"Mm-hmm…" she agreed, pushing her hair behind her ears as she finally sat up.
What followed felt like a delicate ritual.
Dante picked up Felix first, cradling him with surprising tenderness for someone so fearsome. Alina bent to lift Luna, brushing the fur around her tiny wolf ears to keep her comfortable.
Then the shadows unfurled behind Dante, silent, warm and incredibly gentle, lifting Boo, Sable, Rocky, Vlad Jr., Drake and Lucien as softly as parents lifting newborns.
All the guardians had arrived long before, waiting anxiously at the entrance under the pale garden lights. Their expressions softened instantly the moment they saw their babies safe and peaceful in the shadows' arms.
"Thank you, Miss Alina, for taking care of my little pup," Alpha Ryker said in a low voice as he accepted Luna. His arms wrapped around her instinctively, cradling her tiny wolf form to his chest. His stern face melted as he looked at her, the cold Alpha turning into a gentle father.
