Akela looked around the deserted house. In her hand was a cup of dark brown liquid. Since recovering from her journey, the coffee machine in the kitchen was the one piece of machinery in the house she had learned to operate. After a week in an actual pack and living in the Alpha house, she was getting used to the noises of everyday life going on around her.
Each family member was out doing their own thing.

Diana could be heard through the open window as she ran the Deltas through a training round on a run through the territory. 

From the back of the house, the sound of building work told her Abel and his team of builders were busy working on the Alpha's new house. With River and Gervais being parents, the large house with the assembly rooms was more of a traditional Alpha home and office. River wanted a more modern house, just for them. Abel had worked hard, designing the modern and comfortable dwelling that was taking shape on the opposite side of the Alpha's garden.

The old Alpha home doubled as a community hall. Akela had been in what Diana had jokingly called the throne room. The indoors assembly hall with its own large, industrial kitchen area and enough seating for twice the pack had a raised seating area at one end for the Alpha and Luna for when they would receive official visits from other leaders. But it was rarely used for that.  Sometimes assemblies were held there or pack meetings, but Gervais had inherited a fairly informal leader style from his father and most pack members knew they could talk to their Alpha directly and be heard.

The private quarters were at the back, with the gardens to the side of the house joining up with what the pack called "the park", a large green area planted with fruit trees and with enough space for the pack to have parties and meetings. Beyond the park was the main village square, with the firepit and the circle of white moonstones that glowed in the light of the full moon on ceremonial nights. Akela hadn't seen it yet, but Diana had told her it was worth the sight. One of the benches in the park had a fairly fresh carving of an entwined R and G, carved there the day after River had accepted Gervais's claim and become his Luna. 

Akela looked out the kitchen window to see Gervais on his way to help one of the poorer families. On his way, he stopped by the new house with a wide smile as River came running down the brand new stairs. 

"We have a house," River laughed as she threw herself into his arms.

"Anything for you!" He grinned back.

"It's perfect, Gerry!" River smiled, her legs were wound around his waist as she clung to him. Her face beaming with happiness at being his.

Akela sighed and turned from the window to let them share their kiss in peace. Among other people, the two of them were so controlled and responsible. There was no doubt that Alpha Gervais loved his Luna, but it wasn't expressed in public. Seeing them so affectionate, awakened Akela's old dream of her own loving mate.

Her own bond with both the two brothers was growing stronger each day. Somehow she knew both of them would be good and caring mates, but the guilt of leaving Kira claimed by Alpha Preston made Akela hesitant to give in to the bond she could feel tugging on her soul. There was a big chance that one of them was made for Kira, but Akela had no idea which one. She felt drawn to both Connor Betas with no idea of who her soul was tied to.

It could be gentle, caring Zion, with the tall, strong body and adorably cute wolf face, who with every shy glance at Akela gave her a hopeful, emotional nudge. And that playful, fluffy tail that never failed to reveal his thoughts with its movements. 

Or sexy as sin, charming and protective Abel, who wasted no opportunity to touch her, hug her and generally make sure she knew he was there. He made her feel happy and carefree. And she couldn't deny the way her stomach fizzed with excitement whenever he gave her that look.

Fed up with her own thoughts and doubt Akela considered turning the TV on but spotted the bookshelf in the living room and the book she had started reading the night before.

She walked in to hear a faint laughter and chatting from the floor.
Her face melted into a soft smile at the sight of Zion sitting on the floor with little Felan, who was trying to crawl away.

"Oh no, you don't.... Your Mama is checking out the house and we promised to be good boys!" Zion chuckled and grabbed the little baby, forcing him into his lap before tickling him.

The sound of enthusiastic baby-laughter filled the room mixed with an odd breathy laugh from Zion. He was surrounded by chewed up toys and soft teddy bears, oddly suited to his own fluffy look but at the same time a startling contrast to his masculine body. The former Delta prime was still strong and muscular, making Felan look even smaller than his usual baby self on his lap.

Akela quietly grabbed the book she had started the day before and sat down in an armchair by the window, careful not to disrupt the playfulness going on.

"Hey!" Zion smiled, noticing her.

"Did you want one?" Akela asked gesturing to her coffee.

"Nope. Warm drinks and little Felan-monsters don't mix..." Zion grinned and tossed the little boy up above his head, catching him again with no effort before he fell face down into the floor.

Akela nodded in understanding before studying the small, giggling child. Her mind was drawn to another baby, younger and probably smaller than this one.

"How old is he?" she asked.

Zion smiled and cuddled the little boy into his chest. The little child snuggled up in complete safety.

"Little Alpha heir Felan Connor is eight months old," he said in a sing-song voice and lifted Felan's hand in a waving motion towards Akela.

"Say hello to your auntie Akela..." he continued and an unexpected jolt ran through her.

