4. Togeher

25 years ago

Ireally want to play with my friends today. We had plans to play football and hang out in the forest, but Mom and Dad wouldn't let me.

"We have to visit the alpha and his newly born son, his heir," my dad explains for the nth time. He kneels down, smiling at me. "It's a great honor, Dante. We are one of the very few allowed to visit so early."

I shrug a bit but give in with a sigh. Dad's an elite warrior, and apparently, he is important. I don't know for sure as to me he is just my dad, but my friends find him cool.

At least I'll see Luna Flora today too. She is always so funny and has chocolate and sweets hidden everywhere. Last time, we found some candy under the benches on the football field. Mom doesn't allow me to go in my jeans, though, so I have to dress better.

I'm sure I look silly; thankfully, no one sees us on our way to the infirmary. Dad leads Mom and me to a secluded area, where we pass several heavy-looking doors. It's weird; I've never been here. Once we reach the last door, he knocks.

Beta Vincent opens the door for us. "Nice to see you, Erwin," he greets my father before he turns to my mother. "Sonya."

Dad is all smiles. "We are so proud to be here, Beta Vincent."

Vincent returns the smile, winking at me. "Are you excited too, Dante?"

"It's just a baby," I say, dumbfounded. My parents groan, but Beta Vincent just laughs.

"Have you ever seen a baby?"

"No," I say. Why would I?

Vincent smiles. "Then now is the day." He nods towards us, and we step through the door. He grins. "He has been crying nonstop, so be prepared." He leads us to a broad room, lit in a warm and gentle light. Luna Flora is lying in the bed, a tired but happy smile on her lips as she eyes the noisy little bundle in her arms.

Alpha Elden is here too. I didn't know he would be here when we came. He is tall, broad, and a bit scary. "Erwin and Sonya." He smiles slightly. "You came."

For the next couple of minutes, my parents both fawn and fuss over the little thingy in Flora's arm, although the little thingy screams its lungs out. I don't quite understand. I would have been more excited if it were a baby elephant or a little duck.

"The aura is so strong already," Dad says, amazed.

Alpha Elden nods. "He is my firstborn and a direct heir to the crown. We knew he would be born strong."

"He will have extraordinary gifts," Mom says quietly.

Alpha Elden looks a bit worried. "He has so many burdens to carry already."

Meanwhile, Luna's gaze wanders around until she finds me. She looks at me warmly. "Come closer, Dante."

I swallow nervously and politely step closer. I can feel my dad's hands on my shoulders, squeezing them softly as he nudges me closer. I bend down a bit to get a glimpse of the baby, blinking in surprise when I see it. It has the tiniest nose I've ever seen, chubby little legs, and tiny fingers. I stretch out my finger to touch its hand when the baby's hand wraps around my finger in a death grip.

"Let go," I say panicked, before pausing. It's weird, almost like a light is emitting between us. It feels warm and familiar. I feel my surprise die down, noticing how the baby has stopped crying and just stares at me.

"That's early," Alpha Elden says, sounding surprised. "I didn't expect him to find his beta so fast."

"It's a natural bond," Luna Flora says quietly. She sounds relieved. "I'm glad the goddess made sure to send us his protector so soon. They are both young and will grow close together."

I'm not sure what they are talking about, but when I raise my head, I meet my parents' gazes. Mom has tears in her eyes, while Dad is beaming with pride. He makes space for the alpha now. Alpha Elden puts a hand on my shoulder. "Dante," he says. "Do you want to know his name?"

"It's a boy?" I ask curiously.

He nods.

"Thank Goddess!" I exclaim. I have no idea how to handle girls. Good thing this is a boy.

The alpha snorts while Luna Flora smiles. "His name is Liam," she says softly. "Do you want to hold him?"

I find myself nodding before Mom and the alpha help me take the baby in my arms. He is so cute. I suddenly feel a strong protective feeling washing over me. "Can I be his brother?" I ask almost automatically. "I don't have any siblings."

The luna smiles at me like she knows more than she shows. "Of course you can."

I smile at the memory. It's been so long; we were both so young back then. A lot of things changed, some for the worse, some for the better. The bad things in my life still eat at me sometimes, but all of this is what led me to Ella, who finally completes my soul again.

Liam pays for our lunch, claiming it's still part of the job as he made us miss lunch. I grab two pizzas and plenty of tiramisu for Ella and me, while Emerson settles for salad and pasta and Liam for steak and seafood pasta.

Then we head straight back to the pack. We've barely made it over the pack's borders when Liam's eyes gloss over. He smiles at first, an indication he is mind linking our luna, but then he frowns.

"Everything alright?" I ask him.

"Annalise told me you should go straight home," he says to me.

I feel dread settling inside me. "What happened!?" I sit up tensely, feeling how my heart hammers against my chest. "Where is Ella?" I search for my connection to Ella instantly. Goddess, please let her be alright.

"Dante," Liam's voice reaches me. "She is fine. Annalise said she had a tough day going through her parents' memorabilia and probably needs you now."

I'm relieved instantly, just to feel worried again. Ella wanted to finally go through her inheritance, her late parents' belongings, and everything Emmet saved for her. It took her almost two years to be ready to do it, and yesterday she told me she realized she'd never truly be ready but needs to do it now.

Liam's eyes gloss over again; there seems to be more Luna Annalise needs to tell him. He lets out a sound of surprise. "Emerson, take me directly to the packhouse. There is research I need to do." He turns to look at me. "Take the rest of the day off, Dante."

