After breakfast, Alina rinsed her mug and plate, set them gently on the counter to dry, and let the quiet of the morning wrap around her like a soft blanket. With nothing urgent calling her na and the day stretching ahead like an empty page, she slipped outside into her little yard.
The mont she stepped through the back door, a wave of peaceful warmth welcod her. Sunlight poured lazily over the grass, glimring on the dew like tiny stars caught in daylight. A gentle breeze rustled through the tall trees lining the forest behind her ho, carrying the soft scent of leaves, earth, and the lingering sweetness of dawn.
Alina walked out slowly, her bare feet brushing against the cool ground until she reached her favorite spot near the low stone wall that separated her yard from the dense forest. She adored that wall—its warm, earthy color, the way tiny vines curled around the edges, the little wildflowers pushing bravely from the cracks. It made her small ho feel like a peaceful cottage tucked safely between nature and the world she knew.
She settled down beside it, leaning her back lightly against the sun-ward stone. The heat seeped through her fabric, comforting and steady, and she closed her eyes, letting her face tilt toward the light.
Birds chirped softly sowhere above her, the leaves whispered in the breeze, and far off a dog barked.
Alina stretched her legs out, wiggling her toes in the grass, and felt herself lt deeper into the sunlight. Yesterday had been wild and chaotic, filled with worry and laughter and shadows and children, but today, right now, everything was warm and gentle, and she allowed herself to simply... be.
· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·
Drake stretched his arms above his head, his little body still warm from sleep, and rubbed his eyes with tiny fists. The familiar scent of ho drifted around him. He squinted at the walls, blinking slowly like soone who had been dropped into the wrong world.
"How did I reach ho...?" he wondered aloud, eyes narrowing suspiciously at his window.
Just then, Pyrra stepped into the room, her voice soft and amused. "What are you thinking, my little fireball?"
Drake spun toward her with the sa expression he used whenever he saw a new cookie in the house—wide-eyed, confused, and hopeful. "Mom... did I teleport?" he asked with absolute seriousness, his voice hushed.
Pyrra burst into laughter, her whole face lighting up as she crossed the room and scooped him into her arms. She hugged him tightly, kissing his warm, chubby cheeks until he squird. "No, silly. Your dad went to get you at the kindergarten. You were sleeping so deeply I thought you might never wake up."
Drake gasped dramatically. "I slept THAT much?!"
"Yes."
"Ohhhhhh," he breathed, his face full of wonder. "But mom, I am soooo tired. You don’t even know. I saw many fishes. And rmaids! And sharks! And glowing bubbles! And I made friends! And then my friends got lost!" His tiny hands flew everywhere as if reenacting the chaos.
Pyrra’s eyes widened. "What happened then?"
"Teacher almost cried," Drake said gravely, nodding like an old man telling a war story. "Then Principal Sir and Kelpie’s dad found a cave. And Boo and Teacher went inside. I don’t know what happened after that because I was outside being helpful and responsible." He puffed out his chest proudly.
Then suddenly—
"WAIT! WAIT! WHERE IS MY BAG?? MOM! I BROUGHT MANY NECKLACES!!" Drake yelped, eyes widening in panic as he spun around like a tiny tornado.
Pyrra pointed at the corner, trying not to laugh. "Are you talking about those?"
"Yes yes yes!!" Drake jumped off the bed and sprinted to the bag, dragging it back to her with both hands like a victorious hunter returning with treasure.
He opened it dramatically, and the necklaces sparkled in the sunlight.
"Principal Sir said bring anything!" Drake announced, hugging the bag to his chest as if soone might try to steal it.
Pyrra raised a brow thoughtfully. "Hmm... I should rember to pay Lord Dante later."
Drake ignored her, too excited to process anything beyond jewelry.
"This one is for you!" he said, proudly handing her a pink necklace.
Pyrra blinked. "For ?"
"And this is for Dad," he said, showing an orange necklace, looking very serious about the color selection.
"And THESE are all mine!" he declared triumphantly, hugging four shimring necklaces against his chest like a dragon hoarding gold.
Pyrra stared at him in disbelief, lips twitching. "All... yours?"
Drake nodded fiercely, clutching his pile of treasure like a tiny dragon guarding his first hoard. "Yes. I have to build a hoard, Mom. A BIG one."
Pyrra smiled, smoothing his ssy golden-red hair... but her curiosity didn’t miss a beat.
"And did your lost classmates get found?" she asked gently.
