47. Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Seven
Bellarose
W e drove out of Crescent Moon, and down the road. We turned when we got to an old, empty building.
“Is this the entrance?” I asked when we got to a small gate right behind it. A couple of guards were standing at either side.
“Yes. The old building is part of it, too, but I want to do something with it eventually and it’ll be better if it’s not inside the pack borders.”
“What are you planning on doing?”
“I’m not sure yet. Could be anything. It used to be a restaurant.”
“Oh! This is the restaurant where Cory got kidnapped.”
“Kidnapped? Seriously?” John asked from the front.
“Yeah.”
We crossed the border of the pack grounds and drove around. Cade pointed to his parents’ temporary home among the rest of the pack. John drove us over to where the first two neighborhoods were already being prepared for construction. Then he dropped us off where the pack house was being built. Cade showed me where the kitchen would be, the dining room, the offices and a small library he wanted.
Once he was done, he walked us away from the foundation of the pack house and onto another slab of foundation.
“What’s this?” I asked.
"This was going to be storage, initially. An industrial-sized kitchen to process the meat we keep for us. Now, I think we’ll put that off until after the pack house and neighborhoods are done and this will be our home.”
“We’re not going to live in the pack house?” I asked, surprised. Most alpha families lived in the main pack houses.
“I want us to have our own space. I was thinking a two-story home of our own. We can connect our house to the pack house with a hall, but this space—” He motioned around us. “—This space will be just for us and our pups. This will be our sanctuary.”
I had no words, so I just hugged him and hoped he could feel the love I had for him through our completed bond.
“I want you to think about what you want it to look like. The layout, the kind of kitchen you want, where you want the living room. All of that over the next few days, okay?”
“Okay,” I whispered against his chest.
“Come on. Let me show you where I’ve been working from.” He pulled me behind him to a double wide a couple hundred feet away from the pack house.
The living room was filled with tables. Documents littered every single one of them. One desk in a corner of the room with a computer and printer, completed the room. The small kitchen held a microwave and coffee maker.
“This is where you’ve been living?”
“Mostly. I eat dinner at my parents most nights. My room is over that way,” he motioned with his head to a closed door.
“Show me?” I asked.
“It’s a mess, Bells. I didn’t want anyone to know about my broken leg, so I was in bed for almost a week, hopped up on painkillers.” I took his hand and pulled him into the room, finding it neat and clean. “Oh, John must have cleaned up,” he murmured, looking around at the clean room. He walked over to the dresser and pulled out something from it. He passed me a phone, the screen cracked beyond repair.
“The morning I left Montana, I was having an argument with John, and I threw it against the wall. If I had known you changed your mind, I would have come back for you. I never would have left you and Adam. Maybe then he w—”
“That’s not your fault, Cade,” I stopped him before he could say the words.
He looked away and swallowed hard.
“I love him like my own, too. All the months I was there, I kept dreaming of a life with you and Adam. It took everything in me to leave you both. I wish he knew that. I hope he realized how much I loved him, and that I didn’t want to leave him.”
“He knew. I made sure of it,” I assured him. “Even the day he had to leave. I told him you didn’t want to leave him. That I forced you away.”
A tear spilled from his eyes, and I used my hand to wipe it. Cade held my hand to his cheek for a moment, before he pulled me in and kissed me, pouring all of his heartache into it. I kissed him back, letting him grieve for our son as I had. He pulled back a while later, resting his head against mine.
“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t there for you.”
“You’re here now,” I whispered.
Cade picked me up and placed me in the middle of his bed. He pulled his shirt off, unbuttoning his pants before he crawled over me.
“I missed you. I love you. Never leave my side again. I won’t survive it again,” he warned me, looking down at my face as if trying to memorize everything.
“Never again,” I promised, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him until his weight was on me.
“Wait, Bells. The pups—”
“Are fine. We’re fine. I need you inside me,” I begged him.
Cade pulled back and removed my shirt. He pulled my leggings off next, and sat back on his heels to look at me.
“You were beautiful before, Bells, but seeing your stomach round with my pups... I have never seen anything more breathtaking than you pregnant.”
I blinked back tears. I was going to get dehydrated with how much I was crying lately.
Cade’s hand went over my underwear and I moaned when he pressed his thumb against my clit. “So, I do remember what makes you moan, My Queen. Let’s see how much,” he growled before he ripped my panties from my body and buried his face in my center. “Fuck, Bells. You smell better than I remember, baby,” he rasped.
