The Mahani Wolves (Completed)

Chapter 19 - Kayla

"And this is our house. I know it's small, but that should make packing much easier. If it's okay, we can start that tomorrow while the kids are in school."

My honey is talking a mile a minute as his stress increases. He wants so much for me to see the finest in him. So cute!

"Nicolas, hush," I said softly while giving him a big smile. "I have a full week to finish everything here and can take more time if needed. Amber is more than capable of handling the castle. If she has a question, she can mindlink me."

"I'm sorry, my lovely lady. I want you to see my best, and looking around here, I'm not sure of that." He took my hand as his eyes moved from place to place.

I took a good look around. Some walls were dirty with little fingerprints, toys were stacked in corners, and the laundry room overflowed into the kitchen. But everything was clean, and the place looked like a home with a whole family.

Since I was seventeen, I've refused to dream of having that. But now that I do, it's a bit overwhelming.

Nicolas and his wolf are feeling that emotion and mistaking it for something wrong. It's not. I put Sydney in a playpen in the living room and hugged him fiercely, sending my thoughts to him.

"I don't think you could ever comprehend how happy you've made me," I said into his shoulder. "Now, let's make some dinner and start on that laundry."

I mentally was making a list of things that needed to be done. Get boxes, check cleaning supplies, and see what theme to make their new rooms. My mind was moving fast, jumping from one thing to another. I needed to slow down and spend some time with everyone.

"Will, would you like to help me cook dinner?" I asked.

"Can we have some mashed potatoes?" he asked.

"Sure! Let's see what else we have."

I was shocked when I opened the pantry. Not only was it full to overflowing, but I recognized some of these ingredients as chef quality. Someone cooks everything from scratch. I then opened the fridge and then the freezer. There was almost nothing premade or processed.

I think I'm in trouble. My cooking skills are good but could be better.

"Uh, Nicolas?" He was meticulously separating clothes, making about eight different piles.

"Coming," he said as he walked towards me. At that moment, he received about a hundred brownie points for not saying 'what'.

"Unless we have something simple, I may need help. I'm sorry to say I usually have ten people in the kitchen preparing different items, and I'm slightly intimidated by making complex things. I want you and the pups to like my cooking, but..." I trailed off as I waved my hands toward the fridge and pantry.

"I can do that," came from Will. He walked over to the far counter and spoke in a more grownup voice, "KCS, open the recipe book for dinners with mashed potatoes."

A tablet on the counter before him glowed, and a voice started listing different menu options. I was impressed!

"Pause," Will said to the tablet. He turned to me and asked, "How about that one? I love Shepherds Pie made with beef!"

"Sounds good!" I said, turning back to Nicolas. "Don't go far, in case I need help." His smile lit up his face, and I was struck silent for a moment. My Goddess, he is gorgeous!

Dinner ended up being much easier than I imagined. Will helped in the kitchen a lot as he knew what each ingredient was and where it was.

Wolf pups grow faster physically and mentally than humans. Our pups start school at 18 months old and finish high school by the time they are 13 years old. They spend the subsequent year testing for what profession suits them best and physically training their bodies while waiting for their wolf to emerge. Once they master shifting and learn their wolf's temperament, they start learning their trade or go to University. We are adults and can start our new careers at 18 unless it's a Blood Alpha. They normally wait until at least 25, but some wait longer if the current one refuses to step down.

As we finished setting the table, a quick knock was heard before the front door opened. After a quick look, Doc poked her head in and slowly came in and closed the door.

"How is everything?" she asked in a light tone, but I could tell she was concerned.

"Doc!" Debra yelled as she entered the living room. "Look!"

The child placed her index finger beside her nose before quickly pushing it towards the newcomer.

"Flick a boogie!"

Both Nicolas and I stopped and stared at the child. I could feel his shock through our bond. She had never done this before.

"Good job!" Doc replied as Debra beamed in the praise.

"Seriously, Doc! Stop teaching my kids these things!" Nicolas turned back to Debra. "You can only do that to Doc. No one else, okay?"

Doc smiled and hugged the child as I turned a laugh into a cough.

"I'm on my way out, but I wanted to see if you would like Grace and me to help you pack up. She can keep the kids busy in the evenings."

"Who's Grace?" I asked.

"My little sister," she turned her head to my mate. "No pun intended."

"I'll explain later." He linked me.

We agreed to let them help, and Doc said her goodbyes. During dinner, Debra and Will told me about Grace. She sounds adorable. We don't have any Littles in our pack.

"I want my new Mama to give me my bath," Debra told Nicolas when he lifted her from her booster seat after dinner.

"I would love to," I told her as she practically jumped from his arms to mine. We walked to the bathroom, and she wiggled to be put down. She methodically went through the tub toys in the basket beside the tub, pulling out the dolls with no clothes on or in a bathing suit. I saw a Mermaid on the side and pointed it out.

"Oh, thank you! I was looking for her." Debra showed me how she likes her baths and complained about how Grace gets everything wet.

By the time Sydney, Debra, and Will were settled down for the night, I had already decided on the themes for the rooms and mindlinked them to Amber and my Mom. My thoughts were trying to overwhelm me again, so I grabbed a basket of clean clothes and sat down to fold them.

"Can we talk for a moment?" Nicolas sat across from me and, seeming to think better of it, moved to the floor beside the basket. He also started to fold clothes. The anxiety coming off him in waves concerned me, and my wolf entered his mind, trying her best to give comfort.

"How can I help?" I want him to relax around me, but he just isn't there yet. Is it something I'm doing? He looked unseeingly at the sleeper in his hands before looking back at me. I could feel him working up his courage.

"Kayla, my wolf and I would like you to sleep in the same room with us and, if you agree, cuddled together in my bed," he started, and I could feel the 'but' before he said it, "But, um, I'm not ready to, um..." He stopped again to gather his courage.

So much has happened that I completely forgot that he was attacked and raped less than 48 hours ago. My anxiety had pushed that thought away.

I sank to the floor and crawled into his lap. I wrapped my arms around him tightly. I love how we are about the same size, even in human form.

"After the massacre, I would not speak to anyone for the first few days," I whispered into the mindlink. I didn't want little ears to hear this conversation. "I'm guessing your training is helping?" I asked.

"It is, but I've had several breakdowns since then."

"Nicolas, we may not be ready to have sex for a while. Are you okay with that? I know you think you are asking me to wait, but honestly, my brain is trying to find something else to concentrate on because I don't want to think about it. I like the few kisses we've shared. I love the tingles I feel when we touch." I took his hand in mine to prove my point. "Can we focus on getting comfortable with each other first?" Before he could answer, I continued, "Cuddling while sleeping is a must, though. My wolf doesn't want to be very far from you."

His beautiful smile was my reward.

*******

They are such a great couple! A bit of backstory...my sister taught my kids to 'flick a boogie' for a big family dinner. It didn't go over well, but I thought it was hilarious.
--April