I will be back

Aleida’s POV

A couple of weeks ago, I created the pack and safely managed to get them to their new territory. The building had burned down, and that last battle that took place here left the land around it was utterly destroyed. It was tough initially, but after I acquired my parents’ legacy, the remodeling only took a few weeks. The company I inherited was no longer significant, and there were no employees; therefore, I did all the work from the packhouse. Piece by piece, I started building up the company again and was hopeful that it would soon be stable enough to hire. My pack has grown considerably, and we’re now over a hundred members. Everyone collected their money and purchased materials to be able to build houses for the increasing pack. It isn’t just the pack that grows, the size of my belly has to, and I’m now only a few weeks away from giving birth. Sam, Thomas, and Luis train the young wolves well. We now have about thirty warriors whom each day guards the border. The rumor that a new pack has come to town spreads like wildfire. It didn’t do us anything; we advertise that the Blood fangs alpha’s name is Ade. So no one suspects it’s me. I still have to say that Michael is a natural wordsmith. He’s the one who came up with it given that my name is Aleida, Ade, yes, you probably understand. It’s necessary because there’s no female alpha for any pack right now; it’s just me. And guess who will come running to pick me up? That’s right. If it isn’t my brothers, it’ll either be my mates or their betas. They all care about me; I know that. But the risk is so far too significant for me to be able to bring them back into my life. My priorities are primarily with my unborn pups, and my pack comes in a close second place. Even though it’s only been a short time, I’ve changed. I’ve accepted my alpha role entirely, and it has changed me; whether it’s for the better or worse, I don’t know; the art of having a poker face, I’ve mastered, and I also have the same cold voice the other alphas usually have. The only time I don’t have it is if children or someone sad talks to me, then my voice is usually. If any of my members need to speak to me, then I’m there to support them. It isn’t prevalent that it happens, however, because the majority of the members are males. About ninety percent, to be exact. It’s just Clare, some kids, and a few omegas that are females, besides me. I don’t know why it is like that; I guess more men reject their mates or lose them in tragedies. To me, it doesn’t matter. I prefer it like this; I don’t like other females and can never have girlfriends. It isn’t my thing; I already have my friends. Among them are, of course, my best friend Michael, Luis, Sam, Tomas and the trio of boys. Clare isn’t a friend; she’s family. After she lost Matt, I didn’t think she’d recover. It took time, but Clare is back on track. She spends all her time watching and caring for the children. It suits her because the wonderful woman never got any kids of her own. If she’s not with the kids, she’s with me and goes into “mother-hen” mode. Let me tell you, Clare barked me out three times yesterday because I sneaked away to eat a chocolate bar instead of taking a fruit. She’s unbelievable! Clare has some real freaky superpowers because she seriously knows what I’m about to eat before I do. My extra mom even forbids me to eat cheese. ME! CHEESE! I love cheese! She insists that I can’t eat it anymore because one of my pups can be lactose intolerant. I love Clare, but she honestly needs to take a fucking breather! I’m sitting in my bright blue office right now with my laptop in front of me; I’ve worked to try finding a sponsor for my expansion, without results. I end up shutting down my computer and look around my office. The large windows let in sunlight that allows the leather armchairs in front of my desk to shine. I have four big bookshelves. I and books have always had a special relationship; I’ve always loved to read, you can clearly understand that if you come in here. I had everything from pack work to literature. The four bookshelves are full of different things. Number one is for everything that touches the pack; two holds everything that belonged to the company; the third is all information about all members, and the fourth is my beloved books. My viewing gets interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Yes, come in?” I say out loud; the door opens, and Michael comes in with Luis tightly behind him.

“Good afternoon, alpha,” they say in unison.

“What can I help you with?”

“I have the report on the boundaries you asked Sam for,” Michael says and puts the papers on my desk; I scan the report, and everything looks good; I slowly nod my head.

“Have any new fragrances been discovered nearby?” I ask without tearing my eyes off the papers.

“I don’t think so, but I’ll call for Sam to get here,” Michael answers.

“Please do. While we wait, how has it gone with the sponsor front, Luis?”

“I took a look at it, and there are several interested sponsors, but sadly, none of them can sponsor with the amount you need,” Luis answers with a sad smile.

That makes me grunt quietly in annoyance. To relax, I put my hands on my swollen stomach and feel my pups moving inside.

“Okay, thank you anyway, Luis. I’m sure something will come up one day,” I say before another knock comes from the door; I already know that it’s Sam. “Come in, Sam.”

“You called for me?” he asks.

“Yeah, that’s right. Have you discovered any new scents near the pack boundaries?”

“No, not directly.”

“Not directly?” I ask with an eyebrow raised.

“Well, one of the younger warriors thought he could smell a faint scent earlier this morning. But he can’t tell where it came from or if it was at all there from the beginning; he said he might as well have imagined it.”

