Salem

Prologue

   Leonardo sat at a window watching his best friend and their mate getting cozy together. A breeze trickled through the woman's raven hair,  causing it to blow into her fair-featured face. Leonardo holds back a growl at the two's public display of affection while his best friend pushes the hair away from the face of the fair creature they both love. The only difference is that he is her mate. 'Alicard' Leonardo called through the mind-link. Alicard gets up to leave his mate but not before they lock in a passionate embrace of lips and tounge.
  Leonardo holds back another growl as he watches. 'Alicard, NOW!' Alicard unlatches from his mate with an apologetic smile. Rushing off to his packmaster. As Alicard reaches the office, Leonardo turns around with a forced smile. "Alicard, my friend how's Loretta?"
"She's three weeks pregnant.", Alicard smiled. Leonardo hid his emotions but showed his shock.
"Congratulations! I wish you both a happy and healthy pregnancy. Have you figured out names?"
"Not yet we've had a rough time finding the right one."
   Leonardo forced another smile and got to the point.
"Anyway I called you up here to warn you that there have been rouges spotted near our northern neighbors."
"I'll reinforce the patrols, Leo"
Leonardo nodded. His wolf wanted to rip off Alicard's head. He wanted Loretta for himself. If only Loretta was his to call mate.
                             5 months later
Loretta was on her third trimester and close to popping as their pregnancies ran faster than human's. She was due any second now and Alicard wouldn't stop fussing. Leonardo grew to tolerate their relationship and respected it. The rogues had come to their doorstep 2 days ago. More and more of them had been showing up with plans to attack the pack leaving it weak enough for a takeover. The pack had become tense and were preparing through harsh training regiments.
   Leonardo led the training without complaints from his warriors. They knew that this was necessary to survive. As Leonardo looked over his pack warriors noticing if they messed something up and going to help. At once,  he noticed a figure watching from the sidelines.  "Loretta", Leonardo called to her.  Loretta walked over, inquisitive. "What are you doing here? You could get yourself hurt", he had grown extremely protective of the child within her womb as though it were his own. Leonardo still loved her but respected the mate bond between her and Alicard. " I'm fine Leo, just bored" Loretta admonished.  Leonardo let off a chuckle. Loretta used to be a strong pack warrior for his neighbors to the south. She had come up to the pack to preview their training regimen. That's how Leonardo, Alicard, and Loretta had met. Just then, Loretta let out a pain filled yell, looking down saw a soaked spot. Loretta looked up panicked.
"My water just broke!"
Leonardo mind linked Alicard then picked up Loretta rushing to the pack medic. As soon as the medic saw,  they were a frenzy of medical supplies and rushed orders. Laying Loretta on a cot,  Leonardo left as Alicard rushed to his mate's side. Waiting in the waiting room, Leonardo had someone bring him some paperwork from his office. 8 painful hours later Loretta let out a final push and heard the cries of her newborn child. "It's a girl." Alicard cut the umbilical cord then held his new daughter with an awe filled and loving look as he brought her to Loretta. "What should we name her?"