«Yet you always see them when you look at me,» Nate whined.
Lara was still in his arms, too comfortable to move away. His eyes were staring back at her, too honest for her to think twice about his words.
«I do see you,» she said. «I do notice you even when I don't want to. It's stronger than me.»
She owed him as much as her sincere feelings, didn't she? She could risk exposing her shameless self. The worst that could happen was him leaving, but he wouldn't have abandoned the pups.
And they were going to date, sooner or later. Was it wrong to feel attracted? Moreover, he was a free man. She wasn't doing anything wrong by playing all her cards with him.
«So, you don't dislike me?» he hummed, his face getting closer to hers.
«Not at all. On the contrary.»
He smiled, stopping his journey to her lips just to take one last glance at her face. She was so beautiful and so patient with him. And she was allowing him so close.
Before their lips could meet, though, he felt a weight on his legs. A low growling came from there, and he spotted a blond head trying to push him away from Lara. At the same time, Scarlet had sneaked in between them, and she was hugging Lara protectively, baring her fangs against him.
His pups were awake and kicking. And, also, they had a plan to defend their mommy.
If they hadn't interrupted them at such a delicate moment, he would have patted their heads and complimented them for their synchrony.
«You two are awake!» Lara exclaimed, apparently oblivious to the signs of danger.
She picked up Scarlet, who didn't complain about being heavy, for once. She hugged her mommy's neck and growled at Nate.
The man helplessly split Jaden from his leg, and he observed his tense tail. The ears were still hidden, but his claws appeared for the first time since Nate remembered.
He didn't know Jaden had developed those as well. His pups really were precocious. Just, one seemed to have more self-control than the other.
«I wasn't doing anything to your mommy,» he informed the little boy. «It was just a hug.»
«You can't hug my mommy!» the latter repeated, making Lara burst out laughing.
The woman tried to stop, but her kids were so unpredictable that she couldn't.
«Why not?» she inquired in between two heavy breaths. The expression on Jaden's face was so intimidating. As if he could decide for her. «And I am the mother here,» she reminded him. «I decide who can hug me and who can't.»
Those words made Jaden's threats fly away, and his face turned desperate. He sobbed while his eyes filled with tears. He took a deep breath in preparation for an endless cry when Lara shook him a glare.
«Do not even try it,» she said. «We're here on holiday, not to argue with each other.»
«But mommy!»
«No buts. What does this mean, ah? Are you so ready to attack your own father? He's the same as me... Would you attack me like that?»
«I wouldn't.»
«Then don't do it with Nate either. No matter what happens, you have to trust him. Was I clear?»
«But...»
«Jaden!»
«Clear...» he moaned, his tail falling down and his eyes utterly sad.
«And you,» Lara turned to Scarlet, who had silently clung on her neck without a word, not moving to attract any attention. «Don't think I forgot about you.»
«Mommy,» she tried, hugging her tightly and rubbing her nose on her shoulder, moaning like a kitten and praying not to get her harsh words as well. In vain.
«I thought you stopped growling at Nate. What does this mean?»
«He was doing something to you.»
«He wasn't.»
«But he was so close! I couldn't see well; it looked like he wanted to...» She looked for proper words, for it was clear theirs was just a hug. A very tight hug, maybe even a kiss. But her mommy wouldn't have been happy to hear she didn't want them to kiss.
«It looked like he was taking you away,» she sighed. «I didn't want that.»
«You little jealous thing, who can take me away, ah? Don't you trust your mother even a little?»
«But he's stronger than us!»
«He doesn't want to separate us, don't worry. Would we be here together if that was the case? And you should be the last one to mistrust Nate after all he's done to spoil you. Don't you feel the smallest trace of guilt?»
«He said he didn't want anything in return,» Scarlet pointed out. What was so wrong in keeping her opinion untouched? It was clear that Nate wanted her mommy, so she couldn't lower her guard and let him have his way without fighting back.
«And he doesn't. But you should still be a good girl and listen to him just like you listen to me.»
«But mommy, he...»
«He what? Would you growl at me if I did or said something you don't like, Scarlet?»
«No.»
«Then you shouldn't do it with Nate either. He's your father, you get it?»
«Yes, mommy. I won't anymore.»
«I will get very, very mad if you do it again. You promised not to, and you'll have to keep your word.»
Jaden strolled away from Nate and hugged Lara's thigh. The woman let Scarlet down and crouched to look both cubs in the eyes.
«We won't growl at that man anymore,» Jaden said, sobbing quietly. «We will be good, so don't leave us.»
«I wouldn't leave you even if you were bad,» Lara sighed. «But this doesn't mean you can do whatever you want, okay?»
It was tempting to use the cubs' fears to keep them calm, but it would have transformed her into a person she didn't want to be.
She had devoted herself to them since when they were born; it would have been a waste to stop working hard just because there was an easier way.
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