The forest is strangely quiet, but it's not quite dark yet. The sun overhead is slowly beginning the set, blanketing the floor of the forest in a warm orange hue that helped to light up the path beyond. A lone boy wandered and weaved through the trees, his fur close to pristine white, his eyes a startling blue. His gaze scans the trees beyond but he isn't searching with purpose; merely interest. His eyes are inquisitive, and his clothes aren't that of a warrior-- he bore loose slacks, a sleeveless jerking, vest and pants that covered all the necessities but left his feet, arms and head bare. His tail swished as he walked as he occasionally reached out to press a palm to the bark of a nearby tree, as if feeling through nature. He ultimately wasn't; he was just trying to avoid losing his footing.

After a few more minutes of walking, the boy seemed to find his destination. He stepped through a patch of trees and found himself in a small clearing, wherein there laid a pond, though it could have been called a lake if it were any bigger. It was spacious enough to house quite a few people, and from what the boy had seen of it before-- he'd come here in the past on a couple of occasions, sometimes to go sightseeing and sometimes to see someone. As it so happened, in that particular instance he was there to meet someone once more.

The boy spotted his friend rather quickly, noticing him leaning up against a nearby tree, his gaze cast out over the pond. A whistle caught the teen's attention and he turned, his green eyes surveying the trees before focusing on the boy who had just arrived.

"Liam." The teen spoke, gesturing the boy over. Liam didn't hesitate to approach, looking the older boy up and down for a moment until he was standing in front of him.

"Erik..." Liam began with a sheepish grin. "Why'd you invite me out here so late? It's a little unlike you."

As he spoke, Erik reached out and hooked an arm around Liam, pulling him closer. Erik was 14, 3 years Liam's senior, and the son of the Chief of the Lupa Tribe, to whom Liam and Erik belonged. It was only recently that they had gotten approval from Erik's father of their relationship, and the two of them were now openly dating...well, for the most part. They still kept it under wraps, but they didn't hesitate to explain it to anyone who asked. Liam was the son of Farngur, one of the Alpha's closest friends-- though Liam had been nervous about revealing their relationship to Erik's father initially, he'd realised not too long after that the alpha was bound to agree, considering he was his friend's kid.

"You'll see," Erik replied to him vaguely and manhandled Liam around to stand beside him, glancing into the forest from where Liam had come from. "Did anyone follow you?"

"Not that I know of..." Liam muttered, glancing to his boyfriend. "What is this about?"

"It's a surprise," Erik grinned down at him and hesitated, before dipping his head a little closer, brushing his muzzle across Liam's furred head. "...I missed you today."

"Sorry," Liam leant against Erik a little, shoulder bumping with the Lupa's side. "I was, uh..."

"Doing your usual," Erik surmised. "It's okay."

The teen shifted, leaning back up against the tree as he pulled Liam closer, pressing the younger boy's chest up towards his own. His hands snaked down and followed the curve of Liam's boyish spine, until his hand curled and clasped around the cub's ass, squeezing a cheek with his greedy hand. Liam seemed to appreciate the touch and he arched his back, pressing against Erik's front and nuzzling his head down against the older boy's shoulder. They were about to continue further, but a sudden voice caught their attention.

"Yo Erik, you here?"

A voice cut through the forest and pierced into the clearing, causing the boys to pause. With a frown, Liam slipped back and Erik shot the cub a knowing smile as if this were part of his plan.

"Over here." Erik called out, not peeling his gaze from Liam's own as he slightly turned his head to call out. A rustling to their left had Liam turning his head, and he stared wide-eyed as two other Lupa appeared from where Liam had originally come from. They must have been not that far behind him, but Liam had genuinely never noticed them. Once they came a little closer, he recognised them easily as Erik's usual 'henchman', Seppo and Vilpu. They were brothers-in-arms, so to speak-- best friends, but not really related. If Liam was being honest, he didn't like them; they were rude and often bullied him alongside Erik, but would they be allowed to do that now that he and Erik were a thing? It was hard to say-- it depended entirely on his boyfriend.

"Hey, what's he doing here?" The first of the duo, whose unique black stripe across his snout-- a contrast to his mixed white and brown fur-- identified him as Vilpu, spoke first, making a crude gesture to the younger Lupa in front of him. The second of the duo scoffed and waved a dismissive hand; he was Seppo, identified primarily by his slightly darker brown fur and a chip in his right ear from an accident when he was younger.

