The Unfortunates | COMPLETED

Bonus Chapter #4

"Mom, what's this?" Milo asks, his hands flying through Avery's old wooden jewellery box.

The nine-year-old is excitable and energetic, and Avery is half asleep still.

"What's what?" She asks, covering her yawn with her hand while she leans in the doorway.

Roman can hear the two of them from the bed and inwardly groans.

If Milo is awake, that means four-year-old Hallie and one-year-old Parker are going to follow soon.

"This circle," he says innocently, pulling a small metal ring out of the box.

"That's a ring, sweetheart," Avery explains, walking over to where he stands.

She wraps an arm around him, pulling him to her and kissing his temple.

"You don't wear rings," Milo frowns, his nose scrunching up when Avery kisses his head.

"I found that when I stayed at dad's pack, literally years ago," Avery realises, gently prying the old ring out of Milo's hand and examining it.

Some of the original chain is still attached, but it's mostly broken off, which she understands is almost definitely down to the age of the thing.

Fed up with Avery, since she's too focused on the thing in her hand to give him answers, Milo bounces out of the room and catapults himself onto the bed beside Roman, startling the Alpha out of his skin.

"Oh, Milo," he murmurs, opening his eyes slightly as he stares up at the boy in mild confusion.

"What's that ring?" Milo asks, laying down beside Roman and playing with his massive hand.

"Hmm?" Roman mumbles, throwing his arm over the boy and pulling him in for a cuddle.

"He means the ring I found at the bottom of the lake in your pack," Avery calls, walking out of the bathroom and over to her wardrobes.

"What?" Roman asks in confusion, furrowing his brows and opening his eyes a little wider, only really acknowledging what's being said now.

"The what?" He repeats when he doesn't get an answer, rubbing his eyes with his free hand.

One arm is trapped under Milo, who seems to be preoccupied with trying to rip one of Roman's arm hairs out.

"When I first went to your pack, when you tried to kiss me and I ran, I found this at the bottom of the lake," Avery shrugs, holding the ring aloft.

Roman furrows his brows.

Why do I know that ring? I've seen it before, Booker groans, not used to having to use his brain so early in the morning - the sun isn't even out yet, but his six-year-old is awake, so he is, too.

I don't think I've ever seen that thing in my life, Roman shrugs.

"Booker recognised it; I don't have the foggiest clue," Roman chuckles, slowly sitting up, with Milo instantly attaching himself to him like a koala to a branch.

Avery leafs through her wardrobe, trying to find a specific polo neck jumper to go with her jeans of the day.

She puts the ring down on her dressing table, turning around and returning to her intense wardrobe digging.

Booker is busy wracking his brain, and Roman could practically visualise the frown on the animal's face.

He's taking so long, Sonya complains.

I can hear you, dumbass, Booker teases over their mindlink, and Avery wrinkles up her nose in distaste.

"How did you only find it? That would have been like, seven years ago," Roman raises an eyebrow, and Avery shrugs.