Things remain a little tense with Michael, but thankfully itās time for me to go and check in with Maggie and see what my duties are today, so, I politely excuse myself and race off to the kitchen where Maggie is commanding her army.
Maggie is 5ā8ā with military posture, shoulder-length dark brown layered hair, a stern face with kind cocoa eyes and dark caramel skin. She always dresses in a professional manner, so sheās wearing a long-sleeved nude-pink satin blouse tucked into high-waisted dark brown slacks with shoes with the tiniest heels Iāve ever seen. I donāt know how to describe them, Iām not a fashion expert, but I can at least tell they match her blouse.
'Someone wonāt be getting a job on the red carpet,' Matthan sniggers. I ignore him.
āRight on time again. Iām Impressed,ā Maggie compliments, not even turning her head to look at me, but no doubt she either scented or heard me coming. Maggie is fifty-six but looks late 30s if you ask me, and sheās incredibly slim, bordering on bony. She may not have muscles or curves, but I still wouldnāt want to take her on in a fight. I hear her father used to be a Beta in another pack and I just know that means she can kick all our asses.
āWhat would you like me to do today, Mrs Dwire?ā I ask happily.
āThe cars of the ranked members havenāt been tended to in a while and theyāre starting to look it. You can spend the day cleaning the cars inside and out. I want them looking like they just came off the lot,ā she instructs.
I nod, āI can do that,ā I say as I go to grab Alpha Ameliaās car keys. I remember where they are kept from when she loaned me her car.
āI would start with Luna Marcusā truck. He took it for a spin the other day and itās covered in mud so that one will need a little more attention,ā she explains.
I grab all the car keys of the ranked wolves and make my way to the parking garage to assemble all the tools Iāll need and get ready for manual labour. I keep focused on my task as I spend the next few hours cleaning every car from top to bottom and inside and out while listening to music on my phone. The entire time Iām hard at work I canāt stop smiling at how happy and carefree Jennifer feels through our bond. It makes me happy to know sheās having such a good day and feeling her happy is the best feeling in the world.
When I finally have all the cars looking good as new, I pack everything away, return the keys and check with Maggie if she has any more tasks for me. Itās already 4:30, which means Iāve spent the entire day cleaning cars. So, with not much else needing to be done, she excuses me for the day.
'Yay! Letās go get Jennifer from work!' Matthan cheers as he prances happily in my mind. He looks like a Disney character doing that.
'Couldnāt agree more,' I tell him as I set off out of the packhouse at a sprint, making my way through the town all the way to the packās daycare.
This is where Jennifer works. The daycare is right between the library and the cafƩ, and the little hidden town is bustling with activity. I make my way across the road and approach the centre just as the light of my life steps out and I immediately forget to breathe.
Jennifer is an adorable 4ā8ā with the most gorgeous light brown curly hair with these stunning natural blonde highlights that catch the light making it look like she has strands of gold in her hair. Her hair was at her shoulders when I met her, but itās since grown a bit further down to her bust. It still manages to frame her gorgeous plump cheeks that only get plumper as she smiles, her teeth shining brightly between her pouty lips as her cream-coloured skin practically glows like an angel from the heavens. Her beautiful smile is made all the more beautiful by the twinkle in her piercing aquamarine-blue eyes.
I know she is a wolf, but I canāt help but think sheās part angel. I just canāt believe anyone can be so pure and heavenly and not be. She may be my cute little Pixie, but she has a body for sin. At least in my mind. She doesnāt think sheās sexy, but I sure do. Sheās very petite, except her chest which is a very impressive C-cup. She was really self-conscious about them when we became intimate and I know she still is, but sheās getting better. I do my best to reassure her that I love everything about her, and her body doesnāt make me love her more or less, I just get to love it because itās hers. Even I know how corny that sounds.
'Who said corny was bad? Besides, our Jen seems to love corny, so I hope sheās ready for the extra dose of fibre youāre going to be putting in her daily diet,' Matthan said proudly.
'How did you make something sweet sound so gross?' I say as I wrinkle my nose.
'You humans are too easily grossed out by normal bodily functions. Get over it,' he says, rolling his eyes.
