Chapter Five

My body jerked as I shot up in my bed, the sound of a baby’s cries suddenly fading away as I surveyed the dark, empty room. Sighing aloud, I threw the covers off my body and placed my feet on the cool floor, there was no way I’d fall asleep after that. 

Pulling on the door handle, I opened it a little more and a familiar sound reached my ears, I could hear Alpha Allison softly cooing at the restless baby downstairs and another pair of footsteps I assumed belonged to Alpha Devin which made me freeze with the door wide open. 

Baby Dominic’s cries sounded tired, I didn’t even realize when I’d stepped out of the room and onto the staircase till Alpha Allison’s pacing figure came into view. Her shoulders were sagging and her steps were sluggish, I could see the exhaustion written all over her face when Alpha Devin approached her, holding a bottle of milk. 

I watched silently as she tried feeding him, but the attempt only seemed to make him more irritable and his cries got louder, making both of them flinch. 

“May I?” My eyes widened as I realized I’d spoken, both Alphas seemed surprised to see me too halfway up the stairway. 

“Oh honey, I’m sorry, did we wake you?” Alpha Allison smiled guiltily, but I shook my head and approached them warily. 

“No, I-” I paused, not knowing how to answer her question, yes I was awakened by the cries of a baby, but I had no way of knowing if it was Dominic’s or not, “I just couldn’t sleep,” I assured her, but my eyes were on the miserable newborn in her arms. 

“Can I get you some warm milk, maybe that will help you get to sleep?” Alpha Devin offered kindly and I blushed.

“No, thank you,” I answered politely, I hated warm milk, but I didn’t want to tell him that and risk sounding like a brat. Before either of them could say anything, Dominic wailed louder, making my ears hurt from the high-pitched noise and I found myself reaching out for him. 

“Do you want to hold him?” Alpha Allison offered and I could see her trying to hold back her relief when I nodded, “He utterly refuses for Devin to even touch him.” She sighed, handing the upset newborn to me. 

He fussed for a few moments, feeling the sudden change of arms, but before he could start again, I adjusted him so that his eyes focused on me and we were rewarded with silence, his large blue eyes stared at me with wonder the same way it had the first time I saw him. 

“Hey, little guy, what’s the matter?” I asked softly and watched as his face contorted again like he was trying to tell me something, but the only sound from his throat was a sob. Alpha Allison reached out for him again when I shook my head and moved to the living room to set him down on the plush carpet instead. 

“Would you mind dimming the lights?” I asked no one in particular as I set him, but moments later the harsh glare of the ceiling lights faded away. Dominic seemed interested in his new position, looking around in silent wonder. 

His eyes were wide open and curious, but his body was still stiff. Releasing the buttons on his romper vest, I carefully freed his limbs. His soft baby skin was warm to the touch as I blew a soft breath over his stomach, the action seemed to intrigue him as he stared at me in wonder, his squirming coming to a halt. 

“Would you mind cooling his milk down a little?” I said, looking up at the bottle in Alpha Devin’s hands he quickly nodded, rushing to the kitchen to do as he was told. “He’s feeling hot, that’s all,” I said to Alpha Allison as she came to kneel beside me while I used the vest to fan him. 

“How did you know?” she asked in wonder.

“My mum once told me that babies react differently to the world than we do since they’re still acclimatizing to the environment. She was a midwife.” Alpha Allison smiled in understanding, my mum was great at her job and she loved babies so it was no surprise that she knew everything there was to know about them. 

Seeing that he calmed down, I slipped one hand under his neck and the other under his bum to support his tiny frame and placed him on the couch, tucking a scatter cushion behind his back to turn him on his side which made him squirm for a second.  

“Here, it’s cooler now.” Alpha Devin handed me the bottle. Placing the dummy on his lips he made to push it away when he realized that the milk was in fact cool, he latched on, his eyes instinctively falling shut as he did. 

The three of us watched the Alpha baby as he suckled the milk till his mouth grew still and we knew he was fast asleep. 

“You really are the baby whisperer.” Alpha Devin wondered aloud and Alpha Allison agreed, making me blush. “He didn’t even want me to touch him.” He said, sounding a bit hurt.

“Males typically radiate more heat than females due to their increased muscle mass, Dominic just found your body temperature too high,” I whispered hesitantly. 

“See baby, you’re just hot.” Alpha Allison nudged him teasingly and he chuckled, his features automatically brightening up as he smirked wickedly in her direction. 

“Thank you, Sophia.” He smiled gratefully and I found myself smiling back as my cheeks heated up. 

I found it hard to remember why I was so uncertain about coming here, they had been nicer to me than anyone else I’d encountered since my mother’s death- excluding Alpha Oliver and Luna Yasmin, of course, but I’d always felt they were just doing their duty. 

After putting Dominic to sleep I lay awake in bed, thinking of my mother. She was the gentlest woman I knew, she always knew the right thing to say no matter the situation. 

~~~

“Sophia, can you come in here and help me with supper?” Mum called when she heard the front door close behind me. 

I sighed deeply, dropping my sketchbook on the entrance table and trudged into the kitchen, “Hello, Mum.” I greeted softly and went to cut the vegetables she had set out. 

“How was your afternoon, sketch anything good?” Her smile was soft and encouraging, but I didn’t feel like talking. 

“Yeah, I drew a bird,” I answered lamely, from the corner of my eye I saw my mum’s brows shoot up.

“What type of bird was it?” She stirred the pot of macaroni boiling on the stove.

“I don’t know,” I grumbled, hoping she’d get the hint.  

“Well maybe you can show it to me later and we’ll do some research about it.” She pushed and the frustration building in my stomach forced its way up my throat. 

“I don’t want to, okay?” I burst, slamming the knife on the counter with a forceful clank and sucked in a deep breath, avoiding her startled gaze. 

“Soph, are you okay?” She asked softly, dropping the dish towel on the counter and approached me slowly. 

“I’m fine.” I gritted and picked up the knife to chop forcefully. 

“Put the knife down, Sophia.” Mum’s stern voice stopped me in my tracks, I didn't have to look at her to know she was giving me ‘the look’. 

With a sigh, I dropped the blade, this time a lot quieter and turned to face her, but my eyes remained downcast. 

With a finger under my chin, my mother lifted my eyes to hers and in them I found a tender look- understanding. 

“Tell me what’s wrong.” She encouraged. 

“It’s stupid,” I mumbled, looking anywhere but at her as tears burned the back of my eyes. 

“Your feelings are never stupid.” She affirmed and led me to the barstool on the other side of the counter. 

“Do you think there’s something wrong with me? Is that why no one wants to be my friend?” I was a loner, in school and outside, I preferred to keep my head stuck in my sketchbook rather than in the air making friends. 

“Oh honey, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you, you are perfect. It’s just sometimes people are different and other people don’t understand that, but the right person will.” Mum stroked my hair lovingly as she tried to convince me that I wasn’t the reason I had no friends, but I knew better. 

Jasper was the right person, he’d seen me for who I am, but even he left. Without so much as a goodbye. 

“Thanks, Mum.” I offered her a tight smile. I knew she didn’t believe me, but in that moment I was grateful she chose to accept it.

She didn’t understand, everyone left at some point. My kindergarten friends left when they realised I wasn’t like them, my grandpa died, and now Jasper left and it’s only a matter of time before she does too. 

“Nothing good lasts forever, Sophia. All we can do is enjoy it while it lasts and cherish the memories we make.” 

She was right, if all I had of him were memories, I’d hold them close. He said he wouldn’t forget me and I hoped that was true wherever he was.