21. Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

“I want to do a walkabout around the pack lands, maybe run in the forest.” No one had followed them home from the trip to the open mall and the farmer’s market. They’d waited a month, and nothing happened. Now she wanted to become part of this pack and that couldn’t happen with Rome or his brothers following every step she took. The pack was nice to her, but they would have to be with someone watching them interact with her. She wanted to get to know the wolves, find out who she could trust and who she should be wary of.

“Why?” It was the only question Rome asked as she went through her diatribe.

“Because they’re your people, your pack and you love them. They’ll never love me if they don’t get a chance to interact with me. The baby is coming, and I need to know that this pack is mine, not just yours. Our child will want to play with the other children. Ariella will be just a little older than her and I need to trust that when she’s old enough to play with the others or go to school that I won’t have to worry. I need to believe that this pack is my safety zone.”

She sat down in one of the chairs they bought. There were two in front of the wide window with a table in the middle. The chairs were large and comfy. Rome and his brothers painted the walls a light blue and gave the room lavender accents. She loved it. They got a love seat to go in front of the fireplace for winter nights when they wanted to cuddle there instead of the bed. There was a howling wolf over the bed that reminded her of the one on Rome’s chest. Next to it was a white wolf illuminated in the glow of the moon. She almost cried when he hung it. No amount of pressure would persuade him to tell her where he got it.

“Not the forest. I know you’ll be safe wherever you are on pack lands, but the thought of you twisting an ankle or getting lost and I can’t lay eyes on you.” His shoulders tensed and she hurried across the room to hug him.

“No forest unless you’re with me. When this is over, you can show the whole forest, so I’ll always know where I am.”

“Stay vigilant. I trust my people, but you’re my mate and I’m a little distrustful of anyone around you.”

“Not your brothers.”

“I trust them with my life and you’re my life.” She understood because she couldn’t see one of them selling the other out. Most of them were found family. Three of them were his brothers and amazingly enough they weren’t Saul or Theron. Those were the two he called upon when it came to dealing with the pack. The others handled different tasks, and each one was happy like it was.

“I’ll be around the pack lands if you need me.” She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a deep kiss.

She moved through the hallways that connected Rome’s private space with the rest of the pack house. There were symbols carved deeply into the wood that one of the wolves kept shined. She didn’t know what they were or what they meant. Her time seemed to go so fast with so much happening that she hadn’t gotten around to asking Rome. She was hoping for a day, maybe, after the baby was born to sit back and relax. She laughed at her own foolishness. She hadn’t been allowed around the children, but she watched mothers from afar. The pregnancy was a relaxing time.

“Alpha-mate,” Sheela called out when she got close to the kitchen. “One blueberry muffin for the pregnant wolf and here’s a bottle of juice, blueberry. No soda for you.” Amelia didn’t think they made blueberry juice. If she was right, Sheela made it. Not that she was complaining; blueberries seemed to be her craving, and the juice was better than good.

“Thanks, Sheela, this should hold me over to dinner.” Sheela rolled her eyes because they both knew that wasn’t true.

“If it doesn’t come back for some protein. Where are you going?”

“I’m going to do a walk around, get to know some of the pack.”

“Have fun! I know a lot of them have been hoping to spend time with the alpha-mate,” Sheela said, smiling.

“Thanks.” Amelia held up her muffin and took a big bite before heading to the door.

She stopped on the porch; it was large and went from one corner of the pack house to the other, but only in the front. Rome had told her that she didn’t want a wraparound porch in the private space of his office. Saul and Theron had their own private spaces in the pack house and felt the same. The other brothers had dens that circled the pack lands. They were the first line of defense. She couldn’t imagine what they must have gone through in their long lifetimes.

Once the muffin was devoured, she started walking the pack lands with her bottle of juice in hand.

“Alpha-mate.” She couldn’t help but smile as Janice called for her and waved as if she’d missed her.

“Janice.”

“Can you sit for a while?”

“I can.” Janice’s porch was big enough for two rocking chairs and a small swing on the other side. By her rocking chair, she had a small pack-n-play for Ariella.

“Would you like to hold her?” The shock must have shown on her face, judging by the way Janice laughed at her. “You won’t hurt her, be careful though she likes to grab.”

“Hi, beautiful girl,” Amelia said after Janice handed the baby to her. “I keep calling you a baby, but you must be close to a year.”

“Ten months. I wonder to myself as I watch her grow, how has so much time passed?”

Amelia rocked Ariella, staring into her pretty brown eyes. “I wonder how the time flies. There was a time in my life when every day felt like a year and now, I’m here with Rome and each day seems to go faster while I’m screaming at them to slow down.”

“You love him.”

Amelia looked at Janice; she wanted her to see the truth in her eyes. “With every beat of my heart.”

Janice laughed, a happy sound that had her daughter cooing. “I had a feeling when I first met you.”

“Sure, you did.”

“I did. I’m not sure what it was. Maybe the way Alpha seemed so protective of you. I’ve never seen him act like that towards another female. He doesn’t have temporary flings with any of the female wolves or the males. We assume he scratches that itch in town and doesn’t talk about it. I’m happy to see that the two of you are together. You’re fated mates, you have to be.”

“We are.” Janice hummed a song while Amelia rocked Ariella. It was peaceful and Amelia could see herself on the porch rocking her child.

Janice’s song ended on a sour note and Amelia could feel the sudden tension in the air. She opened her eyes to see a young woman approaching.