As we get closer, Jenniferās scent is carried towards me on the wind, and I take in a deep lungful of the glorious scent of fresh blooming frangipanis in the height of spring. My body zings and my skin tingles and my mouth begins to salivate as I feel enveloped by the heady aroma of my animaiās scent.
I lean against a phone pole and watch with pride as Jennifer steps out of the daycare carrying an adorable little girl on her hip. She has gorgeous tan skin and adorable little black pigtails, and as her parents walk over to take her from Jennifer, the little girl looks sad and holds onto Jennifer tightly. I can feel Jennifer melting from the gesture and even Matthan is swooning at how beautiful that gesture is. Of course, that little girl doesnāt want to leave Jen. Sheās like being in the presence of the sun.
Jennifer is able to sway the child into going with her parents and as soon as they are off, I race over and scoop her up in my arms as I swing her around. Her arms wrap around me as she lets out a tinkling giggle while I bury my nose in her hair, inhaling her scent as my body becomes electrified with her touch.
āThis is such a nice surprise,ā she chirps, as I set her back on her feet. Her aquamarine eyes now smiling up at me.
I tighten my arms around her as I place a gentle kiss on her forehead and hum from the tingle in my lips, āI missed you, and thought I could walk you home,ā I say excitedly.
āI would love that!ā She chirps, āIāll just go get my bag,ā she says, placing a quick peck on my lips and racing back into the daycare.
I stand there smiling like a man who just saw heaven, basking in the love of the most perfect woman when I hear sniggering in my mind.
'Landry loves Jennifer. Landry loves Jennifer,' Beatrix starts to sing, making Matthan roll around laughing.
'I love you too, so whereās your song for that?' I smirk.
'Hmm, good point. Iāll have to come up with something good,' she muses.
'Bee, stop teasing Lan,' Jennifer scolds Beatrix, making me smile. Sheās so sweet and thoughtful.
'Itās okay, sweetheart, Landry can take it, he knows Bee is just kidding,' Matthan assures her.
Jennifer walks back out of the daycare slipping on a baby pink cardigan over her white camisole as her pale yellow skirt with daisies on it flows in the breeze. She offers me her hand and I eagerly take it in mine as we start walking back to our cottage.
Walking with Jenniferās hand in mine makes me feel like Iām on cloud nine. Just being in her presence feels like a gift from the Gods. I know that sounds mushy and over the top, but thatās how she makes me feel. Have you ever been around someone so pure and sweet that life just feels better knowing they exist? Because thatās what Jennifer is for me.
āYour emotions are so overwhelming,ā she says with a blush in her plump cheeks.
I smile embarrassed, āIām sorry. Iām just really happy to see you,ā I say, kissing the back of her hand.
She smiles brightly up at me, āIām happy to see you too.ā
āAnd thank you so much for those tacos, they were amazing,ā I groan happily, āBut I saved one for Matthan to enjoy later.ā
āItās so sweet you do that for him. I wish I could do that for Beatrix, but I think Iād just end up overfeeding her,ā she giggles.
'Death by delicious food. Iād be okay with that,' Beatrix chuckles.
'No death talk. I donāt like it,' Matthan grumbles.
'I love how much you love me,' Beatrix coos making Jennifer and I giggle.
āIām going to go shopping tomorrow and get some ingredients so I can make you something, so write down anything we need for the house, and Iāll get it while Iām at the store.ā
āOh, what are you going to make?ā She asks curiously.
āItās a surprise,ā I grin.
āI love surprises,ā she grins back, her smile hitting me like a bolt of lightning to the heart. Gods how I love this girl.
āAlso, I spoke to Michael this morning and he and his sister were inviting us to some supernatural club,ā I say with disinterest.
āI donāt like clubs,ā she says wrinkling her adorable button nose.
I smile down at her, āThatās what I said, so he let it drop. But I suspect heāll ask again in the future.ā
āI just donāt get them. Music so loud it would probably drown out Bee or Matthan, lots of nasty smells, creepy lighting, and questionable people,ā she says with displeasure.
