Belinda fell asleep immediately. Juan held her and closed his eyes as well. He knew when she woke she would have to adjust to much. She would be the rightful Alpha of two packs and his Luna. Three packs would be depending on her.
Juan stared at her. She was beautiful physically. But most she-wolves were physically beautiful. What impressed Juan more was her heart. Her heartless mother accused her of being a "bleeding heart" or a soft touch. easily moved. That was an insult from her mother. But it was so not true, not entirely. Juan had noticed Belinda was discerning. She did have a nurturing heart but she was no push over. Her mother obviously did not know her well. Juan kissed her forehead and Belinda blinked her eyes. Looking up at Juan, she smiled.
"Hello, Beautiful." Juan said mailing at her.
"Ummm. Hi." she blushed.
"Are you ready to go see your family?" Juan asked her.
"I suppose. May I ask you something?" Belinda furrowed her eyebrows.
"Oh course. What is it?" Juan smiled again at her rubbing the furrow between her brows. Belinda sighed.
"Ummm. Roberto and Rodney say I am granddaughter/daughter and only heir to their pack. And...ummm" Belinda hesitated.
Juan knew she had figured out what was happening. He wasn't sure she had figured all of it out yet but he said a the wheels in her mind turning. Belinda was a smart woman.
"Yes?"
He wanted her to say it herself.
"Ummm... and here... this pack....the Manobo pack? He says I am his only heir too. So...so...does that mean they want me to be Alpha over both packs?"
"Yes, my beloved." he smiled at her and rubbed her back.
"And you... you are my mate and I am supposed to be your pack's Luna?" Belinda asked more for clarification purposes.
Juan nodded yes and looked into her eyes. He saw her thinking through these realities and wondered if she really understood how important she was. "Without you, my dear, all three of these packs will fall into chaos. People will challenge for the Alpha position and many will die in that chaos. It will be a type of internal werewolf war. Do you understand your importance to us all?"
"But, it is just because of my birth lineage not because of me." Belinda was struggling. She had always wanted to matter because she was good at something, not just because of her mother's strings or now her bloodline.
She got out of the bed and walked tonthe bathroom. She turned at the door and looked at Juan, "Am I just a fated mate some Goddess said you had to be with to you?"
Juan walked towards her. "I will not lie to you. At first, yes in a way that is what I thought. We werewolves tale seriously our destiny, our Goddess' will for our lives. We are her children...."
Belinda closed her eyes and started to interact Juan. 'BUT.. let me finish,please...then I met you.I interacted with you. I have seen your intelligence and your heart and I now want to be your mate and you to be my mmatebecause of who you are. Do you hear me?" He took her hand and placed it over his heart and looked into her eyes. She saw his sincerity and felt the love he had for her in ways she never felt with Jim.
Belinda leaned into his arms and he hugged her close.
LATER THAT DAY
Belinda sat quietly with her new family. She looked around the room at her two grandfathers, her father and her mate. A week and a half ago she did not even know she had family members. Now she sat here with them...three generations in this room. Her two grandfathers were napping and her father was reading. Her mate was reading ... her? She shook her head and smiled at Juan. He smiled back.
Belinda cleared her voice, "Ummm. I have been thinking." All four of the men sat up straight and looked at her. "So, I gather we need to talk."
Rodney looked at his father. Roberto looked at the ground (for some reason).
Romero stared at her with wide eyes.
"Let me see if I understand things clearly. I am the sole heir of both mountain packs and Luna to Juan's pack. Yes?"
The four nodded yes.
"Well... I have a solution."
All four men cockes their left eyebrow and Belinda laughed. The expression on each face was a duplicate of one another.
Roberto and Romero chuckled. Juan blushed and Rodney laughed out loud. Belinda held up her hand and they all stopped and gave her all their attention. They were curious as to her "solution."
"We merge the packs."
"SAY WHAT?" Romero and Roberto said at the same time.
"Don't tell me you never thought about that?" she asked.
Juan covered his mouth with his hand and fought down a snicker. It was obvious this girl of his had no idea about the pride of an Alpha. Roberto and Romero stood up abruptly and stomped out of the room. Rodney just sat there stunned and starring at his daughter. Belinda watched her grandfathers stomp out and looked to Juan. "What did I say?"
Juan stood up and stepped to her side, "Well, my dear..."
"Are you crazy?" Rodney whispered to no one and yet Juan and Belinda knew it was meant for her. He shook his head and turned to leave with his head down staring at his feet, hands balled up into fists.
Juan and Belinda were left alone.
"Hmmm." Belinda said. Juan turned his face away from Belinda and chocked down a hearty laugh, hurting his chest.
"What? Tell me. What did I say that was so awful? Isn't it the logical, rational answer to this issue?" she said.
Juan was teary eyes from stuffing down his laughter but he managed to say, "Rational? Yes. Reasonable to Alphas?No, my beloved."
"Why not?"she asked totally befuddled.
Juan took her by the hand and guided her to the sofa and motioned for her to sit on his lap. She complied, anxious actually to hear his thoughts.
"Beloved...well...Alphas are proud, very proud. An Alpha takes an oath, a blood oath to protect the pack at all costs. An Alpha will risk his life to protect the pack. The pack is the Alpha's everything, except for his mate. For his mate an Alpha will even turn away from the pack.
What you just suggested was for them to give up their pack to me."
"SAY WHAT? To YOU!? When did I say that?"
"Ok. You are my Luna. I am my pack's Alpha. You are the Alpha of two packs. If the two packs merged, you would be the Alpha of both BUT you are still my Luna which means I am the Alpha of our family, and if we merge then I am Alpha of one unified pack."
"Why can't I be Alpha along side you, co-alphas?"
"Co-alphas? Like both of us?"
"Well, that is what 'co' means. Together."
Juan was silent. He moved Belinda to the couch, stood up and smiled faintly at her. Then Juan walked out of the room leaving Belinda alone. She was stunned.
All four men walked out.