(One week later)
“No! I do not believe you.”
This time Katie, our busty blond from the earlier chapters was the one doing all the exclaiming, her heavy breasts swinging from side to side as she shook her head in disbelief at her friend Jen’s incredible tale, “You are lying.”
“Why would I lie about such a thing?” Jen huffed in annoyance at the accusation, “I saw it with my own eyes. The Alpha’s daughter has a golden birthmark right where her heart should be.”
“H—how did you even manage that? No one is even allowed near their nursery for crying out loud.”
“Well… let us just say that I have my ways, but do you understand what that means?” She whispered conspiratorially, “She really has a heart of gold. Just like Aphrodite had proclaimed.”
But Jen was not convinced. “Perhaps it is not what you think… maybe it is just a birthmark and nothing more. But if it truly is, then I—I do not understand… h—how would that even work?” The skinny redhead tried to work out the rubrics. “Does that mean golden blood flows through her veins?” She blinked thoughtfully, “You think she would bleed golden blood if cut?” And then a sharp gasp escaped her lips, “W—what about when she reaches puberty?”
The two she-wolves burst out in a fit of giggles at that as they worked, helping the rest of the wolves, male and female alike set the huge courtyard up in readiness for the naming ceremony of the Silvercrest twins as everyone was already calling them.
The atmosphere was charged with excitement for two reasons, the first reason having to do with the fact that there was going to be a celebration… but the second was all because of the little female pup with a heart of gold. Indeed, news of her incredible condition had already flown accross the Pack like wildfire, and Aphrodite making a public announcement had not really helped things either.
Kendra was worried.
Motherhood suited her beautifully, and like she had predicted, it was a challenge she was enjoying quite well… although if she was being honest, she did miss having a full night’s sleep.
Also, would you believe it if she told you that she was getting more action in juggling between her two children than she ever did sparring?
Well, it was true.
Perhaps a little bit exaggerated, but true nonetheless.
The little beasts were only a week old, but they already knew how to keep their papa and their mama on their toes.
Kendra could not believe that all of this had happened in the space of three months!
Truth be told, they had both been unprepared for the huge task of parenthood that had in short hit them like a wrecking ball, but they were settling into their new roles nicely, you know? Learning new things each and every day. Plus, they had people to help them, and so it made things a bit easier.
Killian was just as worried as she was, if not more.
Kendra could feel it. He stared at their cute bundles of joy, especially their little princess with that look that was a cross between unconditional love, worry and that extreme need to protect, and though they had not had that conversation yet, it was almost as though she could read his mind, and he hers.
What if Aphrodite’s blessing was actually another curse?
A heart of gold. Dazzling, brilliant golden fur.
Their daughter was basically a prize to be coveted, and that alone was enough to make both the Alpha and his Luna fear. Already, word was quickly spreading about her uniqueness… and it was not going to be long before news of her blessing reached the entire Axon. She was going to be a target of people’s twisted desires, and…
Positive thoughts, Ken.
Killian assuaged her worry through the mind link, reaching for her hand in silent assurance as he pulled her in for a quick kiss. He knew she had thoughts like this, but she usually kept the mind blocks in place. She must have been pretty nervous then to forget to close her thoughts away from him like that.
They are safe with us Ken. You know that I am going to turn the whole Axon upside down if that is the length I have to go to ensure their safety, right?
She nodded her head, sighing deeply as she relaxed in his arms, even as he continued talking.
I know you would do the same, my love… so why do you want to ruin this day with worrying? Come on, lets go out there and show everyone just how much of a powerful force we can be.
She pulled away and gave him a nod, confidence seeping back into a her body. “Thank you,” She said out loud, a smile making its way onto her lips. Her mate always knew what to say to make her feel better.
Killian captured her mouth again in another kiss, only pulling back when Maymunnah and Rhea brought their children to them.
“Everything is set, Alpha… Luna,” Maymunnah said as she handed the young female to her father. The wee babe squirmed slightly, a small smirk making its way onto her lips before she went back to her peaceful sleep. Killian chuckled in amusement as he stared at his daughter. She had his skin, and her mother’s beautiful hair and features… and underneath all the clothes and swaddles, he knew that golden blood flowed through her veins, and that she already had her wolf.
Fortunately for them, that was a secret that could stay hidden for a few more years, for people had only heard of the golden birthmark. They did not know that she bled golden blood, or that she had already gotten her wolf, and that it had golden fur. The only people who knew had been sworn to secrecy.
But of course, Killian was smart enough to realise that the measures they had put in place were not going to stop people from still speculating nonetheless.
He was fine with that.
