Bonus Scene

Moon

I giggle as Arlo massages one foot and Silas massages the other, it tickles because they aren’t paying adequate attention to the task.

They have me resting in the natural hot spring in Cato’s cave, and they’re distracted. The water stops just below my breasts, giving them a full view of my bare chest. Warrior is behind me, rubbing my shoulders, not as distracted as the other two. He’s as attentive as always, my vigilant mate. He takes such good care of me. They all do, but Warrior has a certain dedication to it that I can’t help but admire.

“Focus. You’re not relaxing her. That tickles,” Warrior scolds Arlo and Silas, who grunt in unison. They both make an attempt to look anywhere other than my nipples, but they both fail.

“It’s hard to focus, when I’m, well, hard,” Arlo defends himself, his black hair falling over his brow and hiding one magenta eye. Silas nods his agreement, pushing a wet hand into his white hair, his silver eyes still zeroed in on my boobs.

We’ve returned to Cato’s hoard, so we can hatch our little dragonling. Things are still a bit complicated for Love.

She’s still fighting, trying to free Sky from whatever spell he’s under. I’ve helped her as much as I can, but she sent me away… I understand why, even if I do feel guilty as hell for not doing more. The ex-Fae Queen, Norma, my mate’s shitty ass mother, has proven to be a nuisance. She’s in a realm that my men and I cannot enter without setting off every damn alarm bell there is.

I’m only so much help to her right now. My attention is divided, and my powers, as well as the large group of men that are always following me, make it hard for me to hide, or be stealthy, at all.

Every last one of my men refuses to let me go anywhere without them. I can’t complain about it, since I feel the same way about all of them. After everything each of them has been through, I don’t have it in me to let them out of my sight.

If just two or three of us were assisting Love, we might have been more help, but…well…no one could agree. So Love told us to fuck off. She’s got a place to go if she needs a quick hiding spot, and if it’s life or death, she’ll call us. But she’s playing the long game. This isn’t a get-in and get-out rescue mission, unfortunately. We talk every few days, but those calls are getting farther apart, the deeper she goes.

We’ve been here for a few weeks, and Cato has been working diligently to keep our egg hot. Watching it grow has been a unique experience. I place a hand on my abdomen, kind of sad that my little baby isn’t going to be born from me, in a way.

Of course, the babies in my belly haven't made themselves known. Well, I know. It’s my men who haven’t noticed yet, which is a little concerning.

“Badger, I think those are getting bigger,” Tristan says from beside the hot spring as he passes by, gesturing to my chest. “They’re bigger, right? I’m not crazy?” He’s pauses so he can stare, his magenta eyes are like lasers on my boobs, a tray of raw meats for my Dragon mate in his hands.

“You’re not crazy.” I shake my head, a small smile pulling my lips up. They realized the egg was growing in my belly within days. Granted, my little dragonling was a unique situation, but if I can tell, shouldn’t these men of mine be able to?

“Woah.” Tristan stares at my breasts as if he’s hypnotized for a little longer before the huffy Dragon steals his attention.

Across the room, Daire keeps Cato company as my Dragon mate works hard to keep the egg growing. My Vampire meets my eyes, his red ones filled with suspicion, and lifts a brow.

If he doesn’t already know, I’d be truly shocked. His hearing is better than the rest of ous. Granted, the heartbeats only just developed. I lift a brow in challenge as he takes in the sight of my growing breasts.

I see it, the moment he figures out I’m pregnant. Does he realize how many babies I’m carrying, though?

“Five?” He mouths, and I nod. I have to bite my lip to hide the giggle when the look of absolute fear fills his eyes. I watch as he stares at my stomach for a while, as Tristan feeds Cato, before tending to the egg.

Each day, the twelve of us take the time to speak to the little egg, so that when the baby is born, they’ll recognize our voices.

“Hello, my little darling baby Badger,” Tristan jokes, as he leans in close. He can’t touch the egg like Cato and I can, unless he wants to burn himself, anyway.

“Very funny,” I chastise him, but it doesn’t really bother me.

“I’m going to help Lust and Odas with dinner,” Arlo says, releasing my foot, before leaning forward to press a kiss to my cheek. I don’t let him escape that easily, though, as I hold him to me with a hand around his throat. I kiss him hard and a bit needy. Arlo grunts, clearly he wasn’t expecting me to be so aggressive with my kiss.

“Fuck, baby girl,” he murmurs after I release him, leaning back against Warrior. My smile is smug, as he walks away, a bit dazed.

“Is there something you need from us, Moonlight?” Silas asks, his voice husky as he watches me with his silver eyes.

“A nap,” I tease because while I am feeling a bit horny, I’m a lot more sleepy.

Silas and Warrior help me out of the water, one of them drying my body while the other dries my hair. Warrior starts brushing my hair before he even dries himself off, and I do my best not to start moaning. My eyes fall shut while I enjoy the sensations for a minute.

I turn around and kiss him silly when he’s done. Still naked, with nothing but my towel between us. The way he holds me feels like home, and I sink into him, enjoying the comfort of my mate. He watches me with his blue eyes as I push my fingers into his silver hair, tugging it a bit.

“Is it a nap you really want, Goddess?” Warrior grunts, and I sigh. Ultimately, though, I nod. My eyes are heavy, and I already feel myself drifting, especially after that hair brushing. Warrior lifts me into his arms, and I wrap my legs around his waist as he carries me to our nest. Despite the hardness between his thighs, he lays me down gently before covering me in blankets.

I’m out cold before he finishes fussing over me.

I take a nice long nap, and it’s not until the scent of food hits my nose that I’m roused from sleep. Once we’ve eaten, I head over to the egg and take a seat beside Cato in his Dragon form, resting against his hot body. He shifts back briefly every day to spend time with me, but caring for our little egg is a full-time job for my mate.

I rub my stomach, letting my eyes fall shut. How is it possible that I’m sleepy after such a glorious nap?

“She’s strong,” Silas whispers as he pulls me against him. I lean back into him, sinking into the feeling of safety.

“She?” I ask, almost absentmindedly. I already feel connected to the baby inside the egg. My dragonling might not be growing in my belly like the other five, but they’re still mine.

“Yes, she’s a girl. I can sense her more clearly now. I couldn’t be sure before because of the egg’s protection. She likes your voice,” Silas says gently, and I blink up at him.

“Wait, you’re serious?” I ask, spinning in his arms to look up into his eyes.

“Of course.” Silas frowns as tears fill my eyes at his answer.

“A girl. We’re having a girl?” I whisper, swiping at the tears as they fall down my cheeks.

“Of course we’re having a girl,” Tristan says as if it’s so obvious and I’m silly for doubting it. I shoot my jokester of a mate a death glare that only makes him chuckle.

“You have eleven mates who are fiercely protective of you, she’ll be the only other Dragon besides her father, and her mother is a chaos demon, of course, we’re having a girl,” Kili sasses me like this explains how they all knew she was a girl. I roll my eyes.

“Chaos Goddess,” I correct, making him smirk. Kili and Crow are playing chess by the fire, while Arlo, Lust, and Odas are reclining in the nest, after cooking all of us a fantastic meal. Daire, Warrior, and Fenrick clean up the after-dinner mess. If I thought they’d let me, I’d offer to help, but after the first week of every attempt I made ending with one of them distracting me with orgasms, I got the hint. Not that the orgasms weren’t great, but six to eight a day for seven days straight was a bit excessive.

“Would the universe be kind enough to give us a male?” This is from Lust, and his words earn a pointed glare from me. “Woah, okay, before you turn me into a bag of dicks, I know that came out badly, but it wasn’t what I meant.” Lust holds his hands up in defense. “I mean that if the baby was a boy, then when they grow up we would be far less terrified of…well…everything. Girls are different, for fathers. Not less than, just…well, scarier.”

“I think what the Phoenix was trying to say, before he shoved his foot in his mouth, is that, as fathers, we’ll be naturally more protective of a daughter because of how women are treated in our worlds. That’s not to say men don’t face their own set of struggles, or that they can’t be harmed in the same ways as women, it's just we’re not familiar with being one. None of us has ever lived life as a woman, so it makes being a father to a little girl harder. We’ll raise her, and care for her, the same way we would if we were having a boy. A son would be taught the same lessons, and we’d worry about him too, but girls are…a bit terrifying,” Daire explains before shrugging, glancing over his shoulder at me as he dries the dishes Fenrick hands him. All of my men, including Cato’s Dragon, are nodding their agreement.

I sigh. I suppose I understand what they’re saying, but… “She’s my daughter, and a dragon , she’ll be strong.” The guys all seem to agree with my words, yet I can tell they still feel the same as they did ten minutes ago.

“No doubt stubborn, hard-headed, and independent as well,” Fenrick adds in a teasing tone, smirking at me over his shoulder as he washes dishes. His blond hair is styled out of his face, and I can’t help but admire the flex of his biceps as he works.

“I’m not that bad,” I grumble.

In unison, all of my men counter with, “Yes, you are.” Even Cato adds his own fiery grunt to their joint denial, and I giggle in response.

Lying on my side now, I roll over to face Silas so I can bury my face against his chest. With my head resting on his bicep, his free hand strokes every inch of skin he can reach, which is how I realize one of them dressed me in a shirt and underwear while I slept.

“Moon?”

“Hmm?”

