Rogue Heart

Piece By Piece...Part II

Chapter Six: Piece By Piece...Part II

TATIANA

Sitting in the living room with our other elder family members, Horacio was having a little too much fun, privately linking to make fun of my impatience for Mattias and Jillie’s return—and warning me that I may want to grab the box of new favored tea cakes from the neighboring Moon Valley pack that Soren had brought for me before the newly engaged couple arrived—as it may be taken away in retaliation for my failing to inform the Howling Wind Alpha of my vision...

It wasn’t long after that Mattias and Jillian came to tell us the news. Both beaming—as were Alta and Soren—and Jillian’s hand still shaking slightly as she showed off her stunning new ring. Congratulations and adulations were delightedly bestowed by all, followed by a comical display when they left to find Guntur and Celimine before seeking out Nicholas and Madeline. It turned out my King of Fury hit the nail on the head as Alta made a humored reference to the new dress I made for Jillian, which prompted Soren’s realization of my vision, instantly chastising me for not allowing him to hide in the forest to watch the proposal. Not even my offer to show him the beautiful event was able to deter what happened next...

Fortunately, Orion and Horacio had already worked out a plan—the box quickly snatched up by Aruna’s handsome Prism Moon and passed to my King, who protectively placed it beside his leg the moment Soren had lunged towards the coffee table, leading to a loud, raucous round of laughter from the others—

“Traitorous action, Orion. I am Aruna’s brother-in-law. Your loyalty should fall to me!” Soren scoffed as he fell back onto the couch.

“Ahhhh, but I’m afraid Orion’s frequent visits have provided me the benefit of a new brotherhood, Soren,” Horacio proudly boasted, “We younger men have to stick together and protect the happiness of our two ol—” Catching himself in a possible faux pas, he quickly corrected, “lovely ladies.”

“Very close call provoking wickedness from your Queen, Fury—nice recovery,” I satirically murmured as Aruna softly laughed, shaking her head.

Pulling one of the thin teacakes from the box, he sheepishly grinned, “Another sweet for my sweets?”

“And the recovery continues—as does my shifting loyalty to our beautiful Queen,” Umar deadpanned from the entryway, Celestia giggling as they made their way in—

“We just heard the wonderful news from Mattias and Jillian. Congratulations, Soren, Alta. Umar and I are in hopes that this inspires our son to work on his money management so he can propose to Celimine soon.”

An adoring smile on her face, Alta responded, “I’ve actually been meaning to speak with you and Umar about that, Celestia. You know I’ve always loved Guntur and Caelus like one of my own grandchildren. And—well—it would mean a lot to me if you two would allow me to gift the boys with two rings that I think would be perfect for their extraordinary mates.”

Leaning forward with a warm smile, Aruna curiously inquired, “Aunt Amalthea and Great Aunt Akay’s engagement rings, Sister?”

Returning her affectionate expression, Alta happily enthused, “Intuitive as always, Sister, though we will need some assistance from Orion. As we both know, I inherited my pudgy fingers from our mother’s side, so some sizing will need to be done to fit their slender little hands.”

“Oh, Alta—we—we couldn’t possibly allow you to give the boys two of your family heirlooms,” Celestia breathlessly objected.

His adoration of her thick in his reply, Soren softly contested, “Celestia, my dear, you know as well as I do that my beautiful bride will win any attempt at debate on the matter. Besides, you and Umar are part of our family, something our girls agreed on when their mother discussed her intentions with them. Not to mention it will provide your old Alpha bragging rights in his brotherhood with Lorenzo here—one of his Spirit Walkers walking around wearing a stunning Howling Wind sparkler!”

Peering over at Priscilla, Lorenzo smirked, “Unless my lovely bride would consider finding something in her incredibly large treasure boxes at home. Care to give our future Beta a couple of options to choose from?”

Before she could reply, Alta flashed her a look of warning as Aruna, Loa, and I fell into a fit of giggles, “No is the answer you are looking for, Priscilla. You two have already stolen one of Howling Wind’s best and brightest from not just his Alpha and Luna, but his loving grandparents—and his grandmother has also been one of your dearest friends for over forty years now!”

