The Wanted Alpha

Ethan

2 months later

April’s little baby bump was growing well. Pregnancy suited her so much, she practically glowed. She was carrying my pups, twins. She said August was certain it was a boy and a girl, it couldn’t be confirmed for another few months but a she-wolf’s instincts in these matters were rarely wrong. I was starting to feel my own bond with the pups develop and grow too as April’s scent changed, mixing with that of our babies growing in her womb.

I would be leaving soon to go to a large Alpha meeting being hosted in Moon Meadows pack in Kentucky by Alpha Jensen Myers. I hadn’t seen him in almost two years as I hadn’t really left the pack since after April…I hadn’t been at any pack meeting for the longest time, Jude or Carrick had gone in my stead. It wasn’t often we Alphas congregated like this, our meetings were usually with neighbouring packs as leaving your own homelands for too long was always a bit of a risk for your pack. The only pack I had visited was Hunter’s over eight months ago to help in training his warriors. His new family was…unorthodox…but incredibly happy.

This time April would be coming with me, the idea of being without her, even for a couple of days, sent my anxiety into overdrive, especially with her being pregnant. I needed to have eyes on her at all times, to reassure myself she was still real. And it would be the first time she would be leaving the pack since she was returned to me. Carrick would be staying behind to look after the pack as his son, Tariq, was only 1½ months old, but Jude would be coming with us and Christopher too. I had also wanted someone along to be a guard and friend to April; Greer was always reluctant to leave his mate and one year old son, Aaron, behind now, but Janine was ecstatic to go with my mate. She had lost her friend and brother in one day and although she still carried that hurt, it had eased with April’s return…it had for the whole pack.

They had seen her resurrection as a direct blessing from the moon goddess and if they hadn’t loved her before they adored her now. Also now that she was carrying not one, but two alpha heirs, the entire pack fawned all over her everywhere she went.

“So who’s actually going to this thing?” April called as she was packing her bag and rummaging through the closet.

She had been growing increasingly angry that nothing fit or had nothing to wear despite her buying a whole maternity wardrobe. Her pouting was becoming increasingly adorable, but I had learnt not to say that out loud.

“Hunter will be there and his weird-a*s family” I chuckled.

“Ethan! That’s rude!” April shouted, fixing me with her adorable glare that was about as threatening as a bunny.

“What, those are his own words” I laughed “but there’ll be a couple of westcoast packs there as well. And you’ll get to meet Alpha Eden too and her mate, I actually haven’t met him yet. I think I met his older brother on my first Alpha meeting with my dad, but he seemed a little full of himself. I’m hoping Conner’s not like him.”

It was the first time my dad had taken me along, almost 9 years ago now when I had just turned 18. I remember Alexander being a bit of a braggart who had supposedly saved his pack from some scheme of his younger brother three years prior, although that story was now widely known as being complete bullshit.

“Conner…?” April spoke, more to herself than anything else “I feel like I know that name…” her face scrunched up trying to remember something. She made this expression a lot when there was a memory just out of her reach. Maybe she knew a Conner once?

“Don’t force it, sweet, you’ll give yourself a headache again” I said, zipping up her now packed carryall bag “how about we get you and my pups fed and then we go?”

As always, the mention of food instantly had her face breakout in the most illuminating smile…as easy to please as ever.

———-

After arriving at Moon Meadows and settling in, our group headed downstairs to go socialise and meet some of the pack already arrived. April looked stunning in her pretty blue dress that hugged her little bump proudly and brought out the colour in her gorgeous eyes.

Upon entering the hall I spotted a future Alpha I wanted to talk to at some point, just through in an adjoining room. I didn’t know him personally as he lived all the way over in Oregon, but I had heard of him. Morgan Anderson, a white wolf; an ancient line of werewolves said to be blessed by the goddess herself upon their creation. There were only a few left and would pop up sometimes once a generation or so, mainly in Alpha bloodlines. But he appeared busy speaking to a woman at his side and a vampire male also?

Deciding to get us all a little more comfortable, I left April with Jude, Christopher and Janine while I got us some drinks, but when I turned around I almost blew a b***d vessel at what I was seeing. My Beta and his mate were nowhere to be seen, Janine had vanished and my mate was currently enveloped in the arms of some huge f*****g male with the most intense aura I had ever felt. My wolf was ready for b***d as we stormed over to the man, ripping his hands off our April, our refreshments at the bar completely forgotten.

“What the f**k do you think you’re doing?!” I growled out between clenched teeth at the male quietly but threateningly so as not to draw too much attention.

“No! It’s ok. This is Conner…the rogue that helped me!” April rushed out and turned my body to look at her.

Wait, what?!

April

Barely a few seconds after Ethan had left, I noticed Janine looking incredibly rigid as she stared across the room.

“Janine? Are you ok?” I asked, grasping her arm.

“My mate…that’s him” she said quietly, looking at a guy at the far side with his back to us.

“What are you waiting for?! Get over there!” I was practically shaking her now with excitement.

“…But I’m meant to guard you…I can’t…” she looked so conflicted.

