by Crystal Dawn
“But I’ve got to cook for you two.” I pointed out sounding a little like I was whining.
“I’ll finish up for you and you can wake your blushing bride.” She offered as she reached for the spatula. I handed it off to her because I could see it was the best offer I would get. I made T.J. a cup of coffee just like she liked it. I took it up the stairs and hoped for the best.
T.J. was still in bed with a pillow over her head and the alarm clock which sat on my side of the bed shrieking. It looked like it had been going off for eight minutes. I shut it off and crawled on the bed close to my mate. I began to tickle her mercilessly. She screamed and tried to smack me away from her. I kept on until she was fully awake.
“You asshole. Can’t you figure out a better way to wake me?”
“Not a way that’ll ensure we get where we are going in time.”
“Being on time is vastly overrated.” She said as her eye fell on her coffee. With a gesture fit for a queen she prompted me to hand her her cup of coffee. She started sipping immediately. My work was over. I headed downstairs to eat breakfast with my new sister by mating. Ron, which she said was what she preferred to be called, had finished cooking. She was halfway through her breakfast already. I sat down with my plate to see if I could finish first.
T.J. came down just as we both finished up. Sherona and I cleaned up as we talked. She asked a lot of questions about my pack. Our pack was very different from Blake’s. Blake was very informal and his betas weren’t set to specific tasks. My father’s betas all had titles that match their very exact duties. That didn’t mean they were unable to help each other, it just meant that only one beta was in charge of a particular area. If others helped in an emergency they did as the one in charge instructed. This set up accountability so everyone couldn’t just point at someone else when something went wrong. On the other hand, Blake’s betas were interchangeable and could step in for each other at a moments notice in most cases.
Sherona had a better understanding of some of the differences there could be between pack organization by the time we left to go to my pack. On the way, we talked about some of the people in my pack. “Jer’s dad is the pack alpha.” T.J. said as we all discussed my pack.
“There’s only a few pups. All the pack’s are having fertility issues. We’re better off than most but we aren’t growing like we once did.” I explained sure she knew about our races reproductive problems.
“Is that why you mated with T.J.? It’s well known that white wolves are fertile and have more females then males.” Sherona asked looking a little put out at the possibility.
“I didn’t know she was even wolf at all when we met or when we mated. No one told me anything.”
Sherona smiled. “That makes me feel better. I’m sure it made T.J. feel better too. It’s hard to overcome being wanted for what you are and not who you are.” I was sure that was true. Being the heir apparent to a pack alpha brought out all the power hungry bitches. It wasn’t even close to what being a white wolf brought out. Seymour and that magic user were two examples of that.
We pulled into the driveway at my dad’s house. I wondered what Sherona would think of everyone. It was clear pretty quickly that many of the pack were present. We were probably only missing the few that worked Sundays and those of the second wave which came later since the whole pack wouldn’t fit into the grand ballroom. It was the largest room of the house and had been built for entertaining. Set up for breakfast with long tables and fold out chairs, it held around five hundred. We would not be sitting in there although my alpha was currently standing there talking to pack members. Since we had a guest, we would eat with my dad in the private dining room while the pack ate in the larger room.
We approached my dad and I pushed Sherona in front of me so I could introduce her. When my dad turned to fully face her, energy pulsed through the air. The look on his face and hers was almost comical as they were both clearly shocked. I was certain this was not a good thing. The predatory look that came over my dad’s face told me he fully intended to act on whatever he was feeling while the fearful look on Sherona’s face indicated she would run. An alpha on the hunt with prey that ran. Hmm, not a good thing at all. I noticed T.J. was in shock with her mouth hanging open. I whispered in her ear, “Good thing there aren’t flies in here.” She closed her mouth but continued to watch wide eyed.
“Sherona,“ my dad said in a warm voice. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Call me Ari.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips for a soft kiss. He continued to hold it until she recovered her senses enough to pull it away. I would have laughed had the thought of the trouble this would undoubtedly cause me not flashed through my mind. I saw no way I could have foreseen this little complication but somehow I knew I would be the focus of my mate’s and her sister’s anger.
“It’s nice to meet you too. You can call me Ron.” Sherona said observing the pleasantries all the while she looked longingly at the door. I could tell once we finished eating we would be leaving quickly. My dad took Sherona’s arm to guide her to the room we would be eating in. She looked ready to bolt at the slightest provocation. I couldn’t help but wonder how this would all work out. My relationship with my dad, though close, had always been a bit confusing. He was my dad and I loved him, but he was also my alpha and I loved him because of that too. Both father and alpha were deserving of respect and both were positions I needed to be guided by. Sometimes it was hard to separate the dad from the alpha. Now it seemed he would want to mate my sister by mating and become my brother as well. How confusing was that? I looked over at him as he led Sherona down the hall. He was going to need a lot of help to catch that one.
“Why do beautiful females so often have male nicknames?” My father asked of no one in particular. I wasn’t going to touch that one and Ron and T.J. ignored it.
