Forty

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CoffeeAndABook6

P.S. Sorry for the serious time lag!

******

Although the cabin was gorgeous and leaving was always sad, I knew we had to.

Daniel had spent the night at the other pack house, my childhood pack house, so that Caden and him could talk to them again. Ben was just serving them breakfast and we were walking to the car.

"You look tired beautiful."

I shrugged, "I'm fine."

Bee.

"What? I slept."

I gasped and stopped before I almost ran over him, now crouching in front of me. "Climb on."

"Caden I'm fi-"

"Exactly."

I rolled my eyes but got on because I knew I wouldn't win this one, "How does 'exactly' apply to that?"

"Bee you only use fine when you're really not fine. Otherwise you're okay or good but not fine."

"Caden I'm really okay."

"No you're perfect. But you're also tired, so I'm carrying you."

"You didn't get much sleep either."

"You're sleeping for two."

"I don't think that how it works Caden." I said with a slight laugh and he went to argue but I placed my lips on his cheek, "But thank you."

"Anytime babe." He said pecking my lips with a smile.

I rested my cheek on his shoulder until we got to the car. I drove back with his eyes on me.

------

I slowly drank my coffee as I sketched out a floor layout. I wanted the rooms to have different styles rather than being exact replicas when you enter each door. I thought it would feel more home-y.

I hadn't mentioned it to Caden. I wanted to have a few ideas down on paper first. While Caden and Daniel talked with their parents I figured I would keep myself busy.

Half hour later I crumpled up the grid paper and took a few calming breaths. I couldn't draw what I had in my head. Not with the right proportions. There was too much going through it.

I put some music on and blocked everything out as I put my pencil to the paper again. I grabbed some more paper and slowly worked my way through different floor plans.

I had six done, just rough sketches, no measurements but general enough that you could easily add in the measurements since there was a vague scale. I put another paper on top of the one I had just finished and felt Caden nearing. I put the papers in a drawer and felt Caden put his arms around me.

"I missed you babe."

"It's been a few hours."

"That's my point."

I rolled my eyes before turning to him, "Are we meeting up to talk about it?"

"Yeah. Dan and Ben are in the lounge and I said I would pour coffee for when Paul arrives."

"Paul?" I asked.

"Yeah." He gave me a weird look, "He called. I just took it in the office. He said he had something that could relate to... them. He had a meeting or else he would've came over this morning right when he discovered it. He's coming now."

"Okay."

"I thought you would've picked up on it." He looked worried, it was true that usually I did pick up on it but I had intentionally blocked it out because I didn't want to intrude on past events.

"Too much going on in my head. Just out of it today."

"About that... Were you dancing to the music babe?" He asked lowly in my ear.

"No, I was sitting, why?"

"Good. I didn't want to miss that show."

I rolled my eyes as he laughed. He seemed carefree considering he just subtly interrogated two people claiming they're his dead parents. "I'll make coffee."

"Relax Bee. I'll get it." He pecked my forehead before making a pot. "So what did you do?"

"This and that. You seem pretty relaxed Caden. I take it it went well?"

"I guess that's relative."

I nodded.

Before I could stop it, I yawned and Caden raised an eyebrow, "Still fine Bee?"

I scowled playfully, "If someone hadn't made me eat then I would've slept longer."

"And been starving."

I shook my head and grabbed cups from the cupboard. I placed them down as his arms wrapped around my waist, his hands on my just-starting-to-show-abdomen.

His voice was low and quiet in my ear, "You're my whole world. If anything happens to you-either of you... Bee I can't even imagine. I constantly worry about you. You're stomach growling means I failed-"

"Caden I eat on my own. I have for years. Many years."

"I just hate the thought of you-"

"I know. But I can take care of myself."

He nodded before kissing his mark. I shivered before tilting my head to give him better access, "But that's my entire reason for living Bee."

"Caden you also-" have a pack I was going to say.

"Nope. Just you."

I rolled my eyes and he smirked before kissing me breathless and we each grabbed two coffees as Daniel was heard greeting Paul across the house in the foyer.

Everyone sat as I handed out the coffee and Caden pulled me onto his lap in the chair as everyone settled in.

Paul spoke first, "Is it them?"

"No." Caden replied as Daniel shook his head.

"I didn't think so either." He held up a file from beside him and opened it on the table in the middle of the room, "I found something when I was looking into your parents' deaths."

