CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

Nate walked out of the kindergarten with his pups. Scarlet was still hugging him, covering his face with light pecks and sometimes even professing her love.

Jaden, meanwhile, was doing what he was the most proficient at: asking difficult questions.

«But why do we have both a mommy and a father? How do you make kids if you are two? I thought my mommy did most of the work.»

«She did,» Nate agreed.

Lara had brought them in her belly for months, giving birth and then raising them all alone. She had done almost all the work.

«Does she need you to have another baby? Or can she take another man?»

«She can, but I don't think your mother will look for another person to have a child with.» Not with Nate so available, at least.

She only had to ask, and he was ready to have as many pups as she wanted.

«Then why is mommy examining the babies there?» he continued.

«She's just playing.»

«But she can play with us. Is it because those are better than us? Because they don't scratch or bite?»

«Oh, no, Jaden. Your mother was just... Playing? What's so wrong with it? She can have interactions with other people too, can't she? It wouldn't be too good if she devoted every cell of her body to your sister and you. She needs her own life.»

«But we're already sharing her with you,» Jaden pointed out, his eyes watery.

«You're not sharing anything. She spends some time with me, but her heart is completely yours,» Nate replied. «And regarding her motives, just ask her directly!»

He was a little tired. A whole afternoon planning business moves and directing his team towards the right path hadn't been nearly as exhausting as replying - or better, attempting to reply - to his son's questions.

«You don't want to answer!» Jaden sulked.

«It's not like that,» Nate said, sinking deeper into despair.

Why couldn't Jaden just turn all fluffy like Scarlet and tell him sweet fake words of love? Why did he need to understand just everything?

«I don't know what to say, Jaden.»

«But you're an adult.»

«So what?»

«You should know! Don't adults have all the answers?»

«Not at all. There are things even we adults don't know. Learning is something you do for your whole life, not just while you're little.»

«Oh, I see. So, can I learn new things when I grow up?»

«Yes, you can.»

«Awesome! And can you teach me?»

«Of course,» Nate said with a nod.

And there it was, even the second pup was now glad to have him as a father. If only it wasn't out of interest, it would have been so perfect.

«When is mommy coming out?» Scarlet asked, stopping to act affectionate and turning to the door. «She's taking too long...»

«I can go pick her up,» Nate chuckled. «What do you think?»

«Will she follow you? She didn't even call for us.»

«The other pups will go home soon, either way. I can give it a try, or we can wait for her out here like abandoned dogs.»

«Mhm... Go try,» the girl decided. «Jaden and I will wait here without moving.»

«Don't roam in the company.»

«We won't.»

«If your mother and I don't find you here, we'll just go home.»

«I said we'll stay here,» she complained, rolling her eyes and giving a deep sigh. «Just go.»

Nate let the girl down on the floor, and he returned inside in search of his mate.

The twins waited in silence, bracing themselves. They were a little afraid, for real, that Nate couldn't convince their mommy to go home with them. What if she abandoned all three of them? Stuck with Nate for the rest of the time?

«Do you think he can do it?» Scarlet asked, poking her lip with a finger. She was a little nervous that day.

«Of course, he will!» Jaden replied. «Nate is good!»

«Good? Since when?»

«He knows a lot of things. And mommy listens when he talks normally... I mean, when he's not all Alpha-ish and orders people around. When he's normal, mommy listens to him.»

«How do you know that is normal? Isn't Nate normally Alpha-ish?»

«I don't know... But he is kind sometimes. And he explains things to me.»

«He also buys me all I want,» Scarlet realised. «Except when he thinks mommy would be unhappy.»

She had collected many pretty things, and it was all thanks to Nate. She also had her own wardrobe in her room, where she packed her stuff. It was so nice, and she didn't have to share the space with Jaden's toys and puzzles.

After spending some time playing with dolls and other kids, she had understood that she didn't like puzzles as much as her brother. She preferred lazy games or playing pretend.

As for Jaden, he liked learning. Nate was always ready to explain anything or answer his questions, even those Jaden asked just to make him sweat a little. The boy liked that part of his father... He could continue learning forever, like that!

«Jaden, I think it's better if mommy marries Nate. She won't be able to just take other kids without him, and we can convince him that we're good enough. We are two, after all.»

«You're at it again, Scarlet,» the boy sighed. «But letting him have our mommy is what we've tried to avoid so much.»

«There are worse options. Many, many, many...»

«I don't know... I don't like changing our ways so fast. It's difficult: I'm too used to how we did before!»

«Hmm... There's no need to make Nate notice.» Scarlet nodded, confirming her words with more motivation. «We can make him sweat a little, but still allow him to be closer to mommy sometimes. That should be enough. Mommy does like him a little.»

«Not as much as to make another baby, right?»

«I don't know.»

«We shall let him, then. He can't steal mommy away.... Can he? No, she likes us more, even now.»