“Is that what I think it is?” Silas murmurs close to my ear, and I nod. Being this close, he must finally be able to sense the babies. Took him long enough. “About six weeks, but they’re…” He rests his hand against my belly as his pale eyes zone out. “Woah.”

“Tell me,” I whisper, already guessing at what he’s just figured out. I suspected it, anyway, but I want to know for sure.

“Different fathers…for each.” He sounds like he’s in shocked awe.

“Different fathers for each what now?” Crow asks, popping up directly beside my makeshift bed beside Cato. Within seconds, all of my men are swarming me, even Cato has shifted back for this conversation.

“What’s he talking about, mate?” Cato asks, his eyes still fully dragon.

“Danger Lizard,” I greet, kissing him. He kisses me back, but it’s too quick as he pulls away, searching my face for answers.

“A Phoenix, a Cyclops, Part Orc…a Light One…” Silas stares at me with wide eyes until I roll in his arms to face my other guys.

“There’s one more.” I know which baby that one belongs to because his shadows are already making an entrance. I lift my hand, showing Kili. “Part Elf, part shadows…” I don’t know how my chaos will affect each child as their father’s DNA mixes with mine, but there's no denying this one’s got Kili’s Shadow Wolf in him.

“Oh. Well, he’s going to be a handful,” Kili grunts while lifting a brow at me. I watch as he loses himself a little bit, clearly panicking. I sit up, moving in front of him and cupping his cheeks with my hands. “Who are you?” he growls.

“I’m yours,” I murmur, taking his hand in mine and placing it on my belly. “He’s got the best father to guide him. Plus ten others.” I smirk, and Kili scoffs.

“What if…”

“What if he’s loved beyond measure and grows up so completely unlike you did? What if he’s got more love than he’ll ever know what to do with? What if he’s kind, filled with joy and happiness in a way his father didn’t find until he was much older?” I cut off the negative spiral of his thoughts, watching as my mate’s eyes fill with tears. My heart threatens to fall to pieces at the sight.

“I love you, Moonlight.”

“I love you too, Kili. Forever.” I seal my words with a kiss, then turn to face the others, just in case anyone else wants to have a little freak-out.

“How can you be sure?” Lust asks, frown firmly in place. “You only just sensed the dragonling, how can you be sure…”

“They feel different. The egg's natural protections make it difficult to sense through the shell. Moon trusts me, one of the babies is mine biologically…her defenses aren’t up. I can sense them with more ease.”

“Our daughter will have five brothers to protect her,” Cato says, a puff of smoke leaving his lips. He presses several hot kisses to my lips before he goes back to his post, once again returning to dragon form.

“A boy?” I move to Odas before I even see his face. He’s panicking. I know he’s imagining the way his blood was used against him.

“Our son will have us to keep him safe. I’ll destroy this and every other realm to protect our children,” I vow, meaning every word.

“Holy shit. I’m going to be an Uncle-Daddy,” Crow chuckles oh-so-helpfully, and I roll my eyes into the back of my skull.

“Never say those words ever again, or I’ll drain you of every drop of blood and sell you on the black market,” I warn, but my Elf mate doesn’t even flinch. He smirks at me because he knows I’m full of shit.

“You’ve used that threat already, pixie.” His wink is way too charming, his long blond hair and brown eyes drawing me in.

“A Phoenix. He’ll be his sister's protector,” Lust says as he glances from my belly to our egg.

“I imagine they all will, despite her being a few months older,” I reply.

“I think we should name her after you,” Warrior suggests unexpectedly. He doesn’t usually say much, happy to just go along with the rest of us. He and Daire are standing side by side, and my Vampire mate smirks.

“I think we should have as much sex as we can before these babies arrive.” Daire’s grin is salacious, and I giggle because– yes, please .

“These kids are going to need an army. I hate to say it, but I think we should raise them in the Fae Realm,” Fenrick adds, and one look at him tells me he’s attempting complex math in his head. He looks strained. “A Blood Fae, Chaos Goddess, Dragon? She’s going to be a handful on her own, but five brothers who are also unique? We need your Grams, your mom, your dad, and probably my dad too. We’re going to need help.”

I wrap my arms around his waist before he can spiral. “I agree.” I press my face against his chest, and before I can stop myself, I bite him, just a little.

“Do you need a taste?” Daire offers from beside Fenrick. I nod. He catches me easily as I leap into his arms. “She’ll probably need a lot of blood for the next nine months.”

“You know we’ll take care of you, Moonlight,” Arlo says from beside Daire, pushing my hair behind my ear. I jump into his arms for my next bite. “We’ll all get through this together as a family.”

“A family,” I agree, my heart swelling with more love than I know what to do with.

“Warrior?” I call my mate as he walks over to the hot spring. He’d been out foraging while Kili and Crow were hunting with Lust and Daire. Silas and Odas were supposed to be with Warrior, and Tristan, Arlo, and Fen shouldn’t be too far from just outside the hoard. They were meant to be gardening while I rested with Cato, but…none of them are with my mate at the moment.

Which means they haven’t seen him in his current state.

“Yes, Goddess?” His scratchy voice still makes my heart ache, but right now, I’m much more focused on what he’s got in his arms.

This is concerning. Very concerning.

“I’m not sure where to begin, my love,” I say softly. Cato takes notice of our interaction, but doesn’t shift back. “Let's start with what you’re doing?”

“Giving it a bath.” He’s so matter-of-fact, and I watch in horror as my mate descends below the water’s surface. I yelp, rushing forward, but he pops back up quickly.

“Warrior!” I gasp, but he just frowns at me.

“What is wrong?”

“You can’t dunk him under the water like that! He could drown!”

“It is fine. Feral Wildling is strong.” He frowns at me, before focusing back on the tiny human in his arms that’s doing his best to maul my mate. Warrior is entirely unfazed, probably because the toddler’s bites are ineffective with those tiny-ass teeth.

“Please, put the child down,” I murmur, making my way over to the edge of the water. Cato’s watching more closely now I’m walking their way.

“Okay.” Warrior puts the wild boy down. He immediately takes off for the corner of the room, hiding behind a large pile of gems and gold. Cato huffs at this, but doesn’t fuss that an outsider is near his hoard.

“It’s okay, you’re not in any danger. Let me help you find your family?” I ask as I get closer to the boy. When he snarls viciously and chucks several gems at me, I barely hold in my giggle. “Charming,” I tease. “You see that egg over there? My daughter is in there. And I have five little boys in my belly right now. See my bump?” I turn so he can get a look at the size of me, even though I’m only about fifteen weeks right now.

The growling and snarling tone down as he pops his eyes over the top of the pile of jewels and gold. They’re such a light blue shade that they almost look electric. His damp, still rather dirty hair, is possibly brown, but it could just be the dirt.

“Feral Wildling is our family now,” Warrior announces as he walks up behind me, staring the boy down.

“You can’t keep calling him that. Do you have a name?” I ask, but the boy’s only response is to growl at me some more. “Okay then,” I sigh, turning to face Warrior. “He has a mother and father somewhere out there waiting for him. We need to go find them.”

“He does not.”

“Warrior.” I don’t even know what else to say to that, but then Daire walks in and I sigh with relief. He instantly picks up on the disturbance and zeros in on the young boy.

“I smelled death. What happened?” Daire walks over to us and looks up at Warrior. He must sense how anxious I am because he tugs me firmly against his body.

“His parents are dead. Probably at least eight days. It took a moment to get my hands on him,” Warrior grins, and there's a sparkle of pride there. “He’s vicious. Fierce and strong.” Warrior nods, looking over at the boy who’s watching us closely.

There’s intelligence in his young eyes, a certain sort of maturity which I’m sad to see on someone so innocent. He’s still got chubby baby cheeks, and if I had to guess, he’s somewhere around two years old.

“Do we know his name?” I ask, tears springing to my eyes. My hormones have been erratic at the best of times.

“Feral Wildling.” Warrior shrugs, and I shake my head.

“No.” I wiggle out of Daire’s hold to make my way closer to the pile of gems and gold, while steadily meeting the child’s gaze. There’s a name that's been filling my mind since I first asked. “His name is Wilder.” I smile at the way the boy's eyes narrow on me. Slowly, cautiously, he makes his way over the top of the pile and slides down the side. I hear Cato huff again, but he doesn’t throw a fit like when one of my guys messes with his piles.

“The fuck is that?” Tristan asks when he walks in.

I glare at my mate for a brief second before focusing back on the boy and answering, “Mine.” I don’t know what makes me growl the word, but it’s exactly the right thing to say because the boy launches himself at me. I drop to a knee and hold my arms open. I catch him easily, hugging his tiny form tightly. “I’ll keep you safe, Wilder. I promise,” I whisper into his messy hair outwardly ignoring whatever it is that's just smudged from the strands and onto my cheek.

Yep. That’s definitely mud.

I snort when Wilder snarls at Kili, who just handed him a fat piece of meat. We got him fed and then cleaned up, and the second I had him dressed in something that wasn’t as dirty as fuck, he promptly passed out.

He hasn’t spoken yet, but he’s been through a lot of trauma and he is still very young.

“Wilder.” Crow’s hovering over the boy like a mother hen. Lust thinks no one has noticed the way he’s doing the same thing, but I see right through my handsome Phoenix. Wilder shoves the meat in his cheek and ambles over to Cato.

