Page 18 of The Lab: Rigg

Connor handed me a sketchbook, serious for the first time ever. “Then you need to color now. It helps.”

I took the book and smiled. “What should I make?”

“A wolf!” Connor’s voice was clear and bright and certain.

I picked up a crayon and pretended to draw carefully. “I’m not a very good drawer, so don’t laugh…”

Connor shook his head and pointed to my outline. “Four legs, Daddy. Not three.”

Every time they called me Daddy, I felt like I was coming apart at the seams with joy. The kids had fully accepted me as a father figure, and that meant the world to me. The whole fated mate thing had blindsided me in the best possible way. These kids filled my heart with so much love, I thought I might explode. “You’re right, bud. Thank you.”

“‘Member the tests, Con?” Lily was insistent, like we hadn’t been through this five minutes ago.

“Lots of tests.” Connor agreed with his sister as he stacked crayons like they were logs.

I was about to ask another question when Connor jumped off the couch and yelled, “Pizza!” It was like I’d fed him three cups of sugar for lunch. He dashed into the kitchen and nearly slammed into a chair on the way.

“You sure are fast.” I heaved myself up and stretched my back. Why was I so tired?

“Fastest ever!” He ran back and did a lap around me before returning to the oven and staring inside the window. “It’s done.”

The timer went off a second later, and I just shook my head in awe at how he was able to do that. He knew exactly how much time had passed without any visible clocks or alarms.

“Stand back while I pull it out.” I waited for them to be seated at the table before taking the pizza out of the oven. It was a large meat lovers, but there would be no leftovers. Those tiny bodies could sure put away a lot of food. It was never-ending with them. They started eating at breakfast and kept going until the last snack of the night before bed. I couldn’t imagine how much they would consume once they started shifting.

I needed to get our vegetable garden going sooner rather than later.

* * *

“Wolf time,” Lily said with absolute authority. “Connor wins wolf time.”

It wasn’t the first time they’d ganged up on me, and I knew it wouldn’t be the last. I peeled them off my legs and gave in to their little plot. “If you say so.”

They said so, together and in unison. It was impossible to tell who was loudest, but they were both the cutest.

“Okay, team. But first, clean up.”

“Now?” Connor whined like I’d just told him it was time for a nap. “But it’s wolf time.”

“This will just take a few minutes, and then we’ll run.”

I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get used to how obedient they could be when they wanted to. It was terrifying in a way, like some remnant from the lab. They knew too much and remembered too much, but I guess they had enough childhood in them yet. There was some comfort in knowing we were giving them the life they deserved.

“Done!” Connor hopped up and dragged his sister by the hand.

“Super done,” Lily confirmed.

“Now you have to be a wolf.” Connor looked at me with his finger out, scolding me for being so slow.

“Chill. I’m getting there.” I chuckled and then shifted right in front of them.

They jumped on me immediately, holding on and riding me with giggles that filled my heart. We ran and played for hours until they finally tired themselves out.

We got back inside the cabin, and I felt guilty for letting them stay up so late. We were all exhausted, and I made the executive decision to forgo our standard bedtime routine.

They were in pajamas and crawling into the bed with me. “You two gonna keep Daddy company tonight?” I pulled back the blankets so they could climb in. “Just this once.”

They immediately snuggled up against me, and I quickly relaxed with Connor’s head on my neck and Lily sprawled out across my back. I waited for the steady rhythm of their breathing to even out and then I let myself drift off too.

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