Josh had got his parents to visit so Ray could see their reaction to the present. Neither of them had mentioned Ray’s self-imposed house-arrest to Josh, other than to ask how his mate was doing, but the members of their old pack knew about the babies being taken hostage, at least. Any parent would have sympathized with Ray’s refusal to go any farther from his children than he needed to.

It had been Ray’s own idea to invite his own mother too—although Josh would have bet good money Marisa had something to do with it—and she’d brought his other siblings along so they’d ended up setting up some tables outside so they could all eat lunch together. October was already chilly but still sunny enough to enjoy the fresh air, especially if that air smelled like barbecued meat that was going to make its way to your plate shortly.

By the time Josh got Ray to fetch the portrait, they were all pleasantly full. Even Ray’s little brother, Glen, and Clara, had had enough to lay them flat. Glen had been proud as a peacock when Ray had asked him to look after the pups—they never stayed in human shape long once they were outside—and he’d been leading them into wild goose chases around the lawn all morning. Harry and Anne had sat with the adults and eaten with cutlery but Josh had caught both of them eyeing the puppy pile wistfully a couple of times—not that he could blame them.

He forgot about napping when Ray handed him the wrapped frame, looking tense and uncertain. Josh took it from him and elbowed him gently. “Seriously, man, cut it out,” he told him.

Ray just shrugged and waved him away. Josh gave him a last look but if Ray hadn’t believed him the two hundred times he’d told him already, it seemed unlikely he could sell it now. In any case, his mother was a much harsher judge and her approval would have more weight.

“Mum,” he called out and she turned to the sound of his voice all the way across the lawn, alert. Once their eyes met, she stepped away from the group of adults—mostly parents of the other alphas of the pack—and waited for him to approach. “This is for you,” he said simply and passed it over.

She took it too gently, then readjusted when she realised its weight. “Oh, a picture?” She glanced around before heading for one of the tables. “Make me some room,” she demanded as Josh followed. He did, placing some plates on chairs and hoping Marisa wouldn’t complain—or worse, that Alec wouldn’t give him that disappointed frown he had.

“Oh,” his mother said, sounding a little shocked. “The... This is incredible,” she said slowly. “Did...?” She twisted her neck, looking around, then glanced back down as if she needed to check the picture again. “Did Ray do this?” she asked Josh, meeting his eyes.

He nodded and smiled, he didn’t need her to say more, he could hear the wonder in her voice.

His mother looked down again. “I didn’t realise he was this talented,” she admitted. “Is he...?” This time she kept looking around until she located Ray. “Go get him for me, I have to tell him how amazing this is.”

“You could tell me, too,” Josh offered, a little miffed. “It’s my present.”

She snorted, then let go of the picture and took his face between her hands, kissing both his cheeks. “You are my favourite and this is a very thoughtful present,” she told him easily. She wasn’t shy; it simply didn’t seem to occur to her that he needed to be told such things. “Now can I tell your mate how wonderfully talented he is? It must have taken such a long time to get this much detail in! I think I could paint their fingernails!”

“I’ll get him,” Josh conceded, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “Happy birthday.”

Ray was standing near Sergi and his parents, but it was clear his attention was divided between the sleeping pups on the grass and Josh himself because he looked up as soon as Josh was close enough to look him in the face. “She loves it,” Josh said pre-emptively. “She wants to tell you, actually. You can check she isn’t lying, too.”

Ray rolled his eyes at him. “I don’t think you are lying, it’s just... You are biased.”

“Well, yeah, they are my kids,” Josh agreed, deliberately misunderstanding.

Ray huffed but before he could object again or dismiss his own talent somehow, Sergi interrupted them. “Wait, you showed her the picture?” he asked, leaving his own mother hanging. Josh saw her surprised expression when he turned to look at his fellow alpha.

“Yeah.” He signalled towards the table with his head.

Sergi turned to Ray. “Can I show them?” he checked, sounding almost anxious.

Ray gaped at him, then shrugged. “Yeah, I mean, if you want...”

But Sergi didn’t wait around to cater to Ray’s insecurity, he took his mother by the elbow and dragged her along towards the table. She didn’t sound that pleased to be hurried along, but she went and with her went Sergi’s father—a powerfully built beta with arms like cannons who had just got back from a trip.

“So... are we going?” Josh prompted.

Ray hesitated a moment longer before giving a little nod and heading towards the others, lips pressed together and expression closed off. One look at the group revealed that Ray had more to worry about than his multiple parents in law—Ray’s mother had somehow made her way to see her son’s latest creation and TJ had joined her. Josh had no doubt Martha would approve of her son’s creation, but Ray’s younger brother was another story.

Ray was only a step or two in front of Josh, but by the time Josh got to them, he was already being hugged. First by Josh’s mum and then by his own, who held on for a long minute while she whispered in her son’s ear and left Ray looking a little shakier with whatever she’d told him. And then Sergi’s mother spoke up to ask if she could take a picture and her son started to explain they had done good ones already without the glass in the way and, if Josh’s mum agreed, they could share them.

“Of course,” Juliet said, waving her hand. “None of them will be the original.”

Josh supressed a groan but Martha laughed at her—not meanly, but with the warmth of knowing someone well enough to be delighted even by their flaws. They had followed completely different paths in life, but they’d shared a lot too thanks to Josh’s and Ray’s friendship. Josh remembered his mother, who was one of the few people he knew who actually enjoyed working late, taking a week off when Ray’s dad had died so she could support Ray’s family. She’d told her boss her sister’s husband had died and at least in the retelling, it had sounded like she believed it.

