Feral Bonds: Claimed By Rogue Alpha Brothers-Chapter 644: Family Outing

Evaline:

I watched Kieran sitting across from me in the back seat, holding Lioren up in the air as if our son weighed nothing at all.

Lio squealed with delight, his tiny hands grabbing fistfuls of Kieran's hair while giggling loudly.

Kieran groaned dramatically. "Hey! That's not a toy, little wolf."

Lioren responded by squealing even louder.

The sound melted my heart instantly.

He's already over nine months old. And every time I looked at him, I still found it hard to believe he was real.

His bright golden-green eyes sparkled as he looked between Kieran and me, clearly enjoying the attention he was getting. His tiny feet kicked excitedly while his soft laughter filled the car.

"You are encouraging him," I told Kieran with a smile.

Kieran raised an eyebrow. "Encouraging what?"

"To pull your hair."

Before he could respond, Lioren tugged again.

Hard.

Kieran winced. "Okay, maybe a little encouragement."

Oscar's laughter came from the passenger seat. "You deserve it."

Kieran glared at his younger brother. "Easy for you to say. He's not grabbing your hair."

From the driver's seat, River chuckled quietly while keeping his eyes on the snowy road ahead.

The atmosphere inside the car was warm, comfortable, safe.

While outside the windows, the world was blanketed in snow. White fields stretched across the landscape, broken occasionally by dark trees dusted with frost.

The sky above was pale and cold.

But inside the car…

It felt like home.

Today was special.

The five of us were heading to one of the big human cities for Christmas shopping and to spend the day together as a family.

The drive itself was long, nearly four hours. But none of us really minded.

Because this would be the first time we were going out together like this since Lioren was born.

Our first family outing.

And somehow that made the long drive feel completely worth it.

From the front seat, Oscar leaned back slightly and waved a small stuffed toy in front of Lioren.

"Hey, little wolf."

Lioren immediately turned toward him.

Oscar made a dramatic growling sound.

Lioren blinked for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Kieran snorted. "That's the weakest growl I have ever heard."

"Excuse me," Oscar said indignantly. "My growl is terrifying."

Lioren laughed again.

"See?" Oscar pointed proudly.

"Traitor," Kieran muttered to the baby.

I watched them quietly, warmth spreading through my chest.

The wilderness outside gradually began to change as we continued driving. Snow-covered forests gave way to small towns. Then to larger buildings.

Soon we were passing through small cities, the roads becoming busier with human traffic.

Cars.

Streetlights.

Shops decorated with Christmas lights and festive banners.

Lioren eventually grew sleepy after all the excitement and drifted off in Kieran's arms, his tiny fingers still curled around Kieran's sleeve.

"Out like a light," Kieran murmured softly.

River finally spoke as he slowed the car, "We are almost there."

A few minutes later, tall buildings surrounded us as we entered the city center.

At twelve minutes past eleven in the late morning, River guided the car down into the underground parking lot of a large luxury shopping mall.

The car rolled to a stop.

"We are here," he announced.

We all climbed out.

The cold air of the underground parking area brushed against my face as I stepped out of the car.

Kieran carefully held Lioren while I unfolded the stroller.

A moment later, our sleepy son was tucked inside comfortably with a warm blanket around him.

River locked the car and we all headed toward the elevator.

As the elevator doors closed around us, I caught a glimpse of another car pulling into the parking lot behind ours.

Inside were several familiar faces... warriors who guarded the mansion.

They stepped out casually, trying their best to blend into the crowd. But I recognized them immediately.

Even if we were in a city where no one recognized us, having the warriors nearby was still a better idea.

When the elevator doors opened, we stepped into the bustling shopping mall.

Christmas decorations were filling the space - giant trees, golden lights, garlands wrapped around railings.

Soft holiday music was playing through the speakers.

Lioren woke up almost immediately once we started moving again.

His curious eyes darted everywhere as he took in the colorful lights and decorations.

"Someone's excited," Oscar chuckled.

I leaned down and gently touched Lioren's cheek.

"Do you like it here?"

He babbled happily in response.

My shopping priorities were clear - presents for my friends and family.

I moved from store to store, carefully selecting presents for Noah, Ria, Mallory, Selene, Rowan, and Kyros. I also got presents for Jasper, Lily, and Elion.

Kieran pushed the stroller most of the time, occasionally stopping to let Lioren grab at shiny ornaments displayed in shop windows.

River stayed close beside me, occasionally offering quiet suggestions when I couldn't decide between two items.

Oscar wandered slightly ahead, scouting stores and occasionally bringing back ridiculous suggestions just to make me laugh.

At one point he held up an ugly neon sweater.

"For Rowan."

I stared at it.

"Absolutely not."

He looked offended.

"You have no sense of fashion."

Eventually, I moved on to shopping for the brothers and our son. And buying clothes for Lioren turned out to be far more fun than I expected.

I got tiny sweaters, little boots, soft winter hats with animal ears.

Kieran proudly held up a miniature leather jacket.

"He needs this."

"He's nine months old," I said.

"Exactly. Perfect age."

River quietly added the jacket to the purchase pile anyway.

For my mates, I settled on elegant shirts and ties that I knew would suit them well.

It felt strangely satisfying to shop for them.

For my family.

By the time I finished everything, a little over an hour had passed.

"Done?" Oscar asked.

I nodded.

"Done."

"Good," Kieran said. "Because I'm starving."

We headed out of the mall and into the street, where a nearby restaurant welcomed us with warm lighting and the smell of delicious food.

Lunch was relaxed.

Lioren sat on my lap most of the time, happily chewing on a soft bread roll while his fathers took turns distracting him with funny faces.

River occasionally fed me small bites from his plate without making a big deal about it.

Kieran kept making Lioren laugh.

Oscar proudly showed our son how to bang a spoon against the table. And I stopped that immediately.

After lunch, we walked along the snowy street.

Lioren sat in his stroller, wide-eyed as he watched people passing by and lights twinkling in shop windows.

At one point he grabbed River's finger while babbling excitedly, and I watched as River's serious expression softened instantly.

Oscar leaned down and kissed the top of Lioren's head before continuing to push the stroller while humming softly.

It was… peaceful.

Normal.

Perfect.

Then soft snowflakes began drifting down from the sky.

I looked up and spoke, "It's starting to snow."

River nodded before adding, "And it might get heavier soon."

"Probably best to head back before the weather gets worse," Kieran said while glancing at the darkening clouds.

No one argued.

So we turned back toward the parking garage.

And began the long drive home.