“That’s Brittany, we took her in a year ago because she didn’t have anywhere to go.”

Brittany was the wolf that tripped Amelia’s wires when Rome called everyone together for a pack meeting.

“Hello alpha-mate and Janice. Alpha-mate, I’ve been wanting to meet you. I was beginning to think you didn’t like associating with the pack.”

It was official, she didn’t like Brittany. There was an air of elitism around her, like she was better than everyone in the pack.

“What would give you that idea? I’m out and about all the time.”

“True, but you always have one of them with you.” Brittany shuddered delicately.

Amelia’s eyes widened, but she didn’t think this was the time to address that statement.

“I’m here now. If it’s okay with Janice, you can have a seat.” Janice reached for Ariella, holding her close to her chest before nodding her head.

“Janice knows I don’t like babies. I mean, what are they good for?”

“Not everyone likes children, but we need them so the world can go on.”

“We wouldn’t need them if we were immortal. We’d live forever without the need for infants and then children. Think how much better our lives would be.”

Amelia couldn’t imagine her life without the pup who was baking in the oven. She loved her already.

“Everyone is allowed to have their own opinions, and we don’t always have to agree.”

“See!” Brittany gave an excited cheer. “I knew you would understand. I think you and I should be friends, best friends. You need a single woman to show you around.”

Amelia barely maintained her strained smile. They would be best friends when Luna died, and the moon became a black mass hurling toward the Earth.

“I have a best friend.” Her heart ached at the thought of Nicole. Most of her life had been spent with her.

“No worries, you can always have another. I think we’re a lot alike.” Brittany gave her a wink before standing. “See you later, bestie.”

“What was that?” There was only one way any of that made sense, but she hoped she was wrong.

“That was a wolf who thinks she knows what she’s talking about and one whose eyes are set on your wolf,” Janice said.

That’s what she thought the first time she’d seen her. Now she had to figure out if she would pose a threat to Rome or herself. Some wolves do desperate things to get what they want, and Brittany struck her as that type.

Amelia spent more time with Janice learning about Brittany before she finally bid her farewell. They hugged and Janice wrung a promise out of her to come back soon. They’d sit on the porch and drink lemonade. Amelia couldn’t help smiling, Janice made the best lemonade.

She walked around pack lands, meeting other wolves and loved that there was a hierarchy among them that seemed to work. She met alphas and betas, even two female alphas, but no one seemed to want to challenge Rome. They were safe, happy, and well protected and that’s how they wanted their lives to be. She was on her way home when she stumbled over a teenager sitting on a porch. That didn’t strike her as weird, it was the downturned shoulders, bent head and the fact that he was alone.

“Hi.” She was standing in front of him, and he hadn’t realized until she spoke.

He lifted his head, and his eyes went wide before he bowed to her. “I’m sorry alpha-mate, ma’am, I didn’t know you were there. Please forgive me.”

This poor teenager was an alpha and he was gangly and all over the place like most teenagers.

“Let’s sit.” She lowered herself gingerly. Sitting on a rocking chair or a glider was relatively easy. Sitting on the edge of the porch much harder. Her precious bundle was making herself known and Amelia’s balance isn’t what it used to be, not that she would tell Rome. It was easier to get around in her world while pregnant when her mate was by her side.

“I noticed you’re sitting here alone. You don’t have to tell me why. I’m alpha-mate, but I don’t get to know everyone’s secrets.”

He gave her a shaky smile before he looked around to see if anyone was eavesdropping. Amelia took the chance to look at the cabin she presumed he was living in. It wasn’t updated like the others. In fact, it looked like it would fall at any moment. The more she took in the less she liked. The teen was wearing shabby clothes. What was she missing here?

“It’s not a secret they all know. My mom was human, and she had a one-night stand. Here I am. She loved me, I think she still does, but when I was fourteen, I became a wolf. My mom screamed, she didn’t know who I was or what had happened to her son. My stepfather pointed a shot gun at me and said I know what you are you’re a filthy abomination. Run, and if you ever come back here, I’ll kill you and her.” He wiped his eyes trying not to cry.

“This pack took me in and gave me this cabin and some hand-me-down clothes. I’m a half-breed and the wolves here don’t associate with me because of that stigma.”

Amelia was fuming. She wanted to vent all over the pack’s wolves; it reminded her of how she was an outcast among her own people, but it was more than that. What if they took in a Spanish wolf or a Native American? Would they allow their prejudices to rise to the surface and make them outcasts? How could Rome allow such intolerant bullshit? She thought her mate was better than that. How could he?

“You never told me your name.”

“It’s Malcolm.”

“My name is Amelia, nice to meet you. Now, would you give a poor pregnant wolf a hand up?” She raised a brow and there was a twinkle in her eye.

He gave her a genuine smile and helped her up.

“Now let’s take a look at this cabin.”

“No ma’am, I mean Alpha-mate. There’s no reason for you to go in there. Someone like you shouldn’t be in a place like that.”

“Someone like me?”

“The first wolf I’ve met that reminds me of my mother.” It took everything in her not to burst into tears. She dragged Malcolm into her arms and just rocked until she got herself together and was able to stop sniffling.

“No one has ever given a compliment that has meant so much.” She took his hand, and they entered the cabin together.

There was a potbelly stove in the middle of the cabin to heat the one large room. Her temper flared; heads were going to roll, starting with Rome’s.