Our bond spikes with such heavy emotion that I suck in a startled breath. Every single pup freezes, following my gaze.

Noah hasn’t expressly said he wants to have kids. Whenever we’ve talked about it, it’s been surrounding my desires, not his. It sounds like he generally plans to have them in his lifetime. I just don’t know if he feels the same deep, unshakeable desire to raise them, or if it’s just a social expectation placed on him. And I don’t think I’ll feel okay with planning to have a baby until he makes it clear.

His gaze is so powerful that my knees feel weak. Leaves pepper his dark hair thrown to one side, and his clothes strain around his broad shoulders, telling me he’s newly shifted into his human form and still bristling with energy from his scouting run.

But those sharp, stoic eyes aren’t their usual teal. They’re stark yellow; his wolf showing up to greet us. 

No one dares to move, awaiting the top Alpha’s cue. But he can’t seem to move either. Heavy emotion ripples over his brow, his eyes locked on my form like he’s craving to absorb the picture I paint. I look down at the little ones at my feet and Sarah in my arms - warm, chubby pups squished against me from every angle. Noah must’ve seen us interacting this whole time.

Or maybe there’s even more to it. Noah mentioned he’s bonded deeply with not just me, but every single Greenfield pack member. Does this mean he felt us celebrating our excitement together until his wolf couldn’t resist checking for himself? Could he feel these pups’ laughter in his heart, sharing it with us too? I love that thought so much that my chest aches, stealing my breath until it becomes uneven bursts.

The youngest pup can’t contain herself, throwing her tiny arms in the air with a delighted screech. Noah melts into a grin wide enough to show off his sharp incisors, and the forest fills with screams and laughter as the pups sprint to their Alpha. Well, not just sprint to him; they launch themselves at him, thrusting their bodies into the air with full confidence he’ll catch them. 

Rainn bursts into a cackle. “There’s one… Two… Three, four, five! Six!”

Noah’s eyes widen, but his smile turns mischievous. He snatches up every airborne pup until his sturdy arms spill over with too many pups to hold. They crawl across his biceps and shoulders, overtaking him until he crumbles beneath them around nineteen, sputtering into deep belly laughter that even I can rarely rouse from him.

And I’m stuck standing here, cuddling Sarah against my throbbing heart as my brain restarts. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to process the vision in front of me, more gorgeous than anything I’ve imagined our lives to become together.

Noah doesn’t just like kids, he loves them.

But does he want to dedicate every waking hour to kids as a parent? That’s a whole separate question, and it spikes just as deep of worries, forcing me to swallow my excitement.

Rainn finally catches her breath, pulling pup after pup off Noah with rapid precision only for them to run right pack and pounce on the pile. “Alright, enough, enough! You found him already!”

Rainn herds the pups back into the clearing around the deer tracks, but some kids stick by Noah, their hands miniature against his wide palms. They tug on him with all their might, and he chuckles, unmoving as if he’s only brushed by a light breeze.

When he meets my eyes, his genuine, erupting smile flips my heart.

“Hi.” His soft, deep voice rumbles through my chest, and we’re not even touching.

“Hi,” I breathe.

His eyes fall to Sarah in my arms, tracking my thumb softly rubbing her as she drifts deeper into sleep. But Noah’s gaze on me stirs my scent into a mushy, sweet explosion, begging me to tackle my mate with a hard kiss. Instead, I bite my bottom lip, unsure how else to contain myself. Noah’s eyes brighten as he breaks into a wider smile.

“Are you joining our lesson or not, Alpha Noah? You’re our biggest distraction today.” Rainn crosses her arms with a smile.

He pulls his focus from me with a smile. “Okay, okay, I’m joining the lesson for today.”

The pups around us cheer, and Noah and I laugh. He allows them to guide him toward the clearing, widening his legs to dodge the pups cluttering his feet. 

Before I can follow after them, multiple pups stop Noah; they turn around, extending their hands for me. 

Noah and I meet eyes and smile. 

But there's an extra warmth and giddiness in our bond that wasn’t there before, giving my heart a workout. 

As our class settles onto a rare patch of dry leaves beneath a heavy canopy, Rainn’s bright voice enraptures everyone’s attention.

So far, Rainn has managed to include every core subject in her lesson while keeping it hands-on, and I can tell the pups genuinely care about her teachings. Some pups climb trees as they listen, fiddling with bugs, sticks, or leaves, but I know better than to think they’re distracted. Rainn seems to understand that every kid is different, allowing them to pay attention in their own ways.

I might actually be the only one having trouble focusing; I can’t stop feeling the eyes on my right cheek. I guess Noah can’t focus either.

Biting the inside of my lip, I stop myself from erupting into anxious, excited giggles. The different, novel sensation in our bond only grows with my smile, expanding by the second in my chest.

Everything in me wants to pounce on my mate.

For now, I settle on teasing him.

Just when I nod along to Rainn’s question, I shoot Noah a quick glance to catch him staring. His focus zips back to Rainn, but excitement sparks in our bond. I hold my breath, containing my laugh.

But Noah’s eyes zip back to me. They’re stark yellow. Just like his shifted wolf.

My stomach flips. He’s more excited than I thought.

His eyes glide down my body, tracing the baby still nestled in my arms, then zipping back up to my face. His breath heightens, and then I feel it: a deep, uncontainable ache spills from Noah, sharpening his breath.

I have to swallow twice, my throat constricting with emotion.

Noah hasn’t said a word, but I can feel the answer I’m looking for. I just can’t believe it’s real. That my life actually brought me here after so much disappointment around this very subject.

When Noah found our class today, he wasn’t just adoring how sweet it was to see me interacting with kids; he was agonizing over the thought of us and our kids, just like I was.

But is now the right time?

I can’t bear to keep looking into Noah’s eyes, my heart racing out of control and dampening my palms. I duck my head, busying my focus on delicately wiping Sarah’s drool before it slips down her squishy cheek.

“Would you like to answer this question for us, Alpha Noah?” Rainn asks.

Noah’s back straightens. “I, uh– What was the question, again?”

His little sister sighs, and the pups burst into quiet giggles.

Rainn shakes her head with a laugh. “Alright pups, I think we all need a change of pace. Let’s continue our hike.”

Noah gives Rainn an apologetic smile. She sticks her tongue out at him and they both laugh. 

As Noah helps me to my feet, he forces his stare off me. It might look like he’s just busy analyzing the pups crowding his feet, but I can feel the aching, muffled desperation in his core to tackle my antsy wolf back.

“Follow your teacher,” Noah softly says to the pups crowding us.

I’m surprised how well they listen, darting after Rainn without complaint. Although, they are peeking back at Noah with absolute awe in their eyes. Or no, maybe they’re looking at me too?

Multiple pups put their arms around each other, glancing at Noah’s arm over my shoulder. They refocus on their lesson with brighter smiles, pride lifting their chest as they not only mimic Noah, but also me, their future Luna. It stirs something in me I thought I could patiently wait for.

Noah does a double-take at me, breaking into a wide smile. “What is it?”

“Nothing.” I bite back a smile. “It’s just, we’re getting to live out our wishes to share a childhood. I feel like I went back in time to take a class with you in the forest, and—”

I break into giggles at Noah’s wide, overjoyed grin, unable to speak another word. He leans in, putting a protective hand on my forearm cradling Sarah as he leans in to nuzzle my cheek.

“I’m loving every second too,” he whispers.

Goddess, help me. Sarah looks even more like him now that they’re side by side, and he’s holding her and I in his arms like we’re his. My heart falls over itself, unable to keep looking at my sweet mate.