Drake puffed out his chest again, as if he had personally solved the mystery. "Yes! Felix, Rocky, and Kelpie got lost and then....Mom, listen...an Octopus Uncle took them to his house. But not in a bad way! He fainted behind a shop and they helped him and then he... um... took them to say thank you."
Pyrra’s brows lifted. "Octopus uncle...?"
"Yeah yeah! And then Teacher asked if there are orphan babies," Drake continued, waving his hands dramatically, "and Kelpie’s dad said yes, and now Octopus Uncle will take care of them! Teacher fixed it all!"
Pyrra blinked at him slowly, deeply impressed. "Thankfully everyone is okay..."
"Hehe... but Mom?" Drake leaned closer, lowering his voice as if sharing a dangerous secret. "What does orphan an again?"
Pyrra’s smile softened into sothing sadder. She cupped his cheek gently. "It ans kids who don’t have a mommy or daddy."
Drake’s eyes grew HUGE—like two full moons. "OH MY DRAGON TAIL!!! Then Boo was orphan!???"
Pyrra nearly had a heart attack as she slapped a hand over his tiny mouth. "No no no—shhh! Boo isn’t orphan. Ghost elders take care of him in the tower, rember?"
Drake blinked and made a small "ohh..." face of enlightennt.
But then another thought struck him.
And it struck HARD.
"Mom... what about Lucien?" Drake whispered, his voice trembling with sudden tragedy. "He doesn’t have a mom..."
Pyrra froze for a second, because the question was unexpectedly soft, unexpectedly real.
She placed a warm hand on her little fireball’s head and brushed away his ssy strands. "Lucien... has his dad. And his dad loves him very, very much."
Drake nodded slowly.
Blaze stepped into the room just as Drake finished whispering those last soft words. His arrival was quiet, but his presence filled the doorway like a warm fla against the morning chill. Drake lifted his head instantly, his eyes lighting up the mont he saw his father.
"Drake," Blaze said gently, his voice carrying that deep warmth only a father could manage.
Before Drake could even scramble off the bed, Blaze was already crossing the room. He leaned down first to kiss Pyrra’s forehead with affection, then turned and pressed a soft kiss onto Drake’s hair.
And in the next breath, he gathered his tiny dragon boy into his arms.
Drake lted against him imdiately, curling up in that safe familiar chest, his chubby arms looping around Blaze’s neck as if greeting his favorite pillow.
Blaze held him carefully but firmly, one hand on Drake’s back, the other cupping the back of his head like he was still a baby who needed constant protection. "My little fireball," he murmured with a small smile, "you look like you had the longest adventure in the world."
Drake nodded seriously, cheeks squished against his father’s shoulder. "Dad... I saw so many fishes... and rmaids... and almost-lost friends and octopus uncle and treasure stalls and—"
Blaze chuckled softly, rubbing tiny circles on Drake’s back as Pyrra watched with an amused smile.
"I’ll hear everything," Blaze promised. "Every detail. Tell everything you rember."
Drake pulled back just enough to see his father’s face, excitent already bubbling again. "Daddy... it was the most aweso day of my LIFE!"
And Blaze held him closer, feeling the warmth of his son’s happiness settle deep into his own chest.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖
Moonfang Pack
Luna blinked awake slowly, her tiny wolf ears twitching as she stretched under the warm covers. A mont later, she realized she was nestled right between her parents—her mother’s arm draped protectively around her and her father’s warmth pressed along her back.
Her eyes widened instantly.
"Mommy?? Daddy??" she called in a tiny, excited voice full of morning energy.
Ryker’s sleepy growl softened the mont he heard her. He opened his eyes halfway, pupils still adjusting to the light, but a warm smile spread across his face as soon as he saw his little pup awake.
"Woke up?" he asked gently, pulling her closer and kissing her forehead with a tenderness that made Luna squirm with happiness.
"Yes, yes!" she nodded fiercely, tail already thumping under the blanket. "Daddy, did you pick when I was sleeping??"
"I did," he murmured, brushing her hair back from her face. "You were snoring like a little wolf cub."
"I do not snore!!" Luna puffed her cheeks, scandalized. Her mother laughed softly behind her.
Ryker chuckled and pinched her cheek lightly. "A little bit. Only a little."
Luna quickly forgot the embarrassnt as her excitent exploded all over again. She grabbed her father’s shirt with both hands, shaking it eagerly.
"Dad!! Did you see? Did you see that turtle bus?? The big one?? With the glowing shell??"
Ryker blinked at her, pretending to be confused. "Turtle... bus?"
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