“Don’t scare him,” I warn Cato, and I’m pretty sure he rolls his eyes. Wilder runs right up to the massive Dragon, hands on his hips as he stares up at my mate.

“I don’t think he’s the least bit scared, pixie,” Crow chuckles, and I nod my agreement. The next thing I know, Wilder has his hands on the egg and rests his forehead against it. I move quickly, sprinting forward and reaching for the boy.

“You’ll burn yourself!” I gasp. The egg is indestructible, but he isn’t! Cato huffs hot air at him, but Wilder’s unfazed, he just clings to the egg until he looks up at me. His blond hair was so caked with mud I thought it was brown until I washed him up. His blue eyes meet mine, staring intently.

“Mine?”

I gasp. When Wilder speaks his lyrical voice fills my mind. He’s speaking to me, just telepathically. Tears fill my eyes.

“He’s okay. I don’t think the heat bothers him,” Kili crosses his arms over his chest as he observes the boy and the egg. None of them heard his whisper of joy. Only me.

“Come on, Wilder. Let’s leave Cato to it before he gets all growly.” I smile, and the boy kisses the egg, then sprints right for me.

“Your chaos might do some crazy shit, like turn beasts into a bag of dicks, but it sure has brought us a lot of good things too.” Odas smiles as he pulls me into his lap, bringing Wilder along as he’s clinging to my neck.

“Gotta love the chaos, hmm?” I giggle.

“I do. Very much.”

“She’s glowing,” Odas murmurs, clearly in awe of the sight before us as Cato pulls our daughter from her shell. It’s finally time to meet our girl. I’m nervous and sweating, but not from the heat.

It’s been three weeks since Wilder joined our family, and he’s been by my side or hovering around the egg the entire time. He still hasn’t spoken, other than the single precious word he shared telepathically, but I’m not worried. We communicate in other ways, and until he’s ready to let me hear his sweet voice, I can be patient.

He’s glued to my side as Cato approaches me.

“Hi, my baby…” I whisper when he places the screaming newborn into my arms. She’s glowing red, and she nearly burns me with the heat radiating from her tiny form. However, my magic responds, keeping both me and the baby safe. “She’s beautiful.” I’m in awe of my beautiful girl.

Wilder climbs my back using my shoulder and hair as leverage to get a good look at the baby girl in my arms. Her hair is a dusty rose color, a shade that according to Cato isn't abnormal for Dragons. Her bright blue eyes blink at me, and as we look at each other, she calms. Wilder’s cheek squishes against mine. I can feel how enamored he is with her.

“Fuck, Moonlight.” Kili crouches down beside us, staring at our newborn baby daughter. Cato closes in on my other side, snuggling in close. All of my men are within arms reach of the small lounge I’m sharing with Cato.

“What’s her name going to be, Moon? Have you decided?” Arlo asks. It’s something we’ve all talked about many times.

“Warrior thought I should name her after myself, but I thought I should name her after the thing that brought us all together,” I whisper, the tears falling freely. I’m a pregnant and hormonal new mom, leave me alone.

“Love?” Tristan asks with a frown, and I shake my head. That name is taken by my clone-twin-whatever.

“Tournament of Blood is a little wordy. Maybe just Blood for short?” Crow teases, and I snort.

“Nope.” I cuddle the sweet baby to my chest. She’s cooled down enough that Cato can help me wrap a little blanket around her.

“Well, you can’t be naming her something like ‘pure stubborn determination,’ so tell us her name already!” Lust practically whines. I smile for him, I can’t take my eyes off our girl though.

“Baby girl, meet your dads…”

I press a kiss to her cheek, finally looking up to meet the eyes of the eleven men watching me intently. Wilder ever so gently rests his hand on her forehead, nuzzling my cheek.

“Chaos,” the sweet soft voice of my boy whispers in my head, and I nod.

“That's right, Wilder.” I meet Cato’s eyes as I say, “Dads, meet your daughter, Chaos.”

“Wilder…” I hiss as I rush up behind my oldest, grabbing him by the elbow.

“Mom,” he grunts, looking down at me because, of course, all of my children are taller than I am. I shiver because it’s winter in the Fae Realm, and I dashed out after my son before I could grab a jacket. He sees this and frowns. “Here.” He’s already removing his jacket to wrap around me.

“Please don’t go.” I know it’s not fair to beg, but I don’t want him to leave.

“You know I have to. You know why I have to!” The pain and sadness in his voice nearly brings me to my knees. Nothing in this realm, or any other, could have prepared me for the ache of being a mother and seeing one of my children suffer.

Even worse, there’s nothing I can do to make things any better for him.

“Your fathers and I knew this was a possibility, we always have. We can face it together. As a family.” I do everything I can to hold back my tears. We only celebrated his eighteenth birthday a couple of weeks ago. Since we didn’t know his birthday when he came to us, we celebrate the day Warrior brought him home. Four days later, he came bursting into my room sobbing.

Now he’s leaving us, and I can’t stop him.

“Mom–”

“Wait. Wait.” I sniff, shake my head, and let my eyes fall closed for just a second, then I mom-up and do what's right. The best thing for my first boy. “I love you, Wilder. With every ounce of love in my heart. You are my son and I will always love you. There is nothing in this world you can ever do to change that. Do you hear me?” I place my hands on his cheeks, forcing him to look at me.

He shakes his head, swallowing thickly.

“I’m going to miss you so fucking much.” I force the words out around the lump in my throat. Tears fill my eyes, but I hold them in. “I will be here for you for the rest of your life. No matter what. If you need me, I’m here, Wilder. I’ll keep your secret. I’ll do as you’ve asked, but there’s nothing you can do or say to push me away. I will always be your mom.” I pull his forehead down to mine, closing my eyes.

“I love you, Mom.”

I sniff, getting one last look at my boy, then take a step back. “You might need this.” As I hand him his jacket, I see the tears he’s fighting to hold back.

“Tell Warrior–”

“You tell him when you see him again. This isn’t forever, just for now. Now, go on, before I change my mind and try to bribe you into staying.” I blow my son a kiss, and rather than making him be the one to walk away, I turn around and run back to the palace.

“Moonlight, what’s wrong?” Lust is there the second I step back inside. He looks out over my head, searching the darkness for signs of danger. The second I’m in his arms, I fall to pieces.

“Get me to the room,” I beg, letting the tears fall now that my son can’t see me. “I'll explain…” I manage to get the words out around body rocking sobs.

Lust scoops me off my feet, carrying me bridal style as he sprints through the palace.

“Goddess?” Warrior is the first in our room to notice I’m not okay. Seeing him just makes me sob harder. I know I need to explain soon, or they’re going to start freaking out and searching me for injuries. I need to get my shit together first.

Lust sits on the edge of our bed, keeping me in his lap. Even nearly twenty years later, my men still love me just as fiercely as they always have. Cradled against my mate's chest, I sob.

Not just because my son left, but because he’s in so much pain that he thought the only solution was to leave. I don’t know where he’s going, or when he’ll return. I don’t know if he’ll ever return.

I don’t know how I will tell Chaos or her brothers that he’s gone.

“It’s Wilder,” Kili explains for me when it’s clear I won’t be getting my shit together any time soon. “He snuck out half an hour ago after spending two hours packing. He waited until everyone was asleep so no one would be suspicious, but he wasn’t counting on a mother's intuition or a house filled with Dads who sleep lightly to catch him.”

“Lust went after Moon, while Kili checked on the kids, and I searched the entire palace,” Daire explains as he comes to kneel in front of me. When Daire calls Warrior over, he kneels beside Daire.

“I know this is hard, but–”

“I know!” I sob, cutting Cato’s words off. “I know. That doesn’t make this any easier.”

“We’ll tell the kids in the morning. For now, let’s get some sleep,” Odas says, lying back against the headboard. I crawl out of Lust’s arms and across the bed, until I’m collapsing into his arms.

I’m quickly swarmed by ten other bodies.

As I drift off sometime later, the thought that I’ve failed my son plagues me.

“This is bullshit, and you know it,” Chaos whines, dropping back onto the couch beside Cato.

“It is. But you know it’s better than the alternative.” Cato wraps an arm around our daughter’s shoulder, pulling her into his side. “The closer you get to mating age, the worse it’s going to get. You’re nineteen now–”

“I don’t need to be reformed though!”

Chaos has been making the same argument for months, trying to get out of attending this Academy. I can’t blame her, I wouldn’t want to go either. However, after she shifted into her dragon form and nearly burnt a prince to a crisp, they sort of revoked her right to object to attending.

Thankfully, the guy she nearly roasted was a regenerative species. Unfortunately, he was also a prince. Whatever happened between the two of them, they’re both keeping the truth on lockdown.

Her brothers also know, and those five have taken a vow of silence on the matter.

“At least they’re letting us tag along.” Mayhem smirks, his shadows dancing between his fingers, as he makes one take on the shape of a flower and tosses it in his sister’s lap. The power Kili passed down to him took on many forms when it combined with my chaos magic. All of my kids are unique.

Chaos picks it up and clutches the rose tightly.

“The Academy isn’t just for reforming anymore. They just haven’t changed the name since its conception,” I say, even though I’ve already said this time and time again. “And your powers could use some control. That’s normal. This Academy can help with that.”

