Nickolas
“Are you all right?” I ask my mate, she looks really dizzy and is laying on the couch.
“Yeah. I don’t know, I just feel tired.” She yawns.
“Serenity was coming by soon, should I cancel? You can see her another day.” I ask. Serenity and Liam were expecting their first child. A wolf pregnancy lasts 6 months instead of 9, and she was about two months along.
Liam was ecstatic and had completely remodeled a baby room in his house within a week of learning the news.
“No, I want to talk to her. And we’re not canceling on dinner.” She smiles. We had a formal dinner reserved at a restaurant outside our territory. We had a legal marriage yesterday.
Our marriage was simply walking into the town court and signing documents. It was in no way special, but it’s crucial for humans. She needed to take my surname, she needed to be put as the co-owner of the land, she needed to be my equal.
The night of our marriage, we hosted a large party for the entire village and celebrated along with the news of Serenity’s pregnancy.
Lexi had hit her second heat, barely 5 months after her first one. It’s unusual for it to come so quickly, seeing as the average female got her heat every 6 to 7 months. Not that I’m complaining; it’s probably because she’s an Alpha born.
Lexi
Nickolas left to open the front door for Serenity. I heard Liam and Nickolas greet each other and Serenity walk up the stairs.
“Hey Lexi, Nickolas told me you weren’t feeling too well.” Serenity walks into our bedroom. Her stomach has a little roundness to it and she looks very pleased with herself.
“I’m just tired. I think I might be getting sick.” I answer. Wolves can get sick, just like any other creature, but we tend to get better a lot faster.
“Oh, that’s too bad. Hopefully you’ll feel better by your dinner tonight.” She rubs my arm sympathetically .
“What gender baby do you want?” I change the subject.
“Ugh, we don’t know. It’s not actually up to us, but Liam and I want a boy to take his surname, but we also want a girl because he wants to protect her and I want a her to look like me.”
“Maybe you’ll have twins.”
“Maybe. I don’t know about delivering twins though. I just want my child to be healthy.” She smiles.
“And I’m sure Liam feels the same way.”
“We were going to ask you to go shopping with us for baby stuff, but I think I should help you for tonight. Besides, baby shopping with Liam is the most tedious thing in the world.”
“What are you going to help me with?” I didn’t need anything.
“Your wardrobe.”
Nickolas
“Serenity! Come on, the stores are going to close in three hours!” Liam calls her up gleefully. The way Liam was envious of me finding my mate matched my envy for him and his mate expecting a child. I would never force Lexi to do anything, especially since she hasn’t hit heat three times, but I want a child with her.
Serenity was 20 years old. She would be 21 by the time she gave birth. Lexi was still 18. I know I can’t expect a child for a few more years. And I won’t pressure her about it.
“C’mon Liam. Let’s leave Lexi and Nickolas to enjoy their night.” She grabs his arm and pulls him out of the house. “And we’re visiting the candy store at the mall, alright? I have to pick up some chocolate.” Liam just kisses her and nods.
I chuckle to myself. Serenity with Liam often reminded me of Lexi with me. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: I’m silly putty in Lexi’s hand. And she knows it.
Our dinner is in two hours, so I go upstairs to shower. Lexi is napping on the couch with the blanket strewn over her. Her hair is damp and makes the pillows wet. Every time I look at her, I fall in love again. I peck her cheek and head into the bathroom.
A towel hangs around my hips as I re-enter our bedroom. She’s still sleeping and I go into my closet. I button up my white shirt and pull on some formal black pants.
“Nickolas?” Lexi’s sweet voice calls out on the other side of the door.
“Are you okay?” I step out. She’s yawning on the couch and freezes when she sees me.
“You look sexy when you dress up.” Her eyes run up and down my body. I smirk and kiss her.
“Are you still up for tonight?” I inquire
“Yeah, Serenity helped me out.”
“With what?”
“Wear a red tie.” She smiles at me. “And please wait downstairs.”
“Why can’t I at least pick out your dress?” I fake pout.
“It’s a surprise.”
I sit on the couch watching TV on the first floor waiting for my mate to come down.
“Nickolas?” I snap my eyes up to see my mate standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking absolutely stunning.
This is the first time I see my mate as a grown, mature woman. She looks like she’s 18, not like the girl that ran around the soccer field kicking a muddy ball. She doesn’t look like the little girl I found over three years ago or the girl I slept with every night.
But she is, and I feel like a father watching his daughter off to her first date.
“Are you okay?” She gently wipes a tear off my cheek. I hadn’t even realized I was crying.
I don’t answer, instead I grab her neck and push my lips to hers. Even with her heels, she’s still much shorter than me.