Ray accepted the congratulations and pats on the back with a smile but started edging away from the group not long afterwards. He smelled sunny and his lips kept curving up as if he couldn’t help himself, but maybe the whole thing was a bit too much after months of isolation.

Josh sidestepped his father and went to stand next to him. “Told you,” he hissed, keeping his eyes front.

“Whatever,” his omega replied, a smile still in his voice.

Josh darted a glance at him, unable to resist, and then almost regretted it when he found Ray already looking at him. Ray shrugged and looked away.

&

“Are you serious?” Sergi was asking, sounding more excited than Josh could ever remember hearing him. He was in the process of changing Mikey’s diaper and Ray was forcing Clara into clothes—none of the babies were fond of them, but they’d realised they’d never be able to take them anywhere if they didn’t get them used to it. Maybe they couldn’t get sick, but there was no way to go out with a baby in diapers in northern England and not freak people out, not even if you drove.

“Well, they said they were,” Ray replied. “I don’t know, I mean, I guess it’s a cheap present and, like, original?”

“What is?” Josh asked and Ray jumped a little. Josh frowned at him; hadn’t he said he always knew where they all were?

“You know Yamila Cohen? She called me up about a portrait,” Ray explained. “I didn’t even know she and your mum spoke to each other but apparently they have a book club.”

“Wait. Cheap?” Josh asked, suddenly understanding. “Why would it be cheap for you to do a portrait for her?”

“Wh—I don’t even, I told her I would think about it!” Ray said, sounding shocked.

“Okay,” Sergi interrupted calmly. “Do you want to do it? Would you like to try it, at least?”

Ray glanced at him, visibly hesitant. “I... I liked doing it, but it’d be different with strangers. I haven’t even met her kids.”

“They must be around six or seven,” Josh told him, picking up Sasha and swinging her around to distract her from picking at her clothes. “They were technically your pack less than a year ago.” He reached for Clara, too, who Ray had put down so he could attend to Jamie’s clothes. “Shouldn’t Irina be here?”

“She’s got something to do. I told her we’d manage,” Sergi explained absently. “I mean, I figure if we pop them into the jungle gym, they’ll forget about the clothes.”

It was an idea, at least, so Josh helped them transport the babies from Ray’s bedroom into the living room where the jungle gym had a place of honour as far from the windows as possible. It left the sofa most of them used to watch TV at an awkward angle, but nobody had argued with Ray about it.

Ray sat down on said sofa with Jamie on his lap—Josh thought it was Jamie who was clinging to Ray, but it was hard to say for sure. “I know you guys are trying to be supportive, but I don’t need more work. There’s a lot to do here and there’s always going to be more. Even if the betas come—”

“What do you mean with ‘even’?” Josh cut him off. “Of course they are coming, you talked to them. Marisa and Irina are already here!”

“Well, yeah, but that was a month and a half ago and we still don’t have the beta wing.”

“It’ll get done,” Sergi told him. “Gabriel said the guys will be here next weekend and you got the pillars up like he said you needed too, right?”

“Yeah, we are done with them. We could insulate them but he said it’s better to get the plumbing done first, just in case we need to cover any holes...”

“See?” Josh prompted. “You are ahead of schedule. Also, even if you weren’t, you are allowed to have time to yourself and do what you want.”

“And Yamila’s mate is a lawyer,” Sergi added. “She’ll pay you whatever you ask just so she can show off your original masterpiece.”

Ray shifted in place, resettling his son in his lap, eyes fixed somewhere in the distance. “What if I can’t do it? I mean, I look at Clara every day and I couldn’t get her nose right."

“Then you tell us,” Sergi said at once, “and we’ll tell you what you are missing. I... I liked doing that for you.” He shot Josh a wary look. “It’s nice to do something together, don’t you think?”

Ray seemed startled by the statement, but he nodded. “Yeah, I... Yeah, it was nice. You really helped me.” He smiled and looked at Josh to include him. “Clara’s nose would be a mess and Mikey’s foot would have four toes.”

“What?” Josh asked with a laugh. “You forgot a toe?”

“Well, they were all squished up!” Ray complained. Jamie chose that moment to shift in his lap and promptly got tangled in his shirt and trousers. “Oh, Jamie, don’t do that!”

“Give him here,” Sergi offered and Ray let him take the squirming pup. The trousers and nappies fell right off and when both Ray and Josh leaned down to pick them up—their heads knocked together.

Sergi laughed at them. “Supernatural reflexes much?”

“Oh, shush,” Ray shot back. “Try and make him change back.”

Sergi froze, then swallowed and frowned down at the puppy in his arms. “Jamie, change,” he said, infusing his voice with the will of an alpha.

Jamie licked his face. Josh burst out laughing and Ray soon joined him. All in all, it took them about twenty more minutes to stop laughing long enough to talk Jamie into changing back—Josh failed miserably and then Ray did as well because he couldn’t keep a straight face—and get Jamie back into his clothes. At that point, it was lunch time anyway and it was a given the clothes would end up in the wash because Jamie was, as Alec liked to put it, a ‘creative eater’.”

Ray didn’t say whether he’d do Yamila’s portrait or not, but there was no rush, really, and there was supportive and there was demanding and Josh preferred to stay as far away as possible from that line.