Homecoming

[Marissa]

The choice had been made, and there was no turning back now. Marissa had decided to visit the brownstone and come face to face with her younger counterpart in hopes of saving her from making the same mistakes she had made in her own past. A past that had not yet happened in her counterpart's future. It was confusing at best, and she had kept part of the story from Emrys so as not to confuse him further, but she couldn't afford to ignore it any longer. She could do better, and she knew it. The girl that was her younger self deserved better. And so, she had decided it was time to bring her home, to meet Emrys, to meet her family, to meet the pack. And maybe - just maybe - she could stop the past from repeating itself in the future.

Though Emrys knew Marissa had been visiting her family member in the brownstone today, he had had enough to do this morning to keep himself from worrying over it too much. He had roped Duncan and Evan into helping him cut wood to form the initial shape of a new cabin, content to leave the children in the care of Skylar and Dante. The little troublesome trio were doing wonders with Dante, that was for sure; it was no surprise to find them all over him, all four fast asleep, when Emrys finally got back to the house after noon.

"They wore him out," Skylar whispered, greeting Emrys at the door. It felt a little weird to be staying there, at the house she'd been born in, but that her sister now called home. Home for her had always been with the tribe, but the tribe was gone now, and she and Dante had to make their own way in the world.

"Good," Emrys whispered back with a grin. "It's about time he let his guard down a bit." He pulled off his jacket, toeing out of his boots by the door as he studied Skylar. "How are you doing, little sister?"

Skylar frowned at the question, so bluntly asked. This man who was her sister's mate - not to mention the pack's alpha - never failed to surprise her. "Restless," she replied, honestly. There was no point in lying to him; he'd only sense the truth.

"Any particular cause?" he asked. The tone was absent, but she had known him long enough by now to now that he was already planning to help mitigate her restlessness if he could.

"I think you know the cause," she replied, as bluntly as before. She would not rest until she had revenge against those who had decimated the tribe and until she found out what had happened to the rest of her family. "Tea?" she asked, changing the subject.

"It hasn't been forgotten," he promised quietly, following her over to the kitchen. "I have a few contacts doing a little searching on our behalf, but first, we have to pull in all our known loose ends. Can't have our arses hanging out our trousers, open for a kick, while we're attacking."

"Loose ends?" Skylar asked, as she filled the kettle with water and put it on the stove. It really was charming how her sister had taken to this simpler kind of life when she could have made a very different choice.

"Far as I know, we've one more member of the family living in the city, though I've not met her," Emrys explained. "Marissa's gone to make contact this morning, hence the frowny face when she left."

Skylar made a frowny face of her own at what Emrys was telling her. "You mean, the other one. The other Marissa." She frowned further at the thought of it, shaking her head briefly. "Time travel has always confused the hell out of me." Which was in good part why she'd steered clear of it.

"The what?" He blinked, tilting his head curiously toward her. "Other Marissa? What does that mean?" This probably wasn't how Marissa had wanted him to find this out, but it was out there now.

"The ..." Skylar trailed off, brows furrowing as she regarded her sister's mate. "You didn't know, did you?" She sighed. "Way to go and spill the beans, Sky," she murmured to herself.

"Ah ..." Easing down onto a stool by the counter, Emrys did his best not to upset his new little sister with his immediate reaction. "I knew there were others," he told her. "Just not that there was one so close by."

"I am not sure I am the one who should be explaining," she said, only partly to herself. Wasn't it Marissa's place to explain and not hers, and yet, there were things Emrys needed to know if he was to call Rhy'Din home. "You're not from Rhy'Din, are you?"

"Not the city, no," he said, still calm and curious, not pushing for the explanation that was obviously coming. "My blood pack were based in the mountains a long way to the north. Several weeks' travel."

"Then you're familiar with the Nexus," she said, more statement than question, though she didn't know enough about his background to really know that for sure.

He nodded. "Yes, I'm familiar," he assured her. "Marissa explained how she used it to bring Duncan and his family here."

