slow-roasting boars and venison that Vannie’s kitchen staff had been tending to since the night before. Out on the sprawling lawns, three massive, towering structures of stacked timber stood ready, waiting for nightfall to be set ablaze.
It looked exactly like what it was supposed to be: the ultimate, joyous celebration of a new Beta heir.
By mid-morning, the deep, rhythmic crunch of heavy tires on the long gravel driveway signaled the beginning of the invasion. The first of the allied caravans had officially crossed the Blackwood borders.
A line of sleek, dark SUVs pulled up to the grand front entrance of the packhouse. The Blackwood pack operated like a well-oiled machine. A line of neatly dressed, highly efficient house Omegas was already waiting on the sweeping front steps. Fennigan and Elana had specifically designated them to act as the perfect, welcoming hosts, instructed to seamlessly intercept the incoming Alphas and their entourages and guide them directly to the expansive guest wings located at the quiet back of the packhouse.
The doors of the lead SUV opened, and Alpha Draven stepped out.
He was a formidable, broad-shouldered man with a commanding presence, his sharp gaze instantly sweeping over the massive packhouse and the party preparations. But the tense, Alpha-level energy he brought was immediately softened as the back doors opened.
His daughter, Flynn, stepped out into the crisp morning air, stretching her legs with a bright, excited smile. Right behind her was Liam. The baker looked entirely out of place among the heavily armed guards that made up Draven's security detail, but he happily grabbed Flynn’s hand, his eyes widening in awe at the sheer scale of the Blackwood estate and the massive roasting spits in the distance.
"Welcome to the Blackwood pack, Alpha Draven," the lead house Omega greeted warmly, stepping forward with a respectful dip of her head. She gestured smoothly toward the sprawling corridors leading away from the main foyer. "If you and your family will follow us, we have the guest wings prepared for you at the back of the house to settle in before the festivities begin."
Draven gave a curt, appreciative nod, allowing the Omegas to take charge of their luggage and lead his daughter and her mate toward their rooms. However, the allied Alpha lingered behind for a fraction of a second in the grand foyer, his sharp eyes scanning the bustling, party-prepping crowd.
He was looking for Fennigan. Draven knew this wasn't just a bonfire, and he was ready to get to work.