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He smiles and I grin. It's been five years and it still shocks me sometimes to see Ryker smiling so often and so freely. He's been different since he met his mate and settled down. I think that she helped him heal, and helped him see that me being injured overseas wasn't his fault. She helped him see that he wasn't cursed. Just like my Phoenix helped me see that I wasn't broken.
My wolf paws at me, urging me to move faster, to get home to our mate already. I wave goodbye to Ryker and break out into a jog. Phoenix and I still live in the same house, just off of Main Street. We both like how close it is to town, while still being secluded by the woods.
I round the corner and grin when I see my mate outside with our kids. Our daughter, Maple, is laughing, her head tilted back as Phoenix tickles her. Our eldest son, Asher, is watching them with a smile. He’s always been such a serious kid. He’ll make a good Alpha one day. The bassinet is on the blanket next to them and I know that our youngest son must be sleeping.
All three kids take after me the most. They all got my dark hair and I can tell that they'll all be tall like me. The only things that they seem to have gotten from Phoenix are her light green eyes and her smarts.
“Daddy!” Maple calls and Asher stands, hurrying over to greet me.
“Hey there, little one. How was your day?” I ask him as I scoop him up in my arms.
"Good. We packed. Mom says that we're leaving once you get home."
“We are. Are you excited?”
He nods enthusiastically and I smile as I carry him over to my mate, my wife.
“Hey there, Maple,” I greet my daughter and she reaches her hands up for me.
“How was work?” Phoenix asks as she grabs Liam, our youngest.
“Good. I hear that we’re all packed,” I say as I lean down to kiss her.
“Yep, ready when you are.”
We planned a camping trip this weekend. The kids have been begging to go on one ever since I started teaching Asher and Maple how to shift. They’re still a little young, but I’ve been teaching them the basics. The problem is that they’re a bit… volatile. They need privacy to be able to practice and explore.
So, we’re headed up to the mountains for the next few days. I booked us a cabin and promised the kids that we would spend all day practicing.
I promised their mom that I would then spend all night with her.
My wolf howls as I think of all of the things that we could get up to. I grin, tugging Phoenix closer to my side as we head into the house. She gives me a sidelong look and I know that she can tell what I’m thinking about.
The bags are packed by the front door and I set Asher down and start to grab them.
“I can help,” Asher offers and I smile.
“Why don’t you help mom make sure that we have everything?” I say instead and he nods, hurrying after Phoenix.
“I’m just going to change Liam and then I’ll be out.”
“Take your time, my love.”
I grab the bags and start to load the car. It doesn’t take me long and by the time that I head inside to give my mate a hand, she’s already walking out the door.
“All packed?” she asks me, handing me Liam’s car seat.
“Yeah. Did you need me to grab anything else?” I ask as I snap his car seat into the base.
“No, that was it.”
We load up the kids in their car seats and I open the passenger door for Phoenix. We don’t drive often and every time that we do, I’m reminded of our wedding day. We got married right here on the beach. It was a stormy day, the waves creating a dramatic backdrop for us to say our vows, but somehow it suited us just fine.
After we saidI doand ate dinner with our friends, I opened this same passenger side door and helped her inside. We drove up the coast, staying at a resort on the beach. Phoenix had been so excited to explore the area and spend time in the pool andhot tub. Instead, we never left the room. I promised her that we would go again to do all of that, but when we went back six months later, the same thing happened.
I can never seem to keep my hands off my mate. Luckily for me, she has the same problem and doesn’t seem to mind when I wake up in the middle of the night needing her.
I help her with her seatbelt and then steal a kiss before I close her door and head over to my side.
