Aurora POV
“Exactly, I never get to see you guys anymore. Spill all the tea!” Stacey adds, her blue eyes widening as leans in closer to the two of us. I chuckle, trying to think what would count as tea right now. Kara shakes her head, keeping quiet as usual. “I’m afraid I have no tea.” she chuckles and Stacey’s face drops. “But it’s your birthday. Come on,” she presses, still acting a little hopeful. “Not even an unbelievable present from your mates?” she looks to both of us. “We’re doing presents later,” I tell her as she then turns to Kara. “Elio got me a kitchen aid and a few other baking tools I had been hoping for,” she smiles as Stacey smiles. “That’s great, not exactly what I would call tea,” she mutters as I give her a look. “Is there something you want to share with the group?” I ask as she taps her chin. Gretchen comes out of Stacey’s little dog and jumps up to sit on her lap. “He’s just… changed lately. Not in a bad way. Just different. Like he’s carrying something heavy, but pretending it’s not there. Every time I try to ask, he just distracts me and tells me it’s nothing. But I’m not so sure,” she mutters before looking at her mate, who is chatting with Hunter's beer in hand. I follow her line of sight, biting my lip as I wonder what that could be about.
“I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about, Jaden, like all alphas, probably just want to keep us safe. Sometimes it can be a little overbearing,” she nods, but I see her chew her lip as if it is more than that. “Jaden would tell you if it was anything to worry about,” Kara replies, patting Stacey’s arm as she nods. “You’re right. He just drives me crazy. I can’t tell some days if I want to kill him or kiss him,” she chuckles as I laugh, knowing exactly what she means. “Probably both knowing you,” her cheeks turn pink as she looks away from us and I see Jaden look up at her from below.
I always knew the mate bond was a powerful force to love another person so completely they are like an extension of your very soul. I was lucky enough to be given four mates, and I love each one equally and completely. They literally changed my world and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Each one is utterly perfect and balances our family just right. Sebastian is head of security, Ethan head of combat training, Caleb manages the books and keeps the pack in running order and Gabriel heads up the pack hospital. I make sure all of them don’t get stressed, keep the kids safe on top of my luna duties.
We have three little pups of our own. Luca, our eldest, is special. Selene said he would unite the packs. But gods never speak plainly. What they mean by ‘unite’… I’m terrified to find out. Our packs are untied through our conclave meetings and by blood, with my siblings mated in different packs. We have tried to strengthen to unions to protect Luca. I know at some point something will change to cause the shift where our alliances break down. I just want to give Luca as much time as possible before he takes this all on. I gnaw on my lip as I watch him walk around the pool before sitting down, dipping his legs in, his bright silver eyes shining in the sun.
It’s nice to see Luca as himself. With our family, he doesn’t have to hide. Because of his silver eyes that burning like liquid flame. Caleb had created some glasses for him to dull the colour to a mute grey. His aura rivals my four alpha mates - four grown alpha men, and he is only eight. The level of power in his little hands terrifies and overwhelms him. We all know he is safe here amongst family, those we trust the most, and he doesn’t have to hide. But I know it is only a matter of time before our pack and others begin to notice just how different he really is. That is something I am not ready for. His prophecy came from Selene herself and as much as I want to fight his battles for him, that would mean battling the actual gods to do so.
Each morning I wake praying no one will notice, no one will ask questions. Will see just how different he truly is. I see the curious looks in their eyes, the way the suspicion begins to seep in. It’s one thing for them to acknowledge that he is different. I have no idea what I will do if they see him as a threat.
The glasses Caleb created help but as wolves, it is rare to wear glasses and those add a layer of curiosity. For eight years we have managed to hide his eye colour and explained his incredible aura, strength and speed with the fact he is the first child to be born to five alphas. Our bond is rare and that helps. But when Logan and Violet came along, the difference between them is stark. I watch him as he sits by the pool, his sharp features set in a slight frown his dark blonde hair ruffled on top of his head as he looks at his cousin playing in the pool splashing each other and having fun.
He struggles so much to fit in and it drives his anger far more than anything else. He has ripped off cabinets and destroyed furniture when he gets annoyed. Only to break down afterwards because he feels like he can’t control it. He has a lot of power for someone so young. Gabriel has stitched us all up more times than I can count. To help Luca not feel so guilty and to hide to the pack his strength. Wolves heal quickly at the best of times. His strength is beyond most of our healing. But he is my baby boy and I wish more than anything he didn’t have this burden.
