Chapter 1 - Lilah

Another beautiful day ahead at Midnight Forest Pack. I had a lot to look forward to as well. Meeting the girls for coffee was always a welcome distraction, though it was maybe quite a frequent distraction… but they were my friends, and if we, as the mates of the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and senior warriors, were not allowed these regular coffee dates, then who was? A perfect opportunity to catch up and talk absolute nonsense, without having to listen to the guy chat that invades the conversation when our mates were with us. No crime in that, right?

I checked my reflection and adjusted my long blond hair. Thankfully, despite now being in my forties, my hair was still maintaining its blond tone. Knox, however, was starting to gain the occasional gray dotted into his thick, dark hair, but I think it made him look rugged and handsome in a sexy kind of way. Who knew that getting older would suit him…

I left the bedroom, heading toward the stairs with a yawn. I was in desperate need of a coffee before I did anything else. ‘Knox, babe, please have the coffee machine on.’ I mindlinked him before I reached the halfway point of the stairs.

‘Already on it sweet.’ He replied, and I smiled. Can’t say I haven’t got him well-trained. Even for an Alpha.

“Mum!” Just as I stepped from the last stair, I could hear Cleo squealing my name from the lounge as Kai and Kaleb are harassing their sister.

I swiftly moved in the opposite direction and walked toward the kitchen. They are all old enough to deal with themselves now. I needed a coffee.

“Knox! Deal with your children.” I complained, rolling my eyes, as I lifted the freshly made coffee from the breakfast bar, doing my best to ignore them. Though the squeals from my daughter were persistently getting louder. It was far too early in the morning for this…

Knox looked across at me from the place he rested, leaning against the work surface. Raising his brows in mock surprise. “My children?” he shook his head, a smile lingering on his lips. “Pretty sure we made them together, sweet.”

“Yeah, well, that was when they were nice and adorable. They are all grown up and a pain in my ass now, so…” I shrug with a playful smile on my face, and see Knox laughing.

“Mum!” Cleo squealed again, and this time Knox rolled his eyes, making me smile.

“Kai! Kaleb! Leave your sister alone.” Knox growled, walking into the lounge. “24 and 20, and you still feel the need to pick on your sister?”

“She was being a dick.” Kai argued, shaking his head looking to me for help as I walked toward the door. His handsome features, so much like his Dad’s, set into a deep frown.

“You expect me to agree? You are supposed to be a decent human being. A gentleman, ready to be an Alpha, where has that guy gone?” I argued, walking into the room, and I saw my blond-haired son, and youngest child, Kaleb, pointing now at his older brother and laughing. I swear these fuckers were sent to send me around the bend!

“Aww you know you love me really Mama!” Kai grinned, and Knox laughed.

“Charm doesn’t work on her anymore.” He told my son, and Kai screwed his face up.

“I do not want to know what goes on with you two and whether you have lost it or not, Dad. She has probably seen sense after all these years. Had a better offer, ain’t that right Mum?” Kai winked at me, to earn himself a growl from Knox, before suddenly Knox had his son in a playful headlock.

Knox was meant to be coming to deal with the bedlam, but instead, somehow, he seems to have embroiled himself in it! I have no clue how they even manage this. Cleo wiggled her way out of the chaos that is our family. This was just a normal day in our house, but just one day of peace would be amazing. Just one. Though, when I look at the delightful weirdos I get to call my family, I think that may be asking too much…

“Mum, why couldn’t you have girls? Sisters would have been so much better than brothers.” Cleo mutters in annoyance as she stands up next to me. A question she has asked me so many times I have lost count over the years.

“I am beginning to wonder why I had kids at all.” I teased, to a disgusted look from her before she stomped off up the stairs, no doubt back to her room.

“Where is the happy one gone?” Kaleb asked, watching his sister depart.

“I said I wondered why I had kids at all, and she gave me a dirty look and trudged off up the stairs.” I said with a smile and he grinned.

“Aww, have you not missed me Mum?” he asked as he dropped to the sofa, while Knox was still wrestling with Kai.

“Hmmm…” I teased. Kaleb had been away at one of the neighboring packs that had developed a warrior training facility. Because Kaleb is the younger of our two sons, he knows he will likely not become Alpha of the pack, which he is more than happy with, so he requested to train as a warrior, like many of our friends’ children. And Knox was more than happy for him to do that. He was proud that his son had found something he enjoyed and that he was good at. I just wanted my kids to be happy. That, and to give me peace…

Kaleb shook his head at me, knowing I was teasing. “Daxton said Aunt Indie said the same. Sure you and her only had kids to have slaves.”

Daxton was Indie and Dan’s third child, but their youngest son, and one of Kaleb’s closest friends. They were frequently back and forth to the warrior training facility at Lunar River Pack, and loved it. It had made them so much more confident.

“Oh yeah, definitely. Planned loads of you, so we could train you up as slaves.” I laughed. “Failed miserably though, because you are all shit at it.”

Kaleb laughed. “Well, I missed you Mum.”

“Aww thanks, Kal. I missed you too. As you can see, the house is still as mad as ever.” I motioned to Kai and Knox with my head and Kaleb grinned at me.

“You wouldn’t have it any other way. Just think, soon enough, we will all have left home, and it will just be you and Dad again, and you will wonder where time has gone, and be wishing we were back.” He looked at me with an affectionate smile. I can’t help but smile back. I can’t even begin to imagine any of my kids settling down with mates, let alone all the kids in our group. But they are getting to that age now, so I guess that time will come…