*****Edited by krisgee*****

 2011 © All Rights Reserved

Chapter 32 (Steven)


Standing there listening to Alpha Martin I was a little befuddled by everything that he was saying.  The man was smart and I had no doubt that he knew what he was doing when it came to being an Alpha.  

            He had explained that there were so many political dynamics that I hadn’t even considered when one took over a pack.  Not actually growing up in a pack, I was at a big disadvantage, but what Alpha Martin was offering sounded like a damn good idea to me.

            “Stevie,” a small familiar feminine voice came from the door way.

            Turning around I smiled.  “Mom.”

            She walked towards me with her arms held open.  When she reached me I embraced her in a fierce hug and lifted her off her toes.  We stood there for several long minutes just holding on to each other before she finally spoke.

            “Is it over, is it truly over Stevie?”  She looked at me with an expression of hope.

            Pushing her just far enough away from me so that I could look into her eyes, I nodded.

            “It’s over mom.  Raymond is gone and we don’t have to run anymore.”

            After that news sunk in she beamed up at me.  Shaking her head she said, “I just can’t believe after so many years of running that it’s officially over.”

            “Believe it Mama.  It’s finally over and done with.”

            Mama stood still for just a moment and looked like she was seriously contemplating something.  Then it was like a bell just dinged and her eyes widened with knowing.  She suddenly snapped her head up at me with purpose

            “Did you…was it you….are you the new Alpha?” she stammered out all at once.

            Again when our eyes met, I nodded my head.  There was no way to deny it; I was in fact the new alpha of the Lunar Westian Pack.

            Her smile brightened and even grew bigger on that tiny face of hers.

            “Finally,” she said.  “Leadership is back in its rightful place.”

            Mama was still beaming up at me as I tried to comprehend her last statement.

            Tentatively I asked her, “Mama, exactly what do you mean when you say that the leadership is finally back in its rightful place?”

Mama looked up at me sheepishly.  She was hiding something from me.  After several long moments and she still hadn’t said anything I struggled to hold on to my patience.  Taking a step closer to her I asked her once again, enunciating my words slower this time.

            “Mama, what exactly did you mean?”

            I heard her loud sigh and watched her warily.

            “Stevie,” she said and then looked around at the room full of people all talking amongst themselves, “Maybe we should go and find somewhere else that we can sit down and talk.”

            I looked up and spotted my mate talking with Tabby and Liza.  It never failed to get that rush of male pride when I saw my blue eyed beauty, knowing that she was mine, that she belonged to me.  We had been through so much in the last week and I thanked the Moon Goddess every chance I had that she was still standing strong by my side.  I wasn’t about to let her get out of my sights anytime soon.  

            I shook my head at my mother.  “No, we can do this here and we need to do it now,” I told her.  I had a feeling whatever she was withholding was of relevance to my situation as the new Alpha.

            “Fine,” she said as she glanced in the direction of my mate.  “She’s going to make a wonderful Alpha female you know.”

            “Yes,” I agreed with mom.  “She is stronger than you could ever imagine.  I look forward to spending all my years with her by my side.”

            Mama tried to smile at me again but this time it didn’t quite reach her lips.  “That’s good to hear,” she said solemnly and looked off into the distance as if she was remembering something.

            “Mom?” I called her name and placed my hand on her shoulder encouraging her to open up and talk to me.

            She patted my hand.  “You’re always such a good boy Stevie.  See, years ago your father did love me.  He loved both you and your brother too.  Stevie, your father and his father and every father before them had retained the Alpha position in our pack for centuries.  Raymond…”  Mama had to stop to choke back a sob.

            Raymond was the mutt that I killed to save my mate’s life and by that action, I now have the title of Alpha in my family’s old pack.  Gently pulling my mother to me I awkwardly patted her back, trying to soothe her and waiting for her to tell me the rest.  

            She pushed back away from me.  She used the back of her hand to wipe at the tears on her cheek then she straightened and started again.

            “Raymond-  He came in and beat your father for the Alpha position.  Your father almost died that day.  Truthfully, he did die to us.  He couldn’t handle the fact that after centuries of our family retaining the Alpha title that he was the one that lost it to a mere rogue wolf.  That was when he turned his back on us and did those awful things that he did.  That was when he cheated on me wanting to strike out at Raymond’s pride and it worked.  Afterwards he was to far gone that he didn’t care about the ramifications on us, which is why I took my two babies and left.”

            All of that information slowly sunk in and incredibly it all now so much made sense.  That was the reason I had such a hard time submitting to Alpha Martin, the reason that my wolf was so much bigger than Raymond’s wolf.

            “Wow,” was all I could say.  That was quite a bit to take in.  

            “So you see baby,” Mama said as she lifted her slender hand to palm my cheek.  “You were born to be an Alpha, and now you are.  Fate has once again managed to put everything back in its rightful place.”

            “Yeah” I said softly.  “I suppose.”

            Mom furrowed her brows at me and asked, “What’s wrong baby?”

            Now that she unloaded her story I guessed it was my turn.  I had talked it through many ideas with Alpha Martin and his plan sounded good with the exception of one minor detail.  Maybe Mama could be the one to help me with that.

