The Alpha's Bride

1024  Babies everywhere

Maddox was losing his patience. "How long do we need to wait for Damon and Talia?"

Maddox and Tatiana were in the living room with Maya, Caden, and Ethan, who was sleeping in the stroller.

Alpha and Luna of the Blue River pack showed courtesy of coming to meet Violet even though Damon and Talia didn't come to visit Ethan yet. They were waiting for more than an hour. Caden and Maya offered them a guestroom to relax while waiting, but Maddox refused. They came for a visit, not for a sleepover.

Caden smiled awkwardly. "They were about to come down, but then Violet needed to be fed."

"How long does one feeding last?" Maddox huffed. Something didn't feel right.

"We don't know," Maya said. "The thing is that since Damon and Talia returned from their honeymoon with a child, other than doctor's visits, they don't leave their room." It's been more than a week now!

Tatiana was worried. "Is something wrong with Talia or Violet?"

"They are bonding with their child," Maya said.

She didn't want to bring up the opulence of sex. If she told Maddox and Tatiana the most likely reason they were waiting for more than an hour was that their hosts were having sex, it might break their alliance and possibly start a war.

It's not that Maya was eavesdropping on Damon and Talia to know what they were doing, but the light show blasting from their windows was impossible to miss at nighttime. They all knew that Damon and Talia would emit energy and light when they were together and happy, and every pack member could feel the effects to some degree. The energy she sensed only a few minutes ago was definitely the result of an orgasm.

It's been a week, yet Damon and Talia barely glanced at the big nursery they prepared on the first floor of the packhouse. Petra was responsible for caring for the little ones with four other Omegas. They had soft floors and tactile toys that would light up and play music, and it was fantastic but empty. Several babies were yet to be born, and Damon and Talia held Violet hostage in their bedroom.

The news of young Alpha Violet spread like wildfire. Everyone knew about her birth and wanted to see her; some out of respect, others out of curiosity, or to appease Damon and Talia. Caden and Maya had the task of rejecting guests, saying how it was still early and that they will tell them when Damon and Talia were able to receive people, but the unopened gifts continued filling up a bedroom on the second floor that now resembled storage.

However, Maddox didn't take a no for an answer.

Maddox said how one week was plenty of time to bond, and as the best friend, Maddox wanted to greet Damon's child. Under that stubborn friendship was the truth about Maddox wanting to rub in Damon's face who got an heir first. It was a big deal.

"How is your pregnancy progressing?" Tatiana asked Maya.

Maya's face lit up, and she put her hands on her stomach. "So far, so good. Doctor Travis says they are developing as expected."

"That's good to hear."

"How is Oliver?" Maya heard that Beta Oliver and his mate were also expecting a pup.

"Things are fine." Tatiana looked at the stroller. "Ethan will have a lot of playmates."

Before Tatiana could say more, they all turned to the door to see Talia, Damon, and Violet. She was so tiny that Damon had no problems holding sleeping Violet with one hand, and his other hand was on Talia's waist, ensuring she didn't leave the touching distance.

"Sorry for making you wait," Damon said, but the smirk at the corners of his lips was a giveaway that he was not sorry.

Maddox snorted. "What took you so long?"

Damon's smile widened. "I was bonding with my child and my mate."

Damon squeezed Talia's waist, and she could see the naughty images in her mind that Damon sent her.

Talia poked Damon's ribs with her finger. "Why can't you have a normal conversation?"

Talia shimmied out of Damon's hold and went to Tatiana to hug her. "It's good to see you, Tanya."

"You look great," Tanya responded. "How was the honeymoon?"

"So many things happened, but it was wonderful. I apologize we didn't come to visit. Things have been crazy. We will make it up to you. I promise. Let me see this handsome boy…" Talia and Tatiana went to the stroller where Ethan was sleeping, and they spoke in whispers between 'Ohs' and 'Ahs.'

Maddox eyed Damon, who held Violet in his arms.

"I would never assume mighty Alpha Damon could look good with a child as an accessory."

Damon shrugged. "This is the future Alpha of the Dark Howlers pack, my child, the product of my love. I am not ashamed to say she is mine. What about you? How can you allow your child to sleep in that hideous stroller while your hands are empty? Don't you want to bond with your child?"

