Moon Cave [MxM] (Character Book, Moon Cave Book 4)

Fatherhood With You

AMARI ¤ POV

I was exhausted and my body felt like an overworked donkey carrying a load of bricks. This pregnancy was killing me and I didn't know if it was simply because I was much more active running around after nine other children now, but being pregnant with Kori was even worse than being pregnant with the Quintuplets and that was seriously saying something.

Luka was nowhere to be found, probably working, which he seemed to be doing a lot more lately. Sometimes it completely went over my head that he was an alpha and I, a beta, with responsibilities and a pack to run. I couldn't have him all to myself forever. Luckily for me, Tao had taken over my Beta duties during the last month of my pregnancy, all too happy to fill in.

Nick had always been supporting Luka, much more now that our family had expanded to the massive size that it was. But Luka didn't like him stepping in all the time, especially since the older alpha was supposed to be winding down now, not taking on more loads of work. From alpha duties, to babysitting grandkids, we tried not to burden him as much as possible. Though Nick, being the amazing alpha he was, didn't have any complaints but rather begged for more tasks.

Speaking of grandkids, I was alone today during bedtime and I was absolutely not in the mood to fight with my children and wrestle them into bed. My feet were swollen, my back was rigid and and I was so tired that if someone passed me a pillow and a blanket I would simply drift off right there on the floor, fatherhood be damned.

Instead of giving into those sleepy desires, I started giving out orders, lowering myself to my bed as I called my pups and made get changed into their pyjamas in my bedroom. They were noisy and making a fuss as usual, Lumai and Kuma mostly squabbling as they got changed beside each other, purposely bumping elbows. My ten year old quintuplets were mostly independent but I liked to watch over them all the same. It couldn't help to keep them close.

I discreetly helped Mika into a pair of pullups and he stood there, pink cheeked as I quickly covered him up with his pyjama pants. He was going through a little bed wetting phase and I didn't want him to feel like an oddball in front of his quint siblings. I didn't know what was causing his accidents, but until I found the source, I wanted to avoid changing his bed sheets everyday because of them. I didn't have the time or energy to constantly be stripping sheets so pull-ups were a necessity right now. He didn't mind them, but we were working on getting him back to dry nights all the same.

Rumi, who was six, and Kamri, who was five, kept most of my attention after Mika, as I wiped them down with wet wipes, creamed their tanned little bodies, dragged deodorant beneath their arms and eventually dressed them in pyjamas. They chatted to me about anything and everything, the topic ranging from what they fancied for breakfast tomorrow, to having pet grasshoppers. I smiled tiredly, nodding along to their mindless chatter.

"Papa, when Kori comes out of your belly, do you think he'll want to play with us?" Lili asked sweetly, patting my stomach as I gathered her mess of blonde curls on top of her head with a scrunchie. All of them needed hair cuts and braids, but that was a day long, mammoth of a task for another day.

"I'm sure he'll love to play with all of you," I hummed, kissing her cheek and moving her aside. I beckoned Ari forward so I could do the same for her, giving her a lopsided ponytail as she squirmed. She could never sit still and Ari almost always had wonky hair because of it.

"I'm super happy Kori is a boy!" Kuma announced proudly, bouncing on his toes and swinging Kamri's hands as his little brother beamed up at him. "Now, there are five boys and five girls!"

I chuckled, shaking my head, totally annoyed that fate had granted Luka the perfect army of pups he had always wanted. Not that I could ever be disappointed with the family I was blessed with, but it was very irritating that my already big headed alpha totally got his way, when I had been so adamant that he wouldn't. Past me hated present me for being a pushover.