We made it to the room where food was already on the table. It was the same food the rest of the pack was eating buffet style in the other room. The only difference was the fine china and the fact that we would be waited on. He guided Ron to the seat next to his. The significance of where he chose to seat her was not lost on me. It was where the alpha’s mate sat. That seat normally sat empty here. Even the servers watched closely now. They seemed to realize what her seating position meant too. He was basically claiming her as his mate. Both my mate and her sister seemed confused by the attention Sherona was getting. They weren’t around the pack enough to understand and that was probably a good thing.
Sandy came in at the last minute as usual. “I have a good reason for not being here earlier.”
“You’re not late, Sandy.” T.J. said ever protective of those she cared about.
“You’ve slid in just arriving at the last possible moment.” My dad said with an unexpected smile. It looked like his potential mating was softening him up a bit. “Now after everyone has their plate of food, we’ll discuss this reason of yours.” With that said he was back to the no nonsense alpha we all knew.
Everyone was given a plate with a sample of different foods on it. It was lunchtime but we were eating the kinds of foods usually associated with brunch. I wasn’t complaining. I loved the little stuffed filet mignons and the eggs Benedict. I wasn’t the only one. Everyone else seemed to like the food too. Our cook, Paulo, outdid himself on the Sunday lunches. I suppose he was really a chef because he also did the formal dinners and parties we occasionally had here. I just knew he could cook anything even home style comfort food like macaroni and cheese.
Now that everyone had been served it was time for Sandy to talk. It was a little unfair to her. She sorrowfully eyed her plate no doubt wanting nothing more than to dig in like the rest of us were. “I came across some information about Seymour. I can only go into details privately but let’s just say the threat is not over and Seymour is just following orders.” Sandy said before she started eating.
“You will give us the full account in my meeting room directly after we eat. All of us will be there and my be
tas.” My dad looked at each of us with a very serious look on his face. This threat wouldn’t just be to my mate but to his potential mate as well. I know he had hoped Seymour would be gone now that the new threat of the anti human group had emerged.
Chapter 7
Congratulations, Daddy
Everyone ate with appetite knowing that they would need their energy in the days ahead. I worried about my mate since she had been tired, pale, and lacking appetite but at least her appetite seemed to have returned. I intended to take her to see the pack doctor today before we left. I knew she would protest but I was too worried about her to be satisfied with anything less than a full physical. Everyone was through eating and my father led the way to his meeting room. It looked like a conference room for a big corporation. That wasn’t surprising since the pack owned many businesses and was not only incorporated but fairly large. All the needs a meeting of the minds might have was provided for. There were bulletin boards, screens, projectors, audio, ample seating, a large table, and a small one in the corner for demonstrations. My alpha and Sandy paused near the door whispering like conspirators while the rest of us took our seats. I was sure she shared her source with him, the rest of us didn’t need to know.
His betas straggled in one at a time. They had an air of curious expectation waiting to decide if this meeting would bring good news or bad. I noticed most eyes glanced repeatedly at Sherona. I thought it possible that they thought this a mating announcement. I didn’t expect that would come for a while if Sherona’s cool and distant attitude was anything to go by. Meanwhile we had serious things to deal with. I listened as Sandy explained what we should expect telling us everything except who her source was. I wondered if it was the wolf she left with last night and I was sure anyone else who saw her leave with him would wonder that too. It wasn’t as if they had been circumspect.
“How sure are we of the source?” One of the betas asked.
“He’s in a position to know and has no reason to lie.” My father answered quickly.
“This is rather vague. We have no time line nor do we know how they plan to attack.” Another beta chimed in stating what we already knew.
“It’s more than we knew before. Now we are warned and we will take appropriate precautions.” My father said as he looked at each person sitting at the table. It was clear he was taking this personally and expected much out of each person sitting there.
“How will we protect T.J. and Sherona?” I asked hoping someone would come up with a plan.
The others looked surprised. They hadn’t thought of the danger Ron was in. I knew better. Every white wolf that was identified as such was in danger either because they were wanted or they were feared. The meeting concluded with several guards assigned temporarily. A better plan would be thought out in time. Meanwhile it was time to take my mate to the doctor. Ron turned out to be my unexpected ally. “You knew I wanted you to see the doctor. He said he needed a follow up.” I said reasonably.
“He also said it wasn’t necessary. He said it was just a precaution.” T.J. said just as reasonably. “Let’s not bother the poor guy on a Sunday.”
“If he’s expecting you, you need to go.” Ron said as if that was just the way it was. She gave my mate a no nonsense look. “Lead on.” She told me as she stepped closer pushing T.J. in front of her. I headed that way. Ron pushed T.J. ahead of her. I hoped the doctor would be there waiting because it would be hard to get her to stay if he wasn’t.
We got to the doctor’s office which was at the back of the house. This was both for privacy and for quiet. We were lucky and the doctor had made it there before we did. He was very happy to see us and I wondered why. As T.J. said, we were keeping him busy at a time he normally had off. He worked Sunday morning to take care of those who had accidents Saturday night, but Sunday afternoon was usually free time for him. His nurse wasn’t there so he must not be expecting any problems. He didn’t have T.J. undress either. He helped her onto the table and had her lay on her back. He adjusted the table for her comfort. I was surprised when he rolled a machine that was against the wall over to her. He arranged her clothing so her belly was bare. Sherona was getting excited. I had the feeling she knew where this was headed. By the time he applied some gel to T.J.’s belly and put something that reminded me of a mouse in it and started sliding it around, even I suspected what he was doing.
