Chapter Eight; Valii Is Coming
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Reese
I take sip from my coffee before glancing up from the small desk I had brought to the cabin allowing me to work. My men set it up at the end of the bed so that the only view I have is of Juniper's sleeping body.
It's been fifteen hours since I bit her. Six hours past without a single heartbeat and I had began to panic, but my girl was a fighter and she's proving it. I know she's in a lot of pain, but she isn't moving. Juniper lays there as if she's asleep, her stomach rising and falling at an agonizingly slow and steady pace. My eyes trail from her body to the heart monitor, and I sigh when I see the flat lines move up, with each passing heartbeat.
Her bed is covered in flowers. The people of my pack have been told I've found my Luna but she is very sick. We didn't go into detail, but to my surprise the pack has been extremely acceptive of a woman they have yet to meet. Everyday Kenzie and Sammie show up with baskets of fruits and flower, along with herbs for Juniper. All of it from the different villages I look after.
"Knock, Knock." I turn to see Kenzie coming in with a hug grin on her face. She's been so excited for me and Juniper, as well as supportive. Kenzie walks over and places her cheek against mine in greeting before walking over to kiss Juniper on the cheek. "Her skin is absolutely glowing!"
"Yes it is. I noticed that when I woke this morning." I respond as I sit back in my chair and cross my arms.
"Don't take this the wrong way Alpha, because you and I both know that Juniper is gorgeous, but this change is going to make her a fucking beauty powerhouse. You're one lucky bastard." My beta says as she picks up the large bowl by Juniper's bed and goes to fill it with water. I don't respond to what she says, instead I just stare at my Juni, knowing that Kenzie is right.
Juniper's skin seems to glow now. In the last fifteen hours, I've watched her hair grow at least three inches and her beautiful sleeping features have intensified. I sigh and then smile, relishing in the fact that I'm the luckiest person in the universe.
Kenzie comes back with the bowl full of water and proceeds to wipe Juniper down. Once she is finish she desposes of the water and sits on the end of the bed to talk to me.
"You're parents are on there way." She says with a worried look on her face. "They didn't seem happy on the phone. Well, let me take that back, your mother didn't seem happy, but your father is estatic. Said that Juniper always held the sparkle in your eye, and when you left her all those years ago, you didn't have that sparkle anymore."
"He's right." I say as I stand and walk out of the cabin. Inhaling the scent of the forest calms me as I let my bare feet sink into the earth. "As for my mother, she favored Madison over Junifer," I continue as Kenzie walks up beside me. "said that she was more put together and mindful of who she was. Where as Juniper was broken and unaware of herself." My jaw ticks as I remember the conversation I had with my parents after my first shift. I remember tell my parents that Juniper was my mate, and the future Queen. Gods, my dad was so damn happy but my mom was the opposite. Told me I must be mistaken, that a woman so frail, couldn't possible be the love of my life.
"Well you're mother may be a fool Alpha. That woman is there is going to be a force, a fucking powerhouse when she wakes, I just know it." Kenzie says as she pats my shoulder. We talk for a few more minutes before she leaves. Once Kenzie is gone, I call Sammie and let him know that I need him to sit with Juni while I speak with my parents. Twenty minutes later, his wolf shows up at the cabin. I give his wolf a gentle pet before shifting and running towards my home. The closer I get, the more I can smell my parents. They come into view, standing on my back porch, and I immediately begin to shift. When I do, they both bow in respect to me and I bow back.
"Hi Son, how are you?" My dad asks as he hands me a robe with a smile. I smile and thank him before slipping it on.
"I'm great dad." Looking over to my mom, she has a hard look on her face but musters up the fakest smile I've ever seen. "Mom." I say with a fake smile of my own before walking into my home.
"Something you want to tell us?" Mom says and I turn to see her looking at me with a single raised eyebrow. I roll my eyes at her theatrical behavior.
"Juniper is here but she is sick, so save your pointless behavior for when she can properly defend herself." My mom gawks at me like I've grown a second head, as my dad fights to stifle his laughter. When she glares at him, Dad bares his teeth in warning.
No matter how made a she-wolf gets with her male, she is never to disrespect him. It is law.
"How is she son?" My dad asks as he turns his attention back to me. "I've been told you did the unthinkable, in hopes that she will survive." He continues and I nod my head yes.
"Juniper is doing well. She breathing and her heart is beating-"
"That's not where my worry lies Reese and you know it." Dad cuts me off as we move into the dining room and sit at the table. I look at my dad and his expression shows genuine worry. "The shift will be hard on her son. She may not survive it, and what will you do if your one true mate dies at your hands?"
"She will not die." I grunt as I clench my fist under the table.
"But what if she does Reese?" The old man counters and I snap. I growl loudly at him and he growls back as we both shoot to our feet.
"She will live!"
"And if she does not!? What are you going to do Reese, how will you run all the werewolves of the world son!?"
"I won't, because if Juniper goes, I go, and that's the end of that!" It's my mother's turn to growl and growl she does.
"Have you lost your mind!" She screams at me. "You will not take your own life. If Juniper doesn't survive, you will live with the mistake you made!"
"Who the fuck are you to tell me what I can and can not do?" I seethe lowly as I lean over the table at my mother. She draws back from me, and I can't help but smirk. "Both of you need to leave. I don't want to hear another word about my Juniper dying, but the two of you will apologize when she survives. You will grovel at her very feet for ever doubting!"
My parents both shut up and stare at me for a moment. They then look to each other, and I know they are mindlinking, which is disrespectful in the presence of the King. Clearing my throat, I get both of their attention, and my dad sighs heavily.
"The purpose of this trip was to tell you that Valii is coming back to this realms." At the mention of her name, I go rigid.
Valii is, well was a rogue wolf that I took in when I first became King. She was a young a vibrant wolf, full of life and love. We had grown close to each other, and when I finally let Juniper go, we began a relationship. Everything was great between us, she had brought light into my heartbroken life, but even she could tell I was not fully there. Valii begged me to mark and mate her but I couldn't, she wasn't my soulmate, so she left.
I wish I could say I was shattered when she left me, but I was indeed releaved. The pressure of mating an marking her was off my back, but she'd left her footprint here. My pack began to ask where she had gone, some even resented me for letting her go, but everyone came around when they realized she wasn't my mate. When she left four years ago, I thought I'd never see her again, turns out I'm wrong.
"Why?" I immediately ask and my father takes a deep breath.
"She's heard about the King finding his mate, and she's ready to challenge her." The world fells like it has truly stopped spinning. I stare at my father and then my mother who looks so fucking smug.
"Your are really pissing me off!" I growl at her and that smug face of hers drops. "Valii can challenge Juniper if she wants, but make sure the bitch knows, it's her funeral." My dad smiles knowing that I speak the truth. He knows how protective Juniper was of me when I was young. In middle and part of high school she got into countless fights with girls who wanted to be with me, and she won every single one of them. I have not the slightest doubt she will when the fight against Valii too.
"That was the purpose of our visit son," My dad starts as he lets out a long sigh. "to let you know that Juniper already has a challenger. But I'm not worried. That little woman was a firecracker when it came to you all those years ago, and I'm excited to see to what ends she will go to protect you now." Talk about whiplash. This man was just trying to convince me that Juniper wouldn't survive the shift. Now, he's confident she'll beat her first challenger. Choosing not to call him on it, I accept the hug he give me, before walking over to my mom and grabbing her hand.
"We will be waiting for the call telling us Juniper made it through this." Dad says with slight hope in his eyes as they head to the door. "And if she does not son, we will be here for you."
"Thank you." I say as I open the door for them. "But she will survive this, there is no if."