Skylar chewed on her lower lip, wondering just how much he knew and more importantly, how much she should tell him. Her sister had used the Nexus for far more than that. "Is that all she told you?"

He sighed softly, rubbing a hand to the back of his neck. "She finds it hard to talk about it," he said in a gentle tone. "I don't push her to talk about anything that causes her so much pain to recount. Her life is here and now; I would rather she look to the future than dwell on the past." But perhaps he should have pushed, at least once.

Skylar smiled and laid a hand against his arm. "You're a good man, Emrys. I'm glad you found each other." Whether her sister was the older or younger version hardly mattered - she was still her sister, and she wanted her to be happy.

Emrys chuckled lightly, laying his hand over hers to squeeze gently. "I'm lucky she chose me," he told Skylar warmly. "There's no power on any world that could make me leave her willingly, unless that power is her."

"I don't think you need to worry there," Skylar assured him with a smile. She was just about to check on the kettle when she glanced out the window, her smile fading. "Speak of the devil," she murmured.

"Mm?" He turned in his seat, looking out through the window to see what had caught her attention. A smile rose on his face at the sight of Marissa ... and faded into confusion when he also saw another Marissa. Younger, yes, and definitely not his Marissa, but also definitely her.

[Marissa]

Things were about to get complicated, and Skylar wasn't sure she and Dante should be there to make things worse. "We should go," she murmured to herself. She, too, wanted to meet this other sister of hers, but now was not the time. She said no more, but moved over to gently wake Dante, so they could disappear for a little while.

Pulled out of his confused contemplation of the two Marissas, Emrys looked over at Skylar, nodding absently in agreement as he, too, rose to help extricate Dante from the pile of small children.

Dante looked a little disoriented as he was unexpectedly woken, but the warning in his sister's eyes was enough to convince him to do as she said and ask questions later.

"We'll be back later," Skylar assured her brother-in-law before practically dragging Dante through the house to the rarely-used back door. Her sister might catch wind of their scent, but it was Emrys she needed to talk to first.

With a very floppy Dai on his shoulder, holding on tight just because it was his papa holding him, Emrys carefully tucked a throw over the twins, cuddled together on the couch, inwardly bracing himself for the confusion he was bound to be experiencing in short order. Thank goodness Skylar had boiled the kettle - it gave him something to do with his free hand as he waited for his mate to make her appearance.

The pair of Marissas paused just outside the door, one murmuring something to the other, before the elder of the pair - the one Emrys called mate - pushed open the door and took a look around.

What she saw was a quiet living room and kitchen, the twins asleep on the couch, and Emrys in the kitchen, pouring hot water into a teapot with Dai slumped on his shoulder, also fast asleep. Emrys caught her eye with a faint smile.

"Bring yourself inside," he said, gently letting her know that the biggest of the news had already been slipped in. "I'm just making tea."

She had told him she was going to town to see family, but she hadn't told him she was bringing that family home with her. She hadn't known it herself when she'd set out, only deciding once she had met her younger self. "Emrys," she said, a hint of warning in her voice. "You might want to sit down."

"Sky let it slip, kitten," he told her gently, swaying to keep Dai comfortably asleep as he spoke. "Bring her in. I promise not to make her uncomfortable."

Marissa's brows rose to know her sister had beaten her to the punch, but maybe that was a good thing. She wished she'd explained more herself, but she hadn't wanted to confuse him - or at least, that's what she had told herself. Now, she had no choice. "Perhaps that's for the best," she said, though she had no way of knowing how much Skylar had told him. She didn't have to look around to know her siblings weren't there at the moment, but she sensed they hadn't gone far.

She pushed the door open to draw the girl inside, knowing how nervous she must feel. "It's okay. We're family. No one will hurt you here," she assured her.

"I'm holding a baby," Emrys added, hoping a little humour might help the situation. "Couldn't get wound up even if I tried - he's wonderful for my blood pressure."

