~Alyce~

By the time we reached our room Rian’s demeanor had changed some, he was quiet, and sullen, leaning into Tristan’s chest like he was in deep thought.

“Rian? Are you ok?” I reached over, scooping him into my arms before settling into one of the chairs in the seating area, cuddling him in my lap.

He shifted, sitting up in my lap to stare at my face, “Why don’t I have a famiwy?”

The depth of the question hit me like a smack in the face and I blinked, glancing briefly at Tristan, who was as shocked as I was, before looking back to Rian, “You have Miss Maggie. She’s your family.”

“No, she just wooks after me.”

“That’s part of what a family is, Rian. We look out for one another, whether that is telling someone they’re not acting right, or helping them with whatever they’re doing. It’s unconditional love and speaking truths, even when it’s maybe not what they want to hear.” Tristan said as he joined us, sitting on the floor next to my leg so we were all about the same level.

Once again I could see the wheels turning in his head as he processed everything, “Is not the same.”

“What do you mean?” I tiled my head at him in question. He was incredibly intelligent, much like I was at his age, and it made me wonder if it was a Fae trait.

“I wike Ma Maggie, but I don’t feel wike famiwy wif her. Wike I do wif you, Awy. I want to stay wif you and Twistan.”

“We would love that Rian, but it’s not as simple as that. Miss Maggie will be picking you up after dinner this evening.”

“Nuuu! No, no, no! I don’t wanna weave!” His eyes filled with tears and he clung to me, crying into my chest. “Pwease don’t make me weave.”

I looked at Tristan, my heart breaking with Rian’s tiny pleas. I could empathize with him to no end on this particular stream of emotions. I rubbed Rian’s back gently. “You have to go with Miss Maggie tonight, but, if it’s ok with her, I’ll come get you from the daycare center once I finish some things I have to do in the morning. How does that sound?”

Rian’s tears and sniffles calmed down and he sat up once more, looking at me through his teary eyes, “Pwomise?”

“Yes, I promise, as long as Miss Maggie agrees.”

“Okies. I’ll go wif Ma Maggie tonight then.”

“That-a boy. Can I put on a movie for you until dinner?” Tristan asked. “I need to talk to Alyce for a short bit.”

“Can I pick?”

“Absolutely.” Tristan scooped him up, tickling his sides as he crossed over to the couch, dropping Rian on it like it was a trampoline. Rian was in a giggle fit. Tristan grabbed a remote off the end table and turned on the tv, picking a streaming service and scrolling through the kids movies until Rian stopped him on the most recent movie about the hotel for monsters.

“That one!”

“Alright. You stay here on the couch and Aly and I will be back in just a short bit ok?”

“Okies!”

Tristan started the movie and I stood as he made his way to me, taking my hand and pulling me towards the kitchen area. From here we could keep an eye on Rian and still be out of his ear shot since he was too young to have his wolf yet.

I gave him a perplexed look. “What’s going on Tristan? Is everything ok?”

“Yes, and this was not quite how I thought this conversation would happen, but watching you with the pups today had me wondering how you felt about having pups, if you ever wanted them. Then the way Rian reacts to you has me wondering if we should take him in permanently, adopt him officially.” He paused, taking a breath and gauging the look on my face, which I was purposely keeping interested, but blank.

He continued. “I think we, well you specifically, can provide him with something that is essential to him given his bloodlines. There is no one else in this pack with Fae blood. I know it’s a lot, and I know it is sudden, and we certainly do not have to make any decisions now. I just wanted to put the thoughts in your head, get you thinking about them.”

Now it was his turn to sit quietly, watching me for a reaction, any inkling of how I might be feeling about what he’s just suggested. I took a few moments to get my thoughts together before speaking.

“I do want pups. I have always wanted them, but I also prepared myself for the chance that I might never have them just depending on how my situation played out. Thankfully it went better than I ever could have imagined for myself.” I smiled softly at him and he reached over to hold my hands in his.

“We are not set up to take him in just like that, but you make some valid points. We will forever have him in our lives now that the bond of Fae blood has formed. We would have to tread lightly, and slowly with this. We still have Lucian and Silver Moon to contend with. We also would need to see how Miss Maggie would feel about this. She has been caring for him for the last few years.”

“I agree. Perhaps we can start with keeping him with us rather than the daycare center when Miss Maggie is at work.”

“It would give us time to make space for him. I’m sure this floor has rooms made to be a nursery and children’s rooms?”

“There are. The nursery room is off our bedroom, through the hidden door at the back of the closet. It doubles as a safe room.”

“You’ll have to show me later. It sounds like a brilliant idea, wonder why more packs haven’t thought of it.”

“Oh I’m sure some have, but most Alpha’s are too prideful to admit that a threat could even remotely reach the interior of the Alpha floor.”

I snickered to the point I nearly snorted. “Isn’t that the truth. I’m very lucky that you aren’t that way. The children’s rooms, I’m assuming, are those two rooms to the right of our door?”

“Correct. We have the space. We would just need time to get it ready and to get everything else into place.”

“I am not in any way, shape, or form opposed to this. In fact I rather love the idea, we just have to go about it correctly. I don’t think we should say anything to Rian about it until it’s official and he doesn’t have to leave again.”

“I think that’s probably the best plan. I think our first task should be talking to Miss Maggie about it. I can do that at dinner if you can keep Rian distracted while I talk to her?”

“Sure, I can do that.”

“I will also reach out to Mother and Father and get all the information about his parents and bloodlines that I can. That way we have as much information and history as we can get.”

I sighed softly, wishing I knew more about the Fae or that my mother was still around to teach me. I would have to make time for those library books in the very near future and I also would need to pick Ivy’s brain. She would know more than anyone else in the area. I also found myself wondering if my Grandparents might still be alive, and if Ivy might know how to reach out to them. This led to other questions though. If they were, why didn’t they come for me? Of course maybe they presumed me dead like everyone else. Were they even still in the area, or had they returned to the Fae realm?

I was lost in deep thought and it took Tristan kneeling in front of me and shaking me by the shoulders gently to bring me out of my own head. “Half-Pint? Alyce! Snap out of it!”

I blinked, my eyes shifting to him as my focus returned to reality. “I’m sorry love. I got lost in my own thoughts. I didn't mean to scare you.”

He smiled and kissed my forehead. “It’s alright. As long as you’re ok. It was a lot of information to process and quite unexpectedly at that.”

“Yes, but it’s important information and something I feel strongly that we should do.”

“I’m glad you feel that way. Should we perhaps speak with Aramyth and Ryder as well?”

“That’s probably a good idea, but later, after Rian has gone home with Miss Maggie for the evening. I will likely seek out the opinions of Mattie and his parents as well. Extra viewpoints can’t hurt.”

“Good idea. We can relax and have that conversation after dinner and speak to Mat and his parents in the very near future. For now, we should probably get too dinner.” Tristan stood and pulled me to my feet, tucking me into his side as we headed out of the kitchen to get Rian.

“Rian, ready to go to dinner?” I held a hand out to him as we reached the couch. Tristan turned off the TV and Rian clambered down off the couch as quickly as he could to take my hand.

“Yes! I’m hungwy!”

“Me too!” I chuckled softly and the three of us left our suites, heading down the hall. We stopped and picked up Mattie and Cedric along the way. Kami and Brandon were waiting at the base of the stairs for us. Mat and Cedric used the short walk to the dining room to get to know Rian a little bit and once we were all together, we headed into the dining room as a group.