I woke up with a heart feeling just as full as it had the night before. My mate and husband slept beside me, or rather, underneath me peacefully.

Not wishing to wake him after a particularly long night, I gently untangle myself, careful to listen to his unbroken deep breaths. I tiptoe into the closet, pulling on a pair of shorts and one of his hoodies.

When I look back at the bed, I'm surprised to see that it's empty, the covers haphazardly thrown to the side.

I yelp when an arm wraps around my waist, and soft kisses fall on my shoulder. "You know, you don't have to sneak out of my bed anymore. I think it's quite common for married couples to share a bed," My mate says, smirking against my skin as his kisses move along my neck.

I laugh, turning around to face him. "Don't do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Finn joins my laughter. "Apologies, my wife. But I do wish you wouldn't so guiltily tiptoe around our room to evade me."

I smack his chest gently. "I wasn't evading you," I correct. "I just didn't want to wake you. Even though you don't seem to mind keeping me awake half the night with your obnoxious snores."

Finn snorts and lightly blushes. "I don't snore."

I smile. "I know. But I like the look on your face when I say you do."

Finn chuckles, pulling me into his arms. "So, is there a reason you felt the need to interrupt my snoring self? As far as I'm concerned, this is our temporary honeymoon, and I don't plan on letting you out of bed until our real one."

I roll my eyes at his lewdness. "I have to go help Ronin clean up the clearing. It's infringing on his garden, and we all know how that will end."

"Ah," Finn says kissing my temple. "It would indeed be a shame if you spent all of our time in Fiji nursing a particularly nasty wound."

"I'd like to think that Ronin would be gentleman enough to heal it before you whisk me off into the sunset," I giggle, always enjoying jokes made about our family.

"As that may be," Finn drawls. "I'm going to enforce my authority as your husband and-"

"Authority?" I snort.

"It's not much, but it's there," He teases as he tweaks my nose. "As I was saying, I'm going to have to enforce that authority and demand that you wait until after you eat breakfast to tackle the disaster outside."

I hum. "You're really letting that power go to your head. What a megalomaniac you've become."

"I'll try not to let it," He amends sarcastically. "But seriously. Breakfast. No arguments, or I'll get Dean to set fire to the garden and tell Ronin it was you."

I laugh. "I didn't realize I married such a master manipulator."

Finn growls playfully and places one more kiss on my lips. "I'll see you downstairs in a minute."

I go downstairs to the kitchen, where Dean sits at the table, leaning over a cup of coffee. "Hard night?" I tease when I notice the dark circles under his eyes and the slightly green tinge his pale face holds.

Dean groans. "I knew that second bottle of tequila was a mistake. The first mistake of many that night."

"Oh? Get a little too swept up in the allure of weddings, did we now?" I joke, pouring a cup of coffee for myself.

Dean shakes his head in remorse. "They always get you that way."

"Well, sit tight," I tell him, ruffling his hair. "I'll make some breakfast."

Dean perks up at that. "You cook?"

I shrug. "I've seen a lot of cooking shows, if that counts."

Putting his face in his hands, Dean mumbles, "Maybe I should just take my chances with Kallista's abominations she tries to pass off as food."

I smack the back of his head. "No more out of you or you'll have to make your own damn food."

"Apologies, Nyx," He grins childishly and watches as I get to work, making a plate of omelets for the always hungry gaggle of wolves that would undoubtedly appear at the smell of food.

When I give Dean his omelet, he groans after taking the first bite. "Oh, Onyx baby. I always knew there was a reason I wanted you for myself, besides pissing off Finnegan."

As if on cue, Finn and Kallista walk in. "Seriously, Dean? Not even 24 hours of being married and you're already making my wife slave in the kitchen to cook for you?"

With his mouth full of food, Dean responds. "Finnegan, I will give you anything you want in return for you letting me keep her."

Kallista snorts and I roll my eyes. "I think I'll have to pass on the offer, thanks," Finn responds sarcastically, and takes the plate of omelets from my hand and setting it on the table, pulling me in the chair next to him.

Ronin walks in, still in his pajamas and blinking sleepily.

"Ronin, you better get an omelet before I eat them all," Dean warns, already on his second one.

Ronin hesitates. "Not hungry."

Kallista sighs. "I didn't make them."

"Oh, in that case, I'm starving," Ronin says, sitting down at the table and taking one for himself, smiling apologetically at Kallista.

For the rest of breakfast, Finn and I listen to Dean and Kallista's various arguments, most having to do with making a petition to ban Kallista from the kitchen for all of eternity.

