Edited 8/2/2022

Chapter Seven, Full Moon and Lunch with the Cullen's

The Full Moon was high in the sky and Valerie had just finished turning when she caught the scent of a new wolf or rather a shifter. Her head snapped up, lips pulling up over her teeth as she growled at the dark-silver wolf standing before her, who growled menacingly back at her. He was much larger than her, like the others but that didn't matter to Val as she was a True Alpha. The other two wolves; one pitch black in colour and the second light brown with a darker brown covering his face, stood out of the way in the tree line watching. They had already had their battles with the Alpha she-wolf and lost, now it was their newest member's turn. The moment the brown coloured wolf shared a look with the black coloured wolf Val and the silver-grey coloured wolf attacked.

'Should we help!' Jared, the brown coloured wolf asked anxiously. He wasn't even sure who he wanted to help. He knew from his own battle with Val that she could hold her own, proving why she was a True Alpha despite her small size.
'No.' Sam argued, not taking his eyes off the battle as Val used her small size to her advantage and was easily disarming and confusing Paul.
'She's going to beat us all, isn't she?' Jared asked, as he watched his two friends fight.
'She wouldn't be a True Alpha otherwise. You think this and yours was bad, you should've seen the battle we had. It's why I have that scar on my back.'

After that, the conversation between the two, cut off as they watched the battle becoming more ferocious as Paul and his hot-headed ways didn't want to give in even when he was beaten. That is, until Val had him pinned to the ground much like with Sam. Her claws were in his back and his scruff was in her mouth pinning his head hard into the soil as she growled until Paul whimpered in defeat. When she had climbed off his back Paul rolled over on to his back exposing his throat and stomach in submission to his Alpha. Val huffed and rubbed her snout against the side of his cheek accepting his submission and allowed him to finally get to his feet. The battle now forgotten as the pack ran through the woods until the sun came up reducing Val to that excruciating agony as she returned back to her normal self.
"Easy. Everything's all right, deep breaths." Emily coaxed, as she draped a blanket over Valerie's bare form.

"Thank you Emily." Valerie said, as she slowly sat up holding the blanket close. "How's-?"
"Jace is fine." Emily soothed, taking some twigs out of her friend's blonde hair. "He slept through the night and he's ..." Emily paused, as they heard a baby crying from inside the house. "Scratch that he's just woke up." She laughed.
"I'm sorry Val." Paul apologised, as he, Jared and Sam came out of the forest fully clothed.
"You have nothing to be sorry for Paulie." Val said, as she climbed to her feet with a groan. "It's in our nature to determine the order of the pack. Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to say hello to my son and have a nice hot shower before I get some sleep." Val argued, smiling softly at her friends.

"Sam and I will look after him while you get some sleep Val but I'll have one of these idiots bring you some breakfast when you're done in the shower." Emily said in a no nonsense tone of voice.
"Thanks Em." Valerie said gratefully, as she climbed the steps entering the house before heading into the guest bedroom that she was sharing with her son.

"Hi baby." Val cooed, as soon as she entered the room. Immediately her five month old son stopped crying and a wide smile spread across his lips as soon as he saw her.
"Mama." Jace babbled, saying his first word.
"Who's a clever boy!" Valerie gasped, leaning over to kiss his forehead before diving for her phone and turning it on to video. "Say it again for Mama. Say 'Mama' again for me baby." Valerie asked, the video filming her son who smiled and gurgled up at her.
"Mama." Jace babbled again, this time on camera.
"Who's a clever boy? You are! Yes you are!" Valerie praised her son, making him laugh causing a wide smile to come to her face. She loved hearing him laugh.

Stopping the camera she quickly sent it to her Dad, her Mum and Phil, Jasper, and Melinda and Jean-Paul. She knew they would all want to see it, throwing her phone back on to the bed she started playing peek-a-boo causing him to laugh, when there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." She called, not looking up as she stroked her son's hair gently smiling down at him. "He just said Mama." She told Paul who stood in the doorway.
"Oh, damn. Now I owe Jared $10. I bet he was gonna say Paul first. Ow!" He exclaimed, rubbing his shoulder where Val had punched him. "I'm sorry." He said, holding his hands up in surrender. "Come on lil' man let's get you some breakfast so Mama can shower and get some sleep." He said, bending down to gently pick up Jace.
"Mama." Jace said again.
"That's right lil' man." Paul praised.
"Thanks Paulie." Val said gratefully, smiling as they left before she gathered her things for a shower.

***

Valerie stretched as she woke up from her nap feeling completely refreshed. Looking over to the travel cot she noticed her baby boy was waking up from his own nap, Emily must've snuck in here while she was asleep. Stretching like a cat she sighed in relief when the stiffness in her muscles vanished and climbed out of the warm bed.
"Hi baby, did you have a nice nap?" Valerie asked, as she peered over the side of the cot.
"Mama." Jace said, smiling up at her with bleary eyes.
"Shall we get ready to go see your aunts and uncles and... your Dada? Yeah. Come on then." Valerie scooped up her son, fed him, changed his nappy and dressed him once again in the outfit Jared and Paul had picked: as it was a treasure island bodysuit, white striped jumper, black trousers and white socks.