"Why'd you bring him here, Erik?" Seppo snapped, looking Liam up and down with a mixture of annoyance and wariness. "At least he's wearing clothes..."

"Pipe down, pups," Erik snarled, bearing his teeth. "I called you here to make an announcement, not to hear your whining."

His harsh tone elicited a tingle of combined amusement and fear up Liam's spine. He'd never really experienced Erik's angry side before-- at least, not that kind of anger. He'd been on the receiving end of Erik's annoyance but the 14-year-old had never been violent or threatened to beat him up and often jeered him from a distance...well, in the past his did. Nowadays, Liam was the victim of his affections more than his bullying, which suited the young Lupa just fine. Erik's abrasive tone had his two lackeys abruptly standing to attention, their ears folded back-- it was clear they feared Erik's angry side as much as Liam.

"Now..." Erik cleared his throat. "I want to be clear...you cannot make fun of Liam any more, neither bully him nor patronise him. You're probably wondering why, so I'll say it plainly: he is my mate now."

"What?!" The two Lupa exclaimed, eyes wide. They looked between themselves, to Liam, to Erik and then back again, unsure how to take this new revelation.

"Since when?" Seppo insisted and Erik smirked down at Liam, before turning his attention back to Seppo.

"Since recently," Erik explained. "So I think it prudent that you shouldn't go around making light of your future Alpha's mate, do you?"

The two Lupa looked apprehensive, and to Liam's surprise, they didn't argue. Maybe it was because they respected Erik too much to have a problem with it maybe it was down to something else. Erik, however, didn't seem to be convinced; as Liam looked at him, the 14-year-old scrutinised the two brothers-in-arms with his piercing gaze. Seppa and Vilpu hung their heads and kept their tails down by their legs.

"I think they understand." Liam muttered, glancing towards Erik who didn't look at him in response, keeping his gaze trained on his two 'friends'. After a moment he shook his head.

"No, they don't," He mused. "I've known these two for a long time, Liam. Since were little babies. They might be a year younger than me, but we grew up together...unlike us, sadly."

Liam nodded sagely. Farngur had been an overprotective parent in Liam's early years because of how slender and not very built the boy was. Erik was the future of his tribe and so he was in the centre of most social activities when he was younger-- as a teen now he has autonomy for the most part, but he'd formed his friendship with Seppo and Vilpu, arguably his right and lend hand men respectively, some years ago. It made sense he knew them inside and out.

"...You know I know, don't you?" Erik suddenly said, looking between the two. "That you're a couple. Have been for years."

The two boys tensed and Liam's eyes widened. Seppo and Vilpu immediately looked to Liam in particular before glaring at Erik, as if they were angry that he'd outed their secret to a random person. Even Liam thought it crass for him to do so, but Erik seemed unphased by their expression and instead stepped forwards, closing the distance between them. He clasped his hands onto either of their shoulders and looked at them with purpose.

"Seppo. Vilpu. We've known each other a long time...and I love you. Like brothers," He insisted. "I didn't want to pressure you until you were ready to tell me, but things have changed. I've changed. Liam is my mate...and so I need you to respect him, and I know you don't. I can see these things, you know?"

"Erik..." Seppo began awkwardly, averting his gaze. "But he's..."

"That doesn't matter," Erik sighed through his nose. "I made fun of him before because...I was jealous. Because he was so confident and I was not...but things are different know. I've come to accept who I am, and I want you two to accept who you are, too. I know you're scared...and I don't intend to rat you out to the rest of the tribe. But I'm here for you, and I understand you. we're like kindred spirits now, you know?"

Seppo and Vilpu looked to each other before meeting Erik's gaze again and they puffed out their chests, before suddenly dropping to their knees, showing their subservience to their future alpha. Liam gawked at the sight and silently watched, not wanting to interrupt what looked like an important conversation. Erik, surprisingly, appeared to be a little flustered and he quickly ushered the two boys up, briefly glancing back at Liam as he did so.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm," Erik grinned at his two henchmen. "So...I think now's the perfect time to christen this revelation, don't you?"