Marissa smiled at her mate's attempt at humor. He really was amazing, even during times like this when most men would freak out and go running for the door. Then again, Emrys wasn't most men; he was special. "Do you want me to take him?" she asked gently, as her mirror image stepped into the cabin behind her.

"Let's give it a few minutes," Emrys suggested, deliberately keeping his tone light. "He only just climbed up here - wouldn't want to wake the little screamer too soon after he fell asleep again." He nodded to the younger Marissa welcomingly. "Tea?"

There it was again - the offering of tea, almost as though it was some kind of peace offering. "Thank you," the girl said, as she moved out from behind Marissa's shadow. "You must be Emrys," she said, almost cursing herself for stating the obvious.

"Aye, that's me," he agreed easily. "This lump is Dai; lumps two and three are Cerys and Bevan. I take it you've met the pigs? They're the most treasured members of the family some days."

The girl arched a brow. "The pigs?" she echoed, casting a puzzled glance at Marissa. "Yes, I've met the pigs."

Marissa chuckled. "Emrys seems to think I love them more than I love him."

"You've never got into a mud pit to play with me on a humid day," he pointed out cheekily, pouring out the tea one-handed with the ease of practice.

"You would enjoy that too much," Marissa teased in return before turning back to the girl, who she had yet to formally introduce by name. "Please, have a seat. Make yourself at home," she urged her.

"If it helps, I think you've met my sister once or twice," Emrys offered, looking for a way to bridge the gap here if he could. "Seren Lowell?"

The girl took a seat, folding her hands on the table, as if she didn't quite know what to do with them - at least, until she had a cup of tea to curl her fingers around. "She's your sister?" she asked curiously, the name slightly familiar.

He nodded. "My littermate, actually," he admitted. "She definitely got the brains when they were handed out, though. I got the rakish good looks and impulse control."

Marissa snorted a little to herself as she moved to help him with the tea. "I wonder what Seren would have to say about that," she murmured as she nudged him with an elbow.

"There would be pain involved for me, I imagine," Emrys said cheerfully, hoisting Dai up a little on his hip as he stepped out of his mate's way. His gentle eyes focused on the younger girl. "What would you like me to call you?" he asked gently.

That was the main problem, wasn't it? Finding some way to distinguish herself from her older counterpart. Her glance darted momentarily to Marissa, almost as if she was expecting her to answer for her. "Would it be too confusing to call me Mira?" she asked, tentatively.

Emrys smiled, shaking his head. "It suits you," he said. "Soft and short, and quietly powerful. And you're not allowed to argue the soft part, I'm a giant."

[Marissa]

Marissa turned to set a cup of tea on the table, brows furrowing at the girl's response. "But I thought ..."

The girl shrugged her shoulders. "We can't both be Marissa," she said, wrapping her fingers around the warm cup of tea.

"First step to striking out from the cocoon," Emrys commented mildly, stroking his hand against Dai's back as the little boy stirred against his shoulder before drifting back to sleep. "You can't hide behind each other forever. You're different people."

"Do you really think so?" the girl who had dubbed herself Mira asked curiously. She wasn't so sure herself. Yes, they looked alike and could almost pass for twins, if they weren't nearly ten years apart in age, but there were definite differences. She wondered what it was that Emrys saw beyond the obvious.

"I do," he said confidently. "You've lived different lives, made different choices. Experience is what shapes a person and their personality, not their blood. And besides, you smell different to each other as well. No wolf, or tiger, would mistake you for each other."

"You're a wolf," Mira said, adding a little quieter, "Like me." It wasn't that she was ashamed of that fact so much as that she wasn't accustomed to sharing it openly.

"So is Dante," Marissa was quick to add, as she set two more cups on the table before reaching to take their son from Emrys.

Mira nodded. Marissa had explained all this to her already, but her mind was still reeling from it. "Marissa said you're the alpha," she added, with a questioning look at Emrys.

