The moment I got home, Princess was done with her games, and her friends had already gone home, which was a relief because I did not want to see Kiara around. She has always been around like she lives there, and it’s annoying to me. Maybe not to Princess, but to me. She just sits around, scrolling through her phone and acting like she owns the place, and every single time I see her face, my mood just completely drops.

I am still trying to let go of the idea that she happens to be my girlfriend’s ex, but that thought won’t leave when she is always around. It is like a constant reminder hovering in the back of my mind, ticking me off whenever I walk into the room and see her taking up space.

Princess wasn’t in the clubhouse, which is also called the game room, but the kids were there. Princess created a play area for them. They were busy crawling around and playing with toys. Yes, they may be four months old, but they are Alphas. Alphas grow faster than any regular wolf or Omega. Their little bodies were already sturdy, their movements quick and coordinated as they knocked plastic blocks over and dragged stuffed animals across the soft carpet tiles.

I can’t believe Princess left them unsupervised. My heart gave a sharp, nervous thud against my ribs, my protective instincts instantly flaring up as I looked around the empty room.

The first one to see me was Leonny, who giggled and crawled toward me. He scrambled over the edge of the play mat, his little hands moving fast. Then the other three became alerted by their brother’s excitement. They all paused what they were doing, their bright little eyes snapping straight toward the doorway where I was standing.

"Hey Leon, how are you?" I said, picking him up from the ground and then gathering up the rest. I sat down on the floor, and all of them surrounded me. They clambered into my lap, their small, warm bodies pressing against me as they let out tiny, happy yips.

"I wonder where your mama is..." I muttered as I played with them. I grabbed a bright red plastic ring, shaking it gently so they could chase after it.

While playing with them, the kitchen door opened and Princess came out. Headphones hung around her neck. She was wearing her custom bunny gaming outfit and was holding a bowl of cereal and her tablet.

"Hi, Pancake..." I muttered. I looked up at her from my spot on the carpet, keeping one hand on Minny’s back so he wouldn’t roll over too far.

"Hi, babe," she said, walking over to me, giving me a peck, then heading back to her gaming desk.

"You left the kids alone." I pointed out, my voice flat as I watched her slide into her high-back gaming chair.

"I wanted to get something to eat, and I had them monitored. The cameras are always watching them," she said, showing me her tablet. She tapped the glass screen with her thumb, displaying a live four-way split feed of the exact corner we were sitting in.

I stopped talking, then continued attending to the kids and playing with their toys. I picked up a small blue ball, rolling it toward Ronny, but my jaw was still slightly tight from the initial scare.

"I can’t believe you would think I would leave them unsupervised when I have been watching them all day," she said. She set her cereal bowl down on the desk with a tiny clatter, turning her chair around so she could look at me.

"I was just saying it because the front door was open, and anyone could have walked in." I defended myself, my voice rising just a little bit as I looked up at her.

"Well, I knew it was you who walked in due to your scent, and I have CCTV installed outside," she explained. She gestured toward the big monitors on her wall, which showed the empty driveway and the front porch.

I was sure she didn’t like the idea that I had thought she wasn’t watching them. Her ears were slightly twitched back, her eyes showing a hint of that stubborn Alpha pride that always came out whenever she felt challenged.

"Okay, I shouldn’t question your instincts, knowing that you happen to be a protective person. So let’s let it rest," I said, hoping she would stop talking about it. I didn’t have the energy to get into a massive argument security right after a gym session.

She turned back to her monitor. The colorful lights from the game screen immediately started reflecting across her face.

"So, how was your day at the gym?" she asked. Her fingers started tapping against the keyboard, the quick clicking sounds filling the quiet room.

"Nothing much, just the same old stuff, the annoying noisy next-door neighbors, and some workouts," I said, remembering those crazy bikers, especially the girl they call Bambi. The thought of those roaring motorcycle engines and that girl’s arrogant smirk made my fists tighten up inside my sweatpants pockets.

"Do you need me to help get rid of them for you?" Princess offered smoothly, her fingers pausing on the keys for a brief second.

"No. My group and I will handle it." I said immediately. Not ready for over protective girlfriend when I am busy learning how to protect myself.

"Okay. You hungry? Need me to make you something?" She asked, her eyes already tracking a new loading screen on her display.

"No, just focus on your game. I will find something to prepare for both of us," I said, standing up and leaving the kids to play by themselves before walking over to Princess, who was focused on her monitor. I walked across the smooth floor, standing right behind her shoulder.

This girl spends all day staring at a screen, and I have begun to worry about her, mostly her eyes. I do ask her if she is okay with it, and she always says she’s fine. But seeing her blink against the bright blue glare always made me want to grab the plugs and shut the whole system down.

"Look who wants to prepare a meal for me while she’s busy eating cereal for dinner," I muttered, looking down at the ceramic bowl sitting right next to her mousepad. "Can I have some?"

"Yeah, sure," she said. She scooped up a big spoonful, lifting it up toward my face without even breaking her gaze from the game match.

The moment a spoonful entered my mouth, I instantly knew something was different as I chewed. The milk tasted entirely too light, carrying a very specific sweet flavor that had absolutely nothing to do with grocery store cartons.

"Bitch, did you use my breast milk again for your fucking cereal?" I gasped, my eyes widening in pure shock as I swallowed the mouthful.

"Well, Beam chugged the whole bottle of regular milk, and I needed something to eat, so yours was the only milk available." Princess explained casually, shrug of her shoulders completely relaxed under her bunny hoodie.

"Are you fucking kidding me? I have told you several times to stop." I snapped, smacking her shoulder with the palm of my hand.

"Okay, I can’t believe you are mad about it when you allow me to drink from the tap. It’s just cereal, and I didn’t share it with anyone." She argued back, her voice turning defensive as she swiveled her chair to face me again.

"I’m not angry that you are drinking my milk. I spent my morning pumping enough milk for the pups... Four actually not five. You are supposed to be feeding the pups the milk, not drinking it yourself. What are you, some dude made in a fucking lab?" I shouted, my hands throwing up in absolute frustration.

"Okay, first thing first, you are my girlfriend, which means I have the right to your milk. Second, my mother breastfed me when I was little. And lastly, they all had baby formula and solid food. They refused to drink your milk anymore, and I didn’t want it to go to waste, so I used it for my breakfast cereal, lunch cereal, and now dinner cereal." Princess listed out, counting the points on her fingers with a completely serious expression.

I stared at the girl as she tried to claim rights over my milk. The sheer absurdity of her logic made my brain stall out completely for a solid ten seconds.

I can’t believe this girl.

She was the one who told me not to forget to pump milk for the pups before leaving, and now she is telling me they don’t even drink my milk anymore. She had literally sent me off with a lecture about nutrition, only to turn around and use the entire supply for her weekend gaming snacks.

I just shook my head in disbelief. I didn’t know what to say to her because she was going to try and win the argument anyway, so I walked out to go change my clothes.