his glare to Victor, clearly demanding answers Victor didn’t have. Luckily, the one person who might be able to explain had just walked into the dining room with a very grumpy-looking little boy by her side.
“Puteri? Can I borrow you for a moment?”
Puteri glanced at him, then looked worriedly back at the little boy. Victor turned his attention to him, and their eyes met. Victor sucked in a breath. The little boy’s scowl faded. He moved toward them, walking very slowly, as if it hurt him to take every step. Puteri supported him as best she could, considering that, even at three or four, he was already taller than her.
“Jett? Buddy?” Nick asked, coming around the table and kneeling beside Victor.
Jett leaned against Nick and pointed. “Mine.”
He was pointing to Victor.
Gus managed to wiggle his way out of Riggs’s hold and wrapped his arms around Jett. They nuzzled each other sweetly, and Gus began to babble. Jett nodded like he understood every word Gus said. They moved together toward Victor and held up their arms.
Victor blinked.
Blinked again.
Then leaned over.
They both wrapped their arms around his neck, and he straightened. Gus settled against his chest and popped his thumb into his mouth. Jett let out a lengthy sigh, and his tummy growled.
“What is happening right now?”
Nick grinned before grabbing both Riggs and Victor by the shoulders. “And then there were two.”
“Wait, what?”
“See?” Ryan said. “Jett picked Victor and Riggs too. I picked Papa and Mama. I thought alphas were smart, Papa. Uncle Solomon is supersmart and he’s an alpha. Nick knows everything,” Ryan said with awe.
Jedrek snorted out a laugh, earning a glare from his mate.
As funny as it was, Victor found it difficult to concentrate on anything except the two boys on his lap. “Nick?”
Nick knelt in front of him and touched Jett’s face gently. “How are you feeling? Grandma Riggs left that stuff for you. It sure is stinky, but it works, huh?”
Jett nodded.
“What’s… wrong?” Victor asked.
“This is the one with growing pains,” Riggs said, his voice low and gravelly the way it was when he had a lot of emotions pent-up. He swallowed as if he couldn’t quite think of what to say next. “We saw him the day we met.”
He glanced at Victor, and there was so much emotion in his eyes.
“Yeah. Jett’s been having a bit of trouble lately. Not feeling very well, are you buddy?”
“Owie,” Gus said.
“That’s right, Gus-Gus. Jett has an owie. We’re going to make it all better, though, aren’t we?”
Gus beamed and handed over his juice cup. Jett popped it into his mouth and settled back against Victor’s chest.
“R-Riggs?” Victor looked at his mate, only to find Riggs staring with an equally stunned expression at Jett.
Obviously, Riggs wasn’t going to be any help.
“Puteri?”
Puteri appeared with a plate of food that she placed in front of Jett. She patted his leg gently before turning to Victor. “Yes?”
Jett popped the cup out of his mouth, but this time he pointed to Riggs. “Mine.”
Puteri beamed. “Yes, yes. Is good, little Jett.”
Victor gulped. “Puteri, what is happening right now?”
Puteri scowled at him. Then glanced around at the rest of the table. Victor looked at them as well. He wasn’t the only one who looked confused by what had just happened.
“The bird and bear don’t want Jett?” Puteri asked.
“What? I didn’t say that. No, that’s not it. Just… wait.”
“Bird!” Gus yelled with a happy smile. He wiggled around and kissed Victor on the cheek. “Mine!”
“Mine!” Jett said. He and Gus giggled and began a babbling conversation that Victor couldn’t begin to comprehend.
Puteri, however, had focused on Victor with a glare that would have shriveled his insides if he didn’t know how to fix it. “We want him, Puteri. I just don’t understand.”
Her glare softened slightly. “Humans.”
Jett huffed and leaned over to her. She patted his cheek before motioning to the plate. “Jett needs to eat. Is important.”
“Yes. I… um…” Victor didn’t actually have an extra hand at the moment. He glanced to Riggs for help. His mate moved Gus onto his lap but scooted his chair closer. He touched Jett’s hair softly, then looked at Victor with such a love-filled glance that Victor almost didn’t care about the details.
Almost.
“Puteri, can you explain what just happened?”
She stared at Victor like he was stupid. “Jett chose.” As if it were completely obvious. And maybe to her it was.
“Chose what, exactly?”
She gave him another glare before glancing to Nick for help. Fortunately, their alpha had the same expression on his