Patting Lorenzo’s leg, Priscilla mused, “I’m afraid Alta is right in this case, Lorenzo. In the words of our dear Horacio, you are just going to have to suck it up, Buttercup!”

Boisterous laughter filled the room as Soren’s plump face beamed with glee, enthusiastically singing out, “Ahhhh! There is nothing like the sweet smell of victory! Umar, what say you, my boy? Will you appease both your Alpha and Luna and grant my dear mate’s greatest wish?”

Chuckling, Umar shook his head, peering down at his slender, gorgeous mate, “After this display, I don’t think we can say anything but—” Looking back over at Soren and Alta, Umar’s eyes were filled with affection and reverence, “Thank you—for your much-appreciated gifts—and for loving us and our boys just as we love you.”

Elated, Alta clapped her hands, excitedly gushing, “I just so happened to have brought them with me! Would you like to see them before I give Orion the rings to fix up and clean for the boys?”

As she stood up to retrieve the treasures from their room, Celestia rushed towards her Luna—a warm, heartfelt embrace bestowed, both tearful women smiling brightly at one another as thanks were sincerely given. All our hearts full and happy at what we had just witnessed, the two magnificent and accurately described perfect rings we saw that Alta had chosen for Guntur and Caelus—and especially—what was to come...

*****************

TINK

I let my huge hunk of testosterone think I was appeasing him during our new nightly ritual, lying on the bed with Beast on one side and a huge tray of food on the other, being entertained by our very active Roly-Polies making my big ol’ belly distort in the weirdest of ways. But the truth was, I was just as enamored by it...

An enormous bump suddenly popped up high in the air, making me chortle in response, “That had to be one of the girls. It felt like a back flip. I bet it was Liora, but I think both of ‘em are going to be flexible just like their mommy.”

The broadest of grins on his face and those puppy dog eyes dancing, Beast placed his hand where the latest acrobatics occurred, curiously asking in his soft baritone, “It didn’t hurt, did it?”

“Nah—more of a tickling vault off my kidney, then a butt bump,” I immediately assured him, grabbing a strawberry shortcake cookie and plopping it in my mouth before muffling between bites, “But let’s test my theory that it’s Titus who is laying on top of my bladder.”

Feeling a slow release of pressure, an imprint of a little hand pushed up through the melee of rolling bulk and blubber from the other three overly active kiddos, Beast’s fingers sliding over to cover it as I satisfyingly sighed, “Ohhhh, yeah! There it is—relief! Poor little guy. I think he’s just trying to stay out of the way, but hopefully, I won’t have to go pee for at least another five minutes.”

Chuckling, Beast ecstatically murmured, “Look! I think Titus is trying to grab my finger.”

Looking down as I grabbed another cookie, I was in awe as it seriously looked like the kid was trying to do just that, outlines of what looked like a good-sized fist forming just underneath my skin as I brought my other hand up next to Beast’s to run my index finger next to his, lightheartedly chastising, “Hold up, little man. You’re a mama’s boy, so my big ol’ cuddle bug needs to share the love with Mommy.”

The imprint pressed up hard against my hand, making my heart soar, as the rolling bumps suddenly converged together in the center of my stomach, several other hands fiercely popping up all around our thick fingers, leading me to laughingly admonish, “Alright, you three. I feel that. You know the rules. Stop trampling your brother—and each other—and follow Titus’ lead by taking turns. You are all loved, so there’s no need for broken bones, remember? Let’s swap it up this time—let’s see—Larissa, my sweet girl, you’re next, followed by our two biggest mischief makers—little Miss Fiesty, Liora, and then my little ball of domination, Titan.”

My big guy was rolling in laughter as our Roly Polies did just as I asked, one by one pressing their hands up beneath ours, exhaling out in wonder as Liora took her turn, “Smart already, listening to Mommy.”

“With four of them, I figured ground rules needed to be laid out early, big guy,” I pointedly breathed out, adding with great relief as Titan rounded out the quad, running my finger on what looked like his palm, “Fortunately, they all seem to be pretty good kiddos already. Even the two who take after me.”

