chapter 6

Luciana's POV

Luciana, who was sitting on the couch, observed the scene in front of her with great interest. Ophelia, her friend and fellow pack member, was cradling one of the babies who had been crying inconsolably until Ophelia took charge.

She was amazed by how effortlessly Ophelia was able to soothe the little one. She had always been a natural caregiver, even though it's been long since she was a mother. Her son Elijah was no longer a child.

The baby's cries slowly subsided as Ophelia rocked him gently in her arms. After a few minutes, the baby had calmed down completely and was now sleeping soundly.

Ophelia carefully handed the baby back to his mother, who was grateful for the brief respite from the constant demands of motherhood.

Ophelia then turned her attention to Lucia and asked, "How are you feeling?" as she sat down beside her on the couch.

Lucia shifted her weight, trying to find a comfortable position while holding Keita, her own son. "Not exactly the kind of mating I was expecting," Lucia muttered, clearly still coming to terms with finding a second chance mate.

Ophelia chuckled at her friend's comment, knowing all too well the expectations that came with the mating season. "Yeah, you should be doing things to each other right now in a certain room," she joked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Lucia's eyes widened in shock as she quickly glanced down at Keita, who was still in her arms.

"Ophelia!" she hissed, trying to keep her voice down so as not to get Keita's attention.

Despite her shock, Lucia couldn't help but laugh at Ophelia's comment, which had broken the tension and lifted her spirits.

Keita was a curious and intelligent child, always asking questions and trying to make sense of the world around him. She couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and protectiveness towards him. Her son was smart, and she didn't want him to overhear their conversation.

Ophelia nodded in understanding. "Oh c'mon... he would find out one way or the other," she murmured, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

She sighed, "He had once asked me what two wolves were doing rumbling together on the ground," Lucia admitted, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she recalled the incident. "It had been two pack members who had just found out that they were mates." She said.

Ophelia chuckled, " oh he's one smart kid alright…" she muttered.

" Yeah he is" she said as she shifted Keita in her arms, adjusting his weight as he wriggled around. He was getting heavy, but she didn't mind - he was her little boy, and she would carry him for as long as he needed her to.

Lucia couldn't help but feel a twinge of worry. Keita was only three years old, but he was already so smart and observant. She knew that he had a tendency to ask a lot of questions, and she didn't want to have to explain something to him that she wasn't ready to talk about yet or he wasn't ready to hear too.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Keita wriggling in her arms. She realized that she had been holding him too tightly and quickly let him go. He climbed down from her lap and stretched his little arms and legs, looking up at her with a big grin.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, concerned.

He nodded, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "I want to play over there," he mumbled, pointing to where some kids were gathered together, playing.

Lucia smiled at him, relieved that he seemed to be enjoying being with other kids.

" Sure you can…" she told him.

She watched him run off to play with the other children, his laughter ringing through the air.

As she watched Keita play, she couldn't help but wonder how he would react when he found out the truth about his father. He had always asked her about his dad, and she had never been able to give him a straight answer. Now that she was mated with the Alpha, she wondered how he would feel about having the Alpha as his new daddy.

" Do you think he will accept this…? The Alpha will literally be his father. I'm scared, I don't know how to tell him about this new mate thing…" she voiced her concerns.

" Well, from what I know, he will be over Happy to hear that he's got a daddy. Especially one who's a big Alpha" Ophelia replied.

" I hope so Ophelia…I really do. because I really am not ready to tell him this weird Dynamics of how his father rejected me and how the moon goddess somehow thinks I deserve another mate and he, another daddy…" she mumbled.

Ophelia smiled, " I think he will just be Happy to get a dad" she said.

She sighed, " …maybe I should wait before telling him"

Ophelia scoffed, " oh darling I wish you can but he's bound to find out eventually… you're forgetting that he's actually in the pack and he has friends…" she said waving at the group of kids playing.

Lucia shook her head, determined to be the one to tell her son the truth when the time was right. She couldn't bear the thought of him finding out from someone else, or worse, overhearing it accidentally or to learn about it in a way that would confuse or upset him.

But Ophelia had a point - he was bound to find out eventually. So that means she had to tell him.

She looked over at Ophelia, who was watching the kids play with a soft smile on her face. "I just don't want him to be confused," Lucia said quietly, breaking the silence between them.

Ophelia nodded in understanding. "I get that. But he's a smart kid, Lucia. He'll understand."

Lucia hoped that Ophelia was right. She knew that Keita was smart, but she also knew that some things were hard for even adults to wrap their heads around. The concept of mates was one of those things - it was a complicated, intimate bond that was difficult to explain to someone who hadn't experienced it.

But Lucia was determined to try. She wanted Keita to know the truth about his family and his pack, and to feel secure in the knowledge that he was loved and protected. She just hoped that she was up to the task of explaining it all to him in a way that he could understand.

As she sat there, Lucia couldn't help but feel grateful for the safety and security that her pack provided. She knew that her son was in good hands, and that he would always be protected and loved by their pack.

“ You know… Alister had always wanted to be a dad. He used to dote on Anthony a lot that I feared that he was going to take him away from me… “ Ophelia said with a distant look.

As Lucia looked at Ophelia, she saw a sadness in her eyes that she couldn't quite place. It was as if there was a pain there that had been there for a long time, and it made her heart ache for her friend.

Lucia had always known that Ophelia had a son apart from Elijah, but she had never heard much about him. She had been told not to bring him up, but now she felt a curious need to know more.

"Anthony?" Lucia asked, hoping that she was not overstepping her bounds.

Ophelia turned her gaze to her and gave her a weak smile. Her heart broke seeing how fragile she looked at that moment. It was clear that Ophelia was struggling with something, and Lucia felt an overwhelming need to comfort her.

"I loved him, yet I couldn’t protect him… " Ophelia said, looking away.

Lucia could hear the pain in Ophelia's voice, and she knew that there was something more to the story. She gently put her hand on Ophelia's back and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

She wondered if Ophelia would ever be able to move on from her own loss, to find happiness again. It must have been so hard for her, to lose a child, someone she had loved and cared for so deeply. Lucia felt a lump form in her throat, and she had to swallow hard to keep from crying.

“Ophelia,” she said softly, “I can’t imagine how hard it must be for you. But you don’t have to go through this alone. I’m here for you, and I’ll do whatever I can to help you through this.”

Ophelia turned to her, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Thank you, Lucia. That means a lot to me.”

Lucia didn't know what to say. She felt helpless, and she wished there was something she could do to take away Ophelia's pain.

As they sat in silence, Lucia couldn't help but think about how fragile life was. She hugged Ophelia tightly, not knowing what else to do. She wanted to be there for her friend, to offer her support and comfort in any way that she could.