“Which is no doubt your fault,” my nineteen-year-old daughter says with all the sass in the world. Things have been strained between us since Wilder left. She blames me, and I let her. I’ll do anything to protect my children, and I made Wilder a promise.

“Don’t try to blame this on your mother, Chaos. If you and your brothers hadn’t tried to commit fucking murder, you wouldn’t be in this position.” Lust’s feeling defensive on my behalf, since our kids often gang up on me or blame me for their lack of control. They all got into the school for a reason. “I’m disappointed in you, Stone,” he adds, sending our Phoenix child an extra glare. Lust tends to expect more out of Stone because he’s part Phoenix. He’s also got half of my DNA, though.

“Stone isn’t responsible, and you know it. Whatever this kid did, he deserved it. Otherwise, the six of them wouldn’t be hiding it from us.” I look at the faces of my six children, watching as they all go carefully blank, just how I suspected. “They know whatever he did is bad enough to warrant murder. They’re protecting us,” I sigh, as Pierce, my most gentle child, tucks his head. He’s got tusks that match Arlo’s and every time I see them my heart warms. I feel a little bad scolding him because he was no doubt just following his brothers into danger, but he’s not saying a word either.

“Mom.” Wolf gives me a look, then partially shifts. His one eye in the center of his face is brown, just like Odas. This reaction only confirms my suspicions, but lucky for him, the real problematic fathers aren't in the room with us right now. It’s just Lust, Cato, and I. Both of these men are more than capable of being a menace to society, but tend to be more reasonable. Slightly. One look at Cato’s eyes tells me he’s considering committing murder himself.

Havoc, who has his father’s pure white hair and the same Light One menacing energy, turns to his partner in crime, Mayhem. We named them appropriately. They share a look that screams trouble. I shake my head. Raising a pack of rabid mungus would be easier.

“Don’t even start,” Chaos snaps at her brothers. “I can take care of this myself. They shouldn’t be attending with me, and you know it,” Chaos snaps at me this time, and I deflate. Even though I know my daughter loves me, it feels like I’m enemy number one in her life. Teenagers.

“The six of you were caught at the scene of the attempted murder. I’m powerful, but not powerful enough to take on an entire freaking realm, Chaos. Two years of your life will feel like a blip fifty years from now. There’s nothing I can do.” I throw my hands up. “At least Love’s sons will also be there since you freaking menaces dragged them into this too,” I sigh heavily. Love wasn’t the least bit surprised, either. She and I have raised some feral ass kids, man.

“Who’s a menace?” Kili asks as he walks in and scoops me into his arms.

“All of your children,” I grunt, then take a deep breath before adding one last thing. “Before the six of you start a fucking war, do me a favor and warn me? Mmmkay? If I need to destroy an entire monarchy, I’ll need advanced notice.” At my words, my kids flee, running for the hills as the rest of their fathers enter.

“She’ll be okay, Moonlight. You raised her right.”

“She tried to turn a prince into a Kentucky fried fuck… Did I raise her right–did I raise any of them right? My oldest refuses to speak to me, my daughter spends all of her time dodging me, and my five precious youngest have turned into little demons.” I stare up at Kili as Crow smacks my ass on his way past me.

“We both know she wouldn’t have done what she did for no reason, reasons I’m choosing to ignore until our children ask for help, or I’ll be the one starting that war.” Kili’s body shakes as he fights to contain his madness, and I chuckle.

“My thoughts exactly. I think you all need to speak with them. I’ve said all I can.” I allow Kili to scoop me into his arms and carry me into the back room. I need a freaking nap.

Cato

I watch as Kili carries Moon out of the room and drop my head back against the couch.

“Warrior?” I grunt, not bothering to look over at him.

“Chaos?” he confirms, and I wave a hand in the air, getting up to follow him to our daughter’s room. She has a soft spot for Warrior and tends to listen when he speaks. Whereas, when I speak, her Dragon rises to the surface ready to bite my damn head off.

“Can we come in?” I ask, since her bedroom door is cracked open.

“Yes.” She doesn’t sound as grouchy anymore. She’s been extra harsh on Moon the last few years, and I can’t blame her for that, but that doesn’t mean I like it.

“You were unkind to your mother,” Warrior says, though he wasn’t there for the conversation. It’s not hard for any of us to figure out. It’s starting to weigh on our mate, and I don’t want Chaos to leave for two years thinking her mother betrayed Wilder when it’s the opposite.

“Sorry.” Chaos deflates. All the sass she had when we walked in disappears. Her eyes turn glassy as they flash to the eyes of her Dragon and back. “I’m just still so angry with her! She sent Wilder away! It’s not fair. He didn’t deserve that.”

“Your mother didn’t send Wilder anywhere, Chaos. He left. We lied because we didn’t want the six of you going after him thinking you could convince him to come back. He never attended any academy or whatever the story was.” I shake my head, waving a hand in the air.

“What? But we found him…” She cuts her words off, eyes going wide as she snaps her head up to look at us. Neither of us is surprised. We know exactly where our son is. As if we’d let him gallivant around the realms at just twenty-one and not follow his every move? That, and Wilder was the one to contact us about the other six getting tossed into a dungeon for attempted murder.

I lift my brow at Chaos, waiting to see if she’ll finish her sentence. When she doesn’t, I sigh.

“Give your mother a break.” I take a seat on the edge of her bed and wait for her to cuddle against my chest, the way she has since the day she hatched. She hugs me as Warrior sits on her other side.

“Some things aren’t for us to tell you, Dragonling,” Warrior says, taking her hand in his. “You will learn them on your own. All we’re asking is that you give your mother a chance before you leave. She will miss you dearly.”

“Why do you always have to use logic against me?” Chaos mutters her complaint, and I chuckle.

“We’re your fathers. It’s our job.” I run my hand through her hair for a moment longer, waiting for her breathing to even out once again before speaking again. “And it’s important for you to understand something else. There’s only one reason we haven’t started a war with a random monarchy, and that's our respect for you.”

“It would be poor form for us to fight your battles for you when you won’t even tell us why we’re battling them in the first place,” Kili adds from the doorway.

Chaos looks up at him, huffing. “I told you, I lost control.”

The three of us scoff at her in unison.

“And I’m a beautiful butterfly. Cut the shit, daughter. We’re not that oblivious. We raised you kids, after all.” Kili lifts a brow, and some of Chaos’s fire returns as she sits up.

“I’m an adult. I can take care of myself.”

“That you can, my little Dragonling, that you can.” I press a kiss to my girl's forehead and then stand. “Try not to burn the entire kingdom down while you’re at it.”

“No promises,” she snarks as the three of us leave.

“Why are they always so…difficult?” Kili gripes as we make our way down the hall.

“Because they are ours. Did we expect anything less? They take after their mother and fathers.” I shake my head, smiling. My children are somehow both the cause of all of my stress and my greatest joys in life.

I would set that entire fucking realm on fire for them, but I meant what I said. We have to let them fight their own battles eventually.

“Daire wants me to go with him to meet with Wilder,” Warrior says quietly, and I nod.

“Go. We’ll keep Moon occupied.” Kili jerks his head in the direction of the room where Daire goes to visit Wilder. “I believe Havoc and Mayhem followed you two last time though.”

“They did. It’s how they figured out where Wilder was,” I add.

“Well fuck,” Warrior grunts, making Kili and I chuckle.

“Fuck indeed,” I agree.

Time to find my heart-bonded.

Daire

Warrior stays close to my side, but I can hear his heart beating rapidly.

“What’s wrong?” I ask as we walk into the room on the south side of the palace. It’s opposite the room we all share with Moon. I don’t want her to know we’ve been meeting Wilder behind her back. Though, if I’m honest, she probably already knows.

She’s brilliant, her motherly instincts are fucking incredible. If I had to guess, the only reason she hasn’t brought it up is that she knows Wilder would have demanded we not tell her.

Which he did.

He’ll meet with myself, Warrior, and Kili, but not the others.

He knows the rest of his fathers are more likely to tell Moon or attempt to convince him to come home. Kili, Warrior, and I know that this is better than the alternative.

Wilder is doing what he thinks he needs to do, and none of us can stop him. All we can do is support our son.

“I knew the boys were following us. I had hoped they would convince Wilder to return. Moonlight and Chaos have both missed him,” he explains, and I nod. I’d suspected as much.

“The past can’t be changed. Don’t tell Wilder. He’ll be upset, but the only thing preventing Moon from going off the deep end is that she knows we’re communicating with him.”

“She doesn’t know we visit him.”

“Maybe, maybe not. Doesn’t matter much. We need to make sure he keeps agreeing to these visits, or Moon will move us to that fucking realm.” I huff. We go to him because he can’t leave, while we can travel easily between the realms with the Fae Realm’s portal.

I shut the door to the room, counting to ten before tugging it back open. Sure enough, my most mischievous children are right there. They stare at me with wide eyes, surprised they’ve been caught.

“Mayhem, Havoc.” I lift my brow, watching as they shift uncomfortably.

“Just take this with you. Give it to him, so I know he’s okay.” Mayhem lifts his hand, revealing a small smoke ferret. I roll my eyes.

“You know he won’t take it.” I shake my head and sigh. “Fine, I’ll show him the ferret, but if he says no, you need to respect that.”

“Agreed.” Mayhem nods, so I take the smoke creature and shut the door.

