*~Cayden's POV~*
The council meeting had just been dismissed, the murmurs of departing alphas still echoing faintly down the hall. Preparations for the coming ceremony—the naming of my children—were already set in motion. And with the masquerade ball only a few nights away, the pack's focus had shifted to ensuring it would be a spectacle worthy of the Blue moon's name.
Leon and I lingered in the council room after the others left. He poured us each a mug of beer, the foam rising lazily to the rim.
"Finally, I get to talk to you without you pacing like a caged wolf," Leon teased, sliding my drink over. "You seemed… tense before. Almost fearful, looking for your wife and children."
I took a long pull from the mug, letting the bitter liquid settle on my tongue before swallowing. "Well, my babies are back, and so is my mate," I said with a grin. "I have every reason to smile now."
We both chuckled, the sound easy and light—for about three seconds—before Caspian entered the room.
