Raine

Sunlight shines through my bedroom window as the sound of little feet patter against the floor heading towards me.

My eyes crack open as a tiny body flings itself onto the bed, "mommy! Ake up! Ake up!" Asha jumps on Mako who, like me, is pretending to be asleep. "Mama! Up! Up! Bekkast time!"

Mako starts to move and stretch dramatically, careful not topple our small child as she continues to jump in excitement. Following suit, I also start to move and Asha moves over to me, "mommy!"

She falls onto my chest and wraps her arms around my neck, making me smile and snuggle her happily. "Good morning my big girl," I whisper against her head. "Happy birthday."

Asha pops her head up as she sits on my chest, her golden curls bouncing, "free!"

"That's right," I laugh. "You're three! Good job! Can you show me how many three is?" I watch as my daughter struggles to get her fingers to the correct number, but she finally gets it and shows me proudly. "That's my smart girl," I tell her as I hold up three fingers and touch them to hers.

She laughs and jumps up, tackling Mako in a hug, "mama up!"

"Mama is up my love," Mako tells her as she wraps her arms around Asha, picking her up and then getting up from bed. "What does our birthday girl want for breakfast?"

"Appa cake!"

"Apple cake?" Mako tease. "I don't know.. what do you think mommy? Should we have apple cake?"

"I think we should absolutely have apple cake!" I say excitedly as I get up and join my family.

We go to the kitchen where Mako sets Asha in her chair and proceeds to get the birthday girl her apple cake, which isn't technically cake, more of a bread with baked apples on top, but calling it cakes gets Asha to eat all of her breakfast.

As Asha eats her apple cake, Mako makes me a cup of coffee and asks, "what time is River supposed to be here?"

Glancing out the kitchen window I answer, "she's coming up the walkway now."

"She's early," Mako half grumbles.

I chuckle, "it doesn't look to be her choice." Mako joins me at the window as we watch little Edo drag my sister towards our house, an amused look on her face as Tuluk walks behind her carrying their newest baby. How he had talked her into another one so soon was beyond me, but she looked happy.

Even though Edo and Asha were the same age, thanks to his half orc genes, he was already a foot taller than Asha. And while he looked almost identical to the Icebear orcs, his cheeks always had a rosy tint to them and his eyes were a stormy blue, a mix of River's and Tuluk's eye color.

Edo let's go of his mother's hand when they get to our porch, our front door slamming open and a happy voice yells, "ASHA!"

"EO!" Asha yells back as she scrambles from her chair and runs to greet her birthday twin. "Hi Iver!" She says to River before Edo pulls her outside to play.

"Shoes! Coat!" I yell after them, but the little ones don't turn back.

Mako grabs Asha's coat and boots and runs after her, catching her quickly. Even after living on the mountain all her life, Asha still refused to put her boots and coat on before going outside. Mako always said that she must get it from her and I can't disagree with that.

I look around our small village on the mountain, although to call it a village when it's just five houses would be a stretch.

When we'd gotten back from Oakrun, Neera had welcomed us back with open arms, especially after seeing her granddaughter and learning that we had somehow avoided starting a war. But as it turns out, nobody in Oakrun really cared that Khol was dead.

So once Mako got her title and clan name back, Neera had tried to immediately complete our marriage ceremony and put Mako on the throne. We'd agreed to the wedding but Mako had firmly told her mother that she wasn't going to take the crown or the throne right then or possibly ever, saying that she just wanted to live a simple life her family.

Neera had been disappointed but she hadn't pressed the issue in the last three years. She'd even let Mako build our house outside, and when some of the other humans had heard what we were doing, their mates joined her, River included.

And now, five families lived outside the hive with more talking about joining.

I take a deep breath of the cold air and watch my family as River makes it to me. She follows my gaze and says, "who would have thought we'd be here?"

"Probably nobody," I answer.

"Mom would say that she always knew," River jokes.

I nod, "yeah she would."

We watch our kids play for a moment longer before River asks, "should we get set up?"

"Yeah," I tell her as her and Tuluk disappear in to my house.

With a last glance at Mako and the kids, I follow.