"But Alpha—"

"Stay with your mate. She needs you now. If I need something, I will ask Aryanna for help."

I nod, deciding to take him at his word. Ari is his second beta, one of Liam's and my closest friends, and she is very capable. It's not unusual for lycan alphas to have two betas to divide the workload and have extra backup.

My soul calls for Ella now, and I need to ensure she is alright. Emerson has barely parked the car when I jump out of it, grabbing my food, before running into the packhouse. We live in the beta suite, which was renovated and modeled to our liking and turned into a beautiful, relaxing space for us.

Liam said no one attacked and that she isn't hurt, but I can't will these feelings of dread down. They just fill me to the brim, making my heart beat faster and my mind foggy. Sylvan is saying something, but it's only a distant voice in my mind.

I burst through the door. "ELLA! Where are you?" I run through the apartment until I find her in the kitchen.

Ella is in lemon-yellow hot pants and a yellow sports bra with a cup of ice cream in her hands. She turns to look at me. "D? Are you alright?"

"Are you alright?" I breathe out.

The stunning creature I call my mate looks at me now. She is so beautiful, with her heart-shaped face, the little freckles around her nose, and her short hair. She is tough and is never scared to tell me her opinion.

"Did you think I was getting attacked?" she asks.

Having her say it now makes me realize how stupid I acted again, especially after Liam told me the reason why my luna wanted me to go to her. Ella doesn't laugh, though; fortunately, she never makes fun of me when I'm caught in these moments. Instead, she puts the ice cream tub aside and walks over to me, wrapping her arms around my neck. I hug her instinctively. "Annie was just concerned because I had a little panic attack earlier."

Her words unsettle me in a different way now. "A panic attack. Ella… I'm so sorry I wasn't there. I—"

"I was just overwhelmed." Ella tries to reassure me. She takes my hand, leading me to the kitchen table. There are a few photos on it, and she shows me one.

"Who is this?" I ask curiously. There is a young woman on it with a baby in her arms.

"That's Candy," Ella tells me. "With her son, Charlie. Or at least we think it's her son…"

I look at her, seeing a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Who is Candy?"

"My half-sister," she mutters. "Dad's child from his first mate. My mom was his second chance."

I swallow thickly. Her father had a similar fate to me, it seems. He got a second chance, too, yet he lost his second mate to a cruel alpha. I… I hope this is not a foreboding sign that I will lose Ella too.

Mate needs us now, Sylvan says. We cannot lose ourselves in our self-pity and anxiety.

He is right, yet his words kind of cross me. I hope you are aware of how rich this is coming from you.

I know, Sylvan says quietly. I promised you that from now on we will be in everything together, no matter what happens. I will live up to my promise if you allow me to.

It's not that I don't believe him. I love my lycan spirit, and I understand why he went dormant for a few years, but my love for him doesn't magically make me trust him again. We'll work on it, I say, before turning my attention back to my mate.

"What happened to Candy?" I ask carefully. Ella's eyes tell me everything I need to know. Sadness fills me at the revelation that she lost yet another family member without ever having met them. "I'm so sorry, Ella."

"Her child might still be alive though," Ella says. "When they found my sister, there was no child with her. He might still be somewhere."

I can feel her fear and her hope, and I can understand all her conflicting feelings so well. She fears the truth that she might find out that the child was killed, too, but she also hopes that maybe she will get lucky this time. Then there is the possibility that the child isn't related to her at all.

Part of me wants to shield her from this, wants to keep her away, for the possibility of finding out her nephew might not be with us anymore will break her. But at the same time, I know I can't do this to her. She deserves to find out the truth, even if it's crushing.

I will try to be there for her anyway.

"What's the plan?" I ask her.

"You are not telling me this might set me up for disappointment?" she asks.

"I… It would be a lie if I said that I'm not terrified of a worst-case outcome," I admit. "But there is also the possibility of your nephew being out there on his own, and he might need us."

"We are going to do this together?" Ella asks, and I can feel the joy and relief from the mate bond.

I feel a flash of hurt. "Did you really think I'd leave you alone in this?"

She tilts her head. "Not really. It's just… I'm used to doing things on my own."

"I love that about you," I say. "I don't want you to change. I just hope you can let me in sometimes and allow me to help."

"I trust you, Dante," she says. "If it sometimes seems like I might not, I'm sorry. It's just me falling back into old patterns. But I trust you, and if you want to help me, I will happily accept it."

"Awesome, let's do it." I smile. "What's the plan?"

"Annie said she will tell Alpha Liam to make his connections work. I have all the papers that prove who I am. We are now looking for Candy's papers that will prove our relationship and then track her last steps. Alpha Liam is hopefully going to research with the Council's help."

So that's why Liam told us he has things to research on. The moment he heard about what happened, he was already ready to help me. He truly is a great friend.

Ella eyes the bag in my hands and sniffs the air slightly. "Wait, is that pizza?"

"Yes."

"You are the best!" She smiles. "Annie and I missed lunch because we were at Emmet's. That's why I was hovering above the ice cream pot. So, what did you bring along?"

"Your favorite pizza with less cheese but extra ham." I make a dramatic pause. "And anchovies."

"Don't bully my food choices." She grins.

"Little cheese but an extra of anchovies?" I raise my brows.

"You eat olives," she retorts before changing the topic by pointing at the second bag. "Please tell me it's tiramisu."

"Strawberry tiramisu," I say proudly.

Ella smiles brightly and pulls me into a kiss. "You are the best."