Erik turned his head slightly to look back at Liam once more, and the 11-year-old watched as Erik reached out, abruptly sneaking his hands down the front of the other two's tops and towards their cloth pants, cupping their loins with his imposing hands. He curled his fingers and squeezed and the two Lupa stood to attention, eyes wide-- Seppo looked more flushed than Vilpu, who started to awkwardly grin, his tail wagging from side to side. Just that simple act revealed their personalities in a way that Liam hadn't been expecting, and admittedly, both were interesting. The young Lupa had a feeling that Erik thought so too, hence his proposal.

With a jerk of his head, Erik gestured Liam over, and the young Lupa approached, his tail swishing to and fro. Slowly, Erik relinquished his grip from Seppo's loins and guided Liam to touch them instead. The young boy's fingers pressed and flexed against the teen's package, and he felt the 13-year-old's cock swell under his touch, encouraged by even the simplest of movements.

"Y-You know..." Seppo began awkwardly, looking bashful. "We were only makin' fun of you 'coz of the boss-- uh, Erik. I, uh...always thought you were kinda cute. Not like a proper Lupa, but your were scrawny and..."

Liam was unable to suppress the smirk that spread across his features-- in his escapades throughout Forestia, the one thing that Liam had learned about himself was that many enjoyed a slender, not-so-muscular boy like him. Liam's lack of response made Seppo look even more flustered and he continued to speak, making Liam wonder if he was trying to redeem himself in some way so that what they were doing would go more smoothly.

"S...So what I'm trying to say is," The Lupa continued, his worried expression shifting into a small smile. "That I'm sorry...and that I didn't mean what I said."

"...Don't worry about it." Liam wasn't the type to dwell on things or hold a grudge-- it simply wasn't his style. He affirmed his grip on the Lupa's crotch and Seppo shifted on the spot, arching his back a little and lidding his gaze as the cub's digits roamed the outline of his crotch, feeling his package. Erik, meanwhile, was considerably more direct in his approach-- when Liam looked over, he had already pulled down Vilpu's pants and was openly grasping and squeezing the Lupa's sheath as Vilpu bowed his head, huffing quietly on the spot. Liam could see the canine's tip poking out from his sheath a little bit, encouraged by the older Lupa's slow stroking.

Liam watched with interest as Erik's hand dipped down and cupped the Vilpu's balls as the 13-year-old Lupa bowed and leant against the other's body, groaning under his breath from the touch. The 11-year-old's gaze lingered for a little longer before he turned his attention back towards Seppo, who had also reached out his hand to stroke along Liam in turn, feeling up his chest and trailing down towards his stomach, where his fingers thumbed with the hem of Liam's cloth vest. It was clear what he wanted, and Liam slowly removed his hand, sliding himself out of his jacket and letting it drop to the floor. Seppo pulled at his shirt and lifted it up over the Lupa's head, exposing Liam's slender body, lacking in any significant muscle definition.

Seppo closed the distance between the two of them and Liam's eyes widened as the older Lupa pulled him in, pressing his muzzle to the boy's own and sweeping him into a kiss. Liam glanced to the right to look at Erik, but the older Lupa wasn't even paying attention-- he'd already coaxed Vilpu onto his knees, and the future Alpha had dropped his pants and was in the process of pulling his shirt over his head as Vilpu dutifully parted his muzzle, taking Erik's half-hard, knotted cock into his mouth. Liam closed his eyes and turned his attention back to Seppo, who hungrily roamed his back with his teenage hands and slid down to the cub's ass, grabbing fistfuls of his behind before he started to pull those cloth pants down, exposing that white-furred ass.

Liam shifted on the spot, shimmying his hips to loosen the pants, allowing them to slip easily past his hips and towards the floor, leaving himself completely naked. Seppo's bare hands stroked and touched him, fingers sinking against his soft fur and pressed to Liam's supple flesh. The Lupa's hand delved and gasped Liam's ass again, spreading his cheek, and the 11-year-old easily felt the teen's erection prodding against his stomach, betraying his desire. To Liam's right, Erik was thoroughly enjoying the feeling of Vilpu's mouth around his cock, his hands cradling the Lupa's head as he slowly thrust his hips, now standing in the nude as well, his top tossed to the side.

The young Lupa wanted to speed things along a little, and so he reached out to push at Seppo's side, sliding his hand down and tucking his thumb into the waistband of the boy's pants, yanking them down to expose his knotted cock. Seppo shuddered against him and humped wildly in the air for a moment, grazing the underside of his member against the cub's lithe and fuzzy stomach, before he pulled back, parting their kiss as his eyes greedily ran up and down Liam's form, taking in the sight of him. Liam grinned from cheek to cheek and slowly stepped over towards a nearby tree, leaning up against it and pushing his behind out. He'd dabbled with a few Lupa from his tribe-- most of them wanted the same thing, and from the look on Seppo's face he was no exception.

