Woods

Tallis

Alarick

I peeled my eyes open feeling warmer than I usually am when I wake up. I groaned softly stretching my arms out, but not being able to move. I frowned, opening my eyes completely. All I saw was dark, tanned skin. Furrowing my eyes, I tilted my head to the side some to look out of the corner of my eye to see curly tufts of black hair sticking all over the place. Closing my eyes again I savored the warm embrace before snapping my eyes back open again.

Where is Kendan?

A tiny body squirmed on top of my hip, between Licas and I. I could hear Kendan sniffling slightly as his body was quivering. I frowned leaning up slightly only to be pulled back down to the bed by a strong arm; better known as Licas' arm. I looked around slightly to see that around the tent was still dark, not yet interrupted by the morning rays yet.

I furrowed my eyebrows before I started to squirm trying to get out of Licas' hold. It was the middle of the night, and Kendan was sniffling while shaking in his sleep, and not because of the cold. Pushing against Licas I tried getting out of his empowering hold.

"God Damnit Licas." I started squirming in his hold. Groaning I moved my hand up stabbing my finger into his chest growling. "Fucking hell, let me go."

He peeked an eye open smirking. "Did you just growl at me?" Licas teased cheekily, his eyes seeming to sparkle even in the dark night light.

"This isn't funny Licas, your son is having a nightmare, I couldn't get to him because you're holding me down." After I finished my sentence, he had immediately let me go and was sitting up taking Kendan with him. I sat up after he had just watching Licas with his son.

"This is his first nightmare," I informed Licas with the strange, unusual tidbit of information. Licas was softly rocking his body to get Licas back to a peaceful sleep. "It's your first, first of his," I remarked when it dawned on me that it truly was.

"I missed out on a lot didn't I?" His deep baritone voice rumbled slightly from how low he was talking. He moved so that he laid Kendan back down again as he was sleeping.

"A lot, yes. Everything no." I rested my chin on top of his shoulder. Talking to him softly as we both watched Kendan's slow breathing. "He still has a lot to go through, stuff in which he's going to need the both of us to help him through. But if in fact, he did get the wolf gene and shifts, well then only you will be able to help him through that Licas; as I've never been through that." I leaned down brushing a curly lock away from Kendan's face, feeling my chest constrict.

After a few minutes, we both laid on our sides facing one another. "Don't feel too bad." I mused. "The first time he crawled, I missed it. I was on a mission, and when I came back to the community, I was greeted with Kendan crawling toward me. I felt like I had failed as a mother." I took a deep breath pausing in my story, moistening my lips. "One of the other mothers came to me and comforted me, saying that while their first something is a huge milestone in their lives, it's not the only time they're ever going to do it, though. So my take from this is that you should cherish the moments you have, they don't stay this little forever Licas." I turned my eyes back to look at him, and he was smiling at me. My breath was stolen from my chest, and I was taken away at the intensity of his smile.