Aurora
I hurried to the spot where Raco, the feral wolf, had been seen. My wolf picked up his scent, sharp and aggressive, and I followed the trail through the dense forest.
There he was—Raco, poised to attack a fragile human woman who seemed oblivious to the danger, focused instead on preparing for what would have been a relaxing bath.
Without hesitation, I gently set the cubs down in a secure spot and signaled to Fredrick, who was on his way, to stay with them. The thought of seeing his face when he realized I already had two sons brought a mischievous smile to my lips.
Sirius, Raco's wolf, was wailing in anguish over the loss of his mate. I knew that breaking through his defenses meant reaching the memories of her—those moments that still connected him to reason.
I summoned memories of Sara, those rare times when I had seen them together, happy and unburdened. The image of them brought a shift, a subtle weakening of his resistance.
Raco was more than just my head warrior; he embodied the loyalty and dedication of my people. Even though we weren't bound by blood, their trust in me was unshakable. I couldn't—and wouldn't—abandon them now.
My gaze softened as I met his eyes. "I understand the darkness that haunts you, but you don't have to let it win. You're not alone."
A tremor of doubt crossed his features, and he whispered, "I… I don't know if I can."
"You can," I replied, stepping closer with unwavering certainty. "You already have. Just look at yourself, Raco. You're still here, and that means there's hope."
The frantic light in his eyes dimmed, replaced by a steady, sorrowful resolve. He drew in a shaky breath and lowered his head, a rare moment of vulnerability. I leaned in and nuzzled his cheek briefly, a silent promise that I would stand by him.
Astha's soft, approving growl resonated, and for the first time, the wildness left Raco's eyes. They met mine, no longer burning with pain but flickering with a fragile hope.
"Thank you," he murmured, voice raw with emotion.
I let a warm smile break across my face, eyes glistening with pride. "Let's get you back to where you belong."
We made our way back to the spot where I had left Riven and Rowan.
As we neared, I didn't see fear in their eyes; instead, there was curiosity and a touch of happiness.
Rowan bounded up to me, eyes wide as he asked, "Mom, why was the uncle trying to hurt that aunty?" His voice was soft and full of innocence. I scooped him up and gently explained, "Because he lost his mate."
Both of them exchanged puzzled glances, prompting me to continue. "A mate is the other half of our soul. When they leave us, it makes us weak, and our wolf takes control, pushing us toward madness." Their expressions shifted as understanding dawned on them. I couldn't help but laugh at their sweet innocence, and my excitement to see my mates grew even stronger.
All this while we neglected my beta fredrick who interrupter uswith a cough and wore a dead pan face as he has
Fredrick is all dark tones and raw power, with a physique sculpted enough to tempt anyone to stare—and waist-length hair so flawless that even I, his Alpha, can't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. His chiseled face remains stoically expressionless most of the time, yet it exudes a commanding aura that falls just shy of rivaling my own.
He was cast out from his previous pack, his Alpha feeling threatened by Fredrick's natural dominance as a Beta. Lucky for me, I gained a second-in-command capable of running my pack seamlessly in my absence. The only misfortune? He's gay, shattering the dreams of countless hopeful women.
That being said, there are moments when even I, the mighty Rogue Queen, find myself a little intimidated—not by his strength, but by his relentless nagging and unyielding seriousness.
Fredrick POV
As I reached the spot Alpha had pointed me to, my brain immediately short-circuited. Standing there were two kids—two tiny pups with eerily familiar features that screamed Aurora.
My thoughts went haywire:
WTH?! How did she manage to produce two mini-clones of herself in a week?
And wait...what exactly am I supposed to do here? Babysit?
Who's the father?
Which idiot dared to lay a hand on my Alpha? Are they still alive? Wait, can anyone even manage to lay a hand on her?
Then it hit me.
Wow...they're cute.
But why do they have two completely different hair colors? Is that even normal?
And what does she mean by leaving them with me? Does she not realize I might terrify them into next year? I mean, have they seen my aura?
Are they scared of me?
Who's supposed to take care of them back at the palace? Me?!
Should I even try talking to them? What if they run off screaming? Maybe they're just distant relatives. Yeah, that's plausible.
Wait...impossible.
I can feel it. The bloodline pressure radiating from them—these are Alpha's kids.
Kids. Actual kids. Her kids.
I've never dealt with children before; most of them run for the hills when they sense my aura. Dn it, Alpha, why must you be like this?**
Where is she, anyway?
And just as I'm thinking that, she waltzes in, calm as ever, with Raco in tow like nothing happened. Of course, she pulled it off.
I sighed in relief. Ah, there she is.
But excuse me, am I invisible now? What's this? Are the kids seriously not even flinching at Raco after his little feral episode?
They're really damn cute, though. I'll give them that.
But can someone acknowledge my presence, please? Cough, cough.
"Excuse me, Alpha," I finally managed. "Are these...your kids?"
She raised a single eyebrow at me, the universal Aurora signal for If they're not mine, are they yours?
I swallowed all the remaining questions bubbling in my mind and resigned myself to following her back to the territory, utterly baffled and mildly traumatized.