Once Warrior and I step through the portal, we’re in Wilder’s bedroom. He was sitting at his desk waiting for us when we entered. He gets up and greets us both with a hug.

“How’s Mom?” He always asks the same thing.

“She misses her son. Soon she’ll miss the entire lot of you. Don’t be surprised if she visits often.” Wilder nods at my words, and I frown. He looks so fucking tired.

I’m not super happy that my daughter will be in a realm known to be heavily populated by Succubi, but it’s been inhabited by other species over the past few centuries, so it’s not only Succubi. Just like there’s more than Fae in the Fae Realm.

Wilder being here is bad enough, but at least I don’t have to worry about him falling for someone.

“And Chaos?”

“She misses you. No less than you miss her, I’m sure. Are you sleeping enough?” I ask, noticing Warrior’s remaining quiet from his spot against the wall.

“I’m sleeping fine. I’d be better if the rest of them weren’t about to be in the heart of this fucking hellhole, but there’s not much I can do to prevent it without risking the lives of everyone I love. For now,” Wilder grumbles.

When Warrior first brought him home he hardly spoke a word. It took him three years to open up, but then the boys and Chaos were old enough to follow Wilder around, and his speech blossomed.

Over the years we realized he only got quiet around people he didn’t know. So quiet, you’d think he didn’t speak at all.

“Keep yourself out of harm's way. If I have to explain to your mother that you’ve been injured in some way, contrary to what she’s said in the past, she is capable of wiping out an entire realm. So unless you want your mother to commit mass murder, be smart.” I rest my hand on his shoulder, and he flinches. I don’t ask what’s wrong this time, I step back and wait for him to tell me, or not.

“I’m the prince’s new guard. I’ll be by his side eighteen hours a day, including at the academy.” The bomb he drops is unexpected. I stare at him for a long moment.

“Well…” I trail off, because…what?

“It’s not what you’re thinking. And if it is, then don’t freak out.” Wilder cringes.

“You’re planning to kill him and his parents,” Warrior says, speaking for the first time since we arrived.

“Okay, so it is what you’re thinking. You cannot tell the others, they’ll try to help. I need them to stay as far away as they can…”

“They’ll hate you for this. At least until they figure out your plan, then they’re probably going to kick your ass,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. “Can you handle your brothers, and Chaos, turning against you? Can you look them in the eyes and successfully lie?” I watch the young man before me switch in an instant. One second he’s looking slightly panicked, and the next, he looks oddly like Kili when in assassin mode.

“I can. I will protect them first, always. Even if it makes them hate me.”

“Promise me one thing. If it becomes life or death, and it’s either the enemy or you, you choose yourself. I don’t give a shit what kind of consequences we’ll face, or what the backlash is. What I do care about is your mother kidnapping every necromancer in every realm and forcing them to resurrect you. She will destroy everything that gets in her way for you kids.”

Wilder is quiet for a long moment as he considers my words. When he pushes his blond hair out of his face, he sighs and then nods.

“Remember we love you, and we’ll always be here for you.” I ruffle his hair the way I have since he was young, then Warrior approaches Wilder.

“The day I found you, I knew who you’d be to us. You’re ours. No matter what.” Warrior presses his forehead to Wilder’s, both their eyes falling shut for a moment. “Everything will be okay, Wildling.”

Warrior and I leave before things get too emotional. When we return to the palace, the ferret still on my shoulder, Mayhem growls at the sight.

“He saw it. He didn’t ask for it. You know what that means,” I sigh as the ferret returns to its master, Mayhem cursing to himself. Havoc’s already gone. Those boys…

“Love you too, son.” I chuckle as Mayhem stomps off.

Now it’s time for me to return to my goddess’s side.

Silas

Havoc stomps into the room, his silver eyes glowing with power. A power no one other than us and Moon know about. Some of his other fathers might suspect, maybe even all of them do, but they allow him to hide the truth.

“He’s so fucking stubborn! What the fuck did we even do to make him bail? Why won’t he answer our calls?” my son demands, and I pause. How does he know Wilder chose to leave? Chaos has been so angry with her mother, thinking Moon sent him away to an Academy so he could learn control.

We lied to all of them so they wouldn’t go looking for their brother and find trouble.

“Don’t look at me like that. Of course I knew! I know everything.” Havoc rolls his eyes, and I lift my brow. Clearly not everything… “Fine, a lot. I know a lot,” he rectifies.

I tilt my head in acceptance.

“It has to do with his eighteenth birthday. And Chaos. Or is it our fault? Fuck!” His power bursts out of him and slams into me. I’m tossed across the room and slammed into the wall of my study.

“My goodness,” I grunt.

“Fuck. Dad, I’m so sorry!” Havoc sprints to me, his eyes and skin still glowing. We expected the combination of Moon’s DNA mixing with ours would result in powerful and unpredictable children. We were correct.

Pierce is probably the one with the most control. Wolf isn’t far behind. Up until recently I would have claimed Chaos was the most controlled, but…well…that’s up for debate now.

I allow Havoc to help me stand, but much like his other fathers, I’m immortal and hard to kill.

It hardly even stung, mostly it’s my pride that is wounded. Then again, my magical defenses don’t respond to my children. If I did sense a threat I would never hurt them, not even to save myself.

“You’ll need to be more careful about that at the Academy, but you know I’m okay. Let's sit and talk.” I direct my son to the lounge and take a seat, waiting for him to do the same.

“How am I supposed to protect everyone, if they keep fucking splitting up?” He deflates into the couch, and I sigh in understanding.

“You’re not. You wait until they ask you for help. You learn to let them figure things out for themselves. You watch as much as you can, and you make sure they know you’ll have their back no matter what.” I stare right at him as I speak, chuckling when he groans dramatically.

“What do I even say to that?” he complains.

“Oh, I don’t know. You could try, ‘Wow father, you are so smart and so wise,’ something like that.” I smirk as he drops his head back, groaning again.

“I’ll pass.”

I snort. “I can’t blame you. Now, why don’t you relax and repeat after me? ‘My siblings are stubborn, but strong. They will ask for help when they need me, and I will allow them to grow on their own without my magical manipulations.’”

“I’ll chill. If they need me, they’ll tell me,” he grunts. Not quite what I said, but I guess that’ll do.

“This will all get more difficult before it gets any better. That’s just life. But you seven will always have each other, that includes when one of you goes off on your own for a while. We’re a family. We protect each other, even if that looks like doing nothing sometimes.”

“Stop being all wise and shit. It’s annoying.”

“Is that not why you busted my door down? You were just with Mayhem. Where’d he go?”

“Why do you think Mom let you guys name us Mayhem and Havoc?” His abrupt change of subject is an attempt to dodge the question about his brother, but I let it slide.

“Because Kili is mildly unhinged. He took one look at your brother and said Mayhem. Mom’s eyes lit up, and she simply nodded. With you I suggested several other names first, until you used your magic to dislodge Stone from your mother’s arms and I said he’ll cause Havoc wherever he goes. She smiled and started calling you Havoc from that moment on. I’d suggested Terrance.”

“Terrance!” Havoc sits up abruptly, eyes wide. “Thank fuck for Mom then. Damn.”

After that we fall into a comfortable silence, right until he jumps up and runs out of the room.

I head for the bedroom in search of my heart-bonded. I need to feel her skin against mine.

Kili

I was going to head to my mate’s side, but instead I find myself outside, shifted into my Shadow Wolf. I’m restless and nervous. Frustrated. On edge. I’m not sure why until Mayhem appears. Everything I’m feeling must be him projecting all that to everyone around him.

Not one to be outdone by his sister or father, rather than a shadow wolf like my own, he’s in a shadow dragon form. The vastness of our children's powers is extremely impressive. He’s not a true dragon like Chaos, but seeing as this form is born from shadows, it's his preferred one.

Once he sees me, he shifts his form into a wolf like mine. I find it incredibly lame that I do not share this ability.

We take off into the woods, heading for our favorite spot. I’d found it our first week living in this palace. I visit it often to quiet my mind when I don’t want to bother Moonlight.

Mayhem is faster, stronger, and sometimes bolder than I am, at least in this form. He also has the benefit of not being mentally insane. He realized at a very young age that I was slightly different from his other fathers in that way.

He started calling me monkey butt to prove that he was himself to me. It was wildly entertaining when he was younger. He hasn’t said it in years. I don’t blame him, children grow up and grow out of things they once enjoyed.

The moment we reach the waterfall, Mayhem jumps right in head first. When he appears above the surface, he’s back to his silver-headed self.

I do the same, and when I look at him, he’s frowning.

“You’ll have to let him figure these things out on his own.”

“Fuck that. Wilder is just being a jackass,” Mayhem snaps.

“Maybe, maybe not. He could be going through something you will never understand.” I am keeping things vague for a reason. I’m not going to tell Mayhem, or any of my kids, what Wilder’s dealing with because it’s not for me to tell them.

If Wilder wants them to know, then he’ll tell them. And right now, he very much does not want them to know. That’s the real reason he left. He couldn’t take them learning what he feels is this huge secret. It doesn’t matter that Moonlight, and Wilder’s other eleven dads, have tried to tell him that none of us care.

But he sees everything differently. He always has. I can’t tell Mayhem how fucking sad it makes me that my oldest son views himself as an outsider to this family. I have spent years trying to make sure he feels included and loved the same as the other kids. That obviously got worse when Wilder turned eighteen.

