3 Months Later
"Laylee! Get your cute little behind down here! They're almost here!"
"Calm down, I'm coming, no need to get your panties in a twist!" I looked around to make sure no one would see my next little trick and thankfully, the hall was empty. I hopped onto the banister, sliding down it sideways, jumping off at the end and fixing my black pencil skirt, white long-sleeved shirt and my floral print scarf.
"Laylee!"
"Quit your yelling. You can be heard from Timbuktu. I swear, it's a wonder anyone can stand within three feet of-" I froze as I caught sight of a couple standing next to my mate, watching me with amusement plain to see on their faces.
The man had brown hair cut close to his head and blue eyes that shone from his tanned face that was about Jace's height, meaning he was much taller than me. The woman was a beauty, with curly red hair and violet eyes, tanned skin and was just a few inches taller than me. I heard someone clear their throat and realized I'd been staring. I blushed and inched over to Jace's side and clasped my hand down on his arm.
"Oh, um, hi?" My voice was quiet and I slowly raised my head to not look so weak.
Jace sighed and turned back to face the couple. "Laylee, this is Alpha Jorden McKenzie and his mate, Luna Tatum McKenzie. Alpha, Luna, this is my mate and the Luna of my pack, Laylee Card."
Jorden grinned widely at me. "Pleasure to meet you. That was quite the entrance, Luna." Tatum elbowed his side and shot him a glare before looking back at me.
"I can tell we're going to be great friends. How 'bout we leave these two macho men to talk wolfy business while we go snack?"
I grinned and nodded. "Sounds like a game plan. I like you already."
She laughed and looped her arm with mine as we dashed from the room before our mates could stop us. I led her to the kitchen and pulled out some Double Stuff Oreos and setting the package on the counter between us.
"So why are you guys here? Jace never filled me in on the details, just told me that we'll be having visitors." I frowned as I peeled a cracker from the stuffing and chewed on it.
"Apparently rogues have become more of a problem in the packs near here so Jorden called up Jace and asked if they should train together to learn new techniques and make their fighters stronger."
"Great. That means I'll have to take care of the kids even more now." I rubbed at my temples as I finished off my first Oreo.
"Ooh, you have kids, too? Thank god! I thought I was the only one!"
I chuckled and shook my head. "Nope, that blundering fool knocked me up the first time we ever mated."
She snorted and was about to reply when we heard a shout from out in the hall. "LAYLEE! BABY GIRL, YOU'LL NEVER BELIEVE IT! I'M-"
Misabelle had charged into the kitchen and was now frozen as she took in Tatum sitting next to me. I giggled and waved her forward. "Misabelle, this is the visiting Luna Tatum. Tatum, this is one of my friends, and mate to our Beta, Misabelle."
Tatum just started laughing. We both gave her questioning glances and she snorted. "Does anyone ever enter a room and then start talking around here? First Laylee, and now you."
We just laughed and shook our heads. Then Misabelle spoke up. "Now why would we do that? There's no fun there. I mean, you should've seen Alpha Jace's face when I ran into the room screaming my news just seconds before. The other Alpha was nearly rolling on the floor and Jace-"
"What about me?"
"-is the most amazing Alpha I've ever known."
"I'm the only Alpha you've ever known."
"Wow, are those Oreos?" Misabelle grabbed a handful and started chowing down. "Sowwy, can'd tawk now, I'm eaffing!" She said around the Oreos and Tatum burst out laughing again.
Jorden was snickering behind Jace. Meanwhile, Jace looked like he was ready to explode but also really amused, giving him a very strange expression. My mouth moved before I could stop it and my words sent the visitors into fits of laughter.
"Jace, sweetie, you're getting that constipated look again."
Jace's face turned red and he spluttered, glancing around at everyone who'd overheard and were laughing. His eyes finally landed on me and he just stood there gaping at me. I'd clapped a hand over my mouth and was staring at him with apologetic eyes while I tried to contain my own giggles.
He made his way over to me and then whispered into my ear, sending all laughter from my body. "Bad move, little one. You're going to pay for that later. For now, go find the kids. And take trouble with you." He gestured to Misabelle, before backing away from me and grabbing the other Alpha, leading him out of the room and down the hall to his office.
"Mommy! Mommy! Look what I found!" A small boy of maybe five came running in, carrying Cora. "It's a baby! Isn't she the cutest!"
Tatum gasped and scooped my daughter from the boy's arms, handing her to me. I'm guessing he was her son. "I'm so sorry, he doesn't usually do things like this." She gave me an embarrassed look before rounding in her son. "Jaymes McKenzie, you can't go around picking up random babies!"
I sniggered at that and covered it with a cough, but the amused glance from Tatum told me that she had heard my laugh. Grinning, I looked down at my daughter and let Tatum mother her son. Cora stared up at me with intelligent eyes and smiled, showing off her bare gums.
"But Mommy, I want her!" Cora turned her head to look over at Jaymes and cried out, stretching her hands towards him. He grinned and pointed at her. "See? She wants me, too!"
Tatum glanced back and forth between her son and Cora. Suddenly she grinned and sat back. "I understand now. They're mates!"
"Woah, what? How can you tell?"
"Jaymes is usually very introverted, so there's only one person who he'd be so excited about meeting and playing with- his mate."
I stared down at my baby girl, who paid no attention to me, her eyes fixated on Jaymes. The young boy came up to me, his arms reaching for his mate. I sighed and gave Cora over to him, watching as he expertly held her in his arms as he walked off, smiling like he'd won the lottery.