Titus started the process over, making us both smile as I reached for Larissa’s favorite craving—a Beast brownie—and Beast happily murmured, intertwining our fingers, “I hope they are all as smart as you are, Clemmie.”

“What are you talking about—as smart as me? You’re one of the smartest people I know. You just relay it to most people in very few words, that’s all. Takes a pretty intelligent guy to get their point across in four or five barely more than one syllable words,” I lovingly defended, “What you should really be worried about, my huge hunk of testosterone, is if they all end up having my big mouth—and it takes a ton of words and syllables to get their point across.”

“I hope they use more words,” Beast longingly breathed out, leaning down to place four sweet kisses on my belly.

Bringing my hand up to run along his thick black hair, I began playing with his ponytail, retorting with a little snark, “For our sakes, I’m hoping for more of a happy medium, big guy. Otherwise, we’re going to have to move to an empty wing of the main house that will have to be repaired more than our little love nest—which, by the way, I would like to keep as our private house of destruction, if possible—and as much as possible. Give Chatterbox and Charlotte some quality time with their nieces and nephews, who will be given free rein to covertly torture my victim. I've already started planting ideas in their little minds. All the while maintaining their reputations of Auntie Lottie’s little angels.”

Busting out in the laughter I lived for, my big guy summed it all up with two words that made my heart happy and content, “Sounds perfect!”

****************

HORACIO

Bringing my lips down to kiss her stomach, I heard Tati let out a soft laugh, turning my head before gently resting it on her belly, exhaling out, “Sorry, did that tickle?”

Giggling, she laid her arm behind her head, amusingly replying, “No. I just had a vision of my sweet girl—poor Carson.”

Her gaze clouding slightly, she shared it with me, slowly giving me a play-by-play, “But, there is hope for him. Larissa and Titus appear to show Carson mercy and if he plays his cards right, Liora seems to grow a soft spot for her uncle. Titan, however, seems to have inherited a great deal of his mother’s twisted Dark One sense of humor—and is definitely a mama’s boy—which, as you can see, will make them very close and quite an entertaining duo at future dinner parties.”

A burst of hot air spilled out across her skin in my humored reaction as she hummed out a contemplative “hmmmm”, leading me to ask if everything was alright and to share what she had seen next—an interesting glimpse at a twist that had me curiously murmuring, “You’ve got to be kidding me. Are you going to tell them?”

“As I don’t have the full picture yet, no,” she thoughtfully exhaled out, “Besides, as you and I have discussed many times, there are things I see that should be kept quiet until the time is right so that the journey can be experienced without interruption. Life is, after all—”

“All about the journey,” I knowingly broke in, reverently stating after, “I appreciate your willingness and trust to share these little tidbits with me now, beautiful. It not only gives me a greater appreciation of how you handle certain glimpses into the future, but also enables me to feel like I can help you navigate through it at times. Giving you someone to talk about it with instead of bearing the burden of it alone.”

Her fingers coming up to run along my cheek, Tati warmly smiled, “It is nice, being able to share my visions with you and know that certain things can be kept between us. And I am quite intrigued about this new development with Titus.”

Another vision came to her then—one she simultaneously shared with me as I disbelievingly rasped out, “Wow—he really is going to be full of surprises, isn’t he? And not just for Tink and Beast—but several in our family.”

As I saw a third piece pop in her mind, my jaw dropped as Tati mouthed out in wonder, “As is—our sweet Jax.”

“Okay—that’s crazy—and amazing. How is it possible for Fate to already want you to see that?” I uttered in complete disbelief.

“There are always reasons, my love. Sometimes the journey does require a little—push—in the right direction,” Tati contemplatively said as I felt her pushing for more information, which didn’t come.

“I’m starting to think you’re not only the Moon Goddess’ right-hand gal, but Fate’s too,” I amusingly retorted, leading to yet another piece of insight—

Laughing, Tati sweetly exhaled out, “How funny—Jasper saying those exact words.” Her tone shifting to one of concern, she continued, “Though the way he is saying it—the relief in his voice—is a little disconcerting. I’ll have to see if I can bring forth further knowledge about that. However, he is just as I pictured him. Look at those gorgeous soft curls! Julien and Jax are going to be quite jealous of their littlest brother.”

