Chapter 136 Fatherhood
Chapter 136 Fatherhood
Six Weeks Later
Rian
The temple grounds glow beneath a canopy of golden lanterns strung between ancient stone columns and flowering trees, their light mingling with the brilliance of the full moon above. The same temple where Bailey and I once stood to be bound together now buzzes with life and laughter as wolves from every allied pack gather in celebration, the air rich with music, food, and the pulse of peace that feels almost unreal after everything we’ve survived.
I stand close to Bailey with Jericho nestled securely in her arms, his tiny body swaddled in soft fabric as he sleeps through the noise. Six weeks old, and already he feels like he has always been here, like the world before him is something I can barely remember.
Bailey adjusts him against her chest, and I watch the slow rise and fall of his breathing.
“He’s completely ignoring the fact that there’s an entire festival happening around him,” I murmur, watching as Jericho sleeps through the loud noises without so much as a flinch.
Bailey glances down at him with a smile. “He’s learning from you already. You can sleep through anything.”
“I resent that implication.”
“You snore through political meetings.”
“Those meetings are long.”
She laughs, and I lean closer to brush a kiss against her temple, letting my hand rest lightly against Jericho’s back. Every time I touch him, there’s still a part of me that expects to wake up from a dream.
Fatherhood still feels unreal.
The sound of approaching footsteps pulls us both from the moment, and I turn to see Alpha Morris arriving with Luna Ingrid at his side. They’re each holding a twin in their arms.
Morris stops beside us and immediately shakes his head as he looks at Jericho. “Enjoy that while it lasts,” he says, nodding toward the sleeping baby. “Because mine have learned how to crawl, and for Moon Goddess’s sake, they’re fast.”
“One of them just tried to eat a candle,” Ingrid adds casually, as if it’s a common occurrence.
Bailey laughs softly, careful not to jostle Jericho. “They sound busy.”
“They’re not just busy. They’re dangerous,” Morris corrects immediately, then he softens as the twin he’s holding tries to squirm out of his arms.
Just then, Alpha Quentin and Luna Rowena join us, and Quentin immediately focuses on Jericho with the kind of intensity usually reserved for battlefield strategy. He leans forward, as if assessing him, and then nods once like he has come to an important conclusion.
“He’ll be a strong warrior,” Quentin says.
Bailey tilts her head. “He’s six weeks old.”
“Exactly. Get this kid into the training yard,” he jokes.
Rowena laughs. “Quentin, he can’t even sit up on his own yet.”
Jericho stirs slightly at their voices but relaxes again, and Quentin immediately points at him as if this proves his argument. “See? He reacted. He wants to spar.”
“For Goddess’s sake, he just yawned,” Rowena corrects him.
Jareth and Vivian arrive just in time to hear the exchange, and Vivian smiles as she looks between them. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen someone argue over a baby before.”
“She started it,” Quentin says, smiling.
The laughter around us builds naturally as more leaders and their mates join the circle, the gathering growing into something that feels less like a political alliance and more like a family forged through shared survival.
Finn and Brielle arrive carrying gifts, and Finn immediately greets me with a firm clasp of the shoulder before looking down at Jericho with pride.
“He’s doing well,” Finn says.
Brielle hands me a carefully wrapped bundle. “Books for when he’s older, but you can always read them to him now.”
Bailey’s expression brightens. “That’s perfect. Thank you so much, Brielle.”
Finn nods seriously. “I contributed to the selection.”
“That’s concerning,” I say.
“What? They’re very educational,” he insists.
“I’m sure they are,” I reply.
Bailey looks at me for a moment as I stare at our son. “You’re doing that thing again,” she says.
I don’t look away from Jericho. “What thing?”
“That thing where it looks like you can’t believe he’s real.”
I sigh. “I still can’t.”
“Me neither,” she admits.
Eventually, I step forward to give my welcome speech, with Bailey at my side and Jericho in her arms. I take a moment to look at everyone gathered beneath the lantern light before I speak.
“Thank you all for being here,” I begin. “Six weeks ago, Bailey and I welcomed our son, Jericho Gray, into the world.”
A cheer rises at his name, and I wait for it to settle before continuing. “He carries a name tied to the moon, to our legacy, and to the future of Silverhide. But before any of that, he is simply our son, and he was born into something I never thought I would have the chance to build. He was born into a world held together by all of you,” I continue, my gaze moving across the gathered allies. “People who have fought beside us, have stood with us, and who have chosen unity over division more times than I can count. Whatever Jericho becomes in the future, he will never grow up alone.”
A warmth spreads through my chest as I glance at Bailey and Jericho for a brief moment before returning to the crowd. “Tonight isn’t just about celebrating him. It’s about what we’ve all built together. Something stronger than fear. Stronger than war. Something that finally feels like peace.”
Thomas hands me a glass of wine, and I lift it. “To Jericho Gray.”
The response is immediate and thunderous, with voices rising together in a single unified toast that echoes off the temple stone. Jericho stirs at the sound but only briefly, resting again against Bailey as if even the world’s celebration can’t disturb him for long.
I return to her side and wrap an arm around both of them, watching as the lanterns sway overhead and the allied packs continue to celebrate what we’ve built.
As Bailey finds a seat, I fix her a plate and bring it to her, taking my sleeping son while she eats, and I thank the Moon Goddess for blessing me with such a beautiful family.