Once he was dressed she put his coat on, clipping his dummy to it before handing him his wolf comfort blanket, and put him back in the cot so she could get ready. Heading to the bathroom she brushed her teeth, and used her mouthwash before brushing her hair and putting it in a half-up, half-down style with the top in a braided bun. Heading back to the room she quickly used her deodorant and put on her white underwear, light grey socks, light blue distressed jeans, a grey cami top and white converse.
"Come in." She said, hearing someone outside the door as she finished tying her laces.
"We've put the play-mat in the car. Do you need any help?" Jared asked.
"That would be great thanks, Jare." Valerie smiled at him, as she slipped on her leather jacket and packed up her bag.

"Paul! Get your butt up here and take Val's bag while I collapse the cot!" Jared shouted, as he stuck his head out the door. "Right, you get my handsome little nephew in the car and we'll handle the rest."
"Thanks Jare." Valerie said gratefully. "I know. I know." She soothed as Jace whined when she picked him up as he had been drifting back off to sleep.
Twenty minutes later the impala had been packed up, Jace had been safely strapped in, and Val had said her goodbyes thanking Emily and Sam for allowing her to stay; and was on her way to the Cullen's for lunch. It didn't take too long to get from the Rez to the Cullen's; as she was pulling into the driveway she saw that Bella's truck was parked in the driveway and Jasper was waiting on the doorstep with a wide grin on his face but his shoulders were tense.

"Hello darlin'." Jasper greeted, as he opened her door. "Are you alright?"
"Hi Jasper." Valerie said, an equal happy grin on her face. "I'm fine Jazz, just the usual stiffness but it's easing off. A little man has missed his Daddy." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck as he wrapped his own around her waist, a shocked look on his face.
"Daddy?" He asked, a hopeful tone to his voice.
"Mmm hmm." Valerie hummed in agreement, as she leaned up and pressed a soft but loving kiss to his lips. "If you want to, that is? But I want him to know about Jason as he gets older."
"I'd love that darlin' and I'd be honoured to share the title of his Daddy with Jason." Jasper said with a happy smile on his face, his eyes shining and the tension bleeding out of his shoulders.
"Good. Now what's wrong? And he said 'Mama'." Valerie cried happily.

"It's nothing. Just had to put Edward in his place, again, when he arrived with your sister. If he carries on I won't be able to control myself let alone the Major. He's walking a very thin line. I was so happy and proud when I saw your video, as was everyone else. He's such a clever boy." Jasper praised, looking at Jace who was just starting to wake up, when there was a loud knock on the widow above them. Looking up they saw Emmett standing there banging on the window before he opened it.
"Oi!!! Hurry up and stop hogging my nephew and munchkin, Jazz!" Emmett hollowed through the open window.
"I guess we better get inside then." Valerie laughed, she pecked Jasper on the lips before getting Jace out of his car seat while Jasper got the changing bag.

"I suppose we must," Jasper sighed as if put upon making Valerie laugh, as he held open the front door allowing his family to go before him. "Before Alice and Emmett come searching. Esme has also made you some lunch, darlin'." He continued, ignoring the complaints shouted at him by Alice and Emmett.
"Val!" Alice cried ecstatic, about to bound towards her only to be held back by Iris.
"Let her walk through the door, Alley." Iris said sternly, although she had a loving smile on her face. "Hi Val."
"Hi guys." Valerie greeted, accepting careful hugs from everyone as she was still holding Jace.
"Do you want me to hold the clever boy while you eat?" Rosalie asked, as Esme finished plating up Italiano for her.

"That would be great, thanks Rosie. Do you want to go to Auntie Rosie, baby?" Valerie asked, but as she was passing Jace to Rosalie, Bella came charging down the stairs and barged into Valerie, and almost knocked Jace out of her arms if it hadn't of been for Rosie and Jasper who caught them both. But it obviously startled Jace quite badly who started screaming despite not being hurt but it was quite the shock for the five month old that not even his Auntie Rosie could calm him down. Valerie took her crying son back into her arms, rubbing his back and humming soothingly to him as he held tightly to her sobbing his little heart out. That was enough for Valerie no one endangers her son and gets away with it. She locked her now golden eyes on her sister who was being shouted at by everyone except Edward who was defending her horrible sister, when Valerie let out a ferocious growl stopping everyone in their tracks.

"Get out of this house!" Edward ordered, pushing Bella behind him.
"You do not get to tell my Mate what to do, boy!" Jasper or rather Major growled threateningly.
"How could you Bella! You could've seriously hurt him! Do you really hate us so much that you would hurt my son! Well that is it! I will take what you throw at me but no one and I mean no one endangers my son!" Valerie growled, "I suggest you get out of my sight. Now! And don't be home when I get there! It's taking everything in me not to kill you and if my crying son wasn't in my arms both you and Edward would be dead, and don't even think of spewing some lie to Dad as I'll be telling him the truth!"
When neither Bella or Edward left Carlisle stepped in before a fight broke out.
"I suggest you both leave my house, now. Edward, we will be talking about your appalling behaviour later." Carlisle ordered, anger and disappointment clear in his voice.

Once they had left Valerie slowly calmed down as she was finally able to calm Jace down.
"Why don't you eat your lunch and then we can have that battle on Mario Kart." Emmett suggested.
"Oh you're going down big brother." Iris teased.
"No! No! No! I'm not this time!" Emmett argued, smiling as Valerie laughed as she watched the banter between the two siblings as she ate her lunch and her son was finally safe and having cuddles with Rosie. She couldn't help but be on edge however, whether from what just happened or because her wolf sensed something. Whatever it was she would make sure her son was safe. He was her top priority.