I lick her bottom lip and beg for entrance. She smirks into the kiss but refuses to open. I growl and nibble her lip. She still doesn’t open; instead she bites my lower lip. I gasp at the unexpected pain and she forces her way into me.
I moan as she demands dominance and let her do whatever she wants to me. As quick as the kiss started, it ends.
“We have reservations at 7.” She reminds me.
“We can call and skip it.” I growl playfully.
“I’m hungry.” She replies simply
She shrugs and walks past me, taking my car keys off the hanger. A few months ago, I bought Lexi a new car, as a sign of trust. It was a sign that showed I know she would never leave me or stab me in the back. And she never has.
Even though her car was really great, she still preferred mine. Outside, I realize she’s sitting in the drivers seat of my car. I shake my head and get in the passenger side.
Lexi’s wolf was mature, meaning she was fully Alpha. She actually beat me quite often in training sessions and her speed was incredible. She was very active at Alpha meetings and natural commanded over the pack wolves. Alphas normally hate it when any other wolf reaches their level, but Lexi is my mate. I can’t help but love her demanding personality.
I tell Lexi how to get to the restaurant during the hour long drive. I quickly get out and open the door for her, handing her my jacket; males don’t really need to see her, except for me.
Lexi
“Reservations for Mr. and Mrs. Devrend.” Nickolas tell the man at the front table. Mr. and Mrs. Devrend. I love how that sounds. Going to the human town and getting legally married wasn’t significant to us, and the plain gold rings didn’t actually mean much.
Humans are beneath us; being mates is already like being married. But I love having Nickolas’ surname. Devrend. I still don’t know what my maiden name is supposed to be, but now I have his name to call my own.
I really do love Nickolas; I love being his mate; I love being his wife. A man in a suit leads us to a candlelight table with a white table cloth with scarlet details and two large tables.
The same man hands us laminated menus and leaves us. We study our choices and quickly make our order.
“May I suggest a pinot noir with your meal?” Our waiter asks.
“No thank you. We don’t drink.” Nickolas replies. I’ve noticed that over the years. Nickolas never drinks alcohol. Ever. Even if other wolves are drinking we’ve both refrained from it. It honestly made me fell more comfortable around him.
“Why don’t you ever drink?” I question him.
“What?”
“I’ve never seen you drink alcohol. You’re almost 25 years old. Did you ever drink?” I ask.
“I used to. But I decided my life would be much better if I never drank again. Besides, I know that the man who attacked who was intoxicated. I don’t want to ever be like that.” His eyes are sad and his voice sounds angry at the memory of what happened to me.
I take his hand in my own and rub my thumb on his fingers.
“I love you. I know there’s nothing you’ll ever do to hurt me. I know you’ll always protect me. And I’ll protect you.” I grin at him. It’s all true. I love this man more than anything else, and I want to spend my entire life with him.
“I will. I promise you I will. I love you.” His eyes brighten at me.
“Your meal Mr. and Mrs. Devrend.” Our waiter returns with a tray carrying all our food. He quickly sets the plates down on our table and arranges the food. Nickolas and I start enjoying our steaks; we’re wolves, meat is crucial.
“So, I wanted to take you out to dinner and to talk about stuff.” Nickolas plays with his food.
“What kind of stuff?”
“A couple things. Our future.” He looks nervous.
“What about our future?” I stab into my salad.
“i’m just going to be blunt. I want to talk about our family.” He bites his lip and stares at me to say something.
“Our family? I’m going to hit heat for the third time soon, we’re going to mate. In a few years we’re going to start trying for a pup. And if the Luna wants, we’re going to have more pups. When our eldest reaches 21, we retire and live peacefully.” I shrug. This is what I want, what my wolf wants and what I know Nickolas wants.
“You’re fine with the idea of having pups?”
“Of course. I want pups. I’m your mate, so I want to carry your pups. I think maybe when I’m 21 or 22 we’ll be ready.” I keep chewing my food. Since my wolf matured, I feel like I have to. I know what my duty is to my pack and my mate, and I expect to complete it.
“You have no idea what a relief that is.” He lets out a huge breath.
“You thought I wouldn’t want to have your pups?” Does he not want pups with me?
“No! Of course not. I just thought that, since you’re an orphan, maybe you’d be sensitive to having a child.”
“It’s because I am an orphan that I want to have pups. I want to make a family with you.”
He leans over the table close to me.
“I want to help you make our family.” He grins. “It’s a shame we have to wait some years; I’m sure any pup you bear will be as beautiful as you.”
“Would you care for some dessert?” Our waiter is back. Way to ruin the moment.