Things have been rocky with the other six since Wilder left. Obviously, they blamed Moonlight, which was what she wanted. We all say it was our plan, but to be honest, some of our original plans were to hunt our son down and drag him back home.

I tilt my head back and float, waiting for Mayhem to process what I just said.

“How bad could it be? What the hell could my big brother be going through that I couldn’t possibly understand?” Mayhem slaps the water, letting out a loud and frustrated sigh, though it’s more of a shout.

“Mayhem. Do you think he would refuse to tell you if it was something small? Think of all the moments you’ve shared with him over the years, all the mischief you little shits have gotten into. Has he not shared with you in the past?”

“Of course he has! That’s why this makes no fucking sense! He told me about the time he traveled to the Elven Realm to try and steal a fucking…” His words cut off, and I feel him glancing over at me.

“Oh, come on. Give me some credit. Of course I know what he was doing in the Elven Realm at sixteen.”

“You’ll forgive me if I neither confirm nor deny what happened. The point is, there was a time when he’d share fucking everything with us. Where he was going, who he went with, what the fuck he was getting himself into. But now, he’s just gone!”

I can hear the pain in my son’s voice, and the urge to take that from him is strong, but there’s truly nothing I can do at this moment. I can try to reassure him and tell him everything will work itself out eventually, but I know he doesn’t want to hear that right now.

“You’ll just have to accept that this is what he’s doing right now, there’s not much you can do about it. Remind him you love him, that if he ever needs you, you’ll be there.” I swim over to him, and rather than letting him mope in these feelings, I dunk his head under the water.

He pops back up sputtering.

“What the fuck, dad!” he grumbles. I splash him in response. He’ll have to be an adult soon enough, far away from his family, and out of our reach. We’ll keep an eye on them, of course, and if things go too south we will intervene, but they have to grow and learn for themselves.

But I can do this.

Give him a moment to feel like a carefree kid just splashing in the water with a father that loves him beyond measure.

Lust

Stone is exactly where I expect him to be. In the training yard. We knew our kids would need to learn how to defend themselves, so we set the training yard up almost the same week we moved in. As soon as they could crawl we had them down here five out of every seven days.

He’s punching a bag so hard that I half-expect him to knock it off the chain and send it flying. It wouldn’t be the first time one of them has done it, even with the chain and ceiling being reinforced with magic.

“I’m sorry I was harsh on you earlier. I know I’m too hard on you sometimes. It’s not because I don’t trust you, or believe in you–”

“What else could your reason be? You’re right, I failed. I failed to stop Chaos, I failed to protect her, and I failed to get them out of there before shit went south,” he cuts me off, not revealing anything I don’t already know. He’s being careful with his words so he doesn’t betray the pact he and his siblings have. I would never ask him to do that, but I also can’t lie and say I don’t want to know more. They’re so damn stubborn, though.

All of them get that from their mother.

“You followed them. You stuck by them, and you did what you could. You are not responsible for the choices they make. That's not at all on you. And to answer your snarky question, I want you to be safe. My number one reason is that I worry about you, and I don’t want to see anything happen to you or your brothers, or Chaos. I thought it was obvious, and I apologize if it isn’t.” I walk around to the opposite side of the bag to hold it steady as he punches the fuck out of it.

“I know you expect a lot from me, and sometimes I don’t measure up–”

This time, I’m the one who cuts him off. “There has never been a day in your life where you have failed to measure up to my expectations of you. Well, there was that one time I tried to teach you how to do a backflip and you nearly broke your spine…”

“I was six!”

“I’m just saying.” I shrug. “You have always measured up, Stone. You do not have to be perfect. No one has ever asked you to be. I know it may seem that way sometimes, but I promise, that's not what we want.” I release the bag, moving around it so I can face him. With my hands on his shoulders, I pull him to a stop in front of me.

“Dad–” He tries to stop whatever I’m about to say, but I shake my head.

“I want you to be safe, happy, and healthy. In that order, because you can’t be happy if you aren’t safe, and you’ve never been sick, because well, we don’t get sick.” I shrug. “Though I suppose you could be an unhealthy sleeper or something random, but that’s never been an issue for you or your siblings.”

“Why are you twelve always so sentimental?” he gripes.

“We aren’t. We just love the fuck out of you seven kids. You lot of hooligans brought out the best in all of us. And a little bit of the unhinged insanity in your mother,” I chuckle because Moon is only slightly more insane than she was before becoming a mom.

“Are you trying to tell me she was once chill?” Stone lifts a brow, and I roll my eyes at him.

“Obviously not. Your mother doesn’t even know what that word means. Don’t tell her I said that. I’m just saying, if I thought she was fiercely protective before, now she’s an unhinged little psycho when it comes to making sure her kids are okay. I shouldn’t tell you this, either, but I know you’ll keep it a secret.” He absolutely will not, in fact, the first thing he’s about to go do is tell each one of his siblings within a thousand miles exactly what I’m about to say, but I don’t mind. “Your mother has already attempted to take out the Prince and his entire family...” I snort to myself, but this is just one of the many reasons I love her so much.

“She did what?!” Stone’s eyes go wide as he stares at me.

“Yeah. About six minutes after we got the call that you six were being detained, she got this look in her eyes, and I was suspicious right away. We all were. If it weren’t for Silas talking some sense into her, barely succeeding I might add, she may have shown up to pick you guys all up, only to leave a trail of bodies in her wake.”

“Fucking hell, Mom!”

I allow him to tug free of my grip and escape me. He turns away, walking in a circle as he pinches his nose.

“Yep. The only thing that really saved them was the fact that the six of you, Love’s kids, and the Prince all decided to take that vow of fucking silence on the matter. We have our suspicions on what could have been so bad that Chaos tried to roast the guy, but without proof, well, we can’t do shit.” I shrug, and Stone freezes mid-step.

“Jeez. I hope you don’t think I’m going to tell you anything?”

“I know you won’t. The only people you’re more loyal to than your parents are your siblings, and we’re good with that. We just need you to promise that you will tell us if you get yourselves into trouble that you can’t get yourselves out of. I’m talking about life or death, not detention.” I lift my brow, and Stone nods.

“Fair enough. Just…make sure Mom’s not lonely with us gone. I know she’s going to miss us.”

“Stone, your mother has eleven mates. She will never be lonely a day in her life, I can promise you that. But I would expect visits from her often. Well, as often as the school will allow.”

“First, ew. Second of all, I need to get back to my workout now. Thanks for the talk,” he snorts and starts to head for the weights. Since he turns his back on me, I take the opportunity to tackle him. Wrestling is a great form of exercise. “I should have seen that coming!” he grunts, and I chuckle.

“You really should have!”

Odas

Wolf is in the garden, which I had expected. We have always tried to encourage the kids to explore a connection with nature. Wolf and Pierce took to it the easiest, but all the kids like it to some degree.

My son is currently in his smaller shifted form because his single eye sees heat signatures and other things that his human eyes can’t pick up. It’s very impressive.

There was a time when I was terrified that one of my children might have my power. Mostly right around the time when I found out Moon was pregnant, and that one of the babies would share my DNA.

But I should have known better than to doubt Moon’s magic. Wolf might have some of my abilities, but the chaos of Moon’s magic means he got the perks without all the blood control. Moon and Cato both tested it out when he was young. Nothing happened, and I was so relieved that I cried.

“Before you say anything…” Wolf stands, wiping his hands off on his jeans. “I know. I know Chaos isn’t being fair to Mom. I know you lied about why my brother left. I know Wilder had his reasons for leaving, and even though I hate that he thinks he has to do this alone, I respect his decision. It’s why I didn’t tell the others he left in the first place. I know we shouldn’t have tracked him down. I know we should have trusted your reasons for lying, and I know I shouldn’t have let Chaos go full Dragon mode.”

“Okay.” I shrug. I’m not going to refute any of that, but I also don’t want to confirm it, either. I can’t make his mind up for him. I can only try to lessen some of his worries. “You know I grew up in a dungeon.” That had been a shitty conversation to have with the kids, but it needed to happen. “That Cato was my only companion. It wasn’t until we managed to join the Elven Tournament of Blood that we felt like we had finally found a home.”

“I do. We all do.” Wolf nods solemnly as I lead him over to the garden bench, so we can sit comfortably and talk.

“What you don’t know is that I was used by the former Fae Queen to kill. She used my blood to do horrible things to people who didn’t deserve it because it entertained her. She used Cato’s scales for things like jewelry and clothing.” I sigh, hating the reminder of those long ago days. “All this to say, sometimes someone might be going through something, but they hide it well. When Moon met us, she had no idea we’d been through all that. We didn’t tell her right away. It took time. Granted, not much time, but still. All I’m saying is give yourself, and your siblings, the room to make mistakes without punishing yourself or each other. Life is already hard enough.”

“I didn’t know that…” Wolf drops his gaze to his dirt-covered hands and shakes his head. “That’s awful, Dad. I’m sorry.” All seven kids call all eleven of us dad. It’s not a problem until we’re all in one room. It can get confusing, but we’d never willingly give up the chaos of our lives. “I just don’t want any of them to get hurt. They can all be so dumb!”

