Birth was strange. Sometimes it was a pain from deep inside, and she could only howl out. Other times, nothing was clear, and it was like she was in a dream. Her stomach was in knots, her head fuzzy; sometimes, she could even feel the child moving. Instead of processing, she let it happen, the pain leaving through her growls.

Regina could feel Mavis there, Nora and Sammy too. Someone was always talking, and time flew by.

Until the recognizable sound of a gun was heard.

Unintentionally, she tensed up, and Mavis appeared in her blurry vision.

“Calm...Marco...Wait...”

Regina couldn’t calm down, her instincts going into overdrive. She was in danger, her baby wasn’t safe, she had to leave!

“Luce!”

Hands pushed her down, Regina snapped back. She was in pain, but she couldn’t stay here any longer. Willing the pain to stop, she crawled forward inch by inch.

“Wait! You can’t!”

More hands covered her, her heart racing. She had to leave, escape, protect her baby!

Then there was a pinch in her neck, and all her energy left her.

____

Mavis panted as Regina fell to the bed. Sammy was on the floor, holding her arm while Nora and Xander seemed to have no idea what to do.

“We need to continue; it’s unsafe for the baby. Put her back on the towels, young woman; I need to see your arm.”

Sammy smiled as she sat, revealing that it was just a scratch. She pushed the Theta away while Nora babied her sister. Mavis and the Theta covered Regina once more, and unable to do anything else, Xander went outside.

The field was a battlefield, a large red wolf in the center. While it was customary for the Alpha’s to have hints of red in their fur, this was unnatural. His uncle had already started the change.

Going around the back, Xander was stopped by a child holding a gun.

“Wow there!” He put his hands up and stepped back, watching as the child flinched with his finger still on the trigger. “I promise I won’t hurt you or your sister; let’s put the gun down.”

The kid shook more, fear controlling his body.

“Y-you guys br-brought them. You made m-my daddy change.”

These were the Alpha’s kids; they just watched as their father changed into what he could only call a beast.

“What’s your name, kid?”

The boy stopped, slightly lowering the gun. “Ben, Ben Little. Can you make my daddy go back to normal?”

“I can, Ben, but the people in blue are the only ones to do that. Someone has poisoned him, and we need to take him away to fix him.”

Slowly, the gun was lowered, and tears entered the boy’s eyes.

“Ben! Tish!”

Both children looked past Xander and a boy came flying out of nowhere. The gun was ripped out of Ben’s hands as the older boy hugged them both.

“What were you two doing! Do you know how worried mom was when she saw the gun was gone? Why did you leave the house?”

With the children take care of, Xander stepped back until he was hidden by shadow. Back on the porch, he watched the fighting slow. The pack was so outnumbered, once the alpha was taken down by a tranquilizer, no one else moved.

A woman then left the house, the pack surrounding her. She went to the councilmen; Mathias was chained up and the Alpha was put into the back of the ambulance. A battle avoided a simple spat over.

With the leaving and the field empty, Xander strode over to his so-called uncle.

“Where is Ruby?”

Robin was taken earlier before he could even greet her. Yet Ruby hadn’t been seen once.

“Xander, if only you were an Alpha, you would have been my greatest invention.”

With hands clenched, Xander pushed back the urge to punch the man. Mathias looked up, a sick smile on his face. His hair was gray, wrinkles on his face, but the joy in his eyes was that of a child playing with toys.

“Where. Is. She?”

“She always loved to play hide and go seek. It was our favorite game when your parents went out.”

Thankfully, one of the police took him away before Xander could do anything else. Xander didn’t know how a man could ruin his own family as he did.

“Xander Cooley?”

He turned to see a woman in blue, the signature color for the Council, Councilmen Colemen. She had a round face and happy eyes, not the typical image of a leader. He always pictured the Council to be full of old men.

“I know you’re worried, but my men are tearing through the house. We will find her, and your other sister is safe.” A smile escaped her, and she coughed to hide it. “Though there is a problem with a man who keeps trying to get in. Love is quite the strange thing, now go greet your wife and newborn, Cooley.”

With that reminder, Xander ran back to the house where he Fated was waiting.

Ripping the door open, he smiled, seeing his pup and wife on the bed. Blood had been cleaned away, the pup was being groomed by Regina as Mavis, and the pack Theta were talking.

He didn’t even take off his clothes before shifting, letting his wolf come closer to scent out his new pup.

‘His name is Vita. He will be full of life.’

The pup was dark, his fur a mix of browns, greens, and black. He would be a wonderful wolf. His sister would love him.

‘Thank you, Gina.’ He nosed his wife. ‘You’ve done amazing, I didn’t think I could love you more, but I think I do.’

