Dinner was almost over when my mother asked the million dollar question. “So, are you going to tell us or make us wait until after our grand pup is born?”
Dimitri coughed, practically choking on a piece of garlic chicken and I stared back at my father like a deer caught in headlights.
“How do you know?” I whispered.
“I'm your mother, how could I not know. And, I could also hear a faint heartbeat when I'm close to you.” She said.
“We umm, well, we wanted to wait. Didn't want to steal any thunder from the excitement of this week.” I managed to say.
The table erupted with congratulations and hugs. Odessa practically jumped onto Dimitri crying tears of joy for her brother. I looked at my father who was still seated as if trying to process what he had just heard. “Dad, are you okay?” I managed to ask.
He looked up at me with glistening eyes. “My baby girl is having a baby.” He said and hugged me tight.
“I should kill him.” My father growled.
“Dad!” I said and my father laughed.
“Are you for real? First Peter and now you!” Knox sounded a little envious and everyone laughed at him. He was the oldest and always a little late to the party.
“Oh no! Now he's got pup envy.” Clair teased and everyone roared with laughter again.
The mating ceremony at Crescent Moon was beautiful and we traveled to Dark Moon two days later for Peter and Mandi's mating ceremony. Mandi was the daughter of Dark Moon's Gamma, Blake. She was actually a twin with her sister Paige. As soon as Alec set eyes on Paige, we knew he had found his second chance mate.
We later found out that Paige was rejected by Alpha Liam's son, from the neighboring pack, because she was gamma born. Blake was happy that she found Alec and was given a second chance. Alec was practically floating on air and couldn't wait to introduce Paige to his mother back home in Greece.
After the mating ceremony at Dark Moon, by older brothers both left for their honeymoons. Peter and Mandi went to Hawaii, while Knox and Rocky went to Barbados. We discussed our plans for next month's mating ceremonies in Greece. Both of my older brothers would be back from their honeymoons and join the family in Greece for my mating ceremony which would be followed by Hades and Odessa's mating ceremony as well.
We were currently sitting in the living room of the LaRue house that my Grandfather, Alpha Knox LaRue, built almost fifty years ago when he claimed Dark Moon Pack. Uncle Max was telling us stories about their childhood and we were all practically in tears laughing. My mother entered the room with fresh flowers in her arms.
“Dimitri. Raven. Will you come with me please?” She asked.
“Of course, let me carry those for you.” Dimitri said and went to unload my mother's arms.
We made our way to cemetery hill and stopped at my grandparent’s graves. My mother placed flowers on her parent’s graves first and told us about Peter and Alice Michaels. She explained how Peter was a descendant from the Apollo bloodline and how a golden wolf is born from that bloodline once every hundred years. She also told us about my grandmother Alice, who was a descendant from the Moon Goddess with fire element.
We moved a few yards over to my other grandparents, Alpha Knox and Luna Clair LaRue. We placed flowers on their graves as well. She explained how Luna Clair and my grandmother Alice, were from the same pack in Alaska. Even though Luna Clair didn't have the water element, she passed it down to Diesel. Luna Clair was also a descendant from the Moon Goddess. She went on to tell us about how great my grandfather Alpha Knox was. How he helped train her gifts and loved everyone unconditionally.
“When I received my prophecy, there was a pack war that followed, and we lost Alpha Knox. The prophecy said, there is a war coming and a lost wolf. The war happened and the lost wolf was the head of our family.” She told us. “The grief of losing him, showed me my own strength.”
My mother took a moment to wipe a tear from her cheek. “It also said, only the one born from Gods can set the course. I was born from two Gods and set the course by having pups and passing the gifts.”
“But, I'm the only one with both.” I said.
“Yes, and your mate also has one. Now you're expecting a pup. Dimitri's destiny is you and your offspring. He will play an important role in training your pups and grand pups, just as his prophecy said.”
“But what's the importance?” I asked.
“War. A great war is coming someday.” Dimitri said connecting the dots.
“In a hundred years, a descendant will possess the power of all four and save us in the Great War to come. The key here is a hundred years. There is a golden wolf every hundred years.” My mother said. “Raven, there was no way your father was going to let you go all the way to Greece. We had to force him to let you follow your destiny. You can't stop fate or try to interfere. There's a reason behind every joy and every sorrow. It makes us who we are for better or worse.”
“Thank you Luna, I can't tell you enough how much I love your daughter and our pup.” Dimitri beamed.
“Oh, I can see it. It's just the same way Diesel looks at me.” She smiled and hugged him.