Seppo strode the small distance towards Liam and got down onto his knees, keeping his shirt on as he placed his hands onto Liam's ass, spreading his cheeks wide and licking his lips at the sight beneath-- Liam's hole clenched when exposed to the air, its flesh pink and sensitive, though to Seppo is presumably looked rather inviting. With a growl, Seppo plunged his head forwards and Liam shuddered on the spot, his toes curling against the dirt as he felt the Lupa's muzzle wedge between his cheeks, the teen's lips pressed to his pucker. Seppo stuck out his tongue and dragged it from the bottom to the top, smearing his wide and wet appendage across Liam's flesh, tasting and exploring him. Liam didn't hesitate to push his behind back, gasping under his breath as his eyes lidded over and his cheeks grew flush. He would never get used to this.

Seppo's tongue was hungry and explorative, smearing and pressing this way and that as he licked and slurped the boy's backside. Behind him, Erik continued to enjoy the warmth of Vilpu's mouth, beginning to thrust into it enough for his knot to bump and press against the Lupa's muzzle, threatening to tie with him-- though he never would, of course. His hips pumped and slid back and forth as Vilpu closed his eyes, clearly enjoying it given the way he had a hand delved into his pants, jerking himself off. 

A tight hiss escaped the Lupa's lips as he felt Seppo's tongue probe and thrust, piercing his tight ring and sliding inside as the Lupa's hands greedily spread and gripped the 11-year-old's cheeks, digits digging against flesh. Liam's innards instinctively squeezed around that intruding tongue, and in the end it didn't plunge very deep, but where it did go it squirmed and explored, smearing across what it could. The probing and sliding of that tongue was pleasurable and it coaxed Liam's cock to harden, each thrust of the appendage making the humanoid member slowly grow bigger and bigger, pulsing rapidly to half-mast.

After a moment or two, Seppo pulled back and slowly got to his feet, admiring the sight of Liam bent over as he pushed his hips forwards and grazed the underside of his cock between Liam's cheeks, hotdogging his young ass with the intention of penetrating him any moment. Liam didn't mind that in the slightest, but to his surprise Erik suddenly appeared from the side, placing a hand on the Lupa's shoulder and pulling him back. He bared his teeth in warning, his own knotted cock standing to attention, slick with spit.

"That ass is mine." Erik announced what he perceived to his territory and a flush rolled over Liam's face at the thought of being 'owned' in such a way. Lupa were naturally territorial so Erik's behaviour didn't surprise him, and Seppo relented, not wanting to challenge the older teen to claim that behind. Thankfully, Erik's expression smoothed over pretty quickly and he smirked, grabbing Liam's hip and tugging him backwards a little, encouraging him away from the tree and gesturing Seppo around. The Lupa seemed to understand and he filled the newly created gap between Liam's reaching hands and the bark of the thick tree-- Liam reached out to grab the Lupa's hips to steady himself, his body bent down far enough for his mouth to be mere inches from Seppo's cock, which twitched wildly, eager for his attention. Liam glanced to the side to see Vilpu, who looked a little left out. However, the 4th Lupa took the initiative and quickly wrestled himself out of his clothes before sliding in beneath Liam, wedging himself into the gap between their legs.

Liam felt a little overstimulated, considering 3 people were giving him attention from 3 different ends, but he swallowed it down, metaphorically speaking, and did his best to focus. Erik was already sliding his cock down and assuming an appropriate position behind Liam, poking the tapering end of his cock between the cub's cheeks as Seppo's hand encouraged Liam towards his cock. The 11-year-old turned his focus to Seppo first, running his mouth across the length of that cock until he reached the tip, before pushing his muzzle down, closing his eyes and feeling that vividly throbbing cock slide against his tongue, whilst Erik's slick tip smeared around his spit-covered ring, ready to enter. A spike of pleasure shot from between Liam's legs up his spine and the boy instinctively buckled his knees together, groaning from around Seppo's cock as he felt a hand on his little humanoid member, stroking all 4 inches of his full-mast length-- he could only assume that Vilpu was jerking him off, for it couldn't be anyone else.

