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Don

Don had sat with his Alpha Becky for about ten minutes while she slept, making sure that she was definitely having good dreams and not bad ones before he went out to check on everyone else.

He’d sat in the curve of her neck and purred comforting words to her every time her snoring lulled and she twitched and mumbled, calling her Good Girl and Pretty Becky, hoping that doing so would put his compliments into the mouths of people in her dreams.

Then, when he’d been completely satisfied that his Alpha Becky was okay, he’d stumbled to his feet and jumped (or more… flopped) off the bed.

He chuffed another goodbye to his Mimi before heading into the hall to patrol the house.

It was a very important thing to do. He had to watch over his territory; now that he had a brood he had to make extra sure that they would be safe. And that meant making sure everyone and everything was where it was supposed to be— And that nothing and nobody that wasn’t meant to be there had somehow gotten there.

Don started with the corners of the hall either side of Becky’s door. He sniffed at the bottom corners, one at a time, to make sure they smelt how they were supposed to (they did), and then looked up, craning his neck, to make sure that the big brown house spider was still in the corner to the left of the door.

It was. And it had caught a moth; so it was doing its job like it was supposed to and he didn’t have to honk scoldings at it again.

Instead he could move onto the next room; Ken’s study.

Don leapt up at the door handle and twisted it open, dropping to the floor after he head that quiet and familiar click and pushing with all his tiny might so that the door creaked and pivoted and let him in.

He was immediately hit with a chill breeze and realised with a huff that Ken had left the window open again.

Oh, that wouldn’t do!

Alpha Isa said that Ken was supposed to shut that, when he was done in his study!

Ken would get in a lot of trouble if Alpha Isa saw that!

So, with a honk, Don scurried over to the window; leaping up onto its sill and sniffing around its edges before jumping at it and pulling it closed with a thud!

There!

Now the window was closed like it was supposed to be, and Ken wouldn’t get in trouble for being naughty.

What a good boy Don had been!

Now, just to check that nothing had come in through the window while it was open!

Sniff snuffle.

Sniff sniff snuffle sniff.

Snort!

Nothing out of place!

Now it was time to move on to the next room!

Don stumbled into the hall, gazing around, before heading for the spare room opposite Ken’s study.

Finding nothing amiss in that room, either, Don continued his patrol; slowly making his way down the hall and through each and every room, until….

Ah!

Omega Isabel’s room!

And her lamp light was on; Don could see it creeping out under the door! Not as bright as her main bedroom light, but still enough to let him know that she was awake.

Sniff snorf!

He sniffed just under the door, and caught a second familiar scent.

Omega Isabel’s mate, Alpha Moon, was in the room with her.

How great! How great!

Alpha Moon was a wonderful alpha!

So soft, and so sweet, and she always skritched-and-scratched Don in all the best places with her well-kept claws!

Excited that he might be able to get a good scratch while doing his check of Isabel’s room, Don leapt up and took ahold of her door handle, twisting it skilfully and pressing his head against the doorframe to help push the door open.

Then, he looked across the room to Omega Isabel and Alpha Moon, who were lying together in bed and….

OH! What a strange place to kiss! Don had never seen people kiss that spot, before!

How new! How different!

Oh!

He wanted kisses, too!

Don dropped off the door and ran to the bed; leaping up to join the women with a loud honk of greeting that made both of them jump in fright.

‘Don!’ Isabel’s voice came out as a cry as her head shot up and she rolled off Moon. She seemed to misjudge how close she was to the edge, as she tumbled off the other side of the bed and landed on the floor with a heavy THUMP!

‘Oops!’ Don squawked, hurrying over the top of a very stunned-looking Moon and jumping down to check that Omega Isabel hadn’t gotten hurt. ‘You okay? You okay? Not hurt?’

Isabel rolled to sit up, wiping her mouth on her arm, and gave Don a playful glare; scrunching up her nose so it pressed wrinkles under her eyes.