“Seems he takes after grandmother and mother a great deal,” I thought out loud, smiling, “Your eyes, a huge heart and curls like you and Constance—and it seems your spot on the lake brings him as much peace as it does you.”

“Peace is something Jasper will always display with that heart of gold of his and something he will invoke in all around him, especially his brothers,” Tati lovingly relayed as more unexpected enlightenments came forth, leaving us both in shock as she happily enthused, “And someone else who is entering our world a little earlier than expected. A young lady destined to call my precious grandson her mate. She will need his peaceful, loving, magical spirit as she embarks on her own incredible destiny. Traits that she will love Jasper immensely for—as well as other remarkable attributes of his father instilled within him, especially as she will come to admire and love Jace a great deal as she grows up.”

Sighing, she astutely stated, “I will readily admit, however, that I did already suspect the last part. I just hope it isn’t as difficult as it appears to be for the boys, especially with Jasper’s tender heart, as he will feel a deep sense of betrayal and be very torn where Julien and Jax are concerned. Definitely something that will need to be treaded on carefully, so nothing goes too awry, affecting the inseparable, close bond they share with one another.”

“The connections continue to be mind-blowing, love—for us and particularly—a future Delta,” I wholeheartedly concurred, “And I agree—we’re going to have to play our cards carefully if our grandsons end up needing a helpful push.”

“Mmmmm,” Tati perplexingly murmured—and I knew why—leaning down to affectionately whisper in her ear—

“You’ve said it yourself, beautiful. Thanks to the immense powers they’ve inherited from their mother, the girls’ futures are more difficult to see while they reside in your womb. Stop trying to force it. We’ll know when the time is right—at least I hope we will—or it will drive my pint-sized pixie crazy for seventeen years.”

Pouting, Tati worriedly whined, “Yes, it will. But it’s not just their futures that are muddled, Horacio. It’s Alaric and Bijou’s too. All vague indications point to another inherited trait of her mother in Rhiannon that I didn’t want—that she will be gifted two mates at the same time—two Alphas—which could potentially make things very complicated in the future. How can being a Luna to two packs not complicate matters? And they both appear to desperately love her. What if it hurts Alaric and Bijou’s closeknit bond that I’ve seen? We’ve seen what their deep friendship will mean for Crescent Moon, Moon Stone, The Council, and the integrated army in the future. It could potentially change everything, which would be a complete tragedy. There cannot be any strife between them.”

“Need I remind you that we’ve seen our Rani also shares a close bond with the boys as well? Best friends from what we’ve seen. Not to mention she and Rhiannon are also as inseparable, if not more, than Julien, Jax, and Jasper? And—”

“And like Jasper, our Rani also has a heart of gold and will be a peacekeeper—another reason those two will be thick as thieves—though all three boys will share a special bond with her,” Tati knowingly finished, half of her hand brushing across my hair, while the other half gently grazed across her skin, heavily exhaling out,, “But perhaps you’re right and if what I fear is true, our darling baby girl will be of great assistance in helping the three find a balance, which only leaves her mother to worry about discovering who the lucky young man is that is destined for our sweet girl—and what I am ever—"

“Going to do with all that hair,” I laughingly sang out in unison, making her giggle as I lovingly continued, “Yes, I know, dear. Though I do take a little offense to that. With both girls’ faces and tiny statures mirroring their gorgeous mother, Rani’s eyes and hair are the only proof that the girls are actually mine and not derived from some kind of all-powerful magical Fairy Queen potion. You know—like the ones that now keep us both looking like we’re thirty.”

“Ha-ha,” Tati drolly breathed out, “Though hopefully, as we have seen, they have also inherited their father’s immense strength, enabling their pint-sized bodies to sustain their powers better than their mother has, despite their size.”