Without any kind of warning Erik pushed, sinking into Liam's behind as the 11-year-old clutched to the mixture of white and brown fur before him, mouth plunged all the way to Seppo's knot. The athletic Lupa reached down, holding one hand to Liam's forearm in the hopes it might steady him as the other stroked the top of Liam's head and curled around to stroke his ear between his thumb and forefinger, a quiet groan escaping the man's lips. Beneath Liam, Vilpu furiously jerked himself off as his other hand loosely stroked and jerked Liam's peculiarly different cock, peeling back the foreskin to expose the head before bunching back up at the tip again, slickened ever so slightly by tiny beads of pre-cum. Vilpu eventually moved his head forwards and Liam groaned around Seppo's cock as he suddenly felt the warmth of a tongue and mouth around his member-- his little cock twitched excitedly from the feeling and his innards clenched as Erik sunk deeper and deeper, sliding into him until his knot kissed with the cub's entrance.

Erik slowly pulled back and Liam's innards tightened and squeezed purely out of instinct, and the cub did his best to loosen himself as Erik poised to thrust again. When he did so, it was accentuated with a soft groan and the force of his thrust had Liam pushing forwards, both bowing on Seppo's cock more than he anticipated as well as thrusting into Vilpu's mouth, stimulating him from both ends and eliciting a quiet sigh from the 11-year-old. Erik recognised the after-effects of his thrust and smirked, pulling back once more and beginning on a steady rhythm-- his thrusts weren't hard or rough, but he deliberately pushed deeply each time, aware that it pleased both Seppo and Liam at the same time, whilst Vilpu enjoyed himself beneath.

"That's it..." Seppo muttered quietly under his breath, staring hungrily down at Liam's bobbing mouth as the cub's young body jiggled and bounced back and forth in unison with Erik's thrusts. Liam made a point of pushing his tongue firmly against the underside of Seppo's cock as he pushed down, the tapering end gliding across the room of his mouth and trailing past his tonsils towards the back of his throat with every plunge, coaxing droplets of pre-seed from Seppo's cock. The translucent liquid formed a neat trail across Liam's tongue with each tug back and the young Lupa dutifully swallowed as he scrunched up his eyes, met with a mixture of unease and pleasure from the overstimulation. Seppo's cock threatened to plunge into his throat if he wasn't careful and Vilpu was inexperienced in giving oral, his teeth occasionally nipping and catching with Liam's thrusting cock, his member at an odd angle. Erik's thrusts, too, were deliberately pressed hard, and his swelling knot teased and kept stretching his entrance ever so slightly, yet not tying with him. The combined sensations left Liam feeling a mixture of delight and anxiety about the ordeal, but he pushed his nerves down, focusing on the positive feelings.

It didn't take long for Erik to start picking up speed, and Liam could sense that Vilpu was getting close as well-- he could feel the Lupa's gentle hums of pleasure around his cock, which in turn felt pretty good by extension, and the rhythmic slapping of Erik's thrusts were intermingled with the wet, rapid sounds of Vilpu's pre-slickened masturbation, betraying how horny he was. Seppo was probably the one furthest from his orgasm, his breathing slow and gentle and his hand roaming and affectionate, despite the pre-cum oozing readily from his cock. With Erik setting the pace of everything else, Liam found himself slowly getting closer to his own release despite the occasional twinge of a tooth against his cock. Each thrust of his mate's cock stroked and grazed his prostate, sending spikes of pleasure through his body that coalesced in his loins and caused his cock to twitch and throb.

Vilpu sighed heavily beneath Liam and the rapid sounds of him jerking off suddenly halted, the 13-year-old's tongue roaming and curling around Liam's cock as he huffed through his nostrils, each one flaring as he painted the grass beneath Liam with his seed, the occasional string oozing down his cock and onto his fingers. Despite his orgasm, he continued to suckle, keeping his muzzle still so that Erik's thrusts could coax Liam's cock into his mouth over and over. Liam couldn't stop himself from moaning quietly around Seppo's cock as Erik pumped harder and faster over time, driven primarily by his own arousal and, presumably, the situation they were in-- Liam had a feeling he enjoyed 'sharing' Liam like this, though seemed intent on keeping his ass to himself only. 