"I am," he said, agreeing to both statements easily. What was the point in lying? "We have a unique pack of wolves and tigers. A pack you are welcome to join, if you would like to." As he said this, he gently lifted Dai over to Marissa's care, one hand smoothing the toddler's hair with absent affection in the process.

The tenderness exhibited by the two mates both toward their child and each other was not lost on Mira, and she felt a pang of loneliness to see it. What would it be like to be part of this pack, this family? Would they accept her as she was? Would her siblings accept her? Or was she fated to be forever hovering on the fringes? Was it really as easy as saying yes?

"I don't know," she found herself murmuring.

"Why don't you run with us for a month or so?" Emrys suggested. "No obligation or expectation. Just see how you like being part of a pack for a while." He didn't want to frighten the girl with all the sordid details of just why he wanted to keep her close for a little while, but he knew he would have to 'fess up about it soon enough.

"Maybe," she said, with an uncertain shrug, as if she needed time to decide.

"What have you got to lose?" Marissa interjected, rubbing Dai's back before he worked himself into a fuss. "I better see if he needs changing," she said, excusing herself.

Emrys rolled his eyes in amusement. He could tell when he was being handed the conversation. Leaning forward on the counter, hands wrapped around his mug, he looked Mira in the eye. "Ask me," he suggested. "Any question you have, ask it. The worst I can do is not know the answer."

"I was going to leave," Mira blurted, a thoughtful frown on her face as she contemplated her tea. "But Marissa ..." She trailed off. It felt weird to be referring to the other woman by her own first name, but Mira was the pet name her father had always called her when she was little. If she had to pick another name, she could think of no better name than that. "Marissa said I should meet you first. Meet the - the family. And then if I still want to go, she'll let me."

"We won't hold you here if you truly wish to go," Emrys assured her. "But we would like you to stay, at least for a month or so. There's danger out there that's targeting you and yours right now; we need to deal with that before I would be happy to let you choose to walk alone."

"Danger?" she asked, jerking her head back up to meet his gaze. Marissa had clearly not mentioned that. "There is always danger for our kind," she told him. More so for those who were considered half-breeds, but she assumed he knew that already.

"This is the urgent kind." And though he might have wished not to be the one left to explain, explain he did, in as much detail as he could. He told her about Dante and Skylar, about the blood hunters, his knowledge of them, and the fact that they were already seeking out the group for a little rescue and retribution. He needed her to understand that, at least for now, there was strength in numbers.

Mira's face paled as she listened to Emrys explain. What better reason to leave Rhy'Din than to know you were being hunted, and yet, for some reason, he seemed to think she was safer here with them. "What are blood hunters?" she asked, never having heard that term before.

"They use magic to track shifters and force them into one shape or the other," he explained quietly. "Delilah - our Fey-touched packmate - is working on a way to negate that ability when we come up against them. I won't have my family threatened, any of you."

It took a few minutes for all of this to sink into her brain. It had been a long day, and it was a lot to digest. "Fey-touched?" she echoed, a momentary look of surprise on her face.

Emrys chuckled faintly. "Yes, we have two humans in our pack, too," he told her. "One Fey-touched little witch with a cheeky attitude and skills I'm not sure even Seren has realized she has. Delilah is a powerful little package; even more so since she had her son."

"My mother was Fey. Foster mother, I mean," she said, quick to correct herself. It was not part of her bloodline, but she was a little familiar with Fey magic. So was her older counterpart, even if she had never mentioned it.

"Kirin, right?" He might not know much, but he definitely knew that name. "She raised you with love. I wish I could thank her."

Mira's gaze wandered to her cup of tea again. "I was going to go find her. To live with her, but Marissa ..." Again, she trailed off. There was something about that option that Marissa didn't seem to be telling her.

[Marissa]

Emrys sighed. "I can't even begin to imagine that feeling," he said with sympathy. "I can't even help with making sense of the reasons why and why not. All I can do is promise you that you have a place here with us, if you need it."