Moving my body around to hover over hers, I lowered my face down to hers, flashing her a wicked grin, “Sprite and Munchkin will be perfect, so stop with the worrying and take heed of your own words—enjoy this journey of ours, beautiful. You can start by giving your enamored King a little pooch of some sort to admire and adore—and as the girls have remained silent, which means they are asleep—a little lovin’ to help with my overwhelming impatience while waiting for my Queen’s belly to finally grow.”

The breath that hit my lips was hot—Tati’s gaze clouding over with a welcomed hunger as she replied, “Insatiable.”

Kissing her fervently on the mouth, I huskily sent a vibrating “Mmmmhmmm” against her mouth as all thoughts and worries ceased—at least for now—as we made love. Tati’s exquisite body was beautifully lit by the light of the full moon that filtered in from our window. Glimpses of the future were pushed aside—pieces of the puzzle to be put together another day—when the time was right...

*****************

PACHA

When Nicholas invited Tarka to stay the night at the main house, we were both thrilled. Neither of us ready for our visit to end...

Sitting on the balcony down the hall from his room with a couple of bottles of Tati’s party punch, Tarka mused that he was going to have to see if he could procure a few more to take home with him to enjoy as a nightcap in his impending retirement, his son Kai ascending to the role as Alpha in a few months.

Settling back in his chair, I could see Tarka’s sadness about giving up his life’s work as he kindly assured me, “Kai already knows that nothing will change as far as your caverns, Pacha, and I will be keeping an eye on them to help me pass the time in retirement. My only request is that you extend your visits at least a little for us to catch up—and if possible, come out and perform with the band from time to time. Your music is missed by all, mi amigo.”

“I think that can be arranged. I have missed our talks and you greatly, Tarka. I hope Raahi hasn’t given you too much grief over all that happened,” I earnestly returned, before taking another sip from my cup.

Through a humored grin, he pleasantly returned, “Raahi thrives on giving me grief, Pacha, you know that. But fortunately, he knows The Council is keeping a closer eye on the island, which has helped him not voice his displeasure quite as loudly. Plus, his son has provided the perfect distraction—Tiberius is pressing his father to follow my lead and retire, much to his great dismay.”

“Kai and Tiberius will work very well together, especially as Raahi’s son is much more—amenable than his father. He was always kind to us,” I thought out loud, pleased by the news.

“Yes, they are great friends. In fact, Kai has asked me to pass along a request,” Tarka subtlety began, “As an act of continued alliance between our packs, he is hosting a birthday party for Tiberius in a few weeks and, it seems that on previous visits to the casino, he greatly enjoyed Eliana’s solo performances with Mateo playing the piano. Do you think they might consider a brief return to the island for a surprise song or two? Maybe you could join them with a bottle or two of this incredible wolf brew.”

“I’ll ask them in the morning, but I don’t see why we can’t make a little visit,” I warmly returned, “I could show them the caverns.”

Staring at me for a long moment, Tarka pleasantly complimented, “It makes me very happy to see this glow of contentment in you, Pacha. You really have found happiness here at Crescent Moon—and a renewed purpose that brings joy to your heart. I’ve heard about your upcoming position at the new sorcery school, as well as you and several of El Corazon’s members being enlisted to help during the Fairy Queen and Loa’s maternity leaves. Not to mention Mateo’s heroics not long ago. You always said that he was vastly talented.”

“Yes, I believe all of our children have talents that will be brought to light thanks to Mateo’s bold move,” I proudly boasted, “Something we have all benefitted from and are enjoying the splendors of. Everyone here at Crescent Moon has accepted and welcomed us with open arms, especially Alpha Nicholas, Alpha Madeline, and Tatiana, who have also been incredibly generous to us all.”

Taking another long sip of my punch, I followed it with a long sigh before continuing, “In truth, I never expected any of this, Tarka. The life we have here now. But I will readily admit—I am so very grateful for it and happier than I’ve ever been.”

Our conversation continued well into the night, the final piece of what had been—the best birthday I had ever experienced, with the exception of another year passing quickly. But in looking forward to the bright future I and my familia had laid out before us, even that couldn’t put a damper on the overwhelming happiness and contentment that now filled the heart of El Corazon...