āI feel the same way.ā
āWeāre not even twenty-one,ā she says in confusion, āHow would that even work?ā
āOwner is a supernatural apparently,ā I shrug.
Her forehead sets into a deep wrinkle, āThat doesnāt give him the right to break the law. Thatās very bad.ā Thereās not a word out of her mouth that doesnāt make me smile.
āGood thing I told him we arenāt interested.ā
āI love that you know me so well,ā she chirps happily.
āAnd I just love you in general,ā I say leaning down to kiss her cheek and watch them heat up like she sat in front of an open flame. āNow, tell me how your day went with the pups.ā
āToday was so much fun!ā She exclaims as she dives right into telling me every minute detail of her day, and I hang onto her every word.
The pups sound adorable, but a handful, but I can tell how much she adores them and how much they adore her. Sheās really found her calling and I could listen to her talk about her job for hours. Way more interesting than me telling her how I mastered the art of cleaning the A/C flaps in a car with a toothbrush.
As we approach our cottage, a scent wafts past us on the wind and my body turns to stone. My hands turn cold and clammy as all the blood rushes to my feet preparing my body to run. Jenniferās voice is drowned out by the sound of my heartbeat, while Matthan is up on his legs, baring his teeth with his hackles raised.
'What the hell is he doing here?' He growls.
'I donāt knowā¦'
āLan? Whatās going on?ā Jennifer cautiously asks with a nervous wobble in her voice.
I take in a deep breath and say the words that I suppose were inevitable as I look down at the worried face of my soulmate.
āMy dadās here.ā
My stomach twists into a knot when I hear Landry say those words. Iāve never met Landryās father, but from the stories heās told me, Iād hoped to avoid meeting him. Especially since I know how he feels about Omegas. I canāt help what I am, it makes no sense for him to hate me or anyone else like me for being born a certain way that we canāt control.'Some people will find any reason to hate others, Jen. Their hearts are so bitter and twisted they canāt even summon a kind word or thought. Itās not your fault and you donāt deserve it. I just hate that I canāt come out to give him a piece of my mind,' Beatrix snarls as she crouches down as if ready to pounce.'You can always speak through me,' I gently remind her.Beatrix sits back on her hind legs with a caring look in her eyes, 'We both know you donāt want me to do that. When speaking with Landry or Matthan, sure, but not for something like this, and I respect that. But you realise, one of these days someone is going to go too far in h
The rest of the evening continues to be tense. Iāve been sitting in the living room while Landry busies himself with dinner, but the whole time I go over and over in my head what his dad said. Why does he think Iād ruin Landryās life? Is it because Iām weaker? I know Iām much weaker than other Omegas because of the complications during my premature birth, but no one - okay, most people in the pack - ever made me feel different or less than. They even love to call me the packās miracle pup, which I think is silly. My mum agrees with the pack though, but thatās only natural. Ever since Landry and I rebuilt our bond, Iāve never regretted it, and I still donāt, but I canāt help but wonder if completing our bond is now going to cause problems with his dad. Maybe marking each other wasnāt the right thing to do. 'How can you even think that?' Beatrix whimpers. 'I donāt want to be the reason Landry loses his dad. Heās already lost his mum, and I canāt imagine my life without mum and dad. I
I cover my mouth as I mask yet another yawn. It's safe to say I didnāt sleep well last night. Between the previous night's nightmare, my dadās unexpected and unwelcome appearance and the thoughts and feelings it brought out in Jennifer, I couldnāt get a wink of sleep.Maybe Iām callous for saying this, but I donāt miss my dad. I love him because heās my dad and heās all I have left, but I donāt like him. After my mum passed away he wasnāt the same dad anymore. He tried to raise a warrior, but thatās not the life I wanted. Nothing I did was ever good enough, and while my dad never laid a hand on me, he belittled me every single day. On top of that, he always went on and on about how Omegas are the worst thing to ever happen to the mutolupus species, that they are weak and useless and only good for destroying whoever is unlucky enough to be fated to them. I could never understand why he hated them so much. I still donāt.Jennifer may be an Omega, but sheās the best and kindest person Iā
