Bonus Scene: Ascension of the Pack

This scene is written from Greg's point of view, It is raw and unedited! Please forgive me any typos!

Greg's POV

I could tell that Lucy was tired, because she'd forgotten to tie her hair back. Maria took full advantage of the error, she spied the loose golden threads and she was off, chubby legs going full swing. She crawled to her distracted mama, and reached out for the tantalising tendrils. I intercepted her before she could grab a fistful of hair. Lucy only liked her hair being pulled by me.

‘We don't pull hair,' I said pointedly to Maria as I lifted her up. ‘Unless it's in a fight,' I amended in a whisper to my daughter, ‘then you do whatever you need to do to win.'

Lucy's blue eyes were flat as she looked at me. Damned werewolf hearing. ‘Greg!' she huffed.

‘What?' I tickled Maria and she let out a gurgling laugh that made Red bark happily in my head. ‘She's a werewolf, she needs to know how to fight dirty.'

‘Let's try and teach her how to walk and talk first, shall we? We can shove a shank into her hand when she can run.' Scolding complete, she turned back to our son, who she was entertaining using air and fire to float fireballs around him.

I grinned. ‘I suppose that's fair. And how is my little man?' I put Maria onto my left hip, and lifted Luca from Lucy, freeing her so she could now tie back her hair with the ever present hair-tie on her wrist. I settled Luca onto my right hip, giving me a lapful of the twins. Lucy let the fire wink out of existence and the breeze in the room stilled.

‘Are you being good?' I asked my son hopefully.

He gave me a bright toothless smile and gabbled at me in baby speech.

Of course they are being good, Red said with pride. They are ours!

They are indeed, I agreed with quiet affection for the wolf that lived in my skin. I nuzzled him in my head and he returned the gesture warmly.

‘Come on,' I said to my children. ‘Uncle Jacob wants to play with you. Say bye bye to Mummy.' Both children gave Lucy wild waves, making her beam despite the weariness in her eyes. Neither twin was good at sleeping through the night yet. The problem was they often woke at different times, taking turns to wake us and demand feeds from Lucy. God I loved them, but I really did miss sleep.

We'll sleep when we're dead, Red advised calmly. We have energy enough for this.

I grunted, but didn't reply. He might have energy enough but mine was largely being fuelled by Dennis' cakes. I'd have to watch myself around my father-in-law's cakes or I was seriously going to have to work out harder. Getting a dad-bod was not on my to-do list.

Jacob was at the security console, he gave me a warm nod as I walked in, a show of affection for the taciturn man. The darkness in his eyes had receded greatly since Amber had restored his other wing to him. At the battlefield Leyla had been unable to restore it, but the same was not true of Amber DeLea, healer extraordinaire. It had taken several painful treatments - at an eye watering cost - but Jacob was worth it, and so was his wing. He was a man restored, in more ways than one.

He frequently sat now, ruffling his wings behind him, an action designed to reassure himself that both were still there.

Liam was already putting toys into the twin's playpen. He was currently on an off-phase with Christine, his wolf from the Devon Pack, so he had plenty of time to volunteer for extra security shifts at the mansion. I wasn't sure if the off phase was permanent or not. Time would tell.

I carefully put both babies down and they instantly started crawling away. Man, it had been easier when they hadn't moved. I hadn't appreciated it at the time. Now they were into everything. The playpen that Lucy's Nonna had lent us was a godsend.

Liam took up his place at the security console, and Jacob joined the twins inside the playpen. He stood over them and extended his wings. Both twins let out screams of delight and started to crawl towards him. I patted Jacob on his shoulder. ‘Thanks, man.'

‘Anytime,' he simply said, and I knew he meant it honestly. He adored my children. And I adored that he was deadly. With Jacob around, my children were always safe.

I nodded to Liam, and made my escape back to the lounge where Lucy had already set up the laptop and dialled Thea and Archie.

Thea's swollen belly was clearly visible, and that was the main reason Thea wasn't travelling for today's council session. Archie sat next to her, an arm around her shoulders and stars in his eyes. The pregnancy hadn't been planned, but they were both delighted to be expecting their own son. Archie's devotion to Thea had truly been the making of him; he'd gone from being an errant youth to a strong man who was becoming a force to be reckoned with. I'd never been prouder than when he'd effortlessly taken down his first challenger. Young as he still was, he'd come a long way since we'd met.

Since Thea wasn't travelling, it made sense for everyone else to join remotely too. It didn't take long for Wakado, Tarkers and Debbie to join the video call.

Today Lucy was tired, so much so that her crown still lay discarded next to two piping hot cups of tea. Courtesy of Finley or Noah, no doubt.

I sat down next to her, and took a moment to gather her to me and kiss her forehead. She smiled at me, and the world tilted, as it always did. A beat later the exhaustion faded from her eyes as she used her energy reserves to transform herself from mother to Queen. She placed the crown on her head and she turned to face her most trusted allies.

‘So,' she said briskly, ‘Wakado, tell us all about Mr S.'

Wakado leaned forward as he briefed us on his latest Domini target. Lucy's eyes gleamed as she listened. Motherhood had softened her in some ways, but had made her even fiercer in others. She was determined to make the world a better place for our children, and I couldn't agree more.

When the time came to strike, the Domini wouldn't know what hit them. We hadn't attacked yet because killing one letter only led to a replacement, keeping the real threat hidden. For the past year, we'd worked tirelessly to identify as many of them as possible. Our work would continue and, once we had the full alphabet, we'd strike—and destroy the Domini for good.

I sipped at my tea. Red vibrated with excitement. We hunt? he asked eagerly.

Soon, my brother, I promised. Soon.

In my head, Red's claws flexed.