Chapter 406: [Bonus chapter]A family of rabbits and tigers
He was sitting on the bed, one pup on each knee. He was talking with them while waiting for Lara to get ready.
«Do I look like a rabbit?» she inquired, turning.
All three wolves opened their mouths wide. They had watched her while she was getting ready, but the final effect left them speechless all the same. Her white gown, long to the ground, had large sleeves and looked soft. She was even more delicate than usual, and the bunny ear awoke something within Nate\'s heart.
«So, I thought... As a family, we should... Uhm... We could...» she stuttered, trying to find the right words. But... How to convince Nate?
He was an Alpha and the successful CEO of a company. There was no way he would wear animal ears. Especially given his wolf nature.
Maybe, she should give up...
«Yes?» Nate said, tilting his head. His mate was so nervous, all of a sudden. Was she worried about something?
«You can also wear these!» she added without a break. The words flew on her tongue, and she regretted a single moment after saying them.
«Sure!» Nate replied, happy. She was holding a headband with a pair of black ears.
«I figured you wouldn\'t like something as coloured as a tiger\'s ears, so I found those... They\'re supposed to be panther\'s ears... And it kind of suits you...»
Nate nodded, agreeing. Since her concern turned out to be so mundane, he returned to watching her, together with the pups. Seeing her with those ears made him want to growl. But the kids were there, so it was better to delay his intentions for after the party.
«Rabbit ears suit you,» he said.
«Right?» Scarlet added, grabbing Nate\'s shirt not to fall down in all that excitement. «My mommy is just like a rabbit!»
«She\'s beautiful,» Nate agreed.
«My mommy is so yummy! We have to protect her from the others!» she continued.
«Yu-yummy?» Nate stuttered. He was thinking the same, more or less, but he surely had different intentions than Scarlet.
«She makes me feel hungry,» Scarlet sighed. «Seeing bunnies makes me want to eat them. And you?»
«Oh, yes...» he sighed.
He picked up his two pups and carried them out in search of a snack. His girl was hungry: it was an emergency.
Lara chuckled while following her family.
«There are snacks at the party,» she said. «So much that not even Scarlet can eat
«Oh, smart,» Nate agreed. His wife sure knew how to organise a party for kids.
Like that, like a family of four different animals, they reached the hall. They met Roxy on the way, wearing a simple black dress and a pearl necklace.
«Oh,» she said, noticing the pups.
Her eyes swept over Nate\'s panther ears, but she didn\'t flinch. It had been Lara\'s idea, hadn\'t it?
«Roar!» Scarlet said.
«How cute!» Roxy reacted. Couldn\'t there be something cuter than a little tiger pretending to be dangerous?
«Cute?» Scarlet repeated, dumbfounded. She pursed her lips, and her cheeks became rounder when she tried hiding her angry expression.
She had exchanged costumes with Jaden so she could be cool, yet she was being called... cute!
She waited for Nate to let her walk on her own feet and ran away to her friends. She had to check with them whether she was dangerous enough.
«Hello,» Jaden said, waving to Roxy. He clenched Nate\'s trousers with his tiny fingers and didn\'t move away.
«Oh,» Roxy sighed. The blonde pup was even cuter. But, seeing the reaction of the first one, she didn\'t dare say anything.
«You can go play with your friends, Jaden,» Nate said.
«But I want to stay with you, dad. I can play later.»
«We can be together after the party. Your friends will go home, on the other hand...»
«Oh, right,» he said. Still, he didn\'t move away.
Nate chuckled, shaking his head. Lara was managing the last details of the party, checking the stocks for the evening as well. Scarlet was playing with her friends, roaring at everyone who would glance at her in the wrong way. Jaden stayed by Nate\'s side in silence. He was so well-behaved that Nate felt a little guilty for calling them beasts in his mind.
But he needed to find a good solution before going on holiday. His mother would have kept the kids for an afternoon or a few hours, but not for whole days.
Roxy had her own kids to take care of, even though Bass was racing after their younger daughter and keeping the others under watch.
Nate saw he also had animal ears and felt a little less awkward about them. Not that he minded, though: Lara had asked him, so he would wear those until she decided it had been enough.
«Dad,» Jaden called him.
Nate lowered his gaze and patiently waited for his request.
«Will aunty Sam come, too?» he asked.
Nate sighed.
«No, she will not.»
«But I miss her!»
«Hmm...» Nate hummed. «She can\'t come here to the party, but you will meet her soon.»
He then smiled, relieved. He had just found the solution to their problem. Everyone would have been happy like that!
He just had to make a phone call and check whether it was feasible, but he could leave the pups to Samantha. She was building a pack, true, but she would be happy to play with her niece and nephew.
«Very, very soon,» he repeated.
«Really?» Jaden said, his eyes smiling content. «I can\'t wait!»
«Really,» Nate confirmed, chuckling. It was a pity that Samantha was in another pack, but it didn\'t mean they had to cut any link. They were still family.