Monachopsis

by Lyra Winters

  "What? Family? I love our little family!" I giggled, slapping his thigh.

  "I love you so much, Darlin'."

  "I love you."

  My heart swelled. I was blessed to be his mate, and I was blessed to carry our child. To think none of this would have happened without Nolan's rejection was insane.

  I was thankful for the rejection, because it led me to Blaine—my one true mate.

  "Daddy!" Blair, our two-year-old daughter giggled. Her silver hair blew wildly around, and her blue eyes sparkled with wonder. I would never tire of watching her play around.

  "Blair!" Blaine mocked as he pushed her on the swing.

  "Higher, higher!"

  He grabbed the swing and pulled back, running under her and making her go high. She squealed and kicked her legs.

  "No fair. Push me too!" Shiloh, our four-year-old son, demanded as he ran toward the other swing.

  "Okay, buddy."

  I laughed and placed a hand on my swollen belly. "They are too much," I told Heidi.

  Heidi was Beta Cole's mate and my very best friend.

  When I came to this pack, she was transferring from another pack. When Cole met her, he immediately recognized that they were mates. Since Cole and Blaine were always together for pack business, so were Heidi and I. We clicked instantly and have been inseparable ever since.

  "You're going to be so overwhelmed when those rascals get here then. Twins are so hard," she said, pointing to my belly.

  I groaned, rubbing my outstretched belly. "You would know. You have two sets. Speaking of which, where did they run off to?"

  "Cole is running with them in the woods. They wanted to run with him in his wolf form." She shook her head.

  "Ah, the big doggy." I referred to what the twins called him.

  She laughed. "The very one."

  "Luna! Luna!" A blonde-haired, blue-eyed little boy ran up to us.

  "Yes, sweetie?"

  "Where did Shiloh go?" he asked.

  "He's swinging with his daddy," I said, pointing over to the swing set.

  His eyes went wide. "The A-Alpha?"

  "Yes. Don't worry. He won't bite." I laughed.

  He nodded and ran off in the other direction. He clearly didn't want to interact with his Alpha. Blaine could be scary when he needed to be, something I found incredibly sexy. However, the children of the pack didn't take to him very well.

  "Kids do the same with Cole." Heidi shook her head.

  "That's what we get for being mated to higher-ranked members." I shrugged before getting up and waddling over to the swings.

  "Hey gorgeous." Blaine kissed me.

  "You all are a trip." I giggled.

  "Mommy!" Both of my kids cried out as they hopped off the swings and hugged my legs.

  "Hi babies." I kissed the tops of their heads.

  "I'm not a baby, mommy! I'm a big boy now." Shiloh crossed his arms.

  "Yeah, mommy. You have babies in your tummy." Blair rubbed my belly.

  "Yes. But you are all our babies, forever. I don't care how old you get." I bent down and hugged them. Blaine kneeled and wrapped us into a big family hug.

  This was the life I had craved since I was a young girl. And I was damn proud to admit that I had been rejected, because that rejection led me to this life of happiness and blessings.