Chapter 15: Chapter 14

“Mom! Mom! My bike is missing!” The future Alpha came rushing into the kitchen and exclaimed, pushing her light brown hair out of her face with both hands.

Chesca looked over the bowl of chopped fruit at her expressive daughter, and frowned. “Did you remember to bring it in last night? You were out playing till late.”

“I know, I know. I put it behind the garage like you told me to, but it’s not there! And I think Justin stole it!” Savannah walked in circles around the kitchen, too distressed to sit down.

“And what makes you think he did that? It’s not good to accuse someone without any proof,” Chesca scolded gently, hoisting Isaiah to her other hip before putting the kettle on to boil. Her other daughter Emerald pulled out a few plates from the cupboard and placed them on the table, before getting sliced cheese from the fridge. Lunch in the Alphas’ household was always a noisy affair, and Chesca didn’t need Savannah’s dramatics this early in the day. Already yesterday there had been some consoling to do when the little Alpha felt excluded from some boys club Justin had invented. It ended up being a group of boys whispering and conspiring together to play a prank on Savannah, which was thankfully put a stop to by Beta Benjamin before anyone could get hurt. Apparently they had been planning to tie her up to a log and set her adrift in the lake, but after an hour lecture by the stern Beta, the boys promised to never play a joke that could harm anyone.

“I just know it was him! I saw him sneaking off with my bike this morning from my bedroom window. He thought I wouldn’t notice but I’m always watching him. Always watching,” Savannah held a glass of juice tightly between her hands while she stared through the living room window to outside. Her eyebrows were twitching in a show of concentration, as if this very moment she was observing the boy through the mindlink and keeping tabs on him.

“Then why don’t you ask him where it is?” Chesca asked while shaking her head at Isaiah who was reaching for a cup off the shelf. It was hard work looking after the little boy, and keeping her daughters out of mischief, while preparing meals and doing other housework, but Chesca liked the challenge. When the previous cook Destine found her mate, she resigned from working for the Alpha to raise and look after her own family. Chesca then had to do most of the regular home duties, but since Kaiden took on the Alpha responsibilities of their combined pack, she was happy with the arrangement they’d come to. Being an Alpha had been rewarding, but being a Mother felt like she had finally found her true calling. Chesca loved spending as much time as possible with her little pups, teaching them about the world and helping them become strong and wise.

“That would just be dumb. He’d laugh and say I was stupid and to go find it myself. But I’m pretty sure I know where it is!” Savannah exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. “You know that big tree in the backyard near the stream? I think he put it up there!”

“Up a tree? How would Justin get your bike up into a tree?” While strapping Isaiah into his highchair, Chesca continued solving her eldest daughter’s problem, by trying to untangle her fantastic theories of what might have happened to her bike. The Alpha female should’ve known from the outset that the Beta’s eldest boy would be the culprit.

“He just can, I’m telling you! You don’t know Justin. He’s mean. If he wants to do something to annoy me, he will, no matter how hard it is. But I’m going to get it down. Once I get my bike back, I’m going to plan something just as awful for him. I’m going to—”

“Okay, Vannah, that’s enough,” Chesca stopped her mid-sentence when she was getting too worked up. “You should be helping your sister get lunch on the table, not planning revenge on Justin. Now get ready, because Dad should be here soon.”

Just as she said those words, the back door opened and her mate stepped into the kitchen. Kaiden smiled at her warmly, and her stomach did a flip. Even after all these years together, he still affected her so.

“How was the rotation? Do you think the new guards are up to the task?” Chesca walked over and stepped into his outstretched arms, tilting her head to receive a kiss on the cheek.

“They should be fine. They’re a good bunch, those kids. Charles has done an excellent job preparing them for the new rotation on the eastern border. He made it pretty clear to keep an eye on any suspicious activity on DoubleEdge territory. If anything should happen, we’ll be the first to know and we can stop any trouble entering our lands.” Kaiden spoke easily while tickling Emerald in the ribs, causing her tinkling laugh to fill the living room. Chesca handed him his usual cup of coffee before they sat down together. Talking of pack matters in front of the children was their way of preparing them for the future, getting them ready to understand all the ways of how to run a pack. Savannah especially was listening carefully, eager to learn as much as possible from her father whom she adored and looked up to dearly. Chesca watched her bouncing in her seat, and knew she was itching to speak when there was a gap in the conversation.

“So how was your morning?” Kaiden asked around a mouthful of sandwich, and instantly Savannah dropped her fork with a clatter.

“Daddy, Justin put my bike up really high in a tree! As soon as lunch is over I’m going to climb it and get it down and think of a really good prank for him!”