"My son is older. A lot can happen in a week."

"Unless he learned to talk and walk, it won't count."

Maddox was waiting for this. "You are saying that only because my son is older. One year or one hour. Older is older. He came first."

Damon was irked, but he refused to show it. "Time doesn't mean anything. Let's see which one will be the first one to talk and walk."

Maddox was up for the challenge. "You are on."

"With me teaching her, Violet will be the best warrior around."

Maya and Caden knew this was the beginning of bickering between the two Alphas. Damon and Maddox always tried to best each other in fighting, chasing women, drinking, and now in fatherhood. There was no cure for whatever Damon and Maddox had.

Maya and Caden were about to make their exit when Caden paused.

"Mindy is in the pack hospital. Baby is coming," Caden announced.

Everyone stopped talking for a moment, and then they went out excitedly. The baby is coming!

...

A lot of people gathered in front of the pack hospital. The pack link allowed them to spread the news quickly.

Mindy was the Beta with the Alpha bloodline, and Gideon was the Shaman of the Dark Howlers pack. Their baby was a big deal.

The waiting room in the pack hospital was full.

Other than Violet and Ethan, there were Damon, Talia, Maddox, Tatiana, Maya, Caden, James, Cornelia, Dawn, George, Zina, Owen, Keith, Arya, Liam, Amelia, Pierce, Daria, Caleb, and Trisha. Other people wanted to come, but when they saw all those high-ranking members, they decided to wait outside.

Calvin, the reporter, didn't mind mingling if that meant getting another exclusive scoop, and he took plenty of photos of Violet and Ethan, who were both sleeping in Ethan's stroller.

Travis and Olivia were in the delivery room with Mindy, Gideon, and two nurses, and they were sending updates every few minutes.

The waiting room was noisy.

Maddox was on the phone with his parents, and everyone else formed small groups and chatted over each other. The excitement was tangible.

"Woah!" Petra exclaimed when she entered the waiting room with Erik and Zack behind her. "Now I know why no one else dares to come here."

"Should we also wait outside?" Erik asked.

"Nonsense!" Dawn exclaimed. Erik helped George manage members of the Frostcrest pack and the town they lived in, so they were close. "You deserve to be here," she assured the teens. "Find a seat and join our waiting game. We are taking bets on how long it will take for Lavender to be born. If you want to participate, talk to Zina."

Zack quickly made his way to an unoccupied wide seat, and he patted a spot next to him while telling Petra, "Sit here. It might take a while."

Petra glanced around. "Is it OK for us to sit?" They were surrounded by high-ranking members!

Zack got his phone and waved at Petra to come. "I've got this information, and I need your input. Sounds important."

Petra's eyes lit up at the mention of work, and she squeezed into the seat next to Zack.

By now, everyone with working eyes saw that Zack was extra caring toward Petra and was trying to get close to her whenever possible. And they could also see the blush on Petra's cheeks, but it seemed that the girl was still oblivious that she was sitting next to her mate.

00:23

Petra recently had her sixteenth birthday, and unless Petra gets some boost to her wolf, Zack will seemed that the girl was still oblivious that she was sitting next to her mate.

Petra recently had her sixteenth birthday, and unless Petra gets some boost to her wolf, Zack will need to wait two years until she realizes what's going on.

'Why don't you tell her?' Maya's voice sounded in Zack's head.

Zack was unsure what Maya was talking about. 'Tell her, what?'

'That the girl next to you is your mate.'

'Petra is traumatized by what happened to her sister,' Zack responded to Maya without removing his gaze from Petra. 'I will prove my sincerity by showing that I can wait until she is ready.'

'What if she decides to date another guy?' Maya asked.

Zack's jaw tightened. 'That won't happen. Erik knows, and he won't allow any guy close to my mate.'

Maya didn't want to say more. Was it OK to keep secrets? Absolutely not. But everyone knew the story about Petra's sister whose mate approached her too soon, and she was not ready. By the time she could feel the bond, it was too late, and it crippled her.

Maya took a mental note to talk to James about the effects of boosting one's wolf. Could they do the same for Petra?