Both that she would at some point be this baby's aunt and that there was another baby she couldn't be an aunt for made her bottom lip quiver unexpectedly. She was and aunt! She had thought about Kira's child a million times but never before had she allowed herself to identify as his aunt.

"Hey! Akela! No! I didn't mean... shit... Akela... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say you'll be his auntie... It's just... You're here in this house and... You don't have to be auntie... not if you don't want to..." Zion panicked and placed the baby on the rug before crawling on all fours over to Akela.

He looked kind of ridiculous, with his crawling human body, his wolf tail hanging limply in apology and his wolf face all worried. Akela felt a smile creep up her lips at the silly look of him.

"You okay?" he asked lifting up on his knees, his hands hovering, not sure if he was allowed to touch her or if his hands on the armrest of the chair would make her feel caged in.

"Yeah. It's silly.... I'm being stupid," She shook her head.

Zion shook his back at her.

"If you're going to heal, you have, to be honest..." he said.

"It's just... Auntie... I'm an auntie to Kira's son and I've never seen him..." she said, her eyes burning with the effort of not shedding tears.

Zion studied her for a moment.

"Don't say it, Zion... I know you want to say that I'll be Felan's auntie... Just don't say it..." Akela nearly whispered.

Zion nodded in understanding, Akela could almost feel his emotions. She sensed how his attention on her was caring, considered and full of both hope and promise. And she couldn't deny that her own soul felt complete in his presence. The trouble was how she felt her soul reach to Abel as well.

Zion gave her a small smile. On his dog face, it gave Akela the impression of a puppy who had just spotted a ball under a tree. In their bond, she sensed the way he craved to touch her.

She could only resist for so long. Abel was always hugging her, but Zion never touched her. She wanted to know if she could feel a difference. 

Carefully she reached out a hand and touched his. His face widened into a very human smile. His fingers grasped hers and his thumb gently caressed her knuckles before he brought her hand up and carefully licked the back of her hand. It was old-fashioned, modest and gallant, but still, the simple touch had Akela's heart skipping several beats before it settled in an unexpected speedy rhythm.

Zion's eyes lit in a childish happiness.

"I won't say it. But I know you feel it," he grinned cheekily before whipping his head around, just catching sight of a small body crawling towards the hallway.

"Felan!" he called softly. 

The baby stopped and turned with a toothless grin, full of mischief.

"How about a biscuit, some gooey apple-mush and some milk?" Zion chuckled and walked over to pick the baby up.

Felan objected with a wail.

"Food!" Zion said on a rumbly deep voice that for some reason had Felan smiling again.

"Was it the mention of food or my deep monster voice that changed your mind?" Zion asked, continuing the deep voice.

Felan laughed.

"Right... My scary voice makes you laugh. Chasing you makes you laugh. Abel makes you cry...." Zion chatted on their way into the kitchen.

"Oy... Abel does not make you cry!" Abel protested somewhere in the other room.

A wail from Felan was proof enough.

"I swear that kid hates me," Abel grumbled.

Zion chuckled and Akela heard the high chair being pulled out from under the table.

"That's right, Felan... Be that one pack member your uncle Abel can't charm!" Zion laughed.

"Oh shut it!" Abel grumbled.

Zion set something on the table and pulled out a chair to sit on.

"Yup... Him and the gorgeous, unobtainable lycan girl currently reading a book in the living room," Zion teased.

Akela had just time to pick the book up from her lap before Abel's face became visible around the doorframe.

"Hey. How's the building going?" she asked, trying to be polite.

"Almost done. My guys are just putting the front door in and we'll be ready to paint," he smiled and took a few steps in.

"And then there is moving in and decorating and three weeks of furniture shopping that guess who will have to carry in," Zion added in a loud voice from the kitchen.

Abel rolled his eyes.

"And then you'll be sat in the big kitchen in the other house with your mama and your papa and none of the rest of us weirdoes..." Zion baby-chatted to Felan and was rewarded with a loud baby laughter.

Abel wandered over and crouched before lifting Akela's book to see the cover.

"Some cute romance, huh?" he asked with a devious little smirk, his fingers brushing hers.

Akela shrugged.

"I'd better get back to work. The staircase doesn't build itself," he smiled and leant over to kiss her cheek before standing.

"You should come over and see it... Tell me what you'd like for your ... I mean our...home," he winked.

"A roof? Some walls? A door would be great..." Akela shrugged.

Abel laughed.

"Okay? Anything else?" he asked.

Akela sighed.

"I'd like to share it with my sister," She said quietly.

Abel nodded, unusually serious before his flirty grin emerged again.

"Not happy with just me, huh?" he smirked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Nope. I'll keep you in a shed in the garden," Akela shot back, trying to avoid the insinuation and ignore the crazy butterflies in her gut. His simple smile was enough to make her feel that the world had bottomed out.

Abel's eyebrows shot up in surprise before he gave a loud laugh.

"You're just perfect!" he chuckled on his way back out.