“You will do no such thing,” Chesca shook her head. “If it is up a tree, it will be too dangerous for you to get by yourself—”

“But Mom!”

“Is this even after the big talk Benny gave those boys last night? Are they still doing mean things to Savannah?” Kaiden asked his mate seriously, a frown creasing his handsome face and Chesca wished she could say no.

“I wouldn’t call it mean, Kaiden,” she laid a hand on his thigh to calm him down when she heard his breathing pick up. “Honestly, it’s nothing as bad as what we did as kids, or like some of the stories you have of your childhood with Benny and the others. I’m not surprised his son Justin has the same playful streak. Nor our daughter,” she winked at Savannah who pouted and clenched her little fists angrily. She was adorable when she was so riled up, and Chesca had to smother the laugh that threatened to tumble from her lips. Is this what she herself looked like when Kaiden made her angry before declaring how cute she was in that sort of mood? Feeding Isaiah another spoon of grated carrot, she smiled at her mate and felt her heart swell with pure and unfettered love for him and their growing family. Each member was so precious and perfect in their own way, she wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.

“True. Okay, I’ll come with you Savannah, and see what we find, alright?”

“Okay, but I’m getting it down by myself. Justin would say I’m such a sissy for not—”

“Well, then, you’ll need to care less what Justin says. I don’t want you climbing that tree by yourself and retrieving a bike, of all things!” Chesca said with finality, laying a hand on her mate’s shoulder in order to express her decision better. He nodded, assuring her he’d sort it out.

Later that day, as the sun swung lower towards the western sky, Chesca walked through the long grass under the trees and chatted to Lexi. Her best friend held Isaiah on her back for a few moments before he successfully wriggled free, getting down and toddling off to play with his sisters under the big tree in their backyard. The western side of the pack residence glowed with the afternoon sunlight, the shade dappled under the spreading trees that bled into the forest a few hundred paces away. It was a favourite play area for the children, and Chesca loved relaxing here too whenever she got the chance.

“He’s growing so fast! It seems like just yesterday he was born,” Lexi remarked with a wistful look in her eyes.

“I know, time flies like that when they’re babies. One minute you’re bringing them home from the hospital and the next they’re running around outside getting into all sorts of scrapes. I suppose you heard about the bike up the tree?”

Lexi laughed. “Yes, Savannah only told me ten times. That boy Justin sure is a handful, isn’t he? I’m afraid Kira will have a nervous breakdown before he’s a teenager.”

“No, she’s strong,” Chesca thought of the Beta’s mate who was also a well-trained warrior. “Kira was sharing with me the other day about how she disciplines her boys. I’m sure Justin will grow up to be a very loyal and caring wolf.”

“That is, if Savannah doesn’t kill him first.”

The Alpha Female snorted and laughed out loud, enjoying the freedom to express whatever was on her heart. “I wonder if they are mates, you know.”

“Savannah and Justin?” Lexi raised an eyebrow before nodding her head in agreement. “Now wouldn’t that be so cute!”

“Sooo adorable.”

The sullen voice from behind them caused Chesca to turn around and remember Ariella who was following them. The usually vibrant young woman had an air of sorrow around her, and Chesca couldn’t help thinking it had something to do with the mark on her neck and everything to do with the Alpha of DoubleEdge. She had heard first-hand from Lexi of the impulsive marking that had taken place before the parent wolves had fully comprehended their daughter was the mate of a powerful Alpha, who had known this for weeks.

“Ariella, how are you doing?” she reached out her arm and placed it around the girl’s shoulders.

“I’m okay, Alpha,” Ariella offered a thin-lipped smile, sighing and sounding anything but okay.

When Lexi smiled at them both and moved off to chase after Isaiah, Chesca took a deep breath and prayed for wisdom. “Do you want to tell me about him?”

Ariella’s eyes snapped to hers in surprise, before softening and dropping back down in a frown. “So you’ve heard.”

“Alphas know everything, especially when it concerns one of their pack members and close friends. You know I care about you, right Ariella?”

The young shewolf smiled genuinely and wrapped her arm around her waist. “Thank you, Alpha. I know you’re trying to be kind, but I really don’t think there’s much you can help with.”

“Now, I wouldn’t say that. Once upon a time I had my own mate troubles, as hard as it may be to believe now,” she looked off in the distance to where her Alpha Kaiden was training some young warriors on the fields near the lake. Even from this distance she could feel their connection, their oneness that encompassed her and him as mates.

“Well, at least your mate wanted you. At least you marked each other properly in a ceremony and saw each other to get to know one another. My Mal—” Ariella caught herself, pursing her lips before continuing. “It is foolish of me to think of him as mine. I haven’t even seen Alpha Malachi since he did this to me,” she pointed to the mark on her neck as if it was a hideous and infectious welt. “And that was over two weeks ago! He hasn’t come by, hasn’t talked to my dad, hasn’t even contacted you as Alpha to request my transferral to his pack!”