"Oh fuck, take it...!" Erik groaned audibly, pushing forwards as his fingers clenched around Liam's hips, yanking him back against his cock. The future Alpha leant forwards a little, huffing under his breath as he needily kneaded his knot against his mate's backside, and Liam knew to relax himself, whining under his breath as his ring slowly stretched to accommodate that fat knot that, in the past, he had taken. A grunt escaped Liam's lips as his entrance stretched past the thickest part of the knot and Erik finally slipped inside, tying with the boy. Erik tugged backwards a few times, shuddering against Liam's ass before he finally climaxed, letting out a shaky groan as he pumped his load into the cub's behind, his hands gripping tightly to Liam's flesh for a moment before they slowly loosened. With his thrusts non-existent, Vilpu began to bob his head and Seppo slowly started to thrust, for their own reasons which delight Liam to no end.

Seppo moved his hand from Liam's arm to his cheek as he started to piston his hips, his open mouth gently panting as he stared down at Liam with a lidded gaze, his teen balls swinging as he humped and 'bred' Liam's mouth. Vilpu, meanwhile, slowly and tenderly licked and pleasured Liam's cock, not quite experienced to know what the boy liked, yet trying nonetheless. Luckily for Vilpu, the warm pulsing of Erik's climaxing, spurting cock against Liam's prostate was enough to coax him towards the edge, and even the sloppy roaming of Vilpu's tongue helped to bring him closer to his release. Liam's hands clung tightly to Seppo's hips as he whimpered and huffed, lightly pushing his hips down against Vilpu's muzzle, signalling that he was close. Mere moments later he orgasmed, trembling on the spot as his innards clamped and milked Erik's cock and knot as he spurted little strings into Vilpu's mouth, where the brown-furred Lupa eagerly gulped them down, plunging upwards to take the entirety of it into his mouth.

Liam wondered when Seppo might finish, and for a few minutes he continued humping, slowly picking up speed over time until he was humping at a moderate pace, his knot slamming against Liam's lips and not making it past his muzzle as the 11-year-old's tongue served as the main tool for pleasuring him. With each thrust the cock plunged towards his throat and Liam winced, not wanting to set off whatever gag reflex he might have, but thankfully the Lupa's cock mere quite delved deep enough, and as Seppo used Liam's mouth he brought himself closer to the brink. All the while, Erik's hands stroked and massaged the cub's ass and Vilpu kept his muzzle pursed firmly to Liam's member, relishing the sensation of the humanoid cock slowly softening over time against his tongue, tasting the remnants of the cub's load.

Seppo's chest began to heave and Liam assumed he was close-- but to his surprised, it appeared that Seppo was right on the cusp. The canine suddenly plunged forwards and pulled Liam's head down on his cock, his knot swelling and throbbing against Liam's muzzle. A sigh escaped his lips and after a moment or two, Liam felt the vivid throbbing of the boy's cock in his mouth, spurting strings of cum down the cub's throat. Liam scrunched up his eyes and dutifully gulped as the knot pulsed against his lips, pumping load after load to the back of his throat. After a moment or two the boy pulled back, sighing in bliss as he withdrew mostly from Liam's mouth, leaving the tip to trail against his tongue and leaving a line of his cum in its wake. He let it linger there for a moment before pulling back completely, and Liam slowly raised himself up into an upright position, his back aching from being bent over for so long. Erik growled quietly into Liam's neck as Vilpu clambered to his feet. Both of Erik's henchmen, though it would be more appropriate to refer to them as friends, looked spent and tired, but pleased.

"Wow..." Seppo muttered. "I didn't think you'd be so...experienced?"

"Am I?" Liam frowned and the two Lupa exchanged a glance before looking back at Liam. The two of them suddenly snickered and Liam narrowed his eyes before glancing up at Erik, who merely shook his head.

"Sometimes, even I don't know what they're thinking." He murmured, and Liam shrugged his shoulders-- he assumed they were just teasing him, but in the end it didn't really matter what they thought. They'd all had a good time, of a sort.

"So..." Vilpu wiped his mouth and leant up against the tree, nudging with Seppo. "At your request, we won't make fun of your mate any more, Erik."

"Good," Erik seemed pleased. "And I hope that also means we can all spend some more time together."

The two boys exchanged a smile before meeting Liam's gaze, and the 11-year-old couldn't help but grin.

He had a feeling they'd be seeing a lot more of each other in the future.