Home is where the heart is, and when your heart is always by your side then you're always home and safe.

lmj.

Saint Drake Dante.

Home, I felt happy breathing the almost too fresh air of Louisville, slightly countryside we lived in, though it seemed like that because of the expansive woods owned by the pack, somehow just being back had me energized. "Home." I giggle jumping into my mates arm. "Oooh, you're getting thick baby." He teases licking my neck making me giggle even more. "Stop it, there are kids around." I reprimand and he looks at me as if I'm saying procrastinations. "How will they learn where they came from then?" He asks like the smart ass he is and I smack his arm causing everyone to laugh.

"So no one going to own up to killing those men?" I asked as we walked toward my house, I wondered why it was the first stop. Senior sighs as the rest of the Dante men do and I realize they all had a hand in it, it wasn't surprising, I expected it really, they always wanted to kill Renallo and his friends, did I want to know how they did it, currently no, I doubt I ever will. "I'm not ruining the mood, come on in." I announce ushering in everyone. "Sophia!" My babies yell as they run toward the woman, even I was happy to see her. "Sophia!" I yell crashing into her like my kids. "We missed you." I mumbled and she pressed back in the hug before letting go. "You were gone for two weeks Saint." She retorts making me laugh. "But I still missed you, Sophia this is Jonathan, our newest family member, Deniz's mate." I introduce the two and they immediately start conversing. "You seem happy to be back." Deniz states and I nod, indeed I was happy because this was where I belonged, this was where I found my love, this was my home. "I am happy, I've got peace here, now go on, settle in with your mate." I tell my little brother and he skips away to his mate.

"Dad." Emory calls out stunning me, he had finally said it. "Oh my baby." I cheer scooping him up into my arms. "I love you." I add smothering him with kisses and his giggles filled the air around us. "Dad up." Kyro grumbles holding up his hands and I laugh lowly, jealous little brat, he would get it out of his system soon enough, I bent down go pick him up but Lincoln was there to do it as he was holding his baby girl with his other arm. "You're pregnant." He dominantly asserts and I glare at him but I knew it was the alpha in him being overprotective as always. "I'm sorry, come on, let's have ice cream." I reply as we headed for the kitchen, setting my baby in his chair, Lincoln set down the other two as I placed the bowls of ice cream. "Chocolate, vanilla and earl for uncle Lincy, vanilla and strawberry for my little munchkins." I whispered serving the ice cream, I myself had gone for strawberry and chocolate mix with banana and sprinkles. "This is good." Lincoln compliments as he places a kiss on my cheek. "Stop it." I smack him away and we both laugh, I didn't have an insecure husband and my relationship with Lincoln was beautiful, he was my best friend in everything.

"So this is where you are, eating ice cream." Deniz accuses as he drags his mate along, poor Jonathan. "You're welcome to have some." Lincoln replies as we continue to stuff our faces, it was amusing to Jonathan but I knew it would take a bit of time to settle in here, I took a year if not more. "Sophia please give anyone whose awake ice cream." I tell my helper and she nods serving Deniz, along with Meredith, and Kyro who now had me on his lap. "Tonight I'm tasting you." He whispers in my mind making me shiver. Lincolns mate and the girls were already stuffing their faces as was I because we wouldn't wait for others, it was so good.

"Lani, wanna stay for the night?" I ask Lincoln's mate using her nickname and she nods, she and I really needed time to bond and an idea came to mind, we could make dinner together. "So Jonathan you will stay here until you want to move out, you're welcome to anything, my house is big enough, Kyro will give you a tour of the house and show you where your room is, Deniz rarely stays here since he'll be at Senior's but I have a feeling that's about to change, you young man behave." I address Johnny whilst pointing my spoon at Deniz who smiles like a naughty cheshire cat when I tell him to behave, Kyro licks my spoon without me noticing causing everyone at the table to laugh.

"Linc you know your bedroom, the girls can use their bedroom upstairs, Meredith and Senior I assume have already —." The mention of the woman she pauses me. "Already in there, going to get more clothes tomorrow, with you in your state, we can't afford to be far." She asserts making me groan and Lani laugh, she had just escaped this treatment, now it was my turn. "Fine,you're home anyway." I reply and she winks at me whilst going back to playing with the girls and eating her ice cream. "I can't wait to run in those woods." Jonathan exclaims loudly and I was glad he was looking forward to it. "Its always awesome in the night, we'll run later." His mate replies and I could already see them wearing tuxes for their wedding.

"I'm so full." Kyro the third groans as he waddles over to me and his father. "I did tell you to stop eating." I tease my baby boy and he glares at me. "Sorry baby." I kiss his nose making him giggle. "Go play with your sisters, and be careful!" I yell as he and the girls run toward the playroom, it would entertain them for hours. "We are staying for a few days, so I need to get some stuff, check on the pack and be back soon." Lincoln informs as he kisses his mate passionately, oh they were meant for each other. "Later apples, Kyro keep baby pants away from trouble." Lincoln asserts as his brother answers in a salute, I will never understand their bond but its who they are.

"I'm going to join your father, a nap is what I need after that flight and a lot of ice cream" Meredith exclaims leaving a few of us in the kitchen, I guess I had permanent guests in the house for a while. "How big is this house?" Jonathan asks Kyro and he grins before standing up to give him the response or the tour. "My mate designed the house, it has two upper floors excluding this one and a large attic space, my man cave, the kid's playroom is in the basement along with an open storage space—." My mate goes on explaining to Jonathan what a marvel the house was, they took a turn for the small movie room and disappeared from sight. "How about we make dinner." I suggest with an encouraging grin toward Lani. "Oh you had me there, we haven't properly talked for a while, we need to catch up on gossip, Lincoln also told me that I possibly owe you." She rambled on in her response making me laugh but she wasn't wrong. "Yeah, we had family dinner, you went to a meeting instead of that, you're staying here an extra week, I can't deal with them all on my own." I pleaded with a whine as she burst out laughing. "Fine, I need a real vacation anyway." She conceded making me laugh, we began making dinner with Sophia helping aswell, and it indeed felt like I was back home. "So I heard Mrs Jimenez got caught with another man in her house, naked, again." Lani began making me gasp. "No." I retort in a gasp. "Its true, I heard it from my neighbor, who heard it from her sister, and her sister had heard it from her brother in-law who lives next to Mrs Jimenez." Sophia pitched in and I was intrigued,

+++

lmj.