Jaden opened his eyes late in the morning. He couldn't feel his mommy, but there was someone else next to him.
Oddly, he wasn't as displeased by that dark presence. It wasn't cold and threatening, for once.
His body had recovered through the night, and he was like new. Yet, he was exhausted. He didn't want to get up and walk yet.
«Hungry,» he complained with a pout.
His stomach was rumbling, so he didn't have time to remember what had happened the day before. The shadow next to his bed jumped up, appearing at the border of his field of vision. It was Nate.
«How are you?» he asked, analysing his son with a keen eye. «You look all right to me.»
Even though his tone was calm, he had run there as soon as Jaden had said a word. Nate's face was pale, his eyes circled by dark shadows. He had been up for the whole night, apparently.
«I'm hungry,» Jaden repeated, unhappy his energies had to be spent on that. «Very, very hungry!»
«Sure, we'll find something to eat soon... But before that, shouldn't you see your mother? She's worried about you.»
«Where is mommy?» Jaden murmured.
He then recalled the events of that night. What he could remember, at least. The dark wolves, that crazy man, the solid wall that he impacted with...
«Where is my mommy?» he repeated, this time without any intention of saving his efforts. «What happened?»
«It's fine,» Nate chuckled, bending over to collect the pup from the bed. Just like when he had found them, he delicately picked him up. «You were a good boy. You defended your mommy and sister like a real man.»
«A real man?» Jaden hummed, thinking hard. «Am I a real man?»
Did it mean he could finally beat Nate?
«You're on the good road,» was the reply.
Not yet. It seemed he needed to wait some more before taking Nate's place and defending his mommy.
«But I failed,» he then remembered. «I didn't defend my mommy! I just passed out.»
«You're still a pup, Jaden. What else could you do, ah? You shouldn't fight with adults, not yet... Next time, find a way to contact me, and I'll run to help you.»
«Was it you?»
«Me?»
«Were you the one saving my mommy, then?» he clarified, hugging Nate's neck and leaning on his chest.
They walked out of the room and continued their talk with a low tone.
«Yes, of course. It's my duty, after all.»
«So, you saved my mommy.»
«And your sister, and you.»
«Why?»
«She's my mate. I need to protect her...»
«I might allow you, but only until I'm strong enough!» Jaden exclaimed, all fired up.
«Okay,» Nate chuckled, leaving a light peck on the boy's hair. «Now, let's see if they're still sleeping... They couldn't close an eye until exhaustion won over them. I'm talking about your mother and sister. They were so worried about you that your grandma had to prepare some herbal tea for them to finally relax.»
«Mommy...» he whined, seeing Lara asleep on the bed in the guest room. He wanted to run to her, but Nate seemed to have no intention of letting him.
«Hush,» he murmured while getting closer. He sat on the bed, making Lara's head bounce down from the pillow.
She was clinging on to Scarlet, gripping the little girl as if she could disappear anytime.
The movement woke both of them.
«Hello, girls,» Nate whispered, freeing Lara's forehead from the hair. He then turned to Scarlet and smiled, waiting for them to be completely awake. He knew it might have needed some time.
«Jaden!» Lara exclaimed a second later. «You're okay?»
«Mommy,» the boy whined, reaching out to her and moving from Nate to Lara. He sat on her lap and hugged her waist, his head on her bosom and his eyes closing. He could take another nap like that...
«You're okay,» she repeated, too afraid to touch him anywhere. She just sustained his back with an arm but didn't dare hug him back. «How are you feeling?»
She would have got up, hugged him tightly and covered his face with kisses. Yet, what if she hurt him? He was so delicate and small, wasn't he? She had allowed someone to hurt him, and she couldn't permit herself to cause any more damage!
«Jaden,» Scarlet said, sitting next to him and holding his hand. The family looked at each other, all three of them, too scared to do anything else.
Until finally, prey to the tension, Lara started sobbing.
«Thank you, Nate!» she said as if everything was his merit.
«Jaden healed on his own,» the man pointed out, unwilling to take any credit he didn't deserve.
«But you saved us! All three of us!»
The pups nodded, realising their mommy was safer next to Nate than alone in that harsh world where madmen would roam free.
The man's heart melted, and he felt a warm wave of something fill his lungs. They were happy he was part of their life, and they were admitting it altogether. It was because they had come out of a stressful and extreme situation, but it still felt nice.
«It's my duty,» he repeated rather mechanically.
Yet, his instinct took over before he could deny any other merit. In the end, he deserved it. He did find them in time.
He earned a prize.
He observed Lara's lips for a moment before claiming a peck. Only after doing it did he remember that he was taking advantage of a woman under shock. But still, he got his kiss.
The pups observed him with wide eyes, but they didn't dare to stop him nor complain. Their little hearts were conflicted, but they didn't know why it didn't feel like he was taking Lara away. For once, maybe because they were sitting next to her and she couldn't get up, it didn't feel like Nate was after Lara alone.
That feeling was confirmed when he patted their heads and smiled at them.
Could it be he was after all three of them in the end?
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