“You can’t know for sure that he doesn’t want you, Ariella,” Chesca said cautiously. Why did young girls just assume the worst of boys before giving them a chance to explain themselves? Catching herself mid-thought, Chesca realised she too had been guilty of that plenty of times in her younger days, assuming so many hurtful things about her precious Kaiden without really knowing him. “He might have many difficult things going on in his pack, and perhaps he wants to handle them before bringing you over to his pack.”

Ariella grunted. “He could have at least dropped by to let me know what’s going on. We used to see each other across the boundary lines. He even came to my home a couple times. But nothing since that night. Nothing since that dreadful dinner that I so wish I never went to,” Ariella wrapped her arms around herself and managed to choke back a sob.

But Chesca could see she was struggling, and her heart reached out to her. “Oh, Ariella. I know it can be painful, not knowing what he is thinking, or what he is planning. But you can be sure, he wouldn’t have marked you if he hadn’t wanted to. The bond he forged will only make his feelings for you grow stronger. Just give it time, and it will sort itself out. Don’t try and worry yourself when you don’t know what is going on. Just be patient, and give him a chance.”

“That’s what my dad said. And I was willing to give Malachi a chance to apologise, which I did. But now I’m just so… I just don’t know. Maybe it is better this way. Maybe I don’t want someone like him after all—”

“Someone like what?” Chesca probed deeper. Just what exactly was troubling the young woman? Surely the fact he was an Alpha wasn’t the only thing making Ariella nervous. She had grown up with wolves of high rank and fit into that life perfectly. She was stronger than she thought she was, and Chesca determined to help her see it.

“He’s...he’s so dark, and mysterious. I’m not sure I’m brave enough to learn everything about him. I’ve had dreams….” her voice grew soft as she stared out at the setting sun, her fingers twirling stalks of grass between them.

“You dream about him, but they’re not all good dreams, are they?”

Ariella turned to her with glassy eyes, as if she was trying to keep back tears. “I’m afraid, Alpha Chesca. I care for him, but it keeps hurting all the more. If only I could forget about him for now, but I can’t. I can’t just wait around for him,” her breaths grew insistent, and she clutched her chest. “It’s like he needs me, but he doesn’t come for me. Is that strange? Just tell me I’m going crazy and then I’ll be able to understand a small part of what I’m feeling, at least.”

Chesca took Ariella’s hands between her own and held them tightly. “The mate bond is always strange and unexplainable. But at the same time, it’s not strange but completely natural. Ariella, the connection between mates is there for a reason. I know it’s not a full connection since you haven’t marked him yet, but what you’re feeling must be important. It will help you decide what to do. Focus on what’s in your heart, then use your head to make the best decisions.”

Ariella nodded, now taking slow deep breaths to calm herself down. “You’re right. Thank you, Alpha. I needed to hear that. I don’t think my mom understands the emotional side of things as much as you do. I’m sure she thinks my dreams and...and pictures are silly. She and Dad don’t say it in so many words, but I get that impression...”

“They understand more than you know, Ari. Your parents are wise and know much about the mate bond. They helped me many times in figuring out what to do with Kaiden when we had just met, back when I wanted to strangle him every day.” They both chuckled, then Chesca grew serious again, “They will be your biggest help in the days to come.”

“Alright, I suppose,” Ariella smiled and rose from the grass when Lexi came running up the hill with six children in tow. The Alpha, Beta, and Gamma children were all trying to tackle her to the ground but the athletic shewolf managed to evade them all, ducking around them and hiding between tree trunks, pretending she was a deadly rogue in need of capture.

“We should probably head home,” Ariella remarked with a gravity in her voice as she watched the sinking sun. When finally Lexi allowed herself to be captured, rolling to the grass with the pups jumping on top of her, she tickled them all before heading over to Chesca and Ariella.

“So I’ll see you next week? I think your bub is not going to wait much longer before he wants to join all the fun,” Lexi patted Chesca’s stomach and placed one last kiss on Isaiah’s cheek before heading off down the road with her daughter.

Chesca waved and gathered her own pups, content with how the afternoon went. The checkup with Lexi was good, her baby was developing with no problems, and she felt she had eased some of Ariella’s stress over her mate.

When the darkness fell over the land and Chesca was making dinner, laughing lightly at something Kaiden whispered in her ear while wrapping his strong arms around her, she happened to glance out the window.

At the sight of a rising full moon, a feeling of dread washed over her and settled in the pit of her stomach.

Poor Ariella was going to go into heat tonight.