"It's because if you go there, you might never come back," Marissa interjected as she rejoined them. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to interrupt," she said, as she came closer. This time, there was no little one on her shoulder. "I laid him down," she explained to Emrys. "He could hardly keep his eyes open."

"They were using Dante as a climbing frame all morning," he explained with a chuckle, pouring a little more hot water into her tea to warm it up even as he leaned over to kiss her cheek.

She smiled, both at the thought of her brother succumbing to her children's wiles, as well as the affectionate kiss from her mate. "I bet he enjoyed that," she said, murmuring her thanks as leaned into his kiss and reclaimed her tea.

"He was passed out with them when I got back," Emrys admitted in amusement. "The skeleton of the cabin is up, though. Give me a couple more mornings with my captive handymen, and we'll have the shell of a home to furnish and make nice."

"I noticed you're building another cabin outside," Mira said. "Is that for Dante and Skylar?" she asked, curiously. She hadn't noticed anyone else living nearby, so it seemed the pack was somewhat spread out.

"Well, I was told not to add more rooms to the cabin just yet," Emrys grumbled teasingly, nudging Marissa as he grinned. "They might stay, they might not. And if they don't, we'll have room for more family close by!"

"We can't very well call this a cabin anymore," Marissa remarked, mirroring her mate's grin as she tucked herself beneath his arm, whether he liked it or not.

"This is where I – we - were born," Mira said, as she took another look around. She had been here before, but not recently.

"It's where the children were born, too," Emrys said softly, inordinately proud to be able to say that out loud. He didn't often let himself preen about being a father, but he was definitely looking a bit taller right now.

"You seem very happy here," Mira said, looking from one to the other. That much was obvious. This was her older counterpart's life, not hers, and yet, maybe there was hope for her yet. She seemed to consider a moment, a thoughtful frown on her face, as she exhaled a sigh. "I'm tired of being alone."

"You're not alone unless you choose to be," Emrys assured her in his gentle way. "How do you feel about an additional big brother? I have got much better at it over the last few years, I promise."

"A big brother?" Mira echoed, brows arching upwards, eyes bright with hope. She'd had a pair of foster brothers before, but she had no idea where they were now, and she had never met her own bloodline until now. "I think I would like that," she said, unable to hide the shy smile from her face.

Marissa mirrored that smile, proud of the way her Emrys was reassuring and welcoming this little sister of theirs into the pack.

"Good, 'cos you're stuck with me now," he informed her and, pushing his luck perhaps, reached across the counter to tweak her nose affectionately.

Mira wrinkled her nose at his unexpected teasing, but laughed, too - the sound of it almost an echo of Marissa's laughter. "I'm not a kid, you know," she scolded his lightly, as she batted his hand away.

He chuckled. "You think this is bad, just wait until you meet Dorian," he warned. "I'm a pussy cat compared with him and his teasing."

"More like a puppy really," Marissa teased her mate with a smirk. "So, it's decided then? You'll give it a month to see if you want to stay?" she said, turning her attention back to the younger version of herself.

"I'll give it a month," Mira agreed. How could she not?

If Emrys had been in wolf form, they would both have seen his tail wagging happily at this news. On two legs, the two women only saw his face light up with relief and pleasure. "You don't have to worry about crowding in here if you don't want to," he added. "Most of the pack live in the city, so you'll always be within howling distance if you need them."

Mira's face brightened with a warm smile. Despite Marissa's assurances, she really had not expected this warm of a welcome. "It's okay. I have a place in the city," she told them both. At least for now.

"You're always welcome here," Marissa assured her.

"We expect at least one family dinner a week," Emrys said with a grin, waggling his finger at his new little sister. Growing their family always made him bright and bubbly, however it came about.

"Family or pack?" Mira asked with a hint of a smirk. She was getting the feeling that Emrys enjoyed being surrounded by people, but she was pretty sure he enjoyed his time alone with his own little family, too.

"One of each," he conceded, one shoulder rising and falling in a teasing shrug. "No obligation, but miss more than two without plausible excuses, and I will enact a kidnapping."

