Chapter 311 My Monsters
Ginny’s eyes fluttered open, her lashes dark against her pale cheeks. She blinked, looking from the doctor to the Alphas with a sleepy, confused smile. "What are you all doing?" she asked, her voice a soft rasp. "Staring at me while I sleep? You’re going to give a girl a complex."
Before anyone could answer, the sound of bright, infectious giggling echoed down the hallway, followed by the frantic slap-slap-slap of small feet on the polished floor.
Sarah, a young guard with a vibrant energy that always seemed to lift the pack’s spirits, came bursting in behind them. She had been a constant fixture in the nursery, helping Leela navigate the early days of the twins before she’d found her own mate, Toby. Though she was newly mated and secretly carrying a little one of her own, she wasn't showing yet, but she moved with that protective, maternal glow that only other mothers seemed to notice.
"Momma!"
Caspian and Briar, now fourteen months old and full of mischief, ignored everyone else. They barreled toward Leela’s legs as fast as their toddling strides would carry them, nearly toppling each other over in their race to reach her.
Sarah skidded to a halt, her face flushed from the chase. Her eyes widened as she took in the full room—especially the unfamiliar faces of the Chatmorys. "Oh! Sorry, Leela... Fen... Jax," she panted, brushing a stray hair from her face. "I tried to keep them in the playroom, but they heard voices. They were adamant... they wanted to see Ginny."
Ginny’s smile widened, her heart clearly melting at the sight of the twins. She adjusted the heavy, nine-pound bundle in her arms, shifting so Caspian and Briar could see the tiny face peeking out from the blanket.
"Oh, I see how it is," Ginny teased, her voice light despite her exhaustion. "You guys just want to see the new baby, huh? Aunt Ginny is chopped liver now?"
Caspian reached up, his small fingers patting the edge of the bed, while Briar peered curiously at Iggy, her head tilted in that perfect imitation of Leela’s inquisitive stare.
"Baby," Briar whispered, her eyes wide.
Leela scooped up Caspian, settling him on her hip while she smoothed Briar’s hair. The presence of the children seemed to push back the shadows of the High Council, reminding everyone in the room exactly what—and who—they were fighting for.
Sloane watched the scene from the corner, her expression softening. She had spent years thinking of these people as "monsters," but seeing the Alpha King’s children giggling and a young guard blushing as she chased them made the "supernatural world" feel a lot more like a family.
"He’s a big boy, isn't he?" Sarah remarked, stepping closer to look at Iggy. She hadn't heard the medical talk yet; she only saw a healthy, albeit massive, newborn. "He’s going to be a bruiser, Jax. He looks just like you."
Jax’s expression shifted, his lethal edge softening into something fiercely proud yet underscored by the hidden truth of the doctor’s report. He stepped toward Ginny, resting a hand on her shoulder. "He’s a Blackwood," Jax rumbled. "He was always going to be a handful."
The room felt lighter for a fleeting moment, the innocent curiosity of the twins acting as a shield against the grim reality of the Council's shadows. But the urgency of the situation remained, humming beneath the surface like a live wire.
"Alright, now I suggest we get to work, Doctor," Fennigan said, his voice regaining its authoritative depth. He bent down, pressing a lingering, tender kiss to Leela’s temple—a silent promise of protection—before offering a respectful nod to the others. "Ginny. Mrs. Chatmory."
As he turned to leave, his golden eyes landed on Sarah. A slight, teasing laugh escaped him as he took in the young guard's flushed, happy face. "Sarah, if you think having your own is going to get you and Toby off the hook for watching my monsters, then you better think again."
Sarah laughed, shifting her weight and shaking her head with a bright, defiant smile. "I'll always want them around, Fenn. Even after our little one is here."
"We'll see," he laughed, the sound deep and genuine. He gestured toward Caspian and Briar, who were currently trying to figure out how to poke Iggy’s tiny toes without getting caught. "My monsters will be egging yours on in a few years. Iggy, too. You’re doomed," he teased, his eyes flashing with a bit of the old, mischievous Alpha he’d been before the crown.
Jax let out a grunt that might have been a chuckle, his hand still resting protectively on Ginny’s shoulder. "She's right, though. The pack is only getting bigger. More trouble to keep track of."
Sloane watched the interaction, her arms no longer wrapped tightly around her chest. Seeing the Alpha King tease a guard about babysitting was a jarring contrast to the cold, clinical violence of the High Council. It wasn't the "monstrous" hierarchy she had imagined; it was a village.
Elias straightened his glasses, feeling the weight of the encrypted drive in his pocket. He looked at Ginny, then at the twins, and finally at his wife. The fear was still there, but it was being pushed aside by a desperate need to preserve this—this strange, fierce, and surprisingly warm world.
"Lead the way, Alpha," Elias said, his voice steady. "The sooner I get into that data, the sooner we can figure out how to protect all these 'monsters' of yours."
Fennigan nodded, his expression turning serious as he stepped into the hallway. "Jax, you’re with us. Leela, keep the kids close. Sarah, you’re on the inner door. No one gets in or out of this wing without my direct say-so."
The playfulness vanished, replaced by the strategic mind of a King. As the men moved toward the lab, the sound of the twins' giggling followed them out—a reminder of exactly why the truth on that drive mattered more than any doctor's oath Elias had ever taken.