Page 90 of The Chosen One Universe: Volume One

Daddy carried him into the back room where they had a special box for the baby kittens. Their mommy had been sick but Daddy was able to keep them all safe. He was a really good doctor, even though sometimes he had to touch guts and stuff. Ollie didn’t want to touch guts.

The kittens were curled up in little balls and they didn’t even move when they got close. “They’re so little.”

“Yep. You were that little once. But you got big and strong and so will they.”

“As long as they eat their vegetables. Do cats have to eat asparagus?”

“Not these cats.”

Ollie sighed. “I wish I was a cat.”

Dad hugged him close. “Are we having asparagus for dinner?”

“Yeah,” Ollie said. “Do I have to eat it?”

“If you want dessert.”

Ollie sighed. “We’re having chocolate pudding.”

“You love chocolate pudding.”

“But asparagus is gross.”

Daddy smiled. “You can do it. Remember the trick I told you.”

“One bite of vegetable on my fork with something I like. But Daddy, that makes the thing I like taste like vegetables, too. Gross.”

Daddy laughed and kissed his forehead. He was always doing stuff like that. Ollie liked that he got to smell like his alpha all the time. No one would mess with them. Especially after they proved they were tough enough.

Ollie straightened and looked into Daddy’s eyes. “I like being with you and Papa. It’s my favorite.”

Daddy squeezed him tight. “Having you here is my favorite too.”

“But we gotta go. Cause Grandpa said stat.”

“Let’s go then.”

Ollie walked back to the house holding both Daddy and Papa’s hands. Every once in a while, they’d swing their arms and he’d kick his feet up in the air. Papa said he was going to be too big for their trick soon, but Ollie figured if he didn’t have to eat his vegetables, he’d quit growing so much, and they could keep doing it longer. But then he wouldn’t be big and strong like Daddy or Ben. It was a tough choice, but he figured he’d give up the vegetables. If he needed big stuff, Daddy or Ben would get it for him.

Everybody waited in the living room except Nana, who was in the kitchen probably making snacks. “Nana!”

“Ollie bear!”

“Not a bear, Nana.”

“But your belly growls like one so I get confused.”

Ollie grinned and ran over to her. “Snack?”

“Making them now. Want to help?” Nana asked and held out a plate covered with cheese and cracker.

Ollie nodded and took the plate from her. They usually put the plates on the coffee table when they had family meetings. The first time Nana told him to put it here, he didn’t know what to do. Why was it a coffee table when they didn’t make coffee on it? Ollie still didn’t understand, but he carefully held the plate with two hands and walked it over to the table.

Pop-Pop and Grammy sat beside each other on the couch while Daddy and Papa looked at Natasha’s paper that she’d been working on for schoolwork. Henry, Jack, and Emily were watching one of the nature documentaries Papa said were age appropriate.

He’d gotten everyone together, though. Just like Grandpa William asked. “I’m gonna go tell Grandpa were all here!”

Ollie bolted up the stairs but slowed down when Papa made his throat clearing sound that meant Ollie was probably doing something wrong. He wasn’t supposed to run on the stairs. Right. He slowed down for the rest of the steps before he knocked on Grandpa William’s door. It opened pretty quickly.