Chatter and laughter fill the air, making it difficult to concentrate on what James is saying. Well, knowing him, he's most likely whining anyway, so I nod to whatever has just come out of his mouth and tug the scarf higher on my nose. It does little to protect me from the icy wind, though.
Gosh, I hate winter.
James mutters something again, and I glance at him, just to be greeted by Jonathan's sleeping face.
…Dude, seriously? It's not even noon.
Not like it's that surprising, considering yesterday's shopping spree and how exhausted he seemed to be this morning, but still...!
His face looks so peaceful, too.
Not gonna lie, I think I'm a little jealous.
Whatever. For now, James is clearly at a loss. 'Cause Jordan isn't here, he's stuck with the carrying duty today. It's no secret that Jonathan tires easily, so he's been resting in his arms since we got out of the car and set foot in the festival—although I guess neither James nor I expected him to fall asleep so soon.
Jonathan is supposed to be a patriarch, after all.
That said, the awkwardness in James's every move snatches a scoffing laugh from me. He looks so out of his comfort zone, with his clan head drooling on his shoulder and behaving like a rag doll. But, hey, on the bright side, it's not cold enough—yet—for the drool to freeze on the spot.
"Maybe we should have let him sleep at home…" James mumbles loud enough for me to hear this time, hoisting the dead-asleep boy higher. "I'm not exactly the best mattress out there."
"But Uncle!" Elois and Ellena immediately cry out, squeezing my hands. I've been holding onto their tiny hands so they wouldn't run all over the place and get lost in the crowd. The absence of their father has dampened their excitement a little, but they're trying their best not to show it.
"—What if big brother wakes up and misses everything because he's sleeping at home!"
"That'd be so sad!"
"I want to show him the ice castle!"
"And I want to go down the snow slide with him!"
James, give up. The kids have decided that they want their big brother to come with them, so you'll have to play along, even if your arms get numb and feel as if they're about to fall off.
Even if he looks at me with puppy eyes, I pretend not to notice. His injuries have healed by now, and he's almost as good as new, so carrying Jonathan around all day should be doable. He's a vampire for crying out loud, and I'm just a mere human.
"Anyway, any sign of Bryan?" James not-so-subtly changes the subject. "I can't seem to—ah, here he is."
What, he's already here?
I blink, then crane my neck in the direction that James is gesturing at with his chin, and sure enough, I see my brother sitting in his wheelchair beside a stall, away from the crowded alley.
The moment I notice him, he notices me, too.
My steps slow down, and the kids throw me questioning glances. It takes them a few more seconds to find Bryan, being too small to have a good look at their surroundings, but when they do find him…
"It's dad-but-not-dad!"
"You're right! It's daddy without being daddy!"
I can hear chuckles in the crowd, and I have to resist the urge to sigh. I swear, these two…
Uncaring about the people, the kids pull me to Bryan, and I bump into a few strangers along the way. Thank God, they all have a good temper and smile knowingly.
That is, until I knock a bag from a woman's hands.
"I'm so sorry!"
I'm quick to apologize as I try to rein in the children's excitement. They're like dogs pulling on their leashes, except that they're little demons who can't control their strength. Are they trying to rip off my arms or something…? Fuck, I think I've heard a crack in my shoulders! Kids, it hurts!
"Can't you look where you're going, huh?" the woman ultimately snorts, startling the children. It has the merit of calming them down right away. "Dang it, all of my skewers are fu—"
"Mirabelle," a man cuts her off and gently reminds her, "there are kids. Watch your tongue."
Oh, a familiar face.
Although rather than the face, it's the shadows of the ears perking up atop his head that draw my attention. They look so darn fluffy, and it just makes my fingers itchy each time I see them.
"Hello, Scott," Lyon greets me with a smile. "Don't worry about the skewers. I'll just—"
"What's a dog doing outside his shed?" James sneers behind me, and I feel my mouth twitch. "Someone forgot to put the collar on."
Right. These two don't get along, even though they're both heirs of their respective clans and should know better than poke each other.
To be fair, rather than them being like cats and dogs, it's more like James can't keep his mouth shut and always throws jabs at the werewolf whenever they meet. He's unable to leave the man be for whatever reason. And, sure, their bickering is quite entertaining to watch at political events, but we're not at a political event; we're out to enjoy the festival with the kids, not banter with acquaintances on the street.
So, for the love of God, James…!
"It's good to see you, too," Lyon nods at James, his smile not faltering in the slightest. He bends over to pick up the scattered skewers as he says, "We have things to do, so we will be on our—"
He can't finish his sentence; Elois thought it was a good idea to let go of my hand and wrap himself around Lyon's arm like an octopus. He looks so small next to the six-foot-tall man, even if Lyon is currently crouching. Werewolves tend to be on the well-built side, and Lyon is no exception. He's massive, and I look like a twig beside him, never mind a boy.
Wait. That's not important right now.
I don't like those stars in Elois's eyes. It's never a good sign, and I act on instinct, moving quickly to cover his mouth before he can spout nonsense.
"Where are you going, Un—"
James lets out a horrified gasp, unable to muffle it, and I also feel my heart sink.
Elois. No.
If these kids keep on trying to collect random people to be their uncles… Alright, that's it. I'm not going to let them out of the house anymore.
To start with, I've never spoken to Lyon outside of political events, and even then, it was only the polite kind of chatter you do when you greet someone from another faction.
"Is something the matter?" Lyon asks.
"No, nothing." I cover Ellena's mouth before she speaks, as the stars have also spread to her eyes. "These two just tend to confound everyone and anyone as their uncles and aunts."
A hearty laugh is Lyon's answer. His voice is warm and gentle as he chuckles, "I see. I don't really mind, though."
"But you should." Bryan's voice thunders in my ears amid the chatter of the crowd, and I glance over my shoulder to look at him. He has somehow managed to make his way to us. "Last time, these two tried to rope me into becoming their dad."
Ha, ha, he hasn't forgotten about that…
"Is that so?" Lyon laughs softly, and just as he's about to say something else, Mirabelle huffs and stomps her foot. Looks like his friend has a character. "Sorry, I really need to go. Enjoy the festival, kids."
With that said, he fishes candies out of his pocket and gives them to the children before turning around and leaving. He moves fast, and the kids move as fast. I have to crouch at lightning speed to snatch the candies from their hands. It earns me a pout and a frown.
Children, you know you can't eat human food. Not yet.
"So," Bryan speaks, and my body stiffens, "who's the new kid? There were only two last time."
Oh, right. I forgot to tell him about that.
"He's our new brother!" the children giggle, now that I'm not covering their mouths with my hands. But maybe I shouldn't have removed my hands so soon.
"Your new brother, huh?" Bryan throws me an accusatory gaze, and I feel like a child getting scolded by their mom.
Bro, I swear we didn't abduct a kid out of nowhere…!