            “Alpha Martin had suggested that I apprentice under him for the rest of the year while I finish school with my mate.  I mean, this is the first time that I’ve been a functioning member of a pack and I am certain that I don’t know jack about all of the things that I should know in order to run a large pack like Lunar Westian.  I really think that I could benefit from the experience, and he also suggested that I appoint an older Beta that is knowledgeable about the inner workings of the pack to run things in my place while I’m gone.  Alpha Martin also said the he would make himself available to our pack until complete order was restored.  He mentioned that I could go up on the weekends and holidays to get to know the different families of the pack so after graduation I would be ready to assume full Alpha responsibility and I could have my mate by my side as the Alpha female.”

            At the mention of my mate I couldn’t help but smile.  She just has this amazing effect on me every single time I think about her.

            “Well, that all sounds great….” Mama started to say.  

            That was when I held my hand up to her stopping her mid sentence.

            “I still have one small problem, Mama.  I don’t know anyone in that pack.  How am I supposed to choose a good Beta?” I asked her.

            Mom gave me that motherly smile, the one that always told you that mom knew best and that she had all the answers.

            “That’s easy baby.  Your Uncle Charlie would make the perfect Beta.  He tried to help your father when times got bad and when we realized that he was too far gone, he was the one that helped us escape.  Through the years we have passed letters back and forth to keep in touch.  The members of the pack respect him and I think that he would be the perfect choice,” Mama stated.

            Leaning down, I pressed a kiss against Mama’s cheek.  “Thank you Mama,” I told her sincerely.  “That was exactly the information that I needed to know.”

            “Glad I could help,” she said and gave me a reassuring hug.  

            Mama looked over in my mate’s direction and I followed her gaze.  Amy was standing alone and had a frown on her face.  She looked upset about something.

            “Go on over there to her son.  She’s been through a lot and now is when she needs you the most.”

            Thankful for Mama's understanding I simply nodded my head and headed for my mate.

            “Princess?” I said when I reached her side and placed my hand on her shoulder.  “Is there something wrong?”

            She looked up at me with those big blue eyes of hers and I was instantly lost.  Lost to those deep sea blues that managed to capture my heart and hold it captive.  When she sniffed I knew then that she was on the verge of tears.  What on earth had happened in the last hour to cause this I wondered?

            Straightening her spine she asked straight out, “What’s going to happen to us?”

            I looked at her cautiously.  “Baby, what do you mean what is going to happen to us?  We’re mates; I plan on spending the rest of my life by your side.”

            “But I thought- I thought that since you were Alpha then you would- I mean I thought you might have to leave me,” she said sadly.

            Lifting my hands I framed her face so that she was looking directly at me.  I needed her to see the truth of my words.  “Oh God no baby, I would never leave you.  I could never live without you now.  You’re mine, and I’m yours for always.”  

            Searching her face I looked for any signs that she doubted me and a loose tear slipped from her right eye.  That did it; my restraint broke and I pulled her into my chest resting her head against my heart.  I held here there, soaking up the feel of her body.

            Smoothing her honey blonde hair down her back I replied, “Baby, I would happily say to hell with being Alpha if it meant that I had to be separated from you for even twenty four hours.”

            That earned me a chuckle and the sound warmed my heart.

            “So, what are we really going to do?” she asked with her voice hoarse from strain.

            “We’re going to keep doing what we have been doing all along.  We’re going to finish school, your dad is going to let me apprentice under him and after graduation we will return to my pack and assume our rightful Alpha positions.  In the meantime, I’m going to ask my Uncle Charlie to be my Beta and help run the pack.”

            “You make it all sound so simple,” she said with her little mouth pressed against my chest.  I could feel her warm breath searing me even through my shirt.

            “Well, there is more, I just gave you the short version of it all,” I told her, still subconsciously petting her.

            Moving my hand from her hair to trace the side of her face I said, “One thing that I promise you Princess is that I will always be by your side.  You’re my heart and if you happen to be carrying my pup then that makes it all the better.  I love you.”

            “I love you, too,” she said and wrapped her delicate arms around my waist.  With the familiar feel of her body pressed up against me I felt like I was in my own little slice of heaven.  I could stay in this position for the rest of my life if she would hold on to me just like this.

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            Three days later I woke up with my blue eyed beauty sleeping like an angel in my arms.  Her dainty snores were almost charming, I thought to myself.  Loose strands of her honey blonde hair fell in disarray just over her brow and I couldn't help but lightly smooth them back away from her face.  It was simply endearing just to watch her sleep.  

            We had arrived just yesterday to my family’s pack lands and everyone had been very welcoming.  Most remember what it was like before Raymond’s leadership, when my grandparents led the Lunar Westian pack to much great prosperity.  From what I had gathered Raymond was a careless, rude son of a bitch and made poor decisions that benefited him only, not the pack.  Many were grateful that he was now gone.

            Uncle Charlie gladly accepted the role as Beta and things were actually looking good for our future.  My family was safe, I had my pack to look forward to, I had my mate in my arms and I had finally found my own sense of peace and happiness.

            Leaning down taking care not to wake my blue eyed beauty I pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead.  Inhaling her heavenly scent I suddenly stilled.  Something was different.  I bent down again and sniffed again to be sure.  A smile curled on my face and pride swelled in my chest.  Hell yeah!  We did it.  I was going to be a dad.  Life just didn’t get any better than this.