Zaryn
"Alpha Cruz. Enemy or not, we need to have a serious conversation. We both have to be completely honest with each other. Alright?" I say.
"And why would I do that?" Alpha Cruz fires back.
"Please, Alpha Cruz. This could benefit both of us if you would just listen to me."
Alpha Cruz takes a deep breath. He runs his tongue across his top row of teeth. He then sighs.
"Fine. I will listen. What do you want?" Alpha Cruz sits up straighter in his chair.
I take a deep breath, getting ready to answer when I hear the creaking of the office door opening behind me. Cole turns and makes his way over to the door. I hear muffled words exchanged and Cole protesting. Suddenly there is a wail from behind the half-closed door followed by many sobs.
Eden.
Cole steps back to reveal a red-faced Eden. A fluffy blanket wrapped around him tightly. His white hair sticking up in all directions. Thick tears stream down his rosy cheeks. He hiccups uncontrollably as he tries to catch his breath. He then looks behind me and gasps.
I look back to find Alpha Cruz staring at Eden in shock. I turn to Eden and hold out my arms.
"Eden. Come here, sweetheart. It's okay." I bend down to his level as he slowly approaches me, still crying. He buries his head into the crook of my neck. He wraps his arms around me and lets out a heart-wrenching sob.
"You p-promised m-me that you w-would be th-there when I w-woke up b-but you-," Eden breaks off and sobs again. I haul him up into my arms, his small legs wrapping around my waist. I stand, facing Alpha Cruz.
I turn Eden so that Alpha Cruz can see his face. Eden's eyes are scrunched closed and he whimpers trying to bury his face back into his spot on my neck.
"This," I say gesturing to Eden. "Is why I called you. He was kidnapped along with his brother at a very small age and was forced to live as sex slaves their whole lives. We found where they were keeping the omegas and saved the ones who were not already killed when we got there. We were only able to save three lives. Two of which are the twins. My Beta Cole realized that the twins looked very much like you and called you to confirm. Did your Luna give birth to twin boys? Omegas with an extra set of wolf ears and a tail in human form?"
Alpha Cruz is to busy gaping at Eden to answer. He blinks and looks back at me.
"How- I thought they were dead..." he shakes his head. "How do I know that this is my son? What if you are lying. Trying to make me weak?"
"I will make you a deal. Meet me at the clearing between our territories in two hours. Expect only me, my Beta, and the twins to be there. You can bring your entire pack if you don't trust me enough. But I do think that this boy is yours."
"See you in two hours then." Alpha Cruz then ends the call abruptly. I sigh and pull Eden closer to me.
"That could be my dad?" He asks softly.
"Possibly. Now let's get you some food. I hope that will make it up for not being there when you woke. I'll have the chefs make you whatever you and our pup desire."
"Sage."
"What?" I ask.
"That's what his name will be. Sage." I smile at Eden.
"Okay. I will have the chefs make whatever you and baby Sage desire." I say, smiling down at Eden. "I will make sure that you and Sage are always taken care of. I love you, Eden. Don't you ever forget that." I lean down and kiss him gently on his soft lips.
"I love you too Zaryn."
We make it to the clearing as the sun begins to set. I hold a lantern in one hand and hold onto Eden with the other. Cole carries Noah since it would have been too much of a trouble for Noah to be wheeled through the woods or walk on crutches the whole time.
My arm is sling around Eden's shoulders. Eden carries Noah's crutches or rather drags them behind him making two jagged lines in the dirt. Grass and dirt cling onto the bottom of the crutches in clumps.
In the distance, I see an array of warriors coming towards us, Alpha Cruz leading them. I feel Eden shaking beneath my fingertips. I pull him closer to comfort him.
Noah starts sniffing the air. His eyes shifting back and forth as if looking for something. Eden does the same. They can sense a family member. Cole puts Noah down. Eden hands Noah his crutches and Cole and I move so that the twins were in between us. We stand and wait for Alpha Cruz and his army to get closer.
When Alpha Cruz stops a couple of feet away from us he stares at Eden and Noah with wide eyes.
"Alpha Zaryn," he starts, eyes meeting mine. "I most certainly did not expect you to hold up your end of the deal. Stand down."