I knelt by the table and scanned the files. I handed the important ones to Caden as I kept looking. I knew what he had found but not how it pertained to them being alive.

"I'm sure you already noticed Blake, the evidence logs are inaccurate. Someone did something to them. Their luggage was stolen but returned, however it weighed less when returned to the evidence room."

"And items were missing. There is a hairbrush missing and toothbrushes, and some clothing."

"Which is what lead me into this." He pointed to another sheet as Daniel and Ben came closer. "I was reading up on these articles over the past months as the issue is getting more out of control."

"What issue?" Daniel asked.

"There have been tests ran on werewolves who seem to have gone missing. Their bodies turn up and we have been doing detailed autopsies on each of them. At first we found things like needle marks where blood was taken, then it escalated to taking blood out and putting different blood in. By about the sixth case we noticed they are tampering with wolve's genetics. Skin was missing on the last wolf. His right hand was missing layers of skin that were delicately removed. We're assuming they're rogues experimenting."

"Why are they doing this?"

"We think they're trying to find out how to turn humans into wolves to make a stronger army, or how to enhance themselves. But I don't think that's your case here. This isn't a pack of rogues."

"You think they are pretending to be their parents to the point that they're changing their identity?" I asked bewildered.

"Yes. I'm afraid so. We would have to run tests to confirm, but, yes."

"They'll agree to take the tests either way. If they are our parents then the tests will be positive and if they copied their DNA then the tests will be positive. So why test them?"

"We're not testing them to check against your parents; that's too easy to copy. I want to test them against you Caden." Paul said hesitantly.

"Why not Daniel?" Caden asked.

"His genes will be different than yours. You're alpha Caden. I doubt they would be able to copy the alpha gene and have it resemble your parents as well. It's too iffy. Daniel's may match and we can run his too but yours is more accurate and beneficial. The alpha gene is all over your genes, that would be hard to duplicate."

"Daniel?" Caden asked.

He nodded, "Of course."

Caden nodded before turning back to Paul, "We'll do it. Can you take a sample now?"

"Yes. If your doctor is available."

Caden spoke directly to the doctor through the link and the doctor immediately left the other pack house, so we had fifteen minutes until he arrived.

Paul left to answer a phone call and Caden pulled me against him as he left random kisses on my jaw.

"I love you Bee."

"I love you too Caden." He relaxed more at my words and I smiled to myself.

------

Caden nodded to Daniel as he got up to answer the knock at the door. Knowing it was the doctor, I went to move but Caden held me.

"Just stay Bee."

"You have to give a sample-"

"Not yet." I nodded and sat with him again. He was tense for a moment.

We all stood as the doctor came in the room and took up our positions again as he sat with his carry-sized bag of medical supplies.

We explained what samples we needed from each person and the doctor agreed without question. Paul and the doctor left to get the sample from his parents before he took the sample from Caden and Daniel.

We thanked him and he left.

------

I giggled sleepily as Caden ran fingers up my sides. I opened my eyes as he rolled me on top of him, "This doesn't hurt our pup does it?"

"No, he's a survivor. Got his daddy's genes."

Caden's eyes lit up, "You're going to be a mother."

I nodded, "And you're going to be a father. That's how this works Caden... you already said we're going to be parents."

"I can't wait to see you holding our pup." He kissed me hungrily and held my face, "I hope they look like you. Absolutely beautiful."

"If we have a little boy that looks like me because of all these hopes you have, we're going to have problems sexy."

He laughed and kissed me again, "I love you."

"And I'll love having a handsome little boy, so he better look like you if they're male." Or even female because I'd feel bad for them otherwise.

He fell back on the bed just looking at me, "How many pups do you want?"

"I've never thought about it. How many do you want?"

"As many as you're willing to bless me with."

I looked up quizzically. Was he kidding?

"No Bee. I'm serious. If you were okay with having a dozen kids I'd raise them with you. Or more."

"Until you have to change diapers right?" I joked but he held my face not letting me change the topic.

"How many kids do you want? Seriously Bee."

"I really don't know." I moved his hands and rested my cheek on his chest, "More than one."

"That's an infinite number babe."

I shrugged.

"Two?"

"At least."

"Three?"

"That wouldn't be bad."

"Four?"

