10 Years Later....
"Bennett! You need to come handle your son!" I yell, trying to keep Troy from blowing fire at Noah. Noah growls at Troy, but being only four years old he doesn't have much strength behind it.
Bennett emerges from the other room, Michael hanging off of his neck. Bennett grins as he grabs Troy and hoists him over his shoulder.
"But mom! He started it!" Troy yells and I huff at him.
"Young man, you are eight years old. Much too old to be using that excuse. And your brothers are younger than you, you need to be setting a good example." I scold gently.
Luckily Rowan didn't see him or he'd be in even more trouble.
"When's daddy getting back?" Noah asks and I sigh.
"Soon, baby." I tell him, running my fingers through his hair affectionately.
Bennett puts the boys in their rooms for some quiet time before scooping me off my feet and laying me on the couch.
"You need to relax, Claire. You don't want this girl coming early." He says, rubbing his hand gently over my swollen belly.
Finally, after three boys I'm getting my girl. We took turns, Troy being Rowan's, Noah being Bennett's, Michael being Rowan's and now our princess is Bennett's. But it doesn't make any difference in how we raise them. They are all of our children equally.
"Since we're getting a girl are we going to be done for awhile?" Bennett asks with a smirk. I huff out a laugh, snuggling into his arms.
"Absolutely. These children are a handful, Ben." I say, smiling over at him. His wolf whines a little and I look at him confused.
"I love having all these kids running around. They're so fun. It's never a dull moment." He says with a wide smile that makes me chuckle.
"Then you can birth the next one." I say, patting his knee with a teasing smirk. His laughter fills room just as the earth begins to vibrate under the weight of Rowan's dragon landing outside.
"Dad's home!" Troy shouts from upstairs before all three boys come running down and out the front door. Bennett and I follow them slowly, letting them soak up Rowan's attention. He shifts and throws on his shorts just in time for Noah to jump into his arms.
Being a werwolf makes him faster, something the other boys hate.
I smile at the sight, leaning into Bennett as he wraps his arm around me. He kisses my forehead and I listen as the boys tell Rowan of their adventures. Their bright eyes, excited voices and wide smiles are enough to fill my heart with more love than I ever thought it could hold. Rowan listens to them for awhile before standing and walking towards Bennett and I.
"Little demon." He says with a smile, pecking me on the lips before lowering himself to his knees, holding my belly and planting kisses all over it. I smile and run my fingers through his hair, grateful to have him home. He stands and kisses Bennett, pulling him into a firm hug before we usher the boys back into the house. They all head to Troy's room to play as Bennett and I start dinner.
"Is the council ready to function without you for a few months?" I ask Rowan. He nods before downing a glass of water.
"Yes, they know the drill. Although Atticus has implored us to stop procreating. Something about us being worse than rabbits." He says with a scowl making me laugh. I kiss his lips and he wraps his arms around me, slipping his tongue in my mouth making me moan. I pull away reluctantly, knowing neither one of them will touch me this late in my pregnancy.
With each child, Rowan takes a few months off from the council to be here with us. They always bring me back to the first house we lived in together. Something about it soothes me, makes the whole process easier.
Our first son, the one we lost, we named him Thomas after my father. We grieved him together for over a year before we decided to try again. Of course when I was pregnant with Troy they were paranoid and overprotective. Rowan didn't leave my side for the whole five months the pregnancy lasted. Looking back now, those memories warm my heart, but at the time it was annoying. They have lessened the reins with each subsequent child, but I think being out in this remote location makes them both feel better. Alaina and Celeste became midwives so they could help me through the births and they could happen at home.
We call the boys down for supper. It's a boisterous, noisy affair, but there was a time when the silence was deafening. When the lack of children hurt more than anything, so I will always be grateful for these children. Looking around the table, seeing my boys makes me feel whole in a way I never knew I needed.
This poor girl is going to have a hard time with three older brothers and two dads.
But it will be nice to have another girl around finally.
I smile as the boys argue over the last bit of meat, Rowan catching my eye and chuckling as well. These two men are the best fathers, just as I knew they would be. After supper, Bennett takes the boys outside to play and hopefully tire them out so they will actually go to sleep tonight. Rowan helps me clean the kitchen and dining room, coming up behind me as I wash dishes and wraps his arms around my waist, cradling my belly.
"You look beautiful, little demon." He whispers in my ear, tracing little kisses up my jaw. I smile and lean into him.
"You always say that when I'm pregnant." I tease him gently. His warm laughter reverberates through my whole body.
"And it's always true." He says, and I can feel the smile on his face with his lips pressed against me.
"I love you." I murmur, turning in his arms to hold him close.
"I love you, little one." He says with a heavy sigh, looking around the room. "When we first brought you here, could you imagine how our lives would turn out? What we would build and create together?" He asks and I can't help but snort out a laugh.
"It was hard to imagine anything when I was locked in the basement." I say with a teasing tone. Rowan's chest rumbles a little.
"You never left us again though, did you?" He asks haughtily and I grin.
"No. Now there's no getting rid of me. You're stuck with me for all of eternity." I declare and Rowan tilts his head back to laugh.
"Being with you and Bennett for all of time? I can't imagine anything better." He says sweetly.