I saw a round black object in my mates womb. “Is that…?” I asked barely able to breathe.
“Yes.” said the doctor.
“Don’t you usually wait until later in the pregnancy to do an ultrasound?” Sherona asked.
I barely heard her as I found a seat and sat in it because my legs were too weak to hold me up. A baby! My lovely mate was going to gift me with the most precious thing in the world. I could see a little girl who looked just like her mother twisting me around her little finger. I looked over at T.J. and she was speechless. I’d never seen her that way before. The doctor just continued printing off a picture of the little blip on the screen that in a few months would be our whole world. He wiped the gel off her stomach and then he began to explain things.
“Normally we wouldn’t do an ultrasound until twelve weeks but given the things she has gone through lately and the lack of any symptom except tiredness combined with the availability of the equipment and my curiosity, I just decided ‘what the hell’ and did it anyway.” He handed me the picture. “I would estimate she is around six weeks. Wolves tend to deliver in six months, humans in nine, and human/wolf in seven. I can’t wait to see this child. I think I’m more excited than you two are. It’s been too long since a child was born here.” He said with a hint of tears in his eyes.
“No one could be more excited than me. It would give them a heart attack if they were. T.J., are you alright?” I asked with all my attention now on my silent mate. She looked overwhelmed to say the least.
“I’m fine.” She said in a voice that was barely a whisper. Her hand was protectively holding her stomach. It was a surprise no doubt. She must have gotten pregnant the first few times we were together.
“She would have still been human. Will that cause the baby any problems?” I asked the doctor. T.J.’s eyes flew to him to see what he would say.
“No, it only shows how compatible you two are.”
I didn’t ask what he meant. I was sure T.J. hadn’t used any birth control and neither had I. The odds of a wolf getting a human pregnant were a million to one and we didn’t carry STDs. Sure there were stories of wolves and humans having babies but most of us dismissed them as urban legends. Guess they were true. I moved to my mate and just held her. The shock was starting to wear off and now the fears of fatherhood pressed upon me. Safety was my main concern. Yes, I had worried about my mate before, but a pup made her even more vulnerable.
The doctor was finished and said he wanted to see her back if she had any problems or in a month. I was so happy I wanted to yell from the highest mountains. I was going to be a dad. I dropped a kiss on her lips and pointed out that my father needed to know both as a new grandpa to be and as our alpha. We left the doctor in his office and went to track down my father. He was in a meeting with his betas. I told him it was important and personal so he excused himself from his meeting for a moment.
“My lovely mate is gifting me with a pup.” I told him as proudly as if I was saving the world single handedly. I wouldn’t deny it, I was very proud of my accomplishment.
My father gripped my shoulders so tight I almost gasped. “A pup? Are you certain?” He asked with an intense look on his face.
“I saw it with my own eyes on the ultrasound.” My father let out a loud whoop that had everyone running to see what was going on.
“We are going to have a pup!” He announced as if he had been involved in it somehow. I didn’t care since I was just as happy. By the time everyone was through congratulating me, my back hurt from all the well meaning slaps and I felt as though I had performed a miracle. T.J. was tired so I ne
eded to get her home. We drove back quietly. I don’t think the pup was real to us yet. Once she showed it would hit us and we would probably run around buying things like crazy. Maybe I would buy one or two things before then.
We arrived back at the bar which for now was home as long as it proved safe. I saw the wolves assigned to T.J.’s safety following at a distance. I decided I would make sure my mate rested plenty today and didn’t strain or stress herself anymore. A tall order I knew but a necessary one. My little female or male pup was going to have the best of everything starting right now. Their mother would have the best too. Love swelled inside of be to the point where I thought I would burst from it. I had a mate dreams were made of and our first pup on the way. Life couldn’t get any better, well if everyone and their brother wasn’t out to get her.
Sherona wanted to speak to us. I wondered what was up with her. “Nervous about being an aunt?” I teased her hoping it was that simple.
“No, I really need to get back home. I’m going to leave in the morning.” She said looking everywhere but in our eyes.
“I know you didn’t say how long you’d stay, but I thought you’d be here longer than a day.” T.J. said looking ready to cry. I shot a glare at Sherona. I figured she was running from something or someone and I had a pretty good idea who.
“Two days, I’ve been here for two days, T.J.. You know how I am. I’m here and then I’m gone. You usually don’t get so emotional. You must be hormonal.” Sherona said cheerfully ignoring T.J.’s angst.
T.J. petted her belly. “It’s alright little one. You have to learn Auntie Sherona won’t be around much.”
“I can’t believe you’re going there! OMG, T.J. how could you?” Sherona looked at her in shock. I’ll admit I was surprised my sweet little mate could be so manipulative. I didn’t think it was going to work for her either. Sherona was going to run because she was too scared to stay. It was that simple.