(Nearly the end, well this is kind of the end … enjoy! Mon petite critiques et lecteurs

- Psst that means my little reviewers and readers)

Sera licked her dry lips and stepped over the threshold of the Serengeti, her heart was pounding so wildly it made her feel light headed. The unremitting thump, the blood surging through her veins, thump, her lungs that were short of air, thump, back to her heart.

She concentrated solely on her heart beat that she forgot to look around her, she did not scan her surroundings, her attention to detail, escape routes and potential danger was forgotten.

He could do that for once, the jerk! Sera added vindictively deliberately not looking in Dev's direction.

Even though she had been angry and irritated at him when they had left and if she wasn't so nervous now she still would be, there was no one else she would want at her side. Jerk or no jerk, he was the only one she trusted completely when her back was turned.

"We're closed."

Sera looked over towards the bar, a Pardalia Arcadian was standing there looking over some sort of ledger. Sera raised an inquisitive eyebrow, a Pardalia was a rare breed of exotic Arabian cats.

"We're here to find family," Dev's voice came from behind her and even though they were mad at each other his hand still applied a comforting pressure to the nape of her neck.

The man behind the bar sneered, Dev made no attempt to hide his scent and the Arcadian had picked it up immediately.

"You'll find none of your kind here, bear!"

"Just show us to the group of bears that came here last year!" Sera growled, "They are my family and therefore my mate's, now shut up and do your job!"

The man growled and took a step forward but Dev held up a finger, "ah, ah, ah, Limani remember, cousin."

The man growled again and looked about ready to pounce when another man, an exact replica of the one standing before her, he looked at them and frowned.

"Nix, what are you doing?"

The man growling in front of them backed off and gestured for his twin to talk to us, "they want to talk to the group of Arcadians that came here last fall, Dorian."

The one called Dorian raised an eyebrow, "how do we know your not here to attack them?"

Dev rolled his eyes and spoke in a strained voice as if the cats were trying his infinite patience.

"Because we are in a Limani. Savitar would have our asses first of all and second because my mate here is Arcadian as well."

Dorian and Nix both looked closely at Sera, she glanced up at Dev who grinned and shrugged, she looked back at the men and let her sentinel markings show. Both men looked shocked.

"Surprise," Sera said in a sing song voice and Dev huffed a laugh. The man called Dorian looked at his twin, "make them wait in the front parlour, Phoenix. Keep an eye on them," he added, Raking mistrusting eyes over Dev, who casually rubbed his eyebrow with his middle finger.

Phoenix gave an evil laugh and gestured for them to follow him, Dev looked down at Sera and noted she looked a little bit paler then usual. They had had their first real argument this morning as a married or mated couple. It was a great one as far as fights go. She had even thrown something at him which he had had to duck before he got beamed with a glass fruit bowl, he dived, it shattered and she stormed out. And for life of him Dev could not remember why they had argued; which was a good thing because now thinking of the entire event made him smile. His mother and Aimee had obviously taken Sera's side and made him feel like a slug every time he walked into the room, while Colt looked sympathetic, Serre looked smug and Remi, well he had a pained expression as if he had just seen an omen of what was to come.

As they followed Phoenix Dev let his hand slip to the small of Sera's back and kept the pressure there, she had concealed her sentinel makings once more, he run the backs of his fingers down the cheek where they should be and she shivered. Sera turned to look up at him with worried eyes, her body leaning into his seeking comfort and safety. That alone let him know their argument this morning was forgotten, no doubt they would have others but what was marriage without a spark now and again?

The parlour Dev noted was nice and spacious but it wasn't as homey looking as his own home, on the heels of that thought came one he had been trying to put to the back of his mind, for today at least. But he wanted to talk to Sera at the first chance he was able about moving out of his parents house and finding a place of their own, they both wanted children and he wanted them soon. The truth was he couldn't wait to be a father, but Sera got along so well with his family, was so accepting of them Dev had a feeling she would have more teething problems with moving home then he would. But eventually with the arrival of their children, because Dev had decided he wanted a big family like the one he had grown up with and plus twins ran strong in his family, Sanctuary would become quite cramped. He had yet to let Sera in on his plans for making at least a dozen more little Dev's and Sera's but if he was sneaky about it ….

Sera's heart literally ceased to beat for what seemed like a whole ten seconds whilst she listened to thumping on wooden steps. They were the footsteps of children and teenagers, they were eager steps and hesitant ones, they were the ones that woke her up many mornings and they were feet that had trodden all over her in play fights. She hadn't realised she had already begun to cry with the arrival of that sound.

The door swung open in slow motion and before her stood a small group of people, made to look larger by the small door frame. In front of all of them was a boy, it was Cardew, he had only just reached puberty when the trouble had begun rippling through the village, in human form he looked about fourteen. He looked shockingly like Aden and herself, his hair raven black and a mass of unruly curls, he had that look of being caught between adulthood and childhood, gangly and awkward. His eyes she noted with a peculiar heart ache, were cautious and jaded, he was carrying a cub in his arms, one of her youngest siblings, she knew instantly it was Gwendolyn by the white spots in her fur around her eyes.