“Aiyisha!” Kendra was the first person to see the blonde female Alpha waltzing towards them, Artemis by her side, a smile on her face and arms stretched out wide, “Kendra! Oh gods, what a surprise this was…” She gave her friend a hug being careful not to smother the sleeping male pup in his mother’s arms, “Three months!” She whispered in excitement, “We most certainly need to talk about this when the ceremony is over.” She shifted her attention to the tall Alpha, a smirk making its way onto her face as she teased him, “Even you are a father now… oh what the world has come to,”
“I will not allow you to rain on my happiness, Aiyisha von Sterling,” Killian chuckled in amusement, turning to press another kiss on his wife’s cheeks. “Our Pack and all the invited guests are waiting… let us go and get this done.”
****
“Silver Crest Pack, esteemed guests, ladies and gentlemen… I present to you, my first child and your future Alpha… Andrew Hunter Silvercrest!”
The crowd’s cheers were defeaning as they applauded the young Alpha heir.
The noise roused him from his slumber, but the pup only stared at his father, and then at the crowd in confusion and what was most definitely annoyance. His reaction only worsened the cheering, with people chattering excitedly about how he was an exact replica of his father. Killian could not hide his pride and amusement at his son’s antics.
The entire ceremony had taken on a banquet-like kind of vibe, with Morganna first, and later, Maymunnah pronouncing blessings upon the two children. And then Killian had taken over, thanking the Pack for sticking with him and his family through thick and thin and not rejecting him as Alpha. And then he had introduced his son to the everyone.
Now he just had one last thing to do—probably the most anticipated thing all week—
To introduce his daughter to the pack.
It was almost as if the baby she wolf knew what was about to happen, for no sooner had she left her mama’s arms than she began her powerful shrieks… the very one that kept Kendra and Killian from sleeping at night. “Shh, easy, princess…” The Alpha tried to soothe her.
It did not work.
“My daughter, ladies and gentlemen,” He fumbled slightly with his words as he tried to get her to quieten, but his reaction only made him endearing to the mother wolves, who could already see that the little babe was going to have her father wrapped around her little finger.
It took a little while, but finally, the baby calmed down enough to get her father to make the introductions. “I present to you, Hayden Allegra Silvercrest!”
Any progress Killian had made getting her to keep quiet was dashed when the cheering started, for she began to cry again… even louder than before… her small, shrill voice so vociferous that it roused her older brother from his slumber and he joined in on the crying.
The whole scene had the entire crowd laughing at the children’s antics and the way the Alpha and his Luna seemed helpless in getting them to quieten down.
Truly, it was a hilarious sight to see Killian and Kendra, who were usually put together look so out of their element like that.
“E—enjoy the rest of the feast, eat, drink, have fun!” Kendra managed as she climbed down and headed indoors, a crying Hunter in her arms, Killian and Hayden in tow.
****
“Think we should go and help them?” Aiyisha asked Artemis worriedly as they watched their friends leave, a goblet of sweet, white wine in her hand.
“If you can take the steps over to them, why not?” Artemis challenged with a chuckle. The female Alpha was drunk, and Artemis thought that it had something to do with the rapidly darkening skies that announced nighttime and the fact that she was not bound by duty to be sober in another wolf’s territory.
But something was wrong.
The redhead could sense it. Something was bothering her friend, and even though she had tried to hide it all day, the wine was bringing it all to the surface.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Artemis asked softly.
“Talk about what?” The question took Aiyisha von Sterling by surprise, for all along, she had thought that her true emotions had been concealed… hidden under the cover of fake bubbliness and sunshine. She had been found out, it seemed.
“Uh… I—it’s just—” Anything she was going to say was forgotten when a sweet smell wafted into her nostrils, the scent interesting her so much that she began to walk away from her friend absent-mindedly.
“Aiyisha?”
But she barely heard the call… she had one sole mission in that moment, and that was to find whatever that sweet smell was—everything else be damned.
Artemis, confused, decided to follow her friend who was suddenly acting weird, not quite comprehending what was happening. She followed her all the way into the Pack house, and then she saw the Blonde haired female Alpha stop suddenly.
Aiyisha saw Kendra first, the sweet smell becoming so potent that it had her feeling dizzy for a moment, wanting to drown in its maddening fragrance. The sight of her Beta, Devin Lockwood momentarily took her concentration off the scent, irritation deeply rooting into her features.
“Princess,”
He said that word that never stopped irking her— but for the first time ever, his eyes lacked that usual teasing glint they always had when he said it, his voice lacked that pitch of amusement, the one that sounded like he was going to laugh in any minute. Instead, it was charged with something more…
Hot, unbridled passion.
“Mate!”
His wolf had come to the surface when he said, this, and at first, Aiyisha, who was a little disoriented because of the wine and her Beta’s presence finally got the memo.
Even if she had not, the look of amazement and shock on Kendra and Artemis’s face made it all quite clear.
She groaned loudly in frustration, “Ah, bloody fucking hell,” And then she passed out right in front of them.