Second chance mate

Chapter 22 (final part)

She looked at the beta and the gamma out of the corner of her eye. They were having dinner and she was contemplating if and when she should tell them of what was happening. It had been a couple of days but she hadn't said a word and she hadn't decided yet either. She trusted them with her life but she didn't know if she wanted to involve them into this.

She had however begun practicing. She needed to be strong and in shape to be able to take the new work load and breastfeed her baby. She had to be healthy. She had gotten herbs and vitamins from River to speed up the process too. She had to focus now. No more sulking and leaning on her pack. She had to stand on her own two feet.

After dinner, she sat with her pack in the living room as her pup was passed around among them. Her eyes took them all in, looking at all their faces, trying to see who would betray her and the other. Would they? She couldn't look at any of them, believing that they could. But neither had her father and he had been betrayed.

"Ariel?" Axel sat down next to her and pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"You are projecting your sadness to the pack." He told her. Instantly her wall went up, hiding all her emotions. "What's wrong?" He asked her softly.

She shook her head. "Can you take care of Zane tonight?" She asked him.

His eyebrows furrowed. She hadn't ever asked him to do that before, he had always almost forced her. And ever since the pup got sick, he hadn't dare asked just in case she was still mad at him.

"Can you?"

He nodded. "Of course." He replied. "What are you up to?"

"I have some things to take care of. You can go up to my suite and get his stuff." She stood up and took her pup from Cameron. "Time for bed for this little one." She told the pouting warrior and laughed when he nodded sulking. How could she believe one of them would betray her when they were as loving and as playful as they were?

"Man up." She pushed his head away playfully and kissed Zane's head, taking in her pup's scent. It was a mixture of her own and her mate's. The only connection she had left to him. Slowly she passed him off to his uncle. "Go now." She told him.

HE left and she pursed her lips.

"I am going to bed too." She told the remaining members.

"Goodnight, alpha." They chorused, taking a moment from their respective activities to smile at her. She smiled and walked to her office. She turned on the coffee maker in the office and sat down behind the desk. She pulled out the files of the present pack members. Anything and everything from their school records to their family history. She needed any motive for betrayal.

Her night was spent with paperwork and coffee being her companions as sleep evaded her.

Axel, Cain, in my office please. Bring Zane with you, Axel. She mind-linked them both the next morning.

You aren't eating? Axel asked back. She frowned.

I am not hungry. If you are eating, just get here after. She closed down the connection and turned back to the desk. During the work last night, she realized that she had completely neglected the younger pups. They were just sixteen. They needed to finish schooling. She had decided to deal with that too.

The knock brought her attention to the present. She called them to come in and stood up. She had taken a shower a few hours ago and moved back to the office to continue work. She didn't want them to know she had been up all night.