‘Isabel? Honey?’ Moon leant over the bed, a concerned look on her own face.

‘Ken was right,’ Isabel said, drawling slowly. ‘You really are a little cockblock, aren’t you?’

Don didn’t know what that word meant, but Isabel was smiling; which meant she couldn’t be too hurt!

‘Sorry! I am sorry!’ Don apologised, jumping up to give Isabel an apologetic lick— And honking in surprise when she quickly grabbed him and held him at arm’s length.

‘Trust me, little buddy,’ she said with a giggle. ‘You don’t want to be licking my face right now.’

Huh? Why not?

Don cocked his head, and drew his tongue back into his mouth.

But he always wanted to lick people’s faces!

‘Should we put him out?’ Moon asked. ‘Or will he just break back in?’

‘Nah, he’s fine,’ Isabel chuckled, placing Don on the floor and gently pushing on his rump so he stumbled forward into the nook by her dresser. ‘He just likes to say goodnight and check for monsters under the bed.’

‘Yes! Yes, I do!’ Don honked his agreeance as he approached the dresser and checked it all over. ‘I must look after my family! Yes, I must! And keep my family safe and happy! Just like they keep me safe and happy! Yes, yes! I am a good beta!’

Don kept honking and huffing and snuffling the entire time he surveyed the room from floor to ceiling before, satisfied, he climbed back on the bed to peck a kiss on Omega Isabel and Alpha Moon’s cheeks.

‘Good boy,’ Isabel cooed, giving Don a vigorous rub down his side. ‘Why don’t you go check on Ken?’

Oh! What a good idea!

Don loved checking on Ken!

Don gave a wiggle at the mention of his good friend, then jumped off the bed and hurried to the hall. He turned back to give Isabel one last goodbye snuffle as she shut her door, before holding his head high and trotting down the hall to the end room. This one was the most opposite of Becky’s room; it was Ken’s room!

The door was already ajar, so Don pushed it open and politely surveyed the floor. He quickly checked under the bed for anything amiss (finding nothing but the surprise birthday present that Ken had bought for Alpha Isa) and then leapt up onto the bed to find….

Nothing.

Ken wasn’t in bed.

That was okay.

Often Ken wouldn’t be in his bed at night— He would be somewhere else in the house! Sometimes he would be in his office, or downstairs on the couch with the television… but most nights lately, he had been curled up with his Alpha Isa in her room.

It was nice to see Alpha Isa make Ken so happy, because Don liked it when his friends were happy.

Don finished checking Ken’s room and then headed for Alpha Isa’s room.

He opened her door with a quiet creeeee….

And then heard Ken’s soft voice call to him.

‘Shh…’ whispered the man. ‘Careful. Don’t wake her….’

Don carefully —quietly— slid down the door to the floor and hurried over to join Ken and Alpha Isa on the bed.

He didn’t honk in greeting; quietly snuffling and wiggling his neck instead so that he didn’t wake Alpha Isa.

‘Good boy,’ Ken said softly, reaching out to scratch at Don’s neck. ‘We are fine, tonight. Everything is in place.’

Don trusted Ken, but still wanted to be absolutely sure; so he quickly gave his friend a lick on the cheek and then jumped off to check the room corner to corner.

Ken was correct; nothing was out of place!

So Don leapt up to join Ken on the bed again, and pecked playfully at his face.

Ken snickered, clearly trying to laugh quietly, and pet Don again. ‘I heard you terrorising Isabel.’

‘Protecting,’ Don huffed his quiet correction. ‘I was protecting Isabel!’

Another snicker escaped Ken before he shuffled down the bed and wrapped his arms around Isabel with a sigh. ‘You are a good boy, Don. You go get some rest.’

Rest?

Oh, no! Don couldn’t rest! Not yet!

He still had many more places in the house to check tonight!

So, after a quick wiggle to say goodbye, Don headed out and made for the stairs.

-END-

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