~Alyce/Faelyn~

Tristan shut the door behind us and I took Rian to our bathroom, thankful that there was a tub in our bathroom, many alpha suites didn’t have them. Ours had a large garden tub with jets, perfect for soaking in, though not what it was going to be used for this time.

I turned the water on, adjusted the temperature and plugged the drain so it would fill with water. I turned to Rian, who was standing by the sink watching me.

“Alright Rian, we’re going to get you cleaned up and into some fresh clothes. Do you want me or Tristan to give you your bath?” I was pretty sure I knew the answer, but I also wanted to give him the option.

He seemed to think about it for a moment before pointing at me, “You, Awy. Please.”

“Of course. Let’s get you in the tub then.” I turned the water off now that there was enough and helped him get undressed and into the tub.

It didn’t take long to get him cleaned up and out of the tub, drying him off with one towel. I sent a brief mind link to Tristan. *I’m going to send Rian to you to get dressed. I need a quick shower myself.*

I then wrapped him in a fresh second one. “Can you go see Tristan, he has your clothes. I need to get cleaned up too. Can he help you get dressed?”

“Okay!” He gave me a big smile and headed out of the bathroom to where Tristan was waiting on him.

I made sure there was no dirt in my hair in the mirror and then took a quick shower myself, just washing my body off. I dried off and wrapped in a towel, before peeking out the bathroom door.

I hadn’t thought to grab clothes to change into, not used to having a child in our room. Thankfully Tristan had him at one of the windows held in his arms as they were focused on something outside. I took the opportunity to quickly, but quietly make a dash into the closet so I could get clean clothes.

I slipped on a clean set of underclothes, black jeans that hugged my hips and thighs but were boot cut in the legs, and a sage green blouse. Once dressed I exited the closest, hanging the towel on a hook in the bathroom as I made my way to Tristan and Rian.

“Are we all set boys? Mattie and Cedric should be pulling up in a few minutes.” I smiled as Tristan turned towards me as I spoke and Rian leaned forward to get to me from Tristan’s hold. I kissed Tristan softly as Rian passed from his arms to mine.

“I think so. Brandon and Kami should be meeting us down there, so we should get moving.”

“Alright then, let’s go.” I adjusted Rian a bit, sitting him on my hip as we left the room and headed down the stairs.

~Matheau~

We had just turned onto the well hidden forest road that would lead us to Moonlight. We had crossed into the territory a few hours ago but we were still a few minutes away from the main village area. We were in Cedric’s old pickup truck, which had been restored and was gorgeous.

We were fully loaded down with boxes of his belongings and a large antique steamer trunk that had been in his family for generations. It was slow going once we left the pavement road for the dirt one, despite the dirt road being well maintained by the pack, there were still some uneven areas where a vehicle would jostle.

“We’re going to be a bit cramped in that room for a bit while we get everything organized and settled in. Would you be ok with me asking Aly and Tristan to store your family trunk in their room until we are a bit more settled so it doesn’t get damaged or anything in the chaos?” I looked over at Cedric, placing my hand on his thigh and giving it a gentle squeeze.

“That should be fine. I appreciate you considering how to keep it safe and how much it means to me.” He took my hand in his, squeezing it before pulling me across the bench seat to snuggle into his side.

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“Of course. Even if it didn’t hold such sentimental value it’s a beautiful piece of craftsmanship and would need to be stored safely anyway.”

He grinned, glancing at me from the corner of his eye briefly as we rounded the last bend in the road to the village. “And that just makes me love you even more.”

I laughed softly. “Does it now?”

“Yes, it does. Too many people these days see something old and just toss it as junk. It’s sad. Things aren’t crafted and built like they used to be. Too many disposable things these days. Personally, I like the idea of repairing something if it’s broken instead of tossing it aside.”

I thought about this for a moment. I had a sneaking suspicion he wasn’t just talking about ‘things’, but everything in life. “It’s definitely a good philosophy for life, not just items.”

“I’ve always thought so.”

I smiled and kissed his cheek before grinning as we came into the main drive of the pack house, “Home, sweet, home! New adventures with new friends and family. I can’t wait to start all this with you.”

“You’re adorable.” He pulled up in front of the pack house, stopping just past the main entrance so we could easily unload in a short bit.

Waiting out on the front deck for use were my mother and father, Kami, Brandon, Tristan, Alyce and - A small child I didn’t recognize? Weird. I’m sure someone would fill me in. I hopped out of the truck with a quickness as Alyce practically flew down the steps and into my arms. Both of us laughing as I picked her up in a hug, spinning around with her.

“Goddess Aly, you’d think I’d been gone for a few months rather than a few days!” I set her on her feet as Cedric came around the truck to join us. He was also the recipient of an Alyce hug. Which generally entailed her jumping into someone’s arms without warning.

Cedric stumbled a bit, caught off guard by this, but quickly gained his footing as he hugged her. “Warning next time squirt! You’re a force to be reckoned with, even in just a hug.”

It was nice to see Cedric so comfortable with our group, to the point that he was even giving Alyce flack. I laughed as she half pouted, half glared at his calling her squirt.

“Just remember, this ‘squirt’ can still knock you flat on your ass buddy!”

“Oh, I know. You nearly did just now!”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it!”

“Bring it, squirt!”

The rest of the group was laughing and the child that had been standing beside Tristan came running down the stairs towards us. He was quick for his size. Tristan tried to catch him, “Rian!”

Rian was too quick for Tristan by the time he realized what was happening. The child was soon in front of Aly, glaring at Cedric with an expression that was far too old for his young self, “You be nice to Awy!”

Alyce laughed and crouched down to Rian’s height, “It’s ok Rian. That’s Cedric, he’s a dear friend and my brother’s mate. We were just teasing, nothing meant in any seriousness.”

Rian digested this information, eyeing both myself and Cedric before making his judgment and nodding in response to Alyce’s explanation. “Ok, Awy. Sorry Cedwic.”

“It’s alright buddy. I get it.” Cedric grinned at the kid, ruffling his hair a bit so he knew there were no hard feelings.

Alyce stood back up, Rian clinging to her leg. Who was this kid? I looked at Alyce, giving her a questioning look. She gave one back that told me she would explain a bit later. I gave a small nod as the rest of the group came down to join us.

Hugs and greetings were exchanged between the group. Alyce officially introduced Cedric and I to Rian, simply saying he was her newest friend. No other explanation offered for the moment.

“Now that you two are back! I have two surprises!” Alyce grinned, bouncing excitedly on the ball of her feet.

“Oh Goddess. What kind of surprises? Are we talking, like my 9th birthday type surprises oooorrr, more normal surprises?” I asked

“Oh my gosh! You’re never going to let me live that down! I was trying to be nice!” She pouted at me. Mom and Dad were trying to keep a straight face at this point.

“Do I even want to know?” Kami asked.

“Later. I’ll tell you later. I promise.” I laughed, Alyce glaring daggers at me.

“It’s not really that amusing, Kami. I swear.” Alyce huffed.

“Mmm, I’ll decide.” Kami grinned and giggled.