“To hell with that! This is your mate! Ethan will be back soon anyway” I said animatedly as I pushed her in the direction of the man. This would be one of the most important moments of her life and nothing was standing in her way of it.

He turned slowly as she approached, his face lighting up as though he’d just won the most precious prize. The two of them quickly disappeared into the crowd and out of the hall, well I guess I wouldn’t be meeting him for a while.

Jude chuckled gently from beside me “her mom’s gonna flip when she gets back home with her mate…wait, Kit? Where the hell you goin’?” his train of thought was interrupted by his mate quickly walking off to an adjoining room.

I followed Christopher’s line of sight to a man that looked incredibly similar to him, the same eyes but a shade more golden, a slightly softer jaw and long, jet-black hair with a reddish hue that hung down to his chest. His skin swirled with those soft opalescent colours…he was a vampire too? Jude had immediately taken off after his mate, leaving me alone. I suppose it was up to me to entertain myself then.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see the biggest man I had ever seen!

He stood almost a foot taller than myself, with a huge broad frame and one of the strongest auras I had ever felt. But his face was so familiar, chestnut hair and kind, pale green eyes…I knew this man…Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

…Conner…

Conner! The rogue!…He was an Alpha?!

“April?” he asked, unsure of himself.

“Conner!” I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him and already feeling my eyes stinging with tears…damn hormones.

His huge arms circled me instantly, chuckling lowly “I take that as a ‘yes’ then” he pulled back looking down at me with a gentle smile while wiping the tears from my eyes “I remember when a little firecracker just scowled at me, now you’re crying?”

Before I could respond, I felt my mate rip me away, threatening Conner quietly with barely contained seething anger.

“What the f**k do you think you’re doing?!” his eyes were almost pitch black as Ezra was pushing to be released.

“No! It’s ok. This is Conner…the rogue that helped me!” I turned Ethan, making sure to place my hands on the bare skin of his neck.

My mate looked back up to him, all animosity fading instantly and instead replaced with curiosity.

“And with an introduction like that, you gotta be her mate” as Conner spoke, an incredibly beautiful woman came to stand by him with pale blonde hair and silver eyes, possessing her own strong Alpha aura.

“Making friends, already?” she laughed. And by the way Conner looked at her, as though nothing else existed, she had to be his mate.

“Eden?” Ethan spoke up from beside me.

“Hey, Ethan. Hope my mate’s not causing any more wars here?” she smiled up at him, before looking back to me with a perplexed expression. I felt there was something she wanted to ask, but didn’t know how to say it…if she knew Ethan…she may be wondering how the hell I was currently here.

“How are you an Alpha?!” I blurted out, unable to hold myself back anymore. I had never felt any kind of aura from Conner once, how had he hidden it so long?

“How are you an Alpha?” he countered “…and you’re having a pup too?” his whole face softened as he saw my little bump protruding from my dress.

“I think we need to find a quiet spot to sit and talk…there’s a lot I need to tell you”…how do I even start to explain any of this?

———-

Conner stared at me wide-eyed as Ethan and I concluded our story.

“And here I thought our pack was eventful” he laughed a little awkwardly. There wasn’t really an easy way to hear ‘I came back from the dead’ but Conner and Eden were handling it, relatively, well.

Neither he or I, back then, had shared our past…I couldn’t believe his brother had been so cruel. The whole story had me crying profusely; these damn pregnancy hormones were driving me insane!

“It’s, ok. It’s one of the parts I don’t miss much either” Eden patted my hand, handing me a tissue “our son’s 8 months old now but he was worth all the leaking and swelling!”

We talked for a little longer and despite the rather hostile start, Ethan was getting along well with Conner. As we headed back to the mixer, a tiny woman with ebony skin and beautiful long braids came darting over to us.

“So this is where you’re hiding! You left me repping Silent Forest alone…oh hey, Ethan!”

Her face lit up as she looked up at my mate.

“Hey. April, this is Stella, she’s the Delta from Silent Forest and she’s how I was able to track you down” Ethan introduced us.

She enthused over how good it was to finally meet, especially after everything that had happened. She congratulated me on my pups, commenting that there must be something in the water as both Betas and a Gamma in her pack were currently dealing with their own pregnancies. After spotting Alpha Jensen, the three of them excused themselves to speak with him for a moment but we’d catch up again later in the evening.

“You would not believe what’s just happened!” Jude startled me as he appeared from nowhere.

“I was just about to say the same thing” Ethan replied.

“Kit’s brother! He’s alive and we just found him! Here, this is Bastiaan” he pushed a man forward, the one I saw Chris making a beeline for before.

Christopher stepped forward too, as both brothers explained how they had just reunited. His story was astounding and intensely remarkable. I looked over to the pair of Alphas responsible for his freedom as they gave me a subtle nod and smile. I would definitely need to meet them to give my own thanks. Not only had his brother survived, but eight more of Christopher’s original coven had survived too! I hoped they’d want to come to our pack to live with their leader again. This meeting was turning out to be more momentous than anyone could have predicted.

