Asher sniffles, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "You really think so?"
"I know so," Kade says, reaching out and ruffling Asher’s white-and-black hair. "An Alpha leads, but the pack follows. You are the voice of the pack, Asher. Never forget that."
Asher takes a deep, shuddering breath, the silver in his left eye glowing faintly as his internal field stabilizes. "Okay," he whispers. "Okay. I'm the mortar."
"You're the mortar," I agree, kissing his forehead. "Now, go eat some breakfast. You're going to need your strength. We have a lot of work to do today."
He nods, sliding off my lap and standing up. He looks a little taller, a little steadier. "Thanks, Mama. Thanks, Papa."
He turns and jogs out of the room, his footsteps echoing down the hall.
Kade lets out a long breath,