I snort. “True, but you’re all so young still. You’ll be dumb for another twenty years or so,” I tease, bumping him with my shoulder. “Whatever lies ahead, we’re a family, and we have each other's backs, always. Even when one of us is being an asshole. Or a fiery brat.” I joke, the boys have called Chaos Firework since she was young, because when her anger peaks, she turns into a little bomb of fire. Literally. To say I’m not worried about all of them would be a lie.

“Thanks,” he chuckles, and I wrap my arm around his shoulder, offering him my physical comfort.

“It’s going to be tough, but you’ll need to choose a side.” I don’t explain, I don’t need to. His siblings are going to divide themselves, and as shitty as that will be, it’s inevitable. They’ll all eventually get their shit together. “If you find yourself unsure of the choice you should make, consider what your mother would say, what she would do.”

“Mom always chooses love,” Wolf grumbles. “She’s always on our side, and no matter what, she supports us. Even when we’re being shitheads.”

“Exactly, my boy. Exactly.”

Being a father is hard. Not because it’s a lot of work. It is, of course, but it’s hard because you spend every moment of your life fucking terrified. Watching a living, breathing, extension of your heart and soul walking around is fucking scary.

I’m not kidding when I say I am, at all times, fucking worried.

We all are. Moon most of all.

But I wouldn’t give up an ounce of the love I feel for them to save myself from the fear. Each one of them is worth every second that I spend scared fucking shitless.

Arlo

Finding a fully grown Orc standing in the kitchen as he cooks isn’t uncommon in this home. Pierce is the gentlest of his siblings, chaos included, but you might not know that just by looking at him in this form.

His ability to shift from full Orc back to a human-like form is impressive. I can bulk up a bit when I Orc out, but I certainly don’t go full Orc. We had to adapt certain aspects of the kitchen to accommodate his size because, because for whatever reason, he enjoys cooking in his Orc form.

He’s wearing a pink apron that his brothers got him a couple of years ago. He has several now.

“Knew I’d find you in here. What are you making?” I ask as I take a seat on the counter beside him. I make sure I’m not in his way, though. He’s a foot taller, and significantly wider than me in this form. He’s given all of his siblings piggyback rides like this, even allowing Chaos to sit on one shoulder from time to time. His hair’s still black and his eyes shine magenta as he looks over at me.

“Lobster risotto, fresh garlic bread, and a side salad. For everyone, of course,” he shrugs, and I smirk. Eighteen portions is a fucking shit-ton, but I know he’s capable.

“Wow, sounds delicious. Your mother will really love that.”

“I know, that’s why I picked it. She seems more down than usual today, but I know the rest of you will steal it from her if I only make enough to feed her.” He chuckles at the last bit, and I nod in agreement.

“Correct. I already want a bite.”

“We would have killed him, you know? If it was as bad as you all think it was. He’d already be dead,” Pierce murmurs, and I nod.

“Okay.”

“I just mean…I don’t want you to think the Prince did something to Chaos and we just let it happen. I might not be like my brothers, but no one fucks with my sister. Not like that. Not ever.” The fierce way he growls those words makes my heart swell with pride.

We raised our boys right.

“Very well.”

“I mean it, Dad–”

“Pierce, I know, son. I know. I believe you. You do not need to keep defending yourself.”

“Okay.”

The silence stretches on between us for a long moment, so I just let him focus. After a while, I say, “None of us ever doubted you boys. We never have, and never will. If you think we’re worried you’ll let something happen to Chaos at the school, you’re wrong. If anything, we’re worried about what Chaos will do to that damn school. She’s her mother’s daughter, after all,” I chuckle.

“No kidding.” He sighs heavily, like he’s his older sister’s father and not a nineteen-year-old.

“Everything will work out. Two years will fly by. You’ll see.” I pat his shoulder and watch as he cooks. We fall into a comfortable silence this time, and when it’s time for dinner, I help him take everything to the dining room so we can all sit to eat as a family.

“What is that delicious smell?” Moon asks as she appears in the hall. Pierce smiles with a huge grin and pulls his very tiny, in comparison at least, mother into his arms. She hugs him as best she can, grinning up at him.

When I look at them like this, even though my son is clearly huge, I can’t contain my smile. It reminds me of the first time I saw him in her arms. His tiny tusks were already peeking through.

No matter how old my kids are, I will always see them as kids. As needing protection. If I could, I would lock all seven of them in the fucking palace and keep them under one roof where I could make sure they’re okay.

That wouldn’t do anyone any good, though. Children need to venture out on their own and experience things for themselves. Being an overbearing control freak won’t do anyone any good. Except me.

Ultimately, though, I know that they’d never flourish or find happiness if I hover. What’s that term from the human realm? Helicopter parent?

I would love nothing more, but they would hate it.

What they don’t know won’t hurt them.

I have spent years training them how to detect eyes on them that they can’t see. How to sense energies and intentions. However, they have never needed to protect themselves from me. My intentions are clear. Love and safety. Even if they noticed me stalking them like the psycho I am, they wouldn’t be on edge. I wonder if they have sensed me over the years, but just allow me to remain in the shadows.

Moonlight scolds me from time to time, like I didn’t insert myself into her life just to be close to her before she knew who I truly was to her.

“Lobster risotto. Special for you. I knew these animals would steal most of it, though, so I made enough for everyone.” Pierce presses a kiss to Moon’s head and walks with her to the head of our enormous table.

We moved into this palace for a reason.

“Thank you, my sweet boy. I love you so much. This is so thoughtful.” Moon pats his cheek. Of course, Pierce has to bend basically in half for her to reach him. The other fathers and I all take seats around Moon and the kids. I pick the seat beside my daughter since she often comes to me when she needs comfort.

The moment I sit, she leans over in her chair and rests her head on my arm. I press a kiss to the top of her head, and she nuzzles my bicep. Compared to the others, besides Odas, I am the calmest.

Tristan cheers them up with his teasing and joking. Lust is more of a silent supporter. He’ll engage in some kind of wrestling with the boys, but with Chaos, he’ll do something she prefers. Swimming. Racing. Sprinting. The little lunatic likes running. Cato has often given them rides while in his Dragon form. Odas reads to them, acting out each character. I won’t lie, it’s actually very entertaining.

Daire is the king of tag and hide and seek, for obvious reasons. The absolute insanity of seven toddlers screaming as they all book it in opposite directions just to be chased by Daire is very entertaining as well.

Kili and Crow worked as a team. Tossing them in the air and catching them, much to Moon’s disapproval.

Warrior is actually the one who taught them to cook. Once we moved into the palace he’d started learning how, and when they were about five and seven, they wanted to help him. Pierce is the only one who really stuck with it though.

Fenrick worked with them in the garden. A skill Wolf thrived with.

Silas…he was a bit of an enigma at first. Always sneaking up on them and startling them. Eventually, they decided to mobilize against him. They formed a seven-kid gang, and would hunt him in his snake form. It took me a while to understand he was teaching them how to work together. How to protect each other, without saying the words.

He wanted them to naturally feel the need to protect each other. That wasn’t hard. My kids are fiercely protective of each other.

From the outside looking in, you’d think the boys were their sister’s protectors, and they are. However, over the years, we quickly discovered that if Chaos perceived a threat against one of the boys, she went full fucking demon mode.

She’s a vicious one, that girl of mine.

Just like my Moonlight.

Tristan

Chaos leans her head against Arlo’s bicep, and from this angle, he can’t see that she’s crying. I don’t want to call her on it, and if the others notice, none of them have mentioned it either. It aches deep in my chest when I see her cry. A place that didn’t even exist before Wilder came into our lives, and the other six were born.

I thought I’d be shitty at this, given what a raging asshole my father was. I didn’t know what being a good father even looked like. Thankfully, I have ten other men to help me figure it out.

Moon’s father, Arlo’s, and even Fenrick’s dads were alright examples as well. Arlo’s dad most of all. That man fucking adores Arlo and his grandchildren. We spent several months in the Orc realm so the kids could get to know them.

I wonder if my kids even know what a wonderful thing it is that they have so much family surrounding them.

Not just Moon and their other fathers, but all the rest of them too.

There's Moon’s Grams, Mom and Dad. Kili, Crow, and Warrior’s sister Evie. Daire’s sister. Fen’s dad. And then Arlo’s dad, and our mother. On the outside, that might not sound like a lot, but when you grew up alone, it’s a fucking stampede.

A crowd, really.

Chaos stops crying and gets herself together quickly, but all through dinner I can tell she’s upset. She keeps glancing between all of her fathers and Moon with this heartbroken look in her eyes.

I can’t take it.

“So, my little miscreants…did your mom tell you we’ll be visiting your fourth weekend at the Academy? There’s going to be a family day. I hear there’s a talent show. What are you six going to do as a talent? Yodel?” I wiggle my brows at them, and Chaos sits up straight as a board in her chair.

“Please no,” she begs, eyes wide. “You’re messing with us, right? Not about visiting, but the talent show? Please tell me you’re fucking with us.”

“Yes, Chaos. He’s just fucking with you,” Moonlight sighs, shooting me a stern mom look. I shrug. It worked. Chaos is no longer looking between the twelve of us like we’re all going to die tonight or something.

“Rude.” She glares daggers at me but smiles. I wink back, as is our way. I antagonize them, and they can focus on something other than whatever’s happening in their heads.