Aurora POV“Mummy, can I swim in the pool?” Logan asks me as he runs up to where I am sitting, pulling my focus back to the present and out of my spiralling thoughts. He’s Violet’s twin, with bright blue eyes and red hair like his father’s. I nod, cupping his cute little cheeks before he disappears off into the house to change. As much as I try not to think about Luca’s future, there are times I can’t shake the sense of dread that creeps over my skin when I do.“I should go check on them,” I nod to the others. I strip out of my dress, wearing my gold bikini and heels as I follow after my son. “We’ll come with its so hot today,” Kara nods at Stacey as they both shed their clothes, leaving their bikinis and following me down to the pool. I’m still lost in thought that I collide with Caleb at the base of the stairs. “Want me to help you get wet, baby girl?” I swallow, my stomach flipping as I look up at him. He isn’t wearing his glasses today either and I can make out the artic blue shad
Auroa POV“Three, two, one,” water flies everywhere as we all converge on each other. Violet and Aria both go for their brothers, trying to drown them as the twins try to pull them off.Jaden isn’t even noticing as he already taken Stacey into his arms and the two of them are kissing each other passionately they don’t even notice the splashes of water.Gabriel and Caleb both come for me as Kara slips beneath the water and pulls Elio’s feet out from under him. Addie just tries to free Xander and Aria cackles, splashing him ruthlessly, not letting an opportunity to show her big brother who is the boss.By the time my mates get to me, I have a plan. I slip beneath the water to pull their trunks down, distracting their focus so I can submerge them. Before I get the chance to do that, however. Caleb has grabbed me and Gabriel grips my ankles.I pop out the water, my hair a stream of gold as I flick it, trying to get Caleb off of me. “Play nice baby girl,” he whispers in my ear before Gabri
Aurora POVI grab another bottle of rose and head back over to the seats on the patio. Settling down as Kara sits beside me. “He will be alright you know. He’s 8 years old. I have no idea how he does it and his wolf hasn’t even come in yet,” she tells me and I nod. “I just worry with his little outbursts what will happen when his wolf does come. Will he be able to control it? I want him to harness his power so it doesn’t consume him.” I tell her, rubbing my temples as Kara gives me a look. “Worrying about it doesn’t change the fact he is a little boy and is figuring stuff out.” I nod, but remember the bruises on Sabastian’s chest. If he can bruise an alpha as a child already, there is no telling what he will be capable of once he gets older.We sit and drink, chatting away. I feel the tension in my shoulders ease as I see Sebastian and Luca play together. The other kids are already running around playing tag before I scan the garden, looking for Stacey. “Where is our dear brother?” I
Aurora POVThe only downside to having four mates is that the bond is intense. Mere glances have my heart skipping a beat and light touches set us all off. We have sometimes only made it to close the door before we are tearing each other’s clothes off. Thankfully, Gabriel, my other incredibly handsome mate and genius doctor of our pack with his healing abilities, has come up with a serum to ease my heat, so we aren’t as rabid as we were when we first mated. It’s also why we don’t have a litter of pups and just the three.Occasionally, I miss those days where we couldn’t keep our hands off each other for more than five minutes. But three pups are enough for all of us.The kids shoving food into their mouths faster than they can breathe. As the rest of us dish up, the selection of grilled steak, chicken, sausages with potatoes and salad. Jaden gazes at Stacey like she hung the moon before he clinks his glass to begin his speech once we are all settled.I sit beside Kara near the head of
Caleb POVAsh floated through the air like dying embers—the only evidence the note had ever existed. It had crumbled in my hand, disintegrating into nothing.“What the hell just happened?” my mate asks, her voice rising an octave, tight with panic. I felt it spike through the bond between us, sharp and frantic.I didn’t answer. My fingers hovered over the dust on my palm before I tapped the side of my glasses. The lenses flickered. A reconstructed image blinked into view, pulled from the microchip embedded inside.‘Your firstborn is not our leader; he is our doom. If you value the lives of your pack, end this prophecy now. Give him to us, or we will tear your family apart before his first shift,’My wolf surges forward, growling at the words as I read the note over and over.Whoever sent this knows Luca is different. They also know of the prophecy and are willing to threaten our pack if we don’t hand him over. What I can’t make sense of is how they plan to end the prophecy. All I can