She laughed through the link; the rest of the world no longer existed.

‘What shall we name him? I named Mary Fae, now it’s your turn.’

He paused, unsure of what his sisters would think.

‘I have an idea, but we will have to wait. And you need to rest. I’ll be here, never leaving your side.’

Xander kept his promise; he stayed in wolf form as investigators searched the house, finding Ruby and taking her to the hospital where her sister was. Mathias was taken to the prison, the Alpha to detox, and the pack was being run by the Luna.

Thankfully, time had given them one benefit. A Blood Wolf is made through ingesting the blood of other werewolves to an insane amount. By cleansing the system and a few days in a hospital, a Blood Wolf could go back to being a regular Alpha. As long as they are caught in time. Eventually, the poison spreads to the body, changing the DNA. At that point, there is no going back.

Yet, Regina was becoming a problem.

“Come on, Mary is waiting along with Aisha. Don’t you wanna go home, Gigi?”

Nora pleaded once more, but neither wolf moved.

Regina had made her nest; she wasn’t going to leave until her pup was ready. Mavis sighed; her daughter was stubborn, but this wasn’t their land. They couldn’t wait months for Regina to feel like moving.

“Gigi, let’s go home. Mama Marissa would want to see the baby.”

No response, Regina just laid still, focused on her baby while Xander remained protective.

Mavis was tired. They had spent months tracking and hiding the scent of their home pack. Months in the wild, away from home and worrying every second about her child and grandbaby. This wasn’t healthy for her, being so stressed.

“Excuse me? Are you Mavis?”

She turned to see a woman in the doorway, two children hiding at her legs.

“I heard you were the one being my husband’s rescue, and I wanted to thank you.

“Luna Little, I’m just trying to help. It’s been a long process, but your husband should be home soon, and that man will stay locked up.”

She relaxed, a smile gracing her features.

“In gratitude, I want to mention that you can extend your stay. I remember what it was like with my children, your daughter can stay as long as she wants.”

As if hearing the blessing, the pup woke up with whines and whimpers. Both parents sat up, taking care of the hungry wolf. But the children’s curiosity was already triggered.

Mavis watched as they tried to get close without leaving their mother. While Regina and Xander were currently overprotective, children were less of a threat.

She crouched down to their level, grinning at the kids. “Would you like to see him?”

With a lookup and a nod from their mom, they slowly walked forward till they were at the edge of the bed.

Xander was the first gate; he leaned down to sniff at each of them. With a gruff bark, he laid his head down, a sign of tolerance.

The girl reacted first, reaching forward to touch the puppy. Luckily, Mavis responded before Regina did, pulling her hand away before it could get bitten.

“Xander is okay, but remember this,” She leaned down to explain to the girl. “A mother will always be more vicious than a father. Dad with growl and bark, but a mama will always bite.”

The girl nodded, creeping behind her brother. Together they were inspected, and after a long wait, Regina relaxed.

The boy went first, touching the puppy’s back. He got a whine and a wiggle, the boy giggled at the reaction. Soon his sister was on the bed, cooing and petting the small pup. It wasn’t long until Regina started to growl, wanted the children gone from her nest.

“Looks like mama has had enough; let’s go Ben, Tisha.”

The children left with a sad wave to the puppy and wolves.

With that, Mavis settled on the couch. It looks like she would be here longer than she thought.

____

He wasn’t coming.

The room was dark.

Someone else was in too.

A girl who never said a word.

She was used to the dark.

She could see the girl shivering in the opposite corner.

The girl couldn’t see her.

He wasn’t coming.

He didn’t bring food.

It had been long since he last came.

This had never happened before.

He always came.

He would come.

He had to.

____

Her stomach hurt; it kept making noises.

Her throat was dry.

This had never happened before.

Had he left her?

Why?

What had she done?

Why wasn’t he coming?

Where was he?

The girl was sleeping.

She made noises when she was awake.

She liked the noises; they were soft and calming.

The girl wasn’t waking as much as she used to.

The girl wasn’t used to the cold or the time between feedings.

But he would come back.

He always did.

This was a punishment.

Once he was happy, he would come back.

He had to.

____

She couldn’t keep her eyes open.

The girl wasn’t waking up anymore.

He wasn’t coming.

He had abandoned her.

Like everyone did.

This was the third time.

She shouldn’t be surprised anymore.

Everyone left.

Now she was alone.

It was dark.

She couldn’t keep her eyes open.

____

Even though her eyes were closed, she could tell the door was open.

He came for her!

With that thought in mind, she relaxed.

He would always come.

He loved her.

He did.