At my silence he continued, "Five?" He started to rub my back as he counted endlessly. Soon I was asleep with his soft voice and vibrating chest.

I felt Caden running a hand through my hair before he softly whispered, "Every child we have will be a miracle to me Bee. It's the best gift you could ever give me."

I looked up at him, "Why is it me giving them to you? They're half you."

"Yeah but if you didn't want to go through another pregnancy I wouldn't argue. I have no idea what it's like, obviously, I can't blame you."

"It's worth it. They're worth it."

"So positive."

I rolled my eyes.

"I didn't want kids after my parents died."

"Why?" I looked up startled.

"I didn't want them to go through what I went through when they died."

"What changed?"

"Everyone dies. I would go through the pain of losing my parents again if I got to make memories again too. The memories are what get you through."

I searched his face and drew my eyebrows together, his thoughts were everywhere but pain stood out, "Caden?"

"Sometimes my thoughts turn to you. The thought of losing you-"

I kissed him, "You wouldn't let me die. Don't think like that."

He nodded slowly before we fell into a comfortable silence, "So you want a second child?"

"Yes Caden," I said with a smile.

"Should I wait until then to ask about a third?"

"Caden I'm not opposed to having three kids."

"That makes me happier than I ever thought it would."

"How many children do you want?"

"However many you'll-"

"A number Caden."

He sighed, after a long pause he shrugged.

"So you at least want three?"

He nodded, "At least, if you're okay with that."

"Please stop." I said sighing and he instantly panicked. He sat us up and held my face.

"Bee if you don't want any more after this one then we won't. Honestly. I meant it when I said-"

"Caden I don't mean the kids. You're going back to asking me if I'm comfortable with everything again. It's like when you made sure I was okay with being alone with you all day. Or sitting in a car with you. Now you won't just say it you're skirting the issue. You wouldn't force me into anything so just talk to me."

"I don't want to pressure you."

"You said you would only have one if I didn't want any more. And I love that you would sacrifice your dream for me but I want an honest answer. You're not pressuring me, we're just talking."

"Six."

"What?"

"I would easily have six kids with you. Even more if you still want to after that."

"Six?" He nodded but I knew he was worried about making me feel pressured into having six. "You know we'll be merging two packs, building them into one simultaneously, dealing with the couple downstairs claiming to be your parents, constructing pack houses-"

"Yes. We'll have a full plate, we can stop after one or delay the second if it gets to be too much, but Bee I've thought a lot about this. We have Daniel and Sam and your family and friends that would be there too. Our children will be loved endlessly by all of them. We have two Beta's that do more for the pack than any other Beta's in history and Paul is speeding up the supposed parents downstairs. The wedding will be put off until our pup is born but other than that it's nothing we can't handle."

"I've never taken care of kids before Caden." I forgot about the wedding in all of this.

"Live and learn right?"

"Is that why you want a bunch? So by the sixth we'll have the kinks worked out?" I joked and he laughed.

"One of them has to turn out right. It's pure odds."

I laughed, "If they're anything like you they'll be amazing."

"No-"

I gave him a look not to argue so instead he put his lips on mine.

"Will our pups have fated mates Cade?"

"I don't know. We'll have to ask around. My daughters aren't going to so much as look at any boy that wouldn't give his life in the blink of an eye or treat her as anything less than perfect. Yes I'm going to be the father holding the shotgun."

I smiled, "Good. And she'll have brothers to look after her too."

"Brothers? Plural? So at least three?"

"I guess so. I've never been one for planning Cade."

"Do you want at least one of each? A girl and boy?"

"Well out of six I would hope there's both genders."

"Bee we don't have to have six-"

"I know." Six didn't sound bad though. Well raising six didn't seem bad, it was the having six that did.

"How about we take it one at a time?"

I nodded, "Things change."

"Not everything." I'll always love you, my perfect angel.

I kissed his chest and we headed to the shower.

------

"Luna, you look healthy. Caden is taking care of you yes?"

"Too much."

He laughed, "It'll wear off, absorb it now."

I chuckled but knew he was wrong. Caden was super overprotective. That would never wear off.

"I have the results from the tests I ran yesterday."

"Anything out of the ordinary?" Caden asked.

