The morning came gently, but the sanctuary did not stay quiet for long.
Alex woke to the insistent, high-pitched sound of the cubs demanding breakfast. The first-born girl with her striking heterochromic eyes — was already latched onto one breast, sucking her mother's milk with fierce little grunts and soft kneading of her little paws. Her two golden-eyed brothers were squirming against his other side, tiny claws stretching and mouths searching. The largest cub, the one with the burnished-gold fur and the roar that seemed far too big for his body, was making his displeasure known with short, grumpy rumbles that vibrated against Alex's ribs.
Leo was already awake, white hair tousled, eyes soft in a way Alex had rarely seen before the birth. He carefully guided the second boy to Alex's free breast, his clawed fingers gentle as he helped the cub latch.
