Forever More

Chapter 4

"It's a possibility Alpha, have you felt the connection to him?"
I sighed,  placing the pup back onto the tiled floor,  watching him.
"No, but it could be because his wolf isn't mature."
"True, "
Doc advised,  standing beside me and watching as pup clambered under the patient bed to grab at the corner of a sheet.
"But even in an instance like that you should feel something if he's your mate."
I could hear the unspoken words that Doc wasn't voicing, out of fear of angering me.
But keeping quiet in this wasn't something I could afford to do,  my pack relied on me to lead them and keep them safe.
"I can't reject him if he is,  but I know that he wouldn't be able to be my mate, not as he is now."
Doc nodded his head, whether in agreement or understanding I wasn't sure;  and didn't care to try at the moment. 
I was twenty six years old and hadn't found my mate yet, the closest thing I had felt to the pull was when I caught pup wandering on the pack territory. But it hasn't felt like how I'd imagine the mate pull to feel. 
"Then again, it could simply be that given his orphaned status your wolf has claimed him as its own pup;  with him being completely alone in joining us, your wolf would likely be viewing him as one he had to protect.  Given his situation your wolf is probably just over protective in the parenting sense."
His words made sense,  and yet I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more going on here than could be explained.
"How am I supposed to run a pack of my wolf won't trust anyone to get near to him? I can't pup sit all day."
"It may wear out once he's settled more and is less fearful of others.  In any case there's nothing for it until your wolf decides that he can let others near the pup."
Pinching the bridge of my nose I sighed out,  before retrieving the pup from his game of tug a war and turning to the door to leave.
"Keep this silent for the time being alright?"
I told the Doctor, walking out of the clinic and back to my rooms.
There was alot to consider in all of this, but any solution that resulted in pup being taken in by one of the other pack members resulted in my wolf's adamant refusal and threat of retaliation.  He clearly was not going to give up the pup.
Well what now?
I thought to him,  as I placed the sleepy pup atop my bed and went to shower.
Welcome to parenthood.
My wolf snickered out in my mind,  proving to me once and for all that there was only one road I could take right now.
It looked like I would be becoming a parent sooner than I thought.

As I showered my mind whirled over different solutions to the pup,  but they all settled back on one thing,  and despite having done this several times before I knew that this time would be different.
So I sent my Beta a quick message in the pack link to meet me in my office and then got dried and dressed; thankful that the pup seemed to have remained asleep whilst I'd washed.
However that sentiment died the moment I went to leave my room and my wolf fought for control to return and stand watch over the pup.
"I am not going to stand beside the bed for hours on end like a creep just watching a sleeping pup!"
I argued,  seemingly useless as my wolf merely huffed and refused to let me budge from where I stood beside the bed.
"Fine!"
I yelled out, scooping the pup and the blanket he lay on top on into my arms and marching angrily down to my office;  where my Beta stood waiting, his surprise at my armful showing ridiculously clearly on his face.
"Shut up."
I hissed out at him in a subdued tone,  to keep from waking the still oblivious pup.
"Sorry Alpha, it's just,  wow.  I never thought I'd see the day that you gave into a maternal instinct."
Glaring at him I reminded him of the day his pup had arrived, and how his wolf had darted back and forth between the main house and his mates side for the next two months, until his mate finally told him that she would kick his arse if his wolf didn't get in check. It was comical at the time,  his wolf always overreacting to the simplest of things,  like his pup getting a grass seed in its paw. He had run circles around us all to get back from his patrol to tend to his pup.
"You're right, again sorry Alpha,  it's just nice to see it affect someone else besides me."
"Yeah well if you wake him I'll skin you."
He looked at me, a broad grin splitting his face as he gave a mock salute, follow behind me into the office and watching as I placed the wad of blanket around the pup and sat him on the chaise in the room.
"Let's just get straight to it,  I need you to send out invites to the neighbouring packs,  all unmated wolves, and begin preparations for a gathering.  It's time I found a mate."
If my words had shocked him he didn't show it,  simply took note of what I'd requested and set off to begin the task, leaving me alone to go through the reports and alliance requests; as I kept a trained ear on the pup. I couldn't be both an Alpha and a parent on my own,  and if I had to claim someone as my mate,  I'd have to see how they acted around the pup, because no matter what other criteria they would have to meet, being a good parent to him was foremost in my mind,  and on that my wolf agreed entirely.