This is part TWO of the same book under the same title.
Tora never asked to be a Lunos and he certainly didn't ask for three mates.
***
As the weakest member of his house, Tora has always been a lone wolf. He's never been the smartest, the bravest...
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~Tora~
"Kiem, stop running! You're going to fall and-"
Just as I said, Kiem slips on the back porch of the private vacation home we had recently acquired. Newly built on a small private island where we would be taking the children every summer to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Kiem falls sideways at least, hitting his arm instead of his head as he quickly recovers. He tries to run again, but his best friend Evren quickly reminds him that I told him to walk and puts a swift end to his rebellious mood. Ever since the pair came back from Antum after their first year the two had been inseparable, with Kiem sneaking out on his nitrocycle to go all the way to Forster just to spend a few minutes with the boy.
The trip was for our close family only, but now I truly feel like I just have nine children instead of my original eight.
The pair run off to the beach to join their siblings with Vailen and Lily building sandcastles, while CJ and Myah were trying to teach each other how to surf. Ryu and Beckett were out on the beach reading books together while they watched the kids with their six little ones playing with their cousins.
I came outside carrying two blankets as I approached the hammock where Casper was watching over the kids with little Krew on his chest swaying softly with the breeze.
The baby never leaves Casper's side as the only time Cas doesn't have him attached at the chest with a sling is when Krew is put to bed for the night. But even then, he sleeps in a small bassinette next to Casper's side of the bed. Wherever Casper went, Krew was with him.
He even chest feeds Krew on his own, stating that while the others had securely bonded to all of us and hated him, he needed to have at least one little one who liked him. I can't say I blamed him after the way our first five treated him, with Waylon and Alexei being a little easier in comparison.
But Krew was the sweetest, quietest, and happiest baby we've ever had. Sleeping through the night at just a few weeks old, he was never grumpy or in a bad mood. At three months old he's known for his signature smolder that makes you feel like he's judging you while sucking on his own fingers. His long silky brown hair holds Casper's waves as it already falls at our baby's shoulders and Galen often braids it for him.
Casper has his eyes closed as he soaks in the sun, but I know he's not asleep. There's a slight chill in the air from being so close to the ocean towards the end of summer. Although it's not significant enough to put on a jacket, it's still enough to protect the baby as I lay a light blanket over Krew who happily napped on his Papa's chest. I take the other blanket and place it behind Casper's head to give him a pillow and he opens his eyes.
"Hey baby," He sighs and I gently caress his cheek. He nods to the space beside him on the large hammock and I join him, cuddling under the blanket as I wrap my arm around my mate and our youngest.
"How are you feeling?" I have to ask, since I've been quietly watching him and keeping myself from asking. I knew he would just get annoyed and wouldn't be as honest if I asked daily.
"I'm okay for now, the pain is manageable when I'm resting," he sighs and I'm careful to position my legs so they don't touch his highly sensitive ones.
"Don't hesitate to take your medication if it gets to be too much babe," I remind him and he kisses the top of Krewbie's head.
"I know, but if I do then Micah has to feed Krew and you know I want to do it myself," Casper reminds me.
"Yeah, but she could always give you a bottle and you can still do it. You need to put yourself first in order to be the best version of yourself for them," I counter and Casper simply pouts.
"What are you guys doing?" Galen asks as he comes up behind me and I look back.
"Ah, come join us hon, we were just talking about Cas taking his meds." I invite him onto the hammock by patting the other side of Casper, knowing how much Cas likes it when he's between us.
"Are you not taking them? How are your burns? I know you're at least applying the cream because we put it on for you," Galen mentions as he slides onto the other side of Cas and kisses his cheek.
"If I take them I can't chest feed Krewbie, so I try not to on good days," Cas repeats himself, getting quieter with Galen near.
"Why are you suddenly getting so shy?" I ask him as my fingers walk up the side of his chest while Galen rubs Krew's little back.
"You two combined in such close proximity is overwhelming," he grumbles under his breath as we cuddle him and Krew.
"Oh yeah? Imagine having a third," I huff and Cas shakes his head.
"I'd die, I dunno how you do it," He sighs and closes his eyes again.
"Do what?" Micah asks as she bounces up behind us with her hand on her hip, looking gorgeous as ever in her long sundress after we put the twins down for a nap together.
"Have three mates, come here love," I invite her, and Casper's eyes suddenly shoot open.
"Isn't there a weight limit on this thing? I feel like we're gonna break it," Casper mentions and I shrug it off.
"No way, it would have broken when Galen got on," I mention which earns me a hard flick of my forehead.
"Ow, it's true! Come here love," I mention and Micah comes beside me to which there's only a slight creek before the snap and the four of us fell very horizontally to the porch floor.
The four of us are silent for a second with a slight oof from Casper before we burst out laughing.
"I told you guys!" Casper wheezes and Micah's head falls to my shoulder with both of us looking over to Krew's now wide awake glare as he blinks a few times unamused by his parents' antics.
"You okay Krewbie doo?" I ask him as I tickle his chin and his smile comes out with a light-hearted giggle, joining our laughter while Casper checks on him.
"We're okay, right Krewbie? Mama and Onnie just destroyed our spot," Cas chuckles and Galen leans back on his elbows.
"Hey, why doesn't Galen get some of the blame here? We're not all over 6ft and 200 lbs," I mention only to get a solid glare from Galen, like how dare I put this on his muscular ass.
"Boys stop fighting, you're hurting my head. Hey look," Michi adds as she brushes her hair back and watches the setting sun where our first five had managed to form a circle in the sand and were dancing together in the foam. Giggling when the waves licked their toes and shrieking as they sang a song together and spun faster and faster.
"So this is it?"
I sigh as I hug my knees and Michi rests her head on my right shoulder, Casper's comes to my left, and Galen wraps his arm around all of us in the subtle silence between us.
And the man who once went without a single word speaks the final sentence.