I feel like now is a good time to apologize for roping you into all of this, Finn mindlinks me with a wink.

I'm still wondering if it's worth it, I respond with a wink of my own.

"Oh, great, another Will and Astrid," Dean groans while watching Finn and I talk to ourselves. "You lovebirds make me sick."

"I think that's the tequila?" I suggest, and Dean waves his fork at me.

"You certainly didn't think they were sickening when you were talking about Finnyx babies last night," Ronin says with a coy smile.

"Ooh, dibs on being their Godparent," Kallista squeals.

Dean blanches. "No freaking way. I've been there from the beginning, I'm going to be Dean Jr's Godparent."

Finn and I give each other a look and burst out laughing.

This, of course, sends Dean and Kallista into an argument over who our unborn, unconceived child should be named after, and even Ronin gets involved, saying he should get the honors because he knows that he would be the one getting stuck with changing the diapers.

I don't fail to notice Finn's excitement through our bond during the conversation.

***

After spending most of the day helping Ronin clean up the clearing and using my magic to do it, Finn and I were sitting in the library reading after we watched the sun set. Finn sat in his armchair, and I laid on the ground with my legs over his lap.

I finish a Tale of Two Cities, and tears line my eyes. "You lied," I accuse him, sitting upright.

He pulls me into his lap. "Did I?" He asks bemusedly. "What have I lied about, wife?"

"You said you would only give me books with happy endings!" I wave the book in the air. "This is certainly not a happy ending."

Finn chuckles, kissing my eyebrow. "I think Darnay and Lucie would disagree."

I scoff. "Oh, and just screw Carton?"

Finn closes his book after dogearing the page he was on. "He died for a worthy cause. That makes the ending happy, never sad."

I shake my head vehemently. "I think we need to work on your definition of a happy ending."

"Are we having our first marriage spat?" Finn inquires, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"First of many," I tease, and suddenly remember the conversation at breakfast. "I have a question."

Finn sighs as he sets his book down. "I know I'm new at this husband thing, but even I know that when a girl says they have a question, it's never a good thing."

"This morning, at breakfast... What Dean and Kallista said..." I say hesitantly, not sure how to ask.

"Don't worry, Nyx. Obviously, Finn Jr. will have Ronin as a Godparent. Picking anyone else would be seriously irresponsible," He jokes, still not grasping what I'm asking about.

"Pups," I blurt out. "Would you want them?"

Finn's eyes soften. "Of course, Onyx. Only if you do, obviously."

"When?" I ask curiously. "Because, you know, we haven't been..."

Finn's eyes widen as he realizes what I'm implying. "Do you think that you're..."

"No," I quickly say, and he looks disappointed by my answer. "But it could always happen. As they say, it only takes one time."

Finn kisses my cheek. "Onyx, whether we have pups a year from now or ten doesn't matter to me. I would be equally happy if you decided you didn't want any at all. All I need is you, the rest can sort itself out."

"I do," I say softly. "Want them. A lot of them. Especially if they look like you."

Finn's eyes shine with tears as I feel happiness through our bond, and I know he was lying about being fine if I didn't want any. He leans in to kiss me, when Astrid bursts through the library door, nearly sending it of its hinges. "Finn, I need to talk to you."

I don't know what it involves, but Finn seems to as he nods in understanding. "Be right there," He tells Astrid, who practically sprints out the door.

"I'll be back in a few hours," He says, kissing my forehead as he gets up and puts me back in the armchair. "Keep my side of the bed warm, will you?"

"Wait," I say, grabbing his hand. "Where are you going?"

Finn smiles at me sadly. "I'm making sure our pups have a safe land to play in."

He apologizes before quickly leaving, leaving me in complete shock. Had he made another deal with the Moon Goddess? One to grant him his enchanted lands without me having to kill anyone?

That night, I try to sleep, but I'm restless, worried about Finn. He hadn't returned yet.

I make the decision to go looking for him, even though I had a feeling he wouldn't want me to. I check every room in the house without rogues staying in them, but still can't find him. I even check the garden, but he's nowhere to be found.

And then I remember the jail.

I walk a little further, retracing the path we took to get there the first time. Eventually, I come across the small building. I hear noises coming from inside.

Turn around, Onyx, a voice in my head says. Go back in the house and go back to sleep. You don't want to know what's going on in there.

I hesitate, my hand on the knob. I had a bad feeling about going inside, but something was drawing me in. Later, I realized that it was fate.

When I open the door, I'm shocked by what I see. Not what I see. A who.

My mate looks at me guiltily.

"Finn, why the fuck do you have the Blood Alpha locked in your cell?"

*Sips tea*

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