What a morning! Youād think someone spiked the water or the juice because the little ones have been bouncing off the walls. I must admit, itās been a nice distraction though. I donāt want to think about what happened yesterday, and itās eating at me to feel how horrible Landry feels about it. Landry tends to carry everyoneās guilt and his own. Goddess Morrtemis herself could show up and grant him eternal forgiveness and he still probably wouldnāt forgive himself and it saddens me greatly. 'We could try recommending he visit Beta Eric again. Iām no clinical expert, but even I can tell our Lan is dealing with some trauma thanks to his jerk of a fatherās emotional abuse and neglect,' Beatrix says heartbrokenly. Bee is a tough cookie, far tougher than I, but even she has her sweet side. I know she loves and cares for Landry as much as I do. Sheās always the one giving him a firm push, which I donāt always agree with. I donāt like being forceful with him or anyone ā probably why I prefer
The rest of the day went by very smoothly. I spent most of it focusing on Bai while the other carers tended to the other kids. It was the most Bai had interacted with anyone, so they didnāt pull me away. He really seemed to relax and open up while we played chess, and Iām hoping in time I can maybe get him to play with one of the other children, maybe one even willing to let him teach them to play chess. Heās such a sweet boy, Iād love to see him making friends. Iām just in the kitchen doing the dishes after lunch when I hear footsteps approaching carrying the scent of rose and chamomile. A smile breaks across my face, and I spin around and leap at the tall figure entering the kitchen. They catch me effortlessly as I breathe in their floral scent. āPappa!ā I cheer as I feel my dadās arms wrap around me and swing me around with ease. āHow are you, Cupcake?ā He asks joyfully while kissing my cheeks and setting me on my feet. āIām wonderful,ā I smile up at him, āWhat brings you by? T
As I start to sit back in my seat, sharp pain strikes my side knocking the wind out of me. I cling to the table, trying to process the pain that makes it hard to breathe as Beatrix's howls echo around my mind. āJennifer!ā My mum cries, leaping from her chair to come to my side, āJennifer whatās wrong?ā āI donātā¦ know,ā I pant. Beatrix begins to whimper, 'Landryās hurt.' 'What?! Whatās happening?!' I shout at her but quickly focus more on my bond with Landry and Matthan, 'Lan? Matthan? Whatās happening?' I ask in a panic. 'Everything is fine, I promise,' says Matthan, but I donāt believe that. How can anything be fine when my ribs feel like I got hit by a tank? Is it his dad? Did Landryās dad come back and is now hurting him? Fear and panic rush through me and without a second thought, Iām up on my feet and sprinting across the street while I faintly hear my parents calling my name behind me. I donāt have time to think, I just keep running. I know Iām not that fast, but Iām still
Jennifer and I spent all of last night discussing my decision to get private training lessons and once we had everything out on the table, she asked if today I would accompany her to pack training, so we could at least experience it together. Sheās not asking me to attend every training session with the pack, just this one, and as much as the thought of training gives me flashbacks of trying to get out of P.E. the thought of spending more time with Jennifer was a huge incentive. Iāve already cleared my day with Maggie, whose only response was āItās about timeā, so it's safe to say I wonāt get any argument from her. I managed to scrounge up some workout clothes I brought from home. I donāt know why I packed them, but I guess Iām glad I did. The clothes still feel and smell brand new, so that tells you how little I wore them. Theyāre nothing special, just a grey long-sleeved workout shirt, black workout leggings and black workout shorts over those and black sneakers. The shorts might be
They continue their demonstrations and now Matthan is paying closer attention. After theyāve gone through it a few more times, Mei shifts back into her human form, and I now understand why she was wearing a summer dress. She never has to change her clothes this way. Luna Marcus shifts back but has to put his shorts back on. With all the magic in the world, I wish there was a makkari who could cast a spell that would allow us to not have to strip off our clothes when we shifted, to avoid shredding them to pieces. Surely they can do that. āSince we have limited nagatas at our disposal, weāll be going a few at a time. So, Nare, CJ, Natalia, Gary and Dwain, you go first, and youāll be paired with Hua, XÄ«n yĆ, FĆŗ, YƬchĆ©n and JĆ¹n JiĆ©.ā He then turns to look at Mei, āDid I say those right?ā He asks, and she smiles up at him nodding happily, and he smiles with relief turning his attention back to us. āThe rest of the wolves will wait for their turn and the rest of the nagatas will step to th