“I want you to keep a check if the scent comes back again. We don’t accept unauthorized on our lands without permission; you know what to do if it happens.”

“Yes, alpha.”

“Good. You’re all dismissed.”

They walk out the door one by one. I get up from my desk chair and look out through my window. The children are playing on the lawn below, and I smile at them. Soon my pups will be playing out there with them.

Alpha, dinner is served.

I’ll be right down.

I close the mindlink from the kitchen omega and begin my walk down. When I step into the dining room, everyone is already there, waiting respectfully for me to sit down.

“Good afternoon,” I say politely to my pack.

“Good afternoon, alpha,” they answer in unison.

“Please, dig in.”

Nobody hesitates. Wolves have a very high metabolism. We eat a lot, and often, we have to if we’re to cope with the heavy workouts. I’ve always been a big fan of food but never managed to eat properly because of my previous living conditions. Now that I’m pregnant, however, I eat as much as two full-grown alphas together, and I love every minute of it. I’m staring at the cheese with longing, but before I can even think about eating some, Clare glares at me.

“Don’t even think about it, Aleida,” she says with a stern voice.

“Well, you’re no fun,” I mumble; the other members snickers at our bickering.

Everyone knows that I only accept when one person tells me what to do, and that person is Clare. They know about our past and respect the boundaries I’ve set regarding myself. Thankfully they also accept that I never talk about my mates or if they know about our pups. The members know that they’re alive but don’t poke around in it and that I’m really grateful for. Michael walks up to me and lowers his head towards my ear.

“I really need to talk to you; it’s urgent.”

“Can I at least eat my food first?” I ask and feel desperate.

“I’m sorry that I have to say that the answer is ‘no.’”

“Okay, if you can sneak away with some cheese for me, I’ll meet you in my office in two minutes.”

He chuckles at me and tries to look unsuspicious when he grabs cheese on a napkin. Clare doesn’t say anything; she just glares at Michael. Once in my office, I wait impatiently for Michael to show up with my cheese. I pace back and forth with one hand on my stomach. My pups have cravings for cheese frequently. Thank moon goddess, he comes into the office with a big pile of cheese on the napkin. I gratefully take it from Michael’s hands and sit down behind the desk. While I’m munching my cheese, he sits down in one of the armchairs opposite me.

“As you know, the alpha gala is soon. You got an invitation to show up. I know you don’t want this, that it’s too early, but you have to show yourself sooner or later. The gala is the perfect opportunity to brag about that you’re alpha over one of the strongest and fastest-growing packs in the whole town,” Michael says with a wide smile.

“And why would I do that?” I ask, not understanding the concept of bragging.

“Because you’ve done something amazing for every wolf downstairs. You’ve given them a purpose in life, a reason to continue fighting every day. There’s something admirable that more people should be aware of.”

“Why do I feel like it’s some sort of catch in that statement?” I ask with a sigh.

“Well...” he scratches the back of his head. “Your mates are going to be there.”

That makes me choke on the cheese. I cough loudly while Michael pats my back in an attempt to help me. He grabs a bottle of water from the minifridge behind the desk and gives it to me. I drink the whole bottle and can finally breathe normally.

“Why the hell do you think this will be a good idea!?” I coax.

“Come on, Aleida. I know you. You may be stiff with the other members, but you and I have a bond with each other. I promised you my life, remember?” he answers with a light smile.

“I can’t show up at the gala pregnant!” I exclaim.

“It’s all right, the gala is two months away, and your pups are probably out until then.”

“And what happens when they see me, huh? It’s going to be one hell of a show for everyone there. It’s going to be hell on earth.”

“This was inevitable, and you know that. Your mates have a right to know that you’re alive at all. You don’t have to answer for your choices in front of them and everyone else if you don’t want to. Besides, you’ve got Luis and me with you all the time. If someone gets too close, we’ll make sure they know they’re too close. No one comes near your personal space if you don’t allow it.”

I pace back and forth quickly. Talking about this stresses me terribly. I haven’t even talked to my mates since that phone call. Somehow I’ve even managed to push away all thoughts about them.

“I can’t do it, Michael!” I exclaim with slight panic.

“You don’t have a choice, okay!? It’s a mandatory meeting for all alphas nearby soon, and they’ll notice if you don’t show up. And honestly, it’s time; you can’t avoid this anymore, Aleida. I know it’s hard, but you really don’t have a choice,” he says with a sad voice that makes my heart hurt by just the thought of my mates’ disappointed glances.

Suddenly I feel something wet on my legs. Oh, shit...

“What is it?” Michael asks with a worried look.

“My water just broke...” I answer him with big eyes and a body full of fear; my pups are coming, and they’re coming now!