“I doubt I would have ever found him with him residing on the other side of the country” Bastiaan spoke with the same silken baritone voice of his older brother, though not as deep “and mated to a wolf…figures. To think you used to tease me, brother, for my cavalier attitude in regards to love. Marked and married within a week of meeting!” he smirked towards Christopher, whose face had taken a subtle pink hue.

“He didn’t even fight me on it! Ay, pretty vampire” Jude grinned broadly. Chris’s face flamed instantly with the endearment and glared at his mate; I felt like I was missing some inside joke from something that had transpired.

“Oh, I very much like my new brother-in-law, Christopher!” Bastiaan laughed as he flung his arm over Jude’s shoulder.

“Goddess help us, there’s two of them now” Ethan chuckled from beside us.

“Come on and I’ll introduce you to some people, this is just one of these things you gotta hear!” Jude said as he led us over to a small group talking animatedly with each other.

Hunter, I recognised, and his family, who all gave me a huge hug.

“Looks like I’ll be losing another warrior to your pack, Ethan. He just found his mate in that guard of yours, I haven’t seen either of them for a while now.” Hunter smiled. So that’s who Janine’s mate was!

Christopher introduced us to a huge future Alpha with curly, deep auburn hair and eyes so pale grey they were almost white and his mate, an astounding beautiful woman with honey coloured hair and unearthly bright teal eyes, named Morgan and Serenity. We were also introduced to the pair of exotic looking twin Alphas that had acknowledged me moments before and their mate, the tallest she-wolf I think I had ever laid eyes on with dark blonde hair and dark grey-blue eyes, Astennu, Badru and Evie. The latter was also heavily pregnant; maybe Stella was right, there may very well be something in the water! Having finished their talk with Alpha Jensen, Eden and Conner returned, introducing themselves to the rest of the group.

It was strange. Our packs, here and now, all had connections in ways we never realised until this very moment. Each of our stories were so incredible, harrowing and remarkable, I could have listened for hours. Ethan and Hunter excused themselves to go talk; those two had become such good friends, it was pretty adorable!

Ethan

With the meeting concluded and new friends made, April and I departed Moon Meadows pack to go visit one more before returning home, the Red Shield pack in Texas. April’s condition would only hamper her more as her stomach grew so it was best done now while she had still had some mobility. Jude and Chris were heading back home, while his brother left to arrange to have the rest of the coven move over to our pack should they wish to. We were hopefully gaining nine vampires from those twin Alphas of Two Moons pack and a skilled warrior from White Leaf Moon…this Alpha meeting had been wild.

Telling Lillian and Nina that April was back had been as hard as it was contacting them the second time round. How do you even tell someone that a person dear to their hearts who was previously alive and well, then dead that they had then, by some form of higher power miracle, resurrected…talk about a mind-f**k!

As we neared the address given, I could feel April’s heartbeat soaring. I took her hand, trying to soothe her, the stress wasn’t good for her or our pups.

We pulled up outside a large, pretty, white shingled house, where two she-wolves were outside in an instant; they must have been looking out for our arrival. We had barely stepped out into the hot, humid Texan air as they were hurtling down the pathway and engulfing April in a hug, the three of them crying all over each other. They fussed all over my mate, stroking and cooing to her little bump.

“We’ll have to get started on some more blankets for these little treasures” Nina spoke as she stood back up.

“Come on, you two. We got sweet tea, lemonade and a whole bunch of fixin’s for y’all, including our lil’ darlin’s favourite, hushpuppies!” Lillian exclaimed, pulling April behind her who offered little resistance.

We spent the rest of the day with the two she-wolves, walking around the pack, spending time with some of the children that they were looking after in their home and even meeting some of the now grown wolves that April had grown up with here. My poor sweet was completely spent as she curled up next to me that night in bed. After a huge breakfast in the morning and receiving a few hand crocheted blankets that Lillian and Nina had obviously made for our arrival, we got on our way to the airport to finally head home to White Tree pack.

While on the plane home from Texas and my mate softly sleeping on my lap with her head against my chest, my thoughts returned to what Hunter had told me. The ominous warning of his words stirred my wolf’s protective instincts as we stroked the little bump where our pups grew.

~~~~

“It’s good to see you so happy, Ethan…who’d have thought the two of us would be fathers” Hunter said with a rueful smile.

“I still don’t even feel ready or like any of it’s real…that day I thought I’d lost April forever…the idea of pups never even surfaced again…” I don’t think I could have ever taken another mate, my Alpha line would have ended with myself.

“…He’s over a month old and I’m still kinda terrified. I didn’t exactly have the best role model…” he frowned.

“You’re nothing like him, plus I’m hoping you’ll make it look easy for when my 2 come along” I laughed quietly.

“Twins…I actually think I’d have a heart attack if that was me.”

We stood in silence for a moment or two before he spoke again.

“…Ethan…that vampire…just be careful having him in the pack…”

Bastiaan? Did he think he was dangerous?

Hunter must have noticed my alarmed confusion and continued “not that I think he’ll cause any harm to your pack or its members…but those people that held him…they might.”

Bastiaan had been held prisoner along with the rest of his coven by some strange wolves in Europe. Did Hunter really think they would come here for him?

“Tell me, have you ever heard of the Moon’s Eye?”