“No, I think she’s wrong. The email must have mentioned a talent show.” I shrug.

“There was no email,” Moon huffs.

“Ah, my mistake then. Anyway, who wants cake?” I stand, wiggling my brows, before sprinting out of the room to retrieve the chocolate dessert.

When I return, Chaos is doing a happy dance in her seat when she sees the cake. It’s massive, so there’s plenty for all of us.

“Where did you get that?” Moon asks, and I pretend I’m zipping my lips. Honestly, I asked the palace chef to make it for the kids. I knew they’d love it.

They help me serve everyone, and when I take my first bite my eyes fall shut. “Okay, damn. This is good.” I glance over at Moon. She must see the look in my eyes, because she glares and shakes her head. As if that’ll stop me. “Totally gonna see what sides taste best with this.” I wink at her, and she pauses. The kids are all so distracted enjoying their cake that they pay me no mind.

Moon rolls her eyes and sticks her tongue out at me.

“Solid plan,” Crow leans in close to whisper.

“I know.”

Moon

I keep my eyes on my kids the entire day. From the moment I wake up, I’m going from room to room, just watching them. My parents stop by with Grams to say their goodbyes, and I have to leave so I don’t start sobbing.

I hate this. I tried to fucking kill people I know nothing about just to prevent this.

Am I the most stable? Probably not.

I wish I could pry the fucking truth out of my kid’s heads, but they’re locked down tighter than a bank vault. I’ve asked Love if her kids have said anything, but they’re just as stubborn as my kids are.

Frustrating little brats.

“Can I talk to you five, please?” I ask my boys once I catch them all together in Mayhem’s room.

“Always, Mom.” Havoc nods as he stands, offering me his seat, but I shake my head. I want to stay standing so I can see all of them.

“I love you. More than you can possibly understand. Each of you is like a piece of my soul, and one look at you makes my heart burst.” I smile, but keep going. I raised my boys to never shy away from feelings or emotions. “There isn’t anything I wouldn't do for each of you, but I swear on my life, if you don’t take care of yourselves and keep safe, I will have you locked up in a bubble.” I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. “Obviously, I won’t do that, but I just need you to understand that if anything happens to any of you seven, I won’t survive it, okay? So, please be smart. I beg you.”

“Mom, everything is going to be fine.” Wolf stands so he can hug me, and I fight like hell to hold my tears in. The last thing any of them needs is me crying like a baby in their arms.

“We love you too,” Stone adds, hugging me next. “We’ll be okay.”

“And if it’s not, we’ll just unleash Chaos in her Dragon form on them,” Mayhem teases when it’s his turn for a hug. I scoff because that's what got them into this situation.

“Or Havoc’s snakes,” Stone adds.

“I can always shift and chuck someone over a cliff,” Pierce says with a grin as he hugs me. I love all their hugs, but Pierce isn’t fully aware of his strength and always squeezes me a little too hard. It’s oddly very comforting.

“Mayhem could leave a shadow behind, and I could leave a few snakes?” Havoc asks as he stands closer, not hugging me just yet. I shake my head and hug him before he can protest my rejection.

“No. You should be at full strength.” Neither of them would admit that giving up a piece of themselves would weaken them, even if it wasn’t by a lot.

“I’ve got feathers to spare, you know I regenerate in ways Dad can’t,” Stone says, and I nod in understanding.

“Heart feathers are for mates and dire circumstances, Stone. Use the weaker feathers first, always. Promise me,” I demand, making him look me in the eyes.

“I promise.”

We take promises in this family very seriously.

“I love the absolute fuck out of you five. Be safe, be smart, and be kind.” I kiss each of their cheeks and step into the hall. When the door shuts behind me I let out the sob I’ve been holding in. It takes me a moment to get my shit together, and when I swipe the tears away, I look up to find Chaos staring right at me.

I gulp.

“I need to talk to you.”

“Okay.” I pull myself away from the wall and head to her bedroom. I remain quiet as I enter, refusing to look around the empty room. She packed everything she owned except the furniture.

The Academy is twenty-four consecutive months. I’m sure she’s already counting down the days before she’s free again.

I wait standing by her door, watching her take a seat on her empty bed. She pats the spot beside her without looking up at me. Her long dusty rose hair is gathered in a messy bun, little pieces falling into her face.

She’s so beautiful that it often steals my breath to look at her. I love her so fucking much, it rewires my fucking brain. Motherhood is so fucking hard and scary, but worth every second. Without thinking better of it, I pat my lap.

I use my other hand to pull her until she’s resting her head on my thigh. She hasn’t let me do this in three years. I won’t mention that now, though. Instead, I take her hair out of the bun and run my fingers through the soft strands.

“Sweet Girl will be going with you,” I murmur after a moment, and she gasps, twisting in my lap to look up at me. Her blue eyes are rimmed red as tears spill down her cheeks. Seeing her cry makes the instinct to fix, to help, to soothe, kick in. I don’t want her to be sad anymore.

“How the fuck did you get them to agree to that?” She stares at me.

I smile gently, moving her hair so I can keep running my fingers through it as we talk.

“I explained that the Mungus was not going to take no for an answer. I tried to explain the situation, and Sweet Girl stomped at me. I think we all know that means fuck your rules and fuck theirs twice as hard. You know, she’s been twice as sassy since becoming a mom? When we met, she was a lot less demanding,” I chuckle, and Chaos scoffs.

“I can’t imagine Sweet Girl any other way,” she murmurs, and I nod.

“French Fry is already with Wilder. He followed him three years ago. No one fucking told me for three days!” I shake my head. “Tried to get the little fucker back, but he tried to chomp my arm,” I sigh, and this time, Chaos giggles.

“Like mother, like daughter.” The words hang heavy in the air, and I nod. “I know you didn’t send him away. Dad told me,” she fesses up, and if I didn’t already know this, I might have been more suspicious of her wanting to talk to me to begin with.

“I know.”

“Wilder…did you know?”

“What he is? Yes.”

“Why doesn’t he shift? I’ve never seen him–”

“He might tell you one day, my love, but that’s not my story to tell, baby.” I caress her forehead, before running my fingers through her hair again. “He lived two years before joining us. Two years is a long time…”

“I wish he’d tell us. I wish he’d talk to us!” She rolls back onto her side, and the damp feeling on my thigh tells me she’s crying again. That, and the sniffles I can hear.

“Give him time, everything will work out in the end. You just need to be the kind, confident, and loving girl you’ve always been.”

“I don’t want to go.” Her whisper breaks my heart.

“I don’t want you to go either.”

Chaos

“We’ll be fine,” Wolf says, and I huff. Why does everyone keep saying that to me?

Because of the portal in my grandmother’s castle where we grew up located in the Fae Realm, we arrived here in seconds. Right on the front steps of hell.

I shake it off, heading up the stairs, carrying two of my bags. They’re heavy, but I don’t feel the weight. The fact that I’m half Dragon shifter makes it an easy task. Still, my brothers are each carrying an additional bag for me as well. Seven bags might be excessive, but if you ask me, the fact that my brothers brought one bag and a backpack each is insane. They left everything behind, and I…did not.

“Is that French Fry?” Havoc asks, and my head snaps up. I don’t spot the Mungus, who’s my age, and Sweet Girl’s son. My dad Kili named him after Sweet Girl’s number one pregnancy demand. French Fries from the human realm.

Sweet Girl is currently invisible, as is French Fry, but Havoc can see through their magic. My Dragon eyes can see them too, so I shift my eyes and watch as they reunite. Sweet girl charges French Fry, but stops just before him, looking over every inch of the smaller Mungus.

They’ve been separated for three years, but all I can think about is the fact that seeing French Fry can only mean one thing.

“No fucking way,” Mayhem snaps, and before he can charge forward and cause, well, mayhem…I grab his arm. He never uses his powers or strength against me outside of training, so it’s easy enough to pull him back.

“He made his choice. Clearly,” I say, as I try to hold back my tears. My throat aches, and I shake my head at Wilder. He’s leaning against a set of lockers, smiling and laughing with enemy number fucking one. That goddess-damned prince!

The second his eyes meet mine the smile is wiped off his face. He looks away. Those blue eyes that used to be so familiar are now the eyes of a traitor. My heart hurts.

The prince senses this and snaps his gaze up to meet mine. I glare right back. The urge to shift and roast the fucker is strong. Unfortunately, the riddles are harder to resist.

“What’s black, blue, and red all over? A man that’s deader than a four-leaf clover,” I hiss, making Havoc stupidly snort, turning away from Wilder to laugh at me.

“That makes no damn sense. That joke is about reading a newspaper…and four-leaf clovers are green,” My annoying little brother explains, as if I’m stupid.

“I will shift and literally bite your head off,” I threaten him, and he snorts again.

“Alright, big sis, calm down.” Havoc throws his hands up, backing away.

“You stay away from him or I’ll make your life hell,” the prince, Kalix, snaps from beside me. I was so busy threatening my brother that I didn’t notice the asshole approaching.

I lift my chin, meeting his intense glare toe to toe. If he wants a fight, he’s got one.

Kalix thinks he can take me on? I have two years to make him wish he’d never fucking met me.

“I’m already in hell, bitch. Bring it on.” With a flip of my long hair over my shoulder, I turn and walk away from the prince. “Welcome to Reform School, brothers. Let's fuck shit up.”