The Sigma Menace Collection
Page 86
Her insides still hummed after her visit to Rhys’ office. Even after today, she couldn’t wait until tonight when she could be submerged in her mate’s existence. The night of the mating ceremony was rumored to be legendary.
But then there was tomorrow. And the day after that, and the day after that.
What the fuck was she going to do with herself? Yes, she loved her morning runs, she loved being with Rhys, she loved becoming a part of his pack and hanging out with her own family. After her period of self-discovery, the awkwardness was gone and she was comfortable with getting to know her loved ones again.
Alex was surrounded by everything she loved, all the good things in life, there was just nothing for her to do. For so long, she thought there was nothing in the world for her but violence. Now she had everything. Everything. But a part of her felt…empty. Unfulfilled.
Sighing, she pulled a book off the shelf. It was a beautiful day, maybe she’d read outside. She would find no answers pacing inside the cabin.
It wasn’t long after Alex moved out to the porch to read when she felt a presence. “If you’re trying to sneak up on me, you’re not doing very well.”
She heard a frustrated sigh and Julio came out from behind a tree.
“How does everyone know when I’m close by?” His serious brown eyes, so much like his dad’s, held a heavy amount of frustration.
“Because you move like a freight train,” she answered with a smile in her voice. Tossing her book down, she trotted down the porch toward him. “You need to become one with your surroundings. Make your movements a part of them, flow with your environment.”
Julio was a rapt pupil and a quick study. Alex figured they must’ve worked for an hour, creeping around the cabin. She taught him how to move silently in his environment. He wasn’t close to being tired, but he was getting antsy, wanting to move onto something else. Then he spotted her book, lying on the porch floor by the chair she had been reading in.
“Whatcha reading?”
“Here.” She climbed the stairs and tossed it down to him. “Take a look.”
Julio grabbed the book and sat on the bottom stair. His mouth moved as he read over the title.
“Monte,” Alex helped him out with one of the words.
“The Count of Monte Cristo,” Julio echoed. “Is it any good?”
Alex shrugged, sitting next to him. “If you like that sort of thing. Why don’t you try it?” It can’t be any more violent than what Julio went through when he was captured by Madame G. The book wasn’t even Alex’s, but she knew Rhys wouldn’t mind.
His face lit up. “That’d be great. It’s been kind of boring.” He looked down at his shoes. “I miss school.”
Alex could empathize. Not with the school bit, though she had loved school. His whole life had turned around on him too, and he was left wondering what was next. Just like her.
“Mom’s going to get some home-schooling courses, but right now she’s busy in the lab with Doc.” His shoulders lifted and dropped. “I guess, it’s better than nothing.”
Looking at young Julio, Parrish ran through Alex’s mind. Had Parrish gotten any education during his time at Sigma? Maybe his mother taught him what she could, but beyond that?
Then there was baby Dante, who was growing up and would have twin siblings soon. Dani was ecstatic, and terrified. She had expressed her thoughts about how she would keep up as security for the pack with the babies and entertain Dante. The woman wanted to be with her kids, but didn’t want to leave the pack hanging; she loved her job.
An idea formed in Alex’s mind.
All of their family and pack members were looking up at her and Rhys on the porch. She was dressed in a simple white gown that almost reached her bare feet, with no other adornments. Rhys wore loose slacks and a plain white shirt. Their clothes were designed to be discarded quickly after their mating ceremony was done. Which was two minutes ago. Before she and Rhys sneaked off, they had made a proposal to the rest of the pack.
“So what do you think?” Alex faced the group.
Her heart pounded. She normally didn’t care what people thought, but this was her future. Her future and the future of the pack. Without proper care and training for the kids, what advantage did their pack have?
She glanced down at Dani, relief swamped through the young mother from head to toe. Dante squealed and clapped, and Mercury looked from his son up to Alex. It was like the boy was giving his approval.
Wasn’t someone going to say something?
“Can she, Mom?” Julio pleaded with Ana, his brow drawn up in hope. Ana smiled at him and looked to E, who shrugged and nodded. Ana’s eyes were bright with excitement as she, too, nodded to Alex.
“Do you even like kids?” Mercury asked with his legendary bluntness.
“I fucking love kids, Goldie.” Why hadn’t she thought of calling the silver-highlighted male that before? It was perfect.
Sarah let out a girly squeak, jumping up and down. The female grabbed Bennett’s hand. “Won’t that be cool? When we have kids, Aunt Allie will be their teacher!”
Bennett appeared stunned at the thought of having kids, and even more so of Alex being their educator.
Alex glanced up into her mate’s eyes. No one had refused outright so he elaborated. “We’d setup a couple of rooms in the lodge as a classroom and a playroom. Any bigger kids, right now it’s just Julio, will split their time with her and Master Bellamy. Alex will start working with the little ones, developing any powers that are being expressed and teaching them how to defend themselves, beyond all the normal math and reading.”
Parrish’s hands moved in communication. Alex had just started studying sign language, but could only pick out a few words.
Master Bellamy, still standing on the porch with them since he had presided over their ceremony, filled her in. “He wants to know if you’ll order in some coursework so he can catch up to other shifters his age?”
She stared Parrish directly in his pale-blue eyes. “I’ll get you past other shifters twice your age.”
The relieved young male grinned.
“Before Alex and I step away,” Rhys gave her a searing once over before turning back to face the crowd, “and you all go celebrate our mating, I want to finalize this plan. Is anyone opposed to Alex overseeing the childcare and education of our pack’s young?”
Alex’s heart pounded, but she was greeted with complete silence.
“All right then,” Rhys drawled, and pulled her in to snake an arm around her waist. “She doesn’t start until next week. I want plenty of time with her.” He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I’m going to pick you up and carry you into the cabin in front of everyone, so don’t hit me.”
He swooped her up and headed toward his front door. The crowd cheered their departure and Alex high-fived Master Bellamy as Rhys carried her past him.
It made sense, Alex realized, why they were all so accepting of her offer to become a teacher to their young. This was a pack of shifters and non-shifters. At one point, they all had faced finding their place in life, and in the pack. Alex could help them do that, she could help their kids do that, and in return, they would help her find her place in the pack, too.
__________
If you’ve read the entire series, there’s still more! Two spin-off series came from the this world and you can start with either one—or both. Demetrius kicks off the vampire series and Jace’s sister Maggie stars in book one of the shifter series. Get your copies of Demetrius and Birthright now!
Thank you so much for reading. I’d love to hear what you think. Please consider leaving a review of Pure Claim at the retailer the book was purchased from.
~Marie
About the Author
Marie Johnston lives in the upper-Midwest with her husband, four kids, and an old cat. Deciding to trade in her lab coat for a laptop, she’s writing down all the tales she’s been making up in her head for years. An avid reader of paranormal romance, these are t
he stories hanging out and waiting to be told, between the demands of work, home, and the endless chauffeuring that comes with children.
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Also by Marie Johnston
The Sigma Menace:
Fever Claim (Book 1)
Primal Claim (Book 2)
True Claim (Book 3)
Reclaim (Book 3.5)
Lawful Claim (Book 4)
Pure Claim (Book 5)
New Vampire Disorder:
Demetrius (Book1)
Rourke (Book 2)
Bishop (Book 3)
Stryke (Book 4)
Creed (Book 5)
Bastian (Book 6)
The Seer (Novella 7)