Page 62 of Truth or Lie

Matt’s eyes were very wide as he approached cautiously and looked down at the two red-faced bundles. “Are you okay, Mama?” he asked in a tiny voice. “We heard you yelling.”

“I’m fine, sweetheart,” I told him, smiling. “Just really tired. Whelping is a lot of work, that’s all. You know when Flynn lifts weights, and sometimes he grunts and makes noise when it’s extra heavy?”

Matt nodded.

“Well, it’s kind of like that,” I said.

“Only with added cursing and personal abuse,” Kam added helpfully. “Here, do you want to hold your little sisters?”

Kam and my mother helped the two youngsters take their new siblings. Jax and Flynn squatted next to me, pressing kisses against my temple in turn. Then, they staked out spots on the sofa where they could watch the others and wait their turn to hold the pups. My dad took a seat across from us and gave me a critical onceover.

“How are you doing, Leo?” he asked.

I smiled, the expression exhausted but heartfelt. “Never better. I’m so glad you and Mom could make it up. Are you still thinking of moving back to the mainland permanently?”

Krissy perked up. “You’re going to live here, Grandpa?”

Dad grinned. “Maybe for half the year, Cupcake. I won’t lie—at our age, winters in Jamaica are a lot more appealing than winters in upstate New York.”

“Seconded,” Kam said. “Can I come and stay with you in the winter?”

I mock-scowled at him. “Traitor.”

“Of course you can,” my mother said, without a second’s hesitation. “Bring the kids with you. We’ll play on the beach and drink margaritas while these goofs shiver in the cold.”

“I feel like you, as my parents, shouldn’t be ganging up on me when I’ve just given you two new granddaughters,” I pointed out.

My mother winked at me. “Oh, very well. I suppose you and your alphas can come along, too.”

“Gee, thanks,” I told her, without heat.

The new pups had made the rounds while we talked. Alex handed me Dana, while Flynn handed Natasha to Kam. The midwife was busily cleaning things up in preparation for leaving. I dozed a bit, letting the bustle ebb and flow around me, with Dana a comforting weight on my chest and Kam a familiar presence at my side.

Time passed, and Jax nudged me through the bond. “Hey, beautiful,” he said, when I blinked back to awareness. The pup in my arms squirmed, yawned, and then settled again.

“What’s up?” I slurred, still half-asleep.

Jax held up the cordless phone handset. “Beckett’s on the line. I called him to let him know the good news. Want to talk to him for a minute?”

I reached for the phone with my free hand, and he passed it to me.

“Hello?” I said

“Hello, Leona.” The international line crackled with static and distance, but the reassuring voice that had shepherded us through so many crises was unmistakable. “I just wanted to pass on my congratulations. Kostya sends his regards, as well.”

“It’s good to hear from you,” I said, with all sincerity. “How’s Anika doing?”

“Plotting world domination, in between charming every person she meets.” Humor laced the words. “The three of us will be in your neck of the woods in a few weeks. I’m hoping we can meet up for a visit. Meanwhile, Kostya is hoping he can pressgang you into helping him woo the German Chancellor into broader concessions on a new pan-European treaty.”

I groaned. “Tell him to ask me nicely, preferably sometime when I haven’t just given birth to twins. But either way, I look forward to seeing the three of you. And as it happens, a group of Jax’s pups will be visiting around that time, too. Maybe Anika can keep the rest of them out of trouble for a few hours.”

“Highly doubtful, but it might still be amusing to watch. I’ll pass on the message, and we’ll let you know when our travel plans are a bit firmer. Get some rest, Leona—it was good to talk to you.”

“And you,” I said, before handing the phone back to Jax.

“Let me guess,” Kam said, nudging my shoulder. “Nikolayev wants you to charm someone for him?”

“Something like that,” I replied, yawning. “Did my parents head out while I was dozing?”

---