"The female sample and the male sample both closely resembled Beta's, they could be a cousin or uncle in that way. Definitely related. The Beta has a very distinct familiar pattern that is the same as both samples. And since you two are brothers yours also resembles theirs and is extremely close to the Beta's, however, you would be like a fourth cousin in that the Alpha is not seen in any of these samples. The male sample would be like an uncle because he has no alpha qualities but resembles you in most other ways. The female one is the same, not holding the alpha genes but showing the family ties."

"So they could be our parents with the similarities but with the exception of the alpha gene?"

"Theoretically yes. Again, Beta would be a perfect fit, but you wouldn't have gotten the alpha gene from two people who show no signs of ever having the gene."

"And Dan and I are inarguably brothers."

"Yes. The DNA doesn't lie. You're siblings and both related to the other couple but biologically it wouldn't be possible for them to be your parents. Uncle or cousin definitely. But not parents."

"Thanks doc. We'll keep in touch." They shook hands before the doc spoke up.

"You're two months Luna?"

"Yeah. About that."

"You're showing early."

"Is something wrong with our pup?" Caden asked lowly.

"No. It just means the pup is either large and developing early or will be born early. Both healthy and there's nothing you did that caused it."

"Thanks Doctor. We'll see you soon." I said before leading Caden out of the room, "Our pup is fine."

Caden nodded and hugged me, "Let's have lunch."

I nodded.

-------

We had omelettes for lunch and Caden was done and staring at me eat before I sighed, not looking up, "Stop looking at me Caden."

"You glow."

"It's in your head. Let me eat."

"I wouldn't stop you."

"You make me uncomfortable when you watch me eat."

"I'm sorry Bee." But his eyes didn't move.

"Caden."

He sighed and I rolled my eyes, "I take it you also didn't hear about the other phone call I took today."

"No, sorry Caden. I was trying to focus."

"Don't apologize. They just said that the construction is ahead of schedule."

"That's good. Have they finished the rooms yet?"

"No, they said something about waiting for approval, I'm going to talk to him about it."

"I'm sure it's fine." I was he one who said to wait for approval because I was moving the place of some closets in the floor plans.

"Checking won't hurt. What were you focussing on?"

"What?"

"While I was on the phone. You said you were blocking everything out to focus. On what? Are you too stressed Bee-"

"Caden I'm fin- okay. Honestly."

"So why did you block eveything out? Is it too much?"

"No. Caden I didn't want to intrude on anything you brought up with them."

"You know everything about me."

I shrugged, "You never know someone entirely."

He pecked my forehead, "I love you. So what did you focus on?"

"Not a whole lot."

"Bee are you okay?"

"Yeah why?"

"You never avoid a question this many times. You never avoid a question."

"I was just thinking about the new pack house."

"Do you not like it? Should we change it? Make it bigger? Do you want to-"

"Caden what's something everyone complains about?"

"I don't know why?"

"Every time someone comes over they look in one room and have seen them all. I just thought that if there were different ones then people would feel more like it's their own personal room."

"That's genius. Should we ask them to change it- was this the approval?"

I opened the drawer by the counter and pulled out some papers and handed them to him, "These are rough and probably not going to work but I asked Paul if it would matter and he said no. So I asked everyone to hold off on the construction in the rooms. I don't know if they will but-"

"Babe this is awesome. They're surprisingly different considering they're all pretty close in size. And I like that you have it open over the games room on the bottom floor." He kissed me, "You amaze me."

"Will everyone like them?"

"They'll like that they aren't like hotel rooms. What's this?" He asked pointing to one floor plan. I forgot about that one.

"Nothing. Forget it."

"Bee?"

I sighed, "I thought some could be like apartments where they could have their own small kitchens or living rooms. It would be for the young families more than the others. Just forge-"

"We should make one area like this. Some people move out when they have kids because they want a home but apartments would keep them here and since we're combining two that would help make them one."

I looked up at him, "Really?"

He pulled out his phone, "Yeah I'll call the construction foreman."

I grabbed his face and kissed him, "Thank you."

"For? The families will thank you. They'll love this. We can ask ut I'm sure they will. You're a genius my smart little Luna mate."

I rolled my eyes, "Thanks for supporting me. I'm still not used to my ideas actually happening."

"I love your ideas."

I laughed and Benji came into the kitchen skidding around the corner. His eyes were wide and he looked frantic, "Blake! Caden!"

"Ben what's wrong?" He made us follow him through the house.

"Alpha they're gone!"

******

Edited by TSILVA. Thanks Chickie!