This time she actually laughed. "I'll consider myself warned," she said.

"It looks like someone else would like to meet you," Marissa interjected with a nod of her head at the window. Outside, Skylar was waving a hand, as if to get Marissa's attention.

"They didn't want to overwhelm you with everyone at once," Emrys explained. "But have obviously been eavesdropping!" He raised his voice for this last part, sticking his tongue out at Skylar cheerfully.

Skylar merely grinned back at her newfound brother-in-law, but when Marissa glanced at her younger counterpart, she found her frowning again. "What is it?" she asked with a touch of sympathy in her voice.

[Marissa]

"I don't know," Mira replied, as she watched Skylar and Dante playfully shoving each other into the grass. "It's just - I should know them, shouldn't I? But I don't."

"Won't know them at all unless you get out there," Emrys pointed out, giving her shoulder a gentle nudge. "I do solemnly swear to let you hide behind me if they get out of hand."

"Good point," Marissa said, smiling at her mate. "If it's any consolation, I didn't know them until recently either." She had known of them, but she had not really known them - not in this time line anyway.

Mira drew a deep breath, still looking a little wary. "There's no time like the present, I suppose," she murmured, mostly to herself.

"And now you're just psyching yourself out." Emrys grinned, straightening up and moving to hoist Mira up and over his shoulder, making his way toward the door. "C'mon, coward, let's see those claws."

Mira squeaked in surprise when she was unceremoniously hoisted over Emrys' shoulder.

Beside them, Marissa was silently snickering into her hand, her eyes bright with amusement. That was not the way she would have handled the younger woman's shyness, but then Emrys was not given to subtlety. "Don't drop her!" she warned as she followed them out.

"I won't drop her so long as she doesn't bite me," he called back, but the arm he had around Mira's legs was secure. The young woman wouldn't fall; the Alpha was a safe pair of hands, always. He ducked through the doorway, stepping out and over the porch to bounce cheerfully down onto the grass. "Delivery for a Skylar and Dante, please sign the backside located next to my ear!"

"Put me down!" Mira demanded, her face reddening, not in anger but embarrassment. This was not how she'd imagined meeting her siblings for the first time.

"Yes, do put her down, Emrys," Skylar said. "We can't properly hug her like ..." She trailed off as Dante surged forward to rescue his sister from the alpha's back. "...that."

Chuckling, Emrys put up a token fight before letting Dante take custody of Mira, ruffling her hair affectionately before backing off. "Have fun!"

Neither twin wasted any time in hugging their newfound little sister, not only welcoming her into the pack but into their family. Near the door, Marissa stood watching, a wistful smile on her face. That could have easily been her, but she would not change her life with Emrys for anything.

Jogging back to the little house, Emrys hoisted his mate up off her feet to hug her close, practically vibrating with delight at how well today was going.

With Mira getting better acquainted with her siblings, there was no reason to discourage Emrys. Marissa tossed her arms around her mate's neck, hugging him close. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered, her voice close to his ear.

"Family's family," he said, nuzzling into her neck fondly. "Besides, now I have three new little siblings to tease until they bury me up to my neck in manure."

"Don't give them any ideas," she warned, with a smirk, her fingers curling affectionately into his hair. It wasn't really a good time for any afternoon delight, but there would be time for that later. "Maybe I should reward you later," she added with a mischievous waggle of her eyebrows.

He lifted his head, sharing his grin with her as he gently lowered her back onto her feet. "I think I've earned it today, right?" he asked with impish good humor. "The two of you looked so worried when you came in."

"Sweetheart, you earn it every day," she told him, despite the risk of inflating his ego. Her arms still around his neck, she drew him in for a kiss, just a hint of the reward to come later.

He chuckled into her kiss, his arms tightening just enough to remind her of his unspoken possessive streak without forcing it on her, as always. "I love you," he murmured against her lips. "You."