“No thank you. We’ll take the bill.” Nickolas responds.
“Actually, can we have a chocolate cake to go?” I still want something sweet.
“Of course. I’ll add it to your bill and bring it right away.”
He leaves and Nickolas raises an eyebrow at me.
“What? It’s for us.” I smile innocently.
“Right.” He smirks at me.
I love his smirk. And his smile. And his laugh. And his eyes. And the way he looks at me. I love everything about him I love him, simple as that.
“Your bill.” The waiter returns. Nickolas hands him his credit card without breaking eye contact with me. We’re two idiots staring into each others eyes like high school love birds.
Our waiter gives Nickolas his credit card and a white box containing my cake.
“Let’s go. Mrs. Devrend.” I stand up and Nickolas wraps his jacket around my shoulders and pecks my lips.
Nickolas keeps me close to his side as we make our way to the exit.
“Excuse me, sir?” An older man sitting with his family stops us.
“Yes?”
“My wife and I just wanted to congratulate you two on your marriage. How long have you been married?” He smiles at us.
“Almost two months.” He kisses my cheek.
“Congratulations. And may I say, you look so young.” His wife exclaims.
“Thank you.” Nickolas grins. “Enjoy the rest of your meal.”
Nickolas leads me to the car.
“I’m driving back. It’s late.” He says, getting in the drivers seat.
“All right. I’m tired.” I pull my knees into my seat and wrap his jacket around me.
It’s thick with his smell, his soothing smell that I’ve grown attached to. It’s the same smell I fall asleep with every night. It’s the smell that I’ll carry.
“So, I was thinking that we might need another house for the village. We have some more pups growing up, and they want to move out of their parents house.”
“I think that’s a good idea. I’ll arrange the funds for it. How many are expected to live there?”
“I was thinking between 8 and 12. At least 14 years old.”
“All right. I’ll start tomorrow.”
Nickolas
Lexi and I continued talking about things that needed to be done around the pack, until she drifted off to sleep. I really hope she’s not getting sick; I noticed her coughing a lot during our dinner and she’s sleeping a lot more.
Our future looked bright together. Everything I ever wanted, I would get, with her. The next several years would be filled with nothing with love and joy, we would make our family together. I would run the pack with my mate beside me. I would never let anything bad every happen to her again.
My cell phone rings, waking Lexi up, since my phone was in my jacket.
“Hello? Aaron?” She speaks groggily. I switch my car to hands free, so my phone conversation moved to the cars speakers.
“Aaron, what’s up?” I ask.
“There’s been an attack!” Aaron exclaims.
“What?” We both shout out.
“There are at least four rogues on the land. Liam was attacked, he’s with the pack doctor. We’re doing what we can to catch them, but please hurry back!” The call ends.
“Shit.” I slam my dashboard and increase my speed.
Lexi calls her aunt and uncle to tell them about Liam.
“We’ll be there in ten minutes.” I assure my panicking mate. “I’m going to stop at the village, see whats going on. I want you to get to our home, lock the doors and stay in our room. I’m sending some wolves to protect you.”
“I don’t need protection. I can help you find the rogues.” She snaps.
“I know you’re an Alpha born, but I need you to be perfectly safe. I can’t worry about you while handling this. Please, do as I say.”
“Fine.” She sighs. “But you’re coming home as soon as you can.” I promise her I’ll return quickly.
“Aaron! Hows Liam?”
“He’s got a lot of bruises and a broken leg. Serenity’s with him and Mikey’s out at the East forest. We’ve got them trapped there.”
We both quickly shift into our wolves and race out there.
We’ve got two wolves here! One’s gold. Dozens of wolves are out in the forest, tracking there rogues.
Aaron and I attack the gold wolf and the rest focus on the other. Both are quickly knocked to the ground and I walk away uninjured.
Get the rogues into the cells! And temporarily paralyze them!
I immediately leave my pack to handle the rogues and race back home to my mate. Several minutes later, I reach my house. My car is parked in front of my house. I run into the house.
“Lexi!” She’s not in our room. Or the bathroom. Or the closet. Or the balcony. “LEXI!” I scream throughout the house. My heart is racing and my wolf is howling for his mate.
I sprint downstairs. The box obtaining our cake sits on the kitchen table and the car keys hand on their hook. There’s nothing usual or our of the ordinary.
Something glass breaks in another room.
“Lexi!” I slam the door open. Two pack members, Randy and Elias, lay on the floor, tied up, squirming around. These are the wolves I sent to protect Lexi.
“Where the hell is my mate!?” I demand them.
“They attacked us. They attacked us and took her.”