Caleb POVWe all begin eating, but I can tell the mood has passed. Each bite feels like an effort and where we once were joking and laughing, the conversation has dwindled drastically.Stacey gets up and brings out the enormous birthday cake and candles as we sing for both Aurora and Kara. What should have been a happy occasion now feels like we are going through the motions. I find Aurora glance at Luca and then at Kara as she nods before they blow out the candles. Wishing on their candles is not something that I will make this go away.We eat cake before Stacey, Hunter and Kara take the kids down to the cinema room. She sets them up with all the ice cream, candy, popcorn and drinks they could ever need. Once the film is playing and the kids settled, Hunter stays down there to monitor them. Willow gets put down for her nap and we all head to Jaden’s office to chat.Aurora paced the length of the office like a caged animal, golden hair clinging to her damp skin, half-dried from the ea
Aurora POV“Violet, play nice with your cousins. Don’t boss them all around. They’re your friends, not minions,” I remind my daughter as she just huffs, rolling her green eyes before she struts off through the house, her long blonde hair swishing behind her with her cute little bow at the top. I rub my temples because as much as I like to say, I don’t know where she gets it from. That girl is all me. She’s five going on fifteen, and no matter how hard I try to freeze time, she just keeps racing ahead. Some days, I wish she had more of her father’s calm and rational way of thinking. But then that wouldn’t be her. After everything we’ve survived, that fire in her? She’s going to need it.I follow after her, walking out onto the concrete patio, the sun's rays kissing my skin with the soft heat. The crystal blue waters of the pool below glitter in the sunlight. I watch Violet skip down the stairs, the palm trees swaying in the soft breeze on either side of the path with colourful shrubs l
Caleb POVWe all begin eating, but I can tell the mood has passed. Each bite feels like an effort and where we once were joking and laughing, the conversation has dwindled drastically.Stacey gets up and brings out the enormous birthday cake and candles as we sing for both Aurora and Kara. What should have been a happy occasion now feels like we are going through the motions. I find Aurora glance at Luca and then at Kara as she nods before they blow out the candles. Wishing on their candles is not something that I will make this go away.We eat cake before Stacey, Hunter and Kara take the kids down to the cinema room. She sets them up with all the ice cream, candy, popcorn and drinks they could ever need. Once the film is playing and the kids settled, Hunter stays down there to monitor them. Willow gets put down for her nap and we all head to Jaden’s office to chat.Aurora paced the length of the office like a caged animal, golden hair clinging to her damp skin, half-dried from the ea
Caleb POVAsh floated through the air like dying embers—the only evidence the note had ever existed. It had crumbled in my hand, disintegrating into nothing.“What the hell just happened?” my mate asks, her voice rising an octave, tight with panic. I felt it spike through the bond between us, sharp and frantic.I didn’t answer. My fingers hovered over the dust on my palm before I tapped the side of my glasses. The lenses flickered. A reconstructed image blinked into view, pulled from the microchip embedded inside.‘Your firstborn is not our leader; he is our doom. If you value the lives of your pack, end this prophecy now. Give him to us, or we will tear your family apart before his first shift,’My wolf surges forward, growling at the words as I read the note over and over.Whoever sent this knows Luca is different. They also know of the prophecy and are willing to threaten our pack if we don’t hand him over. What I can’t make sense of is how they plan to end the prophecy. All I can
Aurora POVThe only downside to having four mates is that the bond is intense. Mere glances have my heart skipping a beat and light touches set us all off. We have sometimes only made it to close the door before we are tearing each other’s clothes off. Thankfully, Gabriel, my other incredibly handsome mate and genius doctor of our pack with his healing abilities, has come up with a serum to ease my heat, so we aren’t as rabid as we were when we first mated. It’s also why we don’t have a litter of pups and just the three.Occasionally, I miss those days where we couldn’t keep our hands off each other for more than five minutes. But three pups are enough for all of us.The kids shoving food into their mouths faster than they can breathe. As the rest of us dish up, the selection of grilled steak, chicken, sausages with potatoes and salad. Jaden gazes at Stacey like she hung the moon before he clinks his glass to begin his speech once we are all settled.I sit beside Kara near the head of