"I know," she murmured back, the look in her eyes and the kiss she rewarded him with enough to share his sentiment without saying it. If she'd been afraid of him falling in love with her younger counterpart, she would never have brought her here. That thought had never really entered her mind. "We should let them get acquainted," she said, kissing him again, just because.

"I thought they were," was his response, not needing to look up to know that hugs were quickly becoming rough-housing in the best sort of way.

"They're like children," she murmured to herself, as she glanced over at her siblings. What were the other three like and would they ever find them? That thought put a small frown on her face.

Emrys caught that frown, gently stroking his thumb against her cheek. "We'll find them, kitten," he promised her. "No matter what, we will find them."

She turned her gaze back to him, smiling faintly, a hint of worry in her eyes. "I know," she replied, believing in him, even if she wasn't so sure about herself. For the briefest moment, she considered what would happen if she hopped back in time a few weeks to change things before dismissing it from her mind.

"When I meet with my contact," he said quietly, "do you want to come with me?" He hadn't told her much about the former friends who were doing some sleuthing for him - not because he was ashamed or wanted to keep her out of it, but because he didn't want to get her hopes up without some evidence to cling to.

"I think so, yes," she replied, a little uncertainly, as if she hadn't decided quite yet. "Who are these people anyway?" she asked, sliding an arm through his to guide him back inside.

He waited until the door was closed behind them before speaking, glancing briefly over at the toddler twins still asleep on the couch. "Dax is an airship captain," he told her. "Bit of a smuggler, but a good guy on the whole. Has his fingers in a lot of pies, hears a lot of information. His little sister was picked up by the blood hunters a few months ago, too - he was already on the lookout when I caught him."

"An airship captain?" she echoed as she went about putting the kettle back on. If they were going to talk, they were going to need more tea. "With sails or without?" she asked, wondering what exactly that word meant to him.

[Marissa]

"With sails," he said, thumping down onto a stool. "The whole thing looks like he worked out how to make, like, a frigate on the ocean fly. There's engines and stuff, I don't understand any of it."

"I haven't seen many of those in Rhy'Din," she murmured as she put the kettle on and once again fetched the tea fixings. An airship wasn't exactly high tech, but an aerial view might help.

"I don't know." Emrys shrugged. "I'm not one to travel by anything but foot if I can help it, you know that. But Dax has been tracking these bastards for a while - he's pretty sure he knows where they're holed up, like where their base is."

"So, what are we waiting for then?" she asked, turning back to face him, an anxious look on her face.

"Intel on their set up," he explained. "I'm not throwing our family into a mystery on nothing but hope, kitten. I want a map, I want numbers, I want to know what weapons they have to bring to bear. I want to know where they're keeping their captives, and what danger those kids might be in when we attack."

"You do realize we have other weapons available to us besides teeth and claws," she murmured quietly, almost tentatively. Yes, they were a dangerous bunch in their bestial forms, and perhaps even more so in that between form that was only half human, but she was no stranger to weapons, both low and high tech.

"I know," he assured her. "Still not going to take the high risk if we can take a lower risk. There's no point to this if going in means losing more than we gain, kitten."

"Guns blazing, you mean," she said, with a hint of a smirk. She would never consider such a thing, would she? She moved over to deposit herself in his lap, winding her arms around his neck once again. "We don't even know for sure if they have been captured or not," she pointed out.

Wrapping her up in his arms, Emrys cradled his mate close. "Another reason to get intel," he said quietly. "If they're not there, that's a good thing. But it means a wider sweep, and that will be easier if we're not looking over our shoulders for these bastards too."

"No, you're right, of course," she said, her fingers toying with the curls that hung down over the back of his neck. "I'm just worried about them."

"I know. But better to be smart than be fast." He hugged her to him, burying his face against her hair. "They're ruthless, kitten. There is nothing I won't risk to protect our family - nothing but the family itself."

Something he'd said gave her pause, and she tensed, pulling back to take his face between her hands. "Or yourself," she reminded him. "I know you're the alpha, but you don't need to be a hero. I will never forgive you if you get yourself killed," she warned him, entirely serious.