“Now, have you decided on any names for my grand pup?” She asked.
“Since your twins are named after their grandfathers, and Clair is named after Luna Clair, I was thinking that Alice would be a perfect name if we have a girl. If that's okay with you Luna?” Dimitri smiled.
Epilogue
Seven years later
“MOM! Uncle Niko ate the rest of my moussaka!” Kyros pouted.
“Uncle Niko has a habit of doing that. He doesn't like perfectly good moussaka to go to waste.” I laughed.
“Are you going to finish yours or should I take care of that for you too?” Niko asked me.
“Touch my plate and you might lose a few fingers.” I growled and shoveled the rest of the food in my mouth.
Dimitri chuckled and kissed me on the side of my head. “Don't mess with a pregnant woman's food Niko, you should
know better by now after three pups of your own.”
Kyros was our oldest, Damien followed two years later, they both looked just like Dimitri. Our twin daughters Alice and Anabeth, looked just like me with the strong LaRue family genes. I was currently expecting pup number five in about two more weeks.
“How's baby Lukas doing?” Clair asked me.
“He's kicking a lot, hopefully he won't try to break out before Levi's mating ceremony this weekend.” I told her. We had found out the gender of the baby last month and decided to name him Lukas.
After my brother Roman took over Zeus's Howlers, he found his mate, Kiki, who is Rocky's little sister. They currently have two pups of their own. My brother Seth took over Silver Moon pack, which is next to Dark Moon when Alpha Liam’s son was killed by rogues three years ago. Seth is twenty-three now and has yet to find his mate.
Four days from now, we will all be traveling to western Greece to the Spartan Shadow pack where my youngest brother Levi will be taking over as Alpha. Alpha Atlas only had one daughter, Imara, before his Luna died. Levi discovered that Imara was his mate a few months ago at a shifter’s ball. Alpha Atlas has been absolutely thrilled to turn the pack over to another LaRue and his daughter.
“Daddy, when is Aunt Odessa coming for a visit? She promised me loukoumi the next time I see her." Damien's little voice squeaked. He loved his sweets.
“You'll see Aunt Odessa, Uncle Hades and your cousins this weekend, but you’d better be good if you want loukoumi.” Dimitri told him.
“Let's go, it's bath time and then bed. The sooner you go to bed, the sooner grandma and papa will be here to take you to the beach tomorrow.” I told them.
“Ohhh I hope papa floats us on top of the water with his magic!” Kyros jumped up and down with excitement.
We had spent a few weeks at Crescent Moon this summer and my dad had fun floating the pups on the water, like he used to do to us growing up. The twins are now three and they enjoyed taking r
ides on Lia's back. The girls always squealed about how her golden fur was so “pwetty.” Lia enjoyed having the girls climb all over her.
“Come on, you two. Let's go, it's bath time!” I called out to the twins who were playing with Uncle Max on the floor.
“Ewww mommy peed her pants!” Alice said pointing to the gush of water coming down my leg.
“My water just broke!”
“I'll link Dr. Vovos.” Dimitri said scooping me up.
“Don't worry about the kids, I'll get them bathed and put to bed.” Aunt Payton called out.
“I'll call your parents.” Uncle Max added.
We entered the infirmary and Dimitri placed me on the bed. “Owwww.” I cried out as the contractions hit me. Dr. Vovos busied herself setting everything up and connecting me to monitors.
“Okay Luna, you know the routine. We're going to wait until you're fully dilated before we deliver. Alpha, you know what to do.” She told us.
Dimitri kissed the top of my head and rubbed circles on my back to ease the anxiety and pain. “The girls are going to be so excited to have a baby.” He grinned.
“Yeah until they get a whiff of a full diaper.” I laughed and then cried when another contraction hit me.
Four hours later, Dimitri was holding baby Lukas. He had raven black hair and blue eyes. “He looks like his mama.” Dimitri smiled at me.
Moments later, Lukas let out a really loud cry. “wahhhhh wahhh.” He fussed with his little hands locked in tight fists.
“Looks like he has his mother’s temperament too!” Dimitri laughed.
“He wants his mama.” I smiled extending my arms out.
Dimitri handed him to me, but Lukas continued to wail. I tried to bounce him a little to soothe him. I gasped when his blue eyes opened and flashed to an amber color, then back to blue.
“What's wrong?” Dimitri asked.
He was like me, my eyes did that when I had strong emotions. “His eyes! They flashed colors like mine!”
Broken Alpha Page 25