Sera choked on a sob as she rushed forward and pulled Cardew into her arms cub and all, with the touch of her embrace the boy began to sob uncontrollably and the younger cubs and children, a jumbled mix of Katagaria and Arcadian began to file into the room, each jostling and pushing the other to be cuddled.

Sera left none out, she let go of Cardew to kiss little Gwen who batted at her cheek with her paw, Sera cried a new when she realised the little cub remembered her scent.

"Jermyn! Kayna! Oh, look at you, you got so big and in only a year!" Sera hugged and kissed two blond children, and stroked back their hair. Cardew was urging them all forward, he seemed almost more eager then Sera for her to see all the children and how well he had kept them.

"Hendra, Jowan, Morgan, Kernow, Penrose, Kenwyn," the list of strange names went on and on, Dev watched his mate pick up the cub she called Gwen and cuddle her tenderly, burying her face in her fur. He had never had any fears about Sera being biased toward their Arcadian children if they had a mixed bunch like these before him, but seeing her kiss the little bear cub only confirmed what he already knew and brought a tight, painful lump to his throat. She would be a terrific mother. The little boy she had called Kernow seemed to be glued to Sera's side, his little hand holding on to her cuff, while his other podgy palm curled around his little sisters paw. Dev looked down when he felt someone watching him, it was a little girl, she had dark brown curls that bounced and splashed over her head in the cutest way. She held to her a teddy bear that Dev raised an eyebrow at, it seemed crass to bears, even Arcadians, to give their children toys like teddy bears, evidently one of the Pardalia had given it to her. The way she clutched it to her tugged at his heart, she gazed up at him with a thoughtful expression and Dev wondered what was going on in her innocent mind, then she held her arms out to him and Dev leant down eagerly to pick her up. Teddy bear crushed between them, she wound her tiny arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder.

She smelt of baby lotion and sweets, her small warm weight tucked to his side and her baby breath on his neck caused his throat to tighten more. The little girl looked like Sera, could be mistaken for being her own child, could be their child, Dev's eyes roamed the orphans watched Sera, who was also one in the centre showing everyone love. Damn, they were going to have to find a huge house to accommodate these lot and their own.

The baby in his arms who he judged was maybe about two, perhaps three, leant up to look at him, she had such a solemn little face, Dev crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue and she smiled. She held up her bear.

"This is you," she said, her little voice still having trouble spacing words and pronouncing letters. Dev laughed as he looked at the stuffed bear, noting its missing eye, crooked blue velvet bow tie and torn ear.

"My, I am handsome," Dev said and the little girl laughed. "What your name, little one?"

"Kerensa."

Dev looked up and saw Cardew standing near, he knew the boy knew he was Arcadian, and suspected that was what put a jumpiness in the boy's body and something close to fear in his eyes. Dev was silent for a moment, he ached for the boy that was so scarred he feared his own kind.

"Her name means love," Dev stated and jiggled her on his hip, what should he say to the boy? Damn, he could cope with kids, he had little experience with teenagers. Cardew nodded and seemed to be bouncing on the balls of his feet, debating whether to reclaim his sister.

"Don't be afraid of me, I'm Katagaria like your enemies, but I'm Katagaria like you also. And bears like us know nothing should make us hurt family."

Cardew studied him for a moment and Dev felt nervous, then the boy gave a small smile, an olive branch.

"Yeah, I guess we do," he cocked his head, "you are my sister's mate?"

Dev looked up to find Sera staring at him, her face was alight with love and pride for him, she got up with the cub in her arms and moved towards them, the group of children following her; it was like some bizarre scene out of the sound of music. They tripped over themselves to keep close to her. Sera stopped at Dev's side and faced her brother, she cupped his cheek in her palm.

"I am so proud of you, little brother," she looked up at Dev with adoring eyes one that danced with laughter. Look at him, she thought, standing there all big and handsome with a beautiful little kitten of a child nuzzling his shoulder. "Yes, he is my mate and I love him very much. He's a good bear and a good man."

Cardew looked down and shifted his feet, blushing. "I never thought anyone would be good enough for you," and Sera felt her lips tremble again before pulling him closer for her to kiss his cheek.

"I'm not good enough for her," Dev said with a grin, "but I'm the only one she'll have."

Cardew grinned shyly and awkwardly held out his hand to the older bear, Dev took it looking in some way humbled and Sera bit back the urge to grab her mate and kiss him senseless, he was so wonderful and caring, his altruistic regard for the feelings of her siblings making her, if it were possible, love him more. Dev gave her a sexy wink and then jiggled Kerensa again to make her laugh.

"I guess all of us better go home, huh?"