The Alpha's Soul

03

"I hate night patrol almost as much as I hate women," Luke said, waking up from his afternoon nap and realizing he had to leave in fifteen minutes for patrol.

Tan gave him a strange look. "You literally claimed to be the biggest feminist of our time yesterday," he responded, packing his bag to hide when he shifted so that he didn't have to walk back to the pack house naked. "Are we sharing a bag or not?"

"We're not patrolling together so no," Luke said, dragging himself out of bed. "I guess I can pack my own bag because I'm a big boy."

"You're an adult."

"An adult and biggest feminist of our time."

Tan smiled and tossed Luke a string bag. He sat on the bed and watched Luke get ready for their patrol, admiring Luke's muscles through the dove grey long sleeve he was wearing. It was honestly Tan's favorite shirt on his mate.

"I hate patroooooool," Luke sang, twirling around and filling his bag with clothes and a granola bar. "And I just want to stay here and cuddleeee."

"You're such a weirdo," Tan said, but he was grinning and watching his mate with so much adoration that Luke wondered what he did to deserve the appreciation of his perfect mate.

Luke bowed. "Dork Supreme, at your service, sir," he said in a terrible British accent.

"Come on, we have to get to patrol," Tan said, grabbing Luke's hand and dragging him down the hall. "We've only got a few more night shifts."

Alpha Calix, leader of their pack, was still bitter with Luke and Tan over their poor choices months before, so he was putting them on night patrol shifts to punish them. It was supposed to last for the whole year, but their Luna, Kegan, argued with Calix and said they'd been punished enough when they were separated and Calix compromised to night shifts once a week for two months and a half months, and they were near the end of their punishment.

"I still hate them," Luke complained as they went down the stairs and met their other pack mates in the dining room.

Kegan smiled at them as he held his heavy stomach. He was due within the next week or sooner and his cravings had been getting weirder and weirder, hence the huge jar of pickled asparagus and chocolate sauce in front of his plate.

"You two should eat before you head out," Kegan said in a sweet voice, spooning a big scoop of fudge out of the jar and eat it before finishing it off with a piece of pickled asparagus.

Luke cringed. "Don't worry, you ruined my appetite," he said, gagging. "No offense, Luna."

Kegan shrugged, dipping a butter knife in the fudge and spreading it on a piece of asparagus. "You're missing out," he said, ignoring the disgusted looks from around the room.

Calix was the only one who didn't look grossed out and was instead staring at Kegan's stomach, periodically reaching over to touch him and where his future pups were.

"Give it back!" a small voice yelled and Tan looked over to see their pack mates Lys and Tali's, pups running around, fighting over a pool noodle.

Lys was at work, but Tali was at the table, glaring at her two pups.

"It's a pool noodle," she said, resting her face in her hands. "Why do you have to fight over it?"

Alex, the pup who didn't have the pool noodle, whined and climbed into Tali's lap. "I had it first!" he said, pushing his face into her neck.

"And now I have it," Oliver responded, dancing around with the pool noodle to gloat. "Loser."

Alex huffed, his bottom lip trembling. He started to cry but tried to hide it by burying pushing his face under Tali's shirt so no one could see him.