Page 31 of The Russos
Duke scowled at his brother and growled before getting up and walking away without saying a word.
Chuckling, I got up and followed him, walking towards where Cassie was standing, looking out over the water at Gus, April, and her girls, who were standing with their feet in the water.
Wrapping my arms around Cassie and resting my chin on her shoulder. She snuggled back into me as we watched Duke kick off his shoes, rip his shirt off and over his head before he walked towards the water, only slowing as he got to the small group. Gus took one look at Duke’s face, shook his head and left them to it. Cassie gave a small laugh as Gus strode towards us, shirt thrown over his shoulder.
“He does realise she’s like a daughter to me?” Gus grumbled taking a seat on the half-wall.
“I somehow don’t think he cares,” Cassie chuckles.
“There’s something in the water around here,” Gus groused. “All these fuckers keep mating with my girls and it’s catching because now Dragon’s taken my Cally.”
Cassie laughed out loud, “Dad, you have to let us go eventually, we can’t stay your little girls forever. Besides, I think Duke may be just what April needs.”
“What do you mean?” I question curiously.
“I’ll tell you at home. Just know that she doesn’t trust males for a reason. The fact that he’s able to stand so close to her and she allows him to be around her young is a good thing.”
A growl rumbled out of me at the thought that she’d been mistreated. Cassie stroked my arm. “It’s okay. She’s safe here.”
“Damn right she is,” Anton agreed from where he and Hannah had come to stop next to me.
“Fate really knew what she was doing when she threw all of us together,” Hannah speculated.
Anton looked at his mate with surprise when she voiced what I’d been thinking for a few weeks now. I’d already seen the ties that bound us all together from the day Reggie arrived. That’s when things had started to shift.
Looking around at those who were unmated, I wondered who would be next.
EPILOGUE
LUCA
Walking along behind our mates, Anton and I exchanged a look of amusement at the decided waddle the two of them had. Not that we’d ever say anything. We’d learned that during their first pregnancies that sometimes it was best to keep your thoughts to yourself.
“Any idea on what you’re having this time?” I asked Anton curiously.
“Nah, Han likes to be surprised, so she’s not checked. She only looks long enough to make sure the babies are happy.”
“Cass is the same. She doesn’t want to know, although personally I’d really like a little girl.”
“Do you think they’d be easier than the boys?” Anton asks, swiping a tired hand down his face.
We were both exhausted. Between us, we had five boys from our first matings, all of them five years old with Anton and Hannah’s being a few weeks younger than Cass and mine.
And the five of them kept us on our toes. I had a new sympathy for our parents and how they managed to keep us alive. It was touch and go with our bunch if they’d make it to their teens at the rate they were going. Just yesterday, they’d built a handglider and decided to see if it would fly from the barn roof holding all of them.
Thank fuck, both Cassie and Hannah were trained medics now and could treat most things. I’d been surprised that they hadn’t been hurt worse than a few sprains and a slight concussion.
We watched in amusement as the five of them all changed, scampered off in front of us, tripping each other up as they ran chittering out laughs.
Anton and I snickered. “It’s a good thing they’re so fucking cute,” I muttered tiredly.
Only to be brought out of it by Hannah letting out a warning shout, “Don’t touch that!” No sooner had she shouted than she and Cassie were hurrying towards the boys.
“Ah, fuck,” Anton grumbled as he sped up. We ran past Cassie and Hannah and came to a stop by the boys, who, still in animal form, had quills stuck in their faces.
“Change,” I barked out, knowing we had to get them not to touch their faces so we could remove the quills safely.
“Are they okay?” Cassie asked, panting slightly as she came up behind us.