āOkay, I canāt hold it in any longer. Iām dying to know what name you picked for him. Please donāt make me wait for your parents to get here,ā I say impatiently, plopping myself down in the chair beside Jenniferās hospital bed. I was alright not knowing while she was pregnant, but now that our son is here, I am dying to hear his name! I canāt keep calling him āsonā or ābabyā. 'Why not? Itās not like either of those statements is incorrect,' Matthan points out. 'How about I just call you āwolfā then?' I retort. He gasps, 'You wouldnāt be so disrespectful.' 'Thatās his point,' Beatrix tiredly chuckles. Poor thing is giving her everything to help Jennifer heal faster, and I canāt thank her enough. āOkay, okay,ā Jennifer chuckles, cradling our son in her arms, āI can finally tell you.ā As I sit on the edge of my seat, excited to finally hear the name she kept hidden for weeks, thereās a gentle knock on the door. āOh, come on!ā I exclaim, whipping my head around in frustration only t
Iāve experienced all types of fear in my life, but none of them will ever compare to the fear I am feeling right now. Not just my own, but the fear coming from the woman who has brought me nothing but love. The level of helplessness I feel seeing Jennifer laid out on a surgical table as Doctor Johnson cuts into her belly is unbearable, but itās nothing compared to what Jennifer is going through. I do my best to block out the sounds of the machines and the back and forth of the doctors and nurses and just focus on Jennifer and try to get her to focus on me. I squeeze her hand and kiss her forehead and feel extra gratitude that there is a screen up to stop us from seeing what they are doing to her body. I donāt want to see them cut into her, and she shouldnāt have to see it either. I know all she can feel is some pressure, but itās not painful, so thatās good. āYouāre doing so good,ā I say reassuringly, keeping my arm around her head so she can focus on my scent and not the other smel
āOkay, enough of the kissing, time to open presents!ā Declares Nare, coming over, taking Jennifer by the hand, and dragging her away to a nearby sofa so she can begin opening presents. I stand by and smile, experiencing every moment of joy emanating from my soulmate as she opens gift after gift. Some gifts confuse her, and me, because just looking at them I wasnāt even sure what some of them were, and then thereās the breast pump which surely was originally designed as a torture device. That canāt actually be comfortable, can it? As Jennifer continues to open presents with glee, her mother walks over and hands me a glass of non-alcoholic punch. āThank you,ā I say, taking the glass from her. āThis was a beautiful thing you did for her. I can already see how much this has lifted her mood,ā she says gratefully. āEverything Jennifer ever said about you is true, and I know you will love her and this baby as much as Craig loves me and Jennifer,ā she says placing a hand on my shoulder, āI
āJennifer is going to love this!ā Cheers Beatrix excitedly from the passenger seat. I glance over, my mind once again trying to reconcile that while I am looking at the body of Jennifer, itās not Jennifer in control. The main thing driving that fact home is the glowing aquamarine eyes looking out the windshield. The other is the mannerisms. Beatrix is exuberant and uses a lot of big gestures, whereas Jennifer is more delicate and demure, except for when sheās excited. āIs she still sleeping?ā I ask as I drive towards the packhouse. āLike a baby,ā she giggles, rubbing her belly affectionately, āIāll start to wake her up once we get there. I donāt want to risk spoiling the surprise.ā āI really appreciate you helping me surprise her like this, and I think sheāll love how youāve dressed her today,ā I say graciously. āWell, I have known her since conception. I know what she likes,ā she says proudly. Beatrix, Matthan, and I have been planning today very carefully without letting Jennif
āIs it normal for the baby to have hiccups?ā Jennifer asks nervously. I give her hand a tight squeeze projecting all the calm I can through our bond. Joanna gives her a warm, reassuring smile like always. āHiccups are absolutely normal.ā Jennifer smiles up at me and instantly relaxes again. 'These mood swings are rough,' Matthan whines. Being bonded mind, body and soul to a pregnant woman sure as hell gives you perspective on how easy we guys have it. Jennifer tries to block me out to spare me most of it, but I have politely told her off about that. Do I enjoy waking up several times a night because I feel Jennifer waking up with an overwhelming need to pee? No, not particularly. But sheās an eighteen-year-old going through one of the hardest changes of her life. Sheās creating life inside her, and my only job at this time is to make her comfortable. Iāve found her a few times crying and naturally, my first instinct is to worry, but when I focus on her emotions itās so confusing.