The warriors behind him all drop onto one knee and bow their heads in respect.
Noah stumbles and grasps Eden to him. Eden instantly wraps his arms around his brother. Eden, who is closer to Cole, tugs at Cole's sleeve.
"He is scary," Eden whispers to Cole. His body shakes in fear as he looks at Alpha Cruz. He could hear what Eden had said from the expression on his face. Though it is quickly replaced with a blank stare.
Alpha Cruz may look intimidating to the tiny omegas. He was taller then I and I stood at six foot six. He was a giant compared to my mate.
"Alright," Alpha Cruz says. "You have brought me, my children. Now hand them over and we will be on our way."
"No!" I roar, pulling Eden up into my arms. All I could think about is if they were able to take him away from me that I would never see Eden and our pup again.
"No," I repeated calmly. "You can't just take them. They are our mates and Luna and Beta of my pack. And you definitely cannot take away a mate if they are pregnant."
I set Eden down and tug his shirt up. He gasps as the cold air hits his skin. I turn him so everyone can see his large belly. Even though the pup is still in the early term, he is an Alpha. Eden's tummy will get much larger than anyone with a normal pup inside of them. It's clear that Eden is carrying an Alpha pup.
"Fine. You want an alliance? You will get one. But I want to be able to see my children and grandpup. And we will share the east territory. And I demand trade between fruits and other foods and livestock. Recently we have been cut off from the modern human world."
"Alright," I reply. "As long as you hold up on your end of trades and I would like to open up a road to get from either territory. Our packs will be free with permission to find mates and visit family and friends in our territories. And Beta Cole and I will keep our mates with us. And if you break this alliance there will be war. If so many years of fighting can be solved by reuniting a family, it should not be wasted on our pride and distrust."
Alpha Cruz pauses, thinking things over then finally nods. "Very well." He then walks over in front of Eden and Noah and bends down to their level. He places one hand on Eden's cheek and the other on Noah's. Cole and I back away from them. The warriors do as well, giving the three space. I still keep a close eye on Eden, as any good mate should. I sigh and sit on the ground. I hope that everything goes well.
It just dawned on me that I had patched up an old alliance that had torn apart many years ago when my father ruled. Maybe I will be a better man than my father after all. Maybe Eden had changed me for the better.
Eden
"My pups. Look how grown-up you are. I- I only knew you for barely two months before you were ripped away from us. I-," Dad pulls us into a hug.
I whimper and bury my face into the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent. Noah does the same. He presses soft kisses to the tops of our heads and on our twitching ears. He pulls back and looks us both over.
"What are your names? I understand that the names that I had given you hold no meaning now that we have been separated for so long."
"I am Noah," Noah speaks up. He sounds nervous and he plays with the hem of his deep purple sweater. "And this is Eden. Please don't hurt Coley." Noah whimpers.
"Coley?" Dad questions.
Noah turns and points to Cole. "Ahh. Beta Cole. If it will upset you if I do, I will not hurt them. I suppose those two are my son in laws of some sort... Eden and Noah." Dad chuckles. "Your mother named you Clyde and Albert. I suppose Eden and Noah suit you much better." He laughs again. I smile just a little.
"Mom?" I ask. Dad cups my cheek in his very large hand.
"At home. On my territory. You will get to meet her soon enough. So... you are going to have a pup." Dad reaches out and gently touches my belly. It flutters as my pup kicks at the hand. Dad chuckles.
"Noah is too. His pup is very tiny still." I say softly. Dad smiles widely.
"Both my pups are having their pups! My Goddess." Dad says as if he can't believe it.
"Dad? Can I be honest with you?" Noah asks.
"Of course."
"When I saw you I thought you were scary. But now you are very nice. I think. So thank you for not being mean and scary." Noah whispers.
Dad smiles and pulls us back into a big hug, being careful of Noah's injuries.
"I would never dream of hurting you. Not now. Not ever. Especially now that I have gotten you back. You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this moment. Now, I will cherish every moment I have with you two. I love you, my sweet boys." Dad says.
Tears stream down Noah's cheeks. I reach up to feel that I am crying too.
"We love you too dad," Noah and I say at the same time as each other.
And I feel deep down at the bottom of my heart, that we both meant it.