Misabelle awwed and then her eyes widened and she grinned like a fool. "Oh! Back to what I was saying, I'M PREGNANT!"
Tatum and I squealed, rushing over to hug her while the door to the kitchen banged open. "Did I hear the word pregnant?" We turned to look at the twins who had huge smiles spreading over their faces. "What is it?"
"A boy. Four months along." Sasha dashed around the table, throwing her arms around Misabelle.
"Since I don't have a mate, you better have lots of kids to make up for my loss of them, understand?" She gave both Misabelle and I a stern look and we nodded our heads, smothering our laughter. My eyes then darted over to Esbeth and gasped.
"Oh my gawd! Congrats!"
She'd finally mated Noah! I could see the tattoo poking out from beneath her tee. Esbeth turned bright red a gave me a funny look. I then realized that she had mated my brother. My nose scrunched up and I shuddered.
"Wait... ew. I don't want that thought in my head." Tatum gave me a curious look and I explained. "Her mate is my brother."
"Ohhhh..."
"Wait, Esbeth and Sasha, this is the Luna of the visiting pack, Tatum. Tatum, these are the twins, Esbeth and Sasha."
"I absolutely adore your hair!" Sasha blurted out and we all laughed.
"Says the girl also with red hair." I mentioned, only to have her stick her tongue out at me in reply.
"ALPHA!" One of the fighters went racing past, but I grabbed his arm.
"What's going on?"
"Rogues, Luna. Rogues on the territory."
I frowned and raced into Jace's office. "Jace! Rogues are-" He jumped up and tried to push past me. "Hold it! Do not kill them!"
"Laylee, this is my pack and I will do what I see fit to protect it!"
"No, this is OUR pack and I'm asking you to not kill the rogues! What if they are like Kaya, and ran for help, or if their pack was destroyed and they are the only ones left? Some rogues aren't rogue by choice!" I propped my hands on my hips and glared at my mate. He slowly nodded and sighed.
"Okay, I'll run them off, but if they are truly dangerous, then I will kill them, no hesitation."
"Fine." I nodded in agreement. He bent down to kiss me and I covered his mouth with my hand. "You don't deserve it after threatening me earlier."
"Laylee-"
"Now, go chase some rogues." I grinned at his stupefied face, then marched back to the kitchen to find Sasha sucking some guy's face off. "Woah, girly, there are kids running around here! Keep it PG!"
She pulled back and grinned widely at me, her eyes dancing with happiness. "I found him, Laylee! I found my mate!"
I studied the brawny man before me and narrowed my eyes at his blank expression. "Who are you?"
"Beta Aiden Crowe from Alpha Jorden's pack."
I opened my mouth to question him further but found I had no need to, as I'd spotted Mr. and Mrs. Quinn over his shoulder. "What's this about my baby finding her mate?"
"Daddy!" Sasha ran into his arms, hugging him fiercely. I saw Aiden's shoulders stiffen and watched as Mrs. Quinn walked up to him, scrutinizing him before squeezing him in a hug and looking at him.
"I want grandbabies, and I won't wait long."
"Mom!" Sasha's face turned red and she covered her face with her hands. Aiden looked freaked out and glanced over at his mate's dad. Mr. Quinn gripped Sasha's shoulders and glared at Aiden.
"Hurt my baby and I'll set the Alpha on you." He paused and glanced at me. "Or the Luna."
"Oh, hush, Harold. Leave them alone, can't you see that he already loves her?"
"Baylor-"
"Don't start." She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and spotted me. "Laylee, dear! Get over here and give me a hug! I haven't seen you in forever! And where are the twins? I've yet to see them! Have you been hiding them from me?"
I quickly hugged her and chuckled. "I would never."
Just then Esbeth came running in and grabbed her mom in a hug. "I've missed you, Mom!"
Mrs. Quinn just chuckled and hugged her eldest daughter back. "Well, you could've come and visited. But no, you had to stay here with your friends." Baylor then sniffed the air and squealed like a little girl who'd been given her favorite doll. "You mated!"
Mr. Quinn's head shot up and he opened his mouth only to be cut off by Misabelle's screams from the hallway. "No, Daddy! Don't kill him! It's not his fault!"
"He got you knocked up! At age sixteen, no less!" Scot Sanders's voice boomed through the house. I rushed into the foyer to see Caine held by his throat against the wall by Misabelle's dad. Scot pointed a finger in Caine's face and narrowed his eyes. "You better take good care of my baby girl or you'll wish you were dead. She's stuck with your spawn because you were an idiot and didn't put on protection."
"Daddy, it takes two to tango. You know that he's not going to hurt me! Please let him go!"
Scot grimaced and let go of Caine to stare at his daughter. "I don't ever want that picture in my head. For the love of Pete, please don't mention something like that again."
Misabelle nodded as she rushed over to Caine and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his chest. "Okay, I can promise that, Daddy."
Scot grunted, then smiled at the crowd from the kitchen that stood behind me. "Sorry folks, just me being over-protective like my daughter insists I am."
We chuckled and Noah walked in then. I smiled, more crazy is going down. Baylor squealed and ran up to him, wrapping her arms around him. "Now listen well, I want grandbabies by the dozens, so you don't have to hesitate in starting the family, okay?"
"This is Esbeth's mate?" Harold glared at my brother over Sasha's head. Noah gulped and nodded slowly.
"Hey, babe?" Esbeth called out to him from behind her dad. Noah's eyes connected with hers and he paled. "Tip for your survival; run."
Noah nodded and took off, Mr. Quinn hot on his heels. My brother led them running down the hall, straight towards Jace's office.
Smart boy.