Aurora POVI grab another bottle of rose and head back over to the seats on the patio. Settling down as Kara sits beside me. “He will be alright you know. He’s 8 years old. I have no idea how he does it and his wolf hasn’t even come in yet,” she tells me and I nod. “I just worry with his little outbursts what will happen when his wolf does come. Will he be able to control it? I want him to harness his power so it doesn’t consume him.” I tell her, rubbing my temples as Kara gives me a look. “Worrying about it doesn’t change the fact he is a little boy and is figuring stuff out.” I nod, but remember the bruises on Sabastian’s chest. If he can bruise an alpha as a child already, there is no telling what he will be capable of once he gets older.We sit and drink, chatting away. I feel the tension in my shoulders ease as I see Sebastian and Luca play together. The other kids are already running around playing tag before I scan the garden, looking for Stacey. “Where is our dear brother?” I
Auroa POV“Three, two, one,” water flies everywhere as we all converge on each other. Violet and Aria both go for their brothers, trying to drown them as the twins try to pull them off.Jaden isn’t even noticing as he already taken Stacey into his arms and the two of them are kissing each other passionately they don’t even notice the splashes of water.Gabriel and Caleb both come for me as Kara slips beneath the water and pulls Elio’s feet out from under him. Addie just tries to free Xander and Aria cackles, splashing him ruthlessly, not letting an opportunity to show her big brother who is the boss.By the time my mates get to me, I have a plan. I slip beneath the water to pull their trunks down, distracting their focus so I can submerge them. Before I get the chance to do that, however. Caleb has grabbed me and Gabriel grips my ankles.I pop out the water, my hair a stream of gold as I flick it, trying to get Caleb off of me. “Play nice baby girl,” he whispers in my ear before Gabri
Aurora POV“Mummy, can I swim in the pool?” Logan asks me as he runs up to where I am sitting, pulling my focus back to the present and out of my spiralling thoughts. He’s Violet’s twin, with bright blue eyes and red hair like his father’s. I nod, cupping his cute little cheeks before he disappears off into the house to change. As much as I try not to think about Luca’s future, there are times I can’t shake the sense of dread that creeps over my skin when I do.“I should go check on them,” I nod to the others. I strip out of my dress, wearing my gold bikini and heels as I follow after my son. “We’ll come with its so hot today,” Kara nods at Stacey as they both shed their clothes, leaving their bikinis and following me down to the pool. I’m still lost in thought that I collide with Caleb at the base of the stairs. “Want me to help you get wet, baby girl?” I swallow, my stomach flipping as I look up at him. He isn’t wearing his glasses today either and I can make out the artic blue shad
Aurora POV“Exactly, I never get to see you guys anymore. Spill all the tea!” Stacey adds, her blue eyes widening as leans in closer to the two of us. I chuckle, trying to think what would count as tea right now. Kara shakes her head, keeping quiet as usual. “I’m afraid I have no tea.” she chuckles and Stacey’s face drops. “But it’s your birthday. Come on,” she presses, still acting a little hopeful. “Not even an unbelievable present from your mates?” she looks to both of us. “We’re doing presents later,” I tell her as she then turns to Kara. “Elio got me a kitchen aid and a few other baking tools I had been hoping for,” she smiles as Stacey smiles. “That’s great, not exactly what I would call tea,” she mutters as I give her a look. “Is there something you want to share with the group?” I ask as she taps her chin. Gretchen comes out of Stacey’s little dog and jumps up to sit on her lap. “He’s just… changed lately. Not in a bad way. Just different. Like he’s carrying something heavy, b
Aurora POV“Violet, play nice with your cousins. Don’t boss them all around. They’re your friends, not minions,” I remind my daughter as she just huffs, rolling her green eyes before she struts off through the house, her long blonde hair swishing behind her with her cute little bow at the top. I rub my temples because as much as I like to say, I don’t know where she gets it from. That girl is all me. She’s five going on fifteen, and no matter how hard I try to freeze time, she just keeps racing ahead. Some days, I wish she had more of her father’s calm and rational way of thinking. But then that wouldn’t be her. After everything we’ve survived, that fire in her? She’s going to need it.I follow after her, walking out onto the concrete patio, the sun's rays kissing my skin with the soft heat. The crystal blue waters of the pool below glitter in the sunlight. I watch Violet skip down the stairs, the palm trees swaying in the soft breeze on either side of the path with colourful shrubs l