No Laughing Matter.

Chapter 25

a/n just a little slice of life chapter for our alpha couple and children. sorry for the long delay life is kicking my ass at the moment.

It has been four days since the mages set out to retrieve the body that Epiales would be going into, my body had been a nervous wreck and rundown the whole time they had been gone, I was worried something was going to go wrong and that we would be disappointed. Epiales said that he was making sure in his own way nothing would happen and I wasn't sure what he meant by that, but I trusted him.

I had been keeping myself busy by playing with my children and having play dates with the other pack mothers. Despite the looming fear it felt very normal and relaxed and I had desperately craved the normalcy of it all. Having the pack mothers treat me as one of their own and have quality time with my kids, I felt like with everything going on I was becoming a bad mother and needed to step up my game.

I had been having one on one time with all of my kids. I went on a long run with Zar, well long enough for a child, we followed the packs border patrol, Zar was obsessed with the warriors and their speed and size. I also watched a Disney movie with Aria one she had been pestering me to watch with her, all of her other pup friends had told her how great it was but she wanted me to experience it with her as well which was incredibly sweet and finally tonight, I would be spending time with my shy little man Atticus. When I had the quality time with them my wonderful mate would occupy the other two. I was no longer anxious about leaving them within his hands he had shown himself to be their dad on multiple occasions.

I still wasn't sure what Atticus wanted to do, he was the most sensitive out of my children and I was very protective over him. Where his other siblings were playing with kids older than them, he stuck with the younger ones due to his inability to shift, I didn't think anything of it wanting him to feel safe and secure.

The day was drawing to a close with the orange hue taking over the pack lands signalling it was time for the younger members of the pack to retire to their respective family houses. It was a rule of this pack that after dark, unless accompanied by family or eating at the pack house all members under 10 should be at home to be watched and be safe. I bid goodbye to the mothers I had been chatting with and started to herd my kids back upstairs to mine and Thatchers room. Thatcher would be looking after Zar and Aria once he had finished his alpha duties, we would have a small family dinner and then I would spend a few hours with my son before taking all my children to bed. I loved the little routine we had going and how we felt like a proper family, it's all I wanted for us, the family, the safety the security of a pack. When it had just been us before we met the lions that brought me to Thatcher all I dreamt about was keeping my family safe and now I didn't have to do it alone I could let me guard down at some points and not fear immediate death.

Not long after we entered the alpha suite my sweet mate joined us holding me close and giving me a soft kiss before cuddling Zar and Aria, both in their human form, they tended to stay in this form nowadays, and Atticus in his hyena form.

"How was your day love?" his deep voice asked from our bedroom, he was changing out of his day clothes into his night ones.

"It was good, I spent time with Darla and Trinity, they informed me that Micki is pregnant, we must send him and his mate a gift basket form the alpha to welcome their bundle of joy!" I called back from the kitchen where I was putting the dinner into plates. We were having lasagne leftovers from lunch nice and simple. I had also made homemade garlic bread, one of my family's favourites.

Thatcher walked into the kitchen right as I was putting the plates on the table, he called out to the kids and all three rushed into the room and into their respective chairs. Due to Atticus's issues his chair was slightly higher so he could still reach the table. We kept the conversation light around dinner, the kids babbling on about what games they had played and who they were and weren't friends with at the current time, which was constantly changing. My youngest used our family pack link to talk where we all heard everything, he was saying so he was never left out.

After everyone was too full to eat another thing, my alpha made quick work of the dishes whilst I set up a film for him to watch with my other two children whilst I spent time with Atti, I would be back to wish them a good night before they went to bed and would read them some of their bedtime books. I kissed them both on the forehead before once again thanking my mate for taking time to look after them.

"They're my kids too, you don't have to thank me for looking after them every time Cas. We are a team silly." His words made my heart burst with love. The fact he was so welcoming to kids that weren't his own made me feel like the luckiest person out there.

"I love you Thatcher." I said pulling him down for an intense kiss which he returned with vigour. I would need to set up a time to spend alone time with him, I missed him, I would talk to his parents tomorrow or the next day to see if they would take the kids for a night.

I left the kitchen and gathered my bundle of fluff in my arms, he was almost too big for me to do this anymore so I valued it while I still could, he also didn't seem to mind, he was happily cackling and wagging his tail.

What do you feel like doing today? I asked through our link.

Hyena time mum! Was his excited response. Watch movie and snuggle in den!

When we had first come to this pack, we had often made a den of sorts out of pillows and blankets to simulate where we had lived before here, we didn't do it as much but my son loved the small dark. We slowly set up the den on the bed a big mound of comfy blankets and pillows. I then grabbed the laptop and put on his favourite movie, Brother Bear. After using my human fingers to put the movie on I shifted and slid into the little den we had created, Atticus curled up around my side, the last of my kids to still want to cuddle with mum.

I treasured moments like this, I loved my kids more than anything and would do anything for them. After the movie had finished, I took all the kids to bed and read them their story before wishing them a good night.

I was crawling into mine and my mates bed when he said "Cas, I've gotten word that the mages will return tomorrow night, are you ready for this?" his arms slid around my middle drawing me closer to his naked, warm chest.

"Yes, Epiales deserves his own body and we deserve to go back to normal." I turned my head slightly meeting him in a gentle kiss. "Tomorrow, will be the beginning of the rest of our lives and I'm ready."