His smile was gentle, understanding her fear only too well. "What's the point in saving my pack, my family, if I'm not around to enjoy it?" he asked, reminding her that he was not a wholly self-sacrificing hero. He could be selfish when he needed to be, and protecting their home, their family, was an inherently selfish act.

"Good, because I really don't want to keep time-hopping to save those I love," she warned him, with a serious look on her face.

"Just another reason to be careful," he pointed out, kissing the tip of her nose. "I'm meeting Dax tomorrow evening. Last chance to back out."

"Oh, no!" she said, with another smirk. "Too late now. You offered!" Whoever this Dax was, she had every intention of meeting him and making sure he was all that Emrys said he was.

He chuckled, hugging her close once again. "Think the big twins will mind being left holding the terrible trio?"

"I don't think they'll mind at all," Marissa assured him, tweaking his nose before moving to get off his lap, as the kettle announced it was done. "In fact, they'll probably be in their glory," she added.

"Yes, but how will Dante and Skylar handle it?" he teased laughingly, rising with her to loop his arms about her waist, just loose enough to let her work with the kettle safely without letting her go.

She smiled when she felt his arms go around her waist, more than welcome there. "I was talking about Dante and Skylar, silly man," she teased, assuming he knew that already. His arms didn't really inhibit her movement, so long as he moved with her as she filled two mugs with water to let the tea steep. "My mother - Kirin - always said the most important decisions were best made over a cup of tea."

"No one makes tea like you do," he murmured in response, just enjoying holding her in the quiet. These still moments never lasted long enough, always interrupted by some small person's need for their parents, but he reveled in them nevertheless.

She giggled a little at his remark. "Thanks, but it's really not that hard," she said, as she added a dollop of honey to his tea and some milk and sugar to hers. "My father was a coffee drinker," she said, not of her birth father, but the one who had raised her. "But then again, he was American."

She heard him grumble by her ear. "Coffee's only good when you've been up for two days and need to stay awake a little longer," he said. "Have you noticed how awful humans who drink it all the time smell when they start sweating? Ugh."

She laughed at his remark. "That's why we take showers, silly man." Like her mother, she usually preferred tea, but didn't mind a strong cup of coffee every now and then.

"Good clean sweat is sexy as fuck." That last word was deliberately growled into her ear as he grinned, squeezing her for a moment before finally letting go.

She laughed again. "I'll try to remember that next time I'm done mucking out the pig stalls," she teased. She turned as he let her go to press a cup of honeyed tea into his hands. "My mother always said honey is for sore throats. Milk and sugar is the proper way to drink tea," she teased him further.

Emrys snorted with laughter as he took his cup. "Try finding milk and sugar in the middle of the wilderness," was his answer. "Wild honey is easier to find, and tastier."

[Marissa]

"Barbarian," she teased with a wrinkle of her nose, though she adored him just the way she was and wouldn't change a thing. At least, he was taking a bath now. She took up her own cup and glanced out the window at her siblings. She felt no need to join them - at least, not yet. They needed this time alone to get acquainted. "You know, I sometimes think my parents made a mistake separating us."

"They were trying to protect you the best way they could," Emrys mused, but he understood both sides. "We won't repeat their mistakes, kitten."

"I know," she agreed, quietly thoughtful as she took a sip of her tea. There was no point in worrying about things that couldn't be changed, and there was no point in trying to change them. She'd learned that lesson the hard way. "I'm happy here, Emrys. With you and the children and our family. I just hope they find that same happiness someday," she said, as she watched her siblings, though it was really her younger counterpart she was thinking about.

Despite everything, her mate bit down on a smile, forcing himself to focus on his tea. He had a thought or two in that direction, though it was a little soon to be considering matchmaking. Besides, he couldn't do it without Marissa's permission, and she hadn't met the prospect. Yet. Whatever happened in the future, at least they could both be sure they'd never need fear being alone again.