Rain sat at the kitchen island, staring down into her bowl of Cheerios. She wasn't especially hungry, particularly after everything that had happened over the past few days, but she knew that she had to eat for the sake of her pup. In fact, her mate had emphasized this fact just yesterday, as she sat cuddled into the safety of his arms in a rare moment together. Their Alpha had spent the day in mourning, burying his Luna somewhere in the woods and specifically requesting to be left alone to complete the depressingly heart-breaking task. When the Beta had tried to offer help, his brother merely shook his head slowly, offered a soft, "No, thank you," and disappeared out the door alone.
Today, Rain was feeling emotionally off, no doubt a reaction to all of the happenings. But she forced herself to devour her breakfast, one Cheerio at a time, and then to finish it all off with a banana for good measure. Ryan had made her promise that, no matter how tough the going got, she would take care of herself and the pup. He had emphasized the importance of this repeatedly, holding her body tight and rocking her against his chest as he softly urged her to take care of herself for his sake – because without her, he'd be lost too.
Speaking of her mate, as she stared off into space she was able to tap into his focused mind and see that he was patrolling the perimeter somewhere on the most western edge of the property. That idiot TJ was with him, a stunningly silky mix of white, brown and gray fur that made for a beautiful wolf. She snorted at the irony.
Almost in response to this, she heard someone slip onto the stool beside her and sigh. "Rain?"
She raised her brown eyes to meet the Alpha's red-ringed eyes, sadness permeating his every pore. His hair was greasy, as though he hadn't bathed recently, and his face was covered in a dark stubble. A part of her felt such grief at seeing this once so domineering and sadistic male so dramatically chastened, though another part of her reveled in his sudden fall from grace. Whatever the case, none of that really mattered right now, and she dipped her head in acknowledgement. "How are you feeling, Alpha?" she inquired gently.
He stared down into his cup of black coffee and she could barely hear him breathing. "There are no words for how I am feeling, Rain," he confessed. "So, I won't even try to describe it."
She understood and respected his candor. "How is Sophia?"
At this, a smile seemed to involuntarily overcome his face and his eyes, though haunted, lit with love. "She is perfect, absolutely perfect. I was able to work a deal with Layla so that I have someone to help me care for her. I do not want to send her to live with another family." He bowed his head at this and continued to poke his fingers at his coffee mug. "I am going to do my best to raise her on my own," he admitted barely above a whisper. "I cannot bear the thought of losing her too."
"That's wonderful!" Rain's entire demeanor perked up at this news, because she was shocked in only the very best way. The idea that this Alpha, the man who had been most cruel to her, had done such a one-eighty in such a short time was astoundingly wonderful. She believed in the good in him, because it was apparent when he was with his little pup. The moments that she had been able to witness the Alpha with his pup, his love for his offspring was easily observed, as an immense love and tenderness overcame his entire demeanor. Little Sophia was a sun eclipsing every ounce of darkness in her father's soul.
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White Lightning
Werewolf[Ongoing Serial Novel][Werewolf] [MIW] In our world, for every female pup born there were five very eager and wanton males waiting for her to turn of age. Some packs considered their females to be ripe at sixteen, but my great-grandfather had establ...