Landry immediately gets started on dinner, pulling out cheese, cream, and pasta as I pull up a stool at the small kitchen island. I think heās going to make carbonara! 'The papers, go and get the papers,' Beatrix reminds me. 'Oh! Right, thank you for reminding me,' I say as I get back up and go and grab the papers from my bag. 'Itās what Iām here for,' she says casually. I walk over to Landry, smiling up at him while I hold the papers firmly in my hand. āWhatcha got there?ā He asks, glancing over at me as he puts of pot of water on to boil. āWell, I guess we were both thinking of each other today because I did something for you too,ā I say with nervous excitement. āWhat did you do?ā Landry asks eagerly, so, instead of building the moment I hand him the papers. Landry takes them and slowly begins reading, his eyes growing wider and wider as a million emotions swirl inside him. āThisā¦ this is an application to pastry schoolā¦ā āI know!ā I say proudly, āI did some research, and wit
What a day! Okay, I probably say that a lot, but today was different. Today when I arrived at the daycare everyone was waiting to surprise me with balloons, handmade cards, and posters congratulating me on my little nugget. I admit I got pretty emotional and Iām unsure if that was the hormones or just me. Even though itās my job to shower the pups with love, today I felt I was showered in love. Nothing can warm your heart more than the love and affection of an innocent child, and getting to receive all that love from them just made me all the more excited to meet my baby. Iāve already picked out a name! I donāt know if itās a boy or a girl, and I still donāt want to know, so I have variations for both, and I just know Landry will love them, but for now, Iām keeping them a surprise. If he asks, Iāll mention them, but for now, itās a secret between me and Beatrix. 'Youāre right though, Landry is going to love them,' she says happily. 'Iām dying to tell him, but I want to wait for the
Jennifer lets out a loud gasp beside me as I stumble back, shaking my head in confusion. My mum was an Omega? How could I have not known that? 'Matthan, did you know my mother was an Omega?' He shakes his head, 'It was so long ago, and we were both so young. I could speak with her wolf, but it never even occurred to me that she couldnāt shift, especially since she passed before we could.' I lean against the wall of the cottage, trying to process this information. My mum was an Omega, and my dad thinks that her Omega status is what killed her. That doesnāt even make any sense. I can feel the soothing touch of Jennifer stroking my hair comfortingly, but I canāt find the words to speak. āMr Green, you have my deepest condolences for the loss of your animai, I canāt even begin to comprehend that level of pain, and the fact youāre still alive is rare, but as the father of an Omega, I have to ask, why do you believe your animai being an Omega led to her death?ā Jenniferās dad asks calml
I wait patiently on the front porch of our cottage trying to mentally prepare myself for what Iām about to say to my dad. 'He does anything to Jennifer or the pup and Iām ripping his throat out,' snarls Matthan. 'I may not be much of a fighter, but do you really think Iād stand by and let him hurt my animai and baby? Do you think Iām that incapable of protecting my family?' I ask sadly. Matthan sighs and sits back on his hind legs, 'Of course not, I didnāt mean it to come off like that. I have every faith in you, and I mean that. Iām just a little overprotective these days,' he says sheepishly. I smile and give him the mental equivalent of a hug, 'I guess it comes with being expected dads.' Our moment is interrupted as I hear the sound of a car approaching in the distance and itās not long before I see my dadās navy blue Mercury Marauder pull up the gravel path behind the Ryderās aqua-blue Toyota Prius. My dad has had that car longer than Iāve been alive. He never felt a need to