I lost track of everything else he said. Now that the mate bond was complete, his touch felt more intense, the sparks elevating the pleasure his tongue could always bring to me. I came with a scream within seconds.
“That’s a record. Now, let’s see if we can beat it.” He grinned up at me, his lips and chin covered in my release.
I didn’t get to respond, because seconds later, he was back between my legs, his tongue piercing my entrance, making me scream. He made me cum three times with his tongue and fingers, before he finally gave me a moment to catch my breath. He stood and removed his pants and underwear, giving me a chance to ogle the hard cock pointing at me.
“You’re so responsive to me, My Queen. I’m going to love taking full advantage of those pregnancy hormones,” he grinned down at me.
“Get your cock inside me, before you see the ugly side of them,” I challenged, making him chuckle.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, pushing inside me with a groan. “Fuck! You feel better than before, and I didn’t think that was possible.” He withdrew and pushed back in, making me arch my back. He pulled out to the tip and slammed back in, making me cry out his name. “That’s it. Keep screaming my name.” he panted, pumping into me over and over, an animal need overtaking the steady rhythm he started with.
I matched him thrust for thrust, needing to feel that moment when our souls would become one; that moment where nothing existed except him and me.
“I’m going to—I’m goi—” I snapped my head back as the orgasm crashed over me, pulling me under the waves as I felt Cade thrust back inside, and groan as his seed spilled inside me. He dropped next to me, pulling me until I was sprawled across his chest. “I love you,” I whispered, kissing his chest.
“I love you more than I can describe with words. Rest, my love. I’ll set an alarm for lunch,” he whispered.
I cuddled closer into my mate and slept soundly, feeling safe, cherished and wanted.
“ W ake up, sleepy mate.” Cade woke me up. “We have to get to lunch.”
“But, you’re so warm,” I whined, cuddling closer. I was at his side now, but still plastered against him.
We need to feed, Coyo wagged her tail in the back of my head. We can cuddle more later.
You don’t want to continue napping? I asked, relieved to see her with energy, despite knowing her issues were gone.
We’re still going to be napping while we grow the pups. We can’t miss meals again.
“Come on. Chris already ratted you out via text. He promised you he was on food patrol, and if we don’t show up, he’s going to come here for you. I didn’t know you hadn’t been eating well, and I’m not going to let you miss any more meals.”
“You men are all bullies,” I grumbled, sitting up. My stomach rumbled moments later, though, and I asked. “Did he say what’s for lunch?”
“Nope. I didn’t ask. Are you having nausea?”
“Not a lot,” I answered.
“That’s good. Let me grab some clothes, and we’ll head out,” he answered, grabbing a suitcase from the closet.
“Why do you need so many?” I asked.
“Because I’ve been texting with Cory, too. We’re going to live at Crescent Moon until our home is done. That way, you can spend some time with your family, and have all the support you need through the pregnancy. I’ll feel better knowing there’s going to be people making sure you’re not trying to do everything yourself, while I keep track of the chaos we’ve got going right now, too.”
“I want to help,” I told him as I watched him dumping clothes into the suitcase.
“And, you will. I need your help. But, during the pregnancy, you’re going to take it easy, Bells. You’ve already had to go through too much, so early. Promise me?”
“I do want a break,” I admitted. “But, what if your pack thinks I’m lazy?”
“Our pack. And they already love you, Bells. I promise. They know about everything you did for the pack, when you weren’t even a part of it.”
I got dressed and waited for him to be done, hoping that what he was saying was the truth. I didn’t need another pack that treated me like I was an inconvenience to them.
A knock on the door startled me out of my thoughts, so I walked over and opened it.
“Luna!” Charles looked surprised to see me, and I smiled awkwardly.
“Hey! How are things going?”
“Alpha put me on vacation from my cooking duties,” he answered.
“Which he keeps breaking to make lunch for the crew,” Cade replied, coming out of the room with a suitcase and a bag.
“I need something to do,” Charles defended, blushing.
“You and Lindsay pulled miracles for months,” I reminded him.
“That’s what I said. I’m glad my mate agrees,” Cade answered pulling me to his side and kissing my temple.
“Wait? Really? I gotta go tell Lindsay! She’s going to be so excited,” he said, turning toward the door.
“Wait, Charles.” Cade stopped him. “Before you spread the word, which I absolutely approve of, what did you need?”
“Oh, right. I wanted to see if I could help out at Crescent Moon for a few nights a week for dinner. I already talked to their cook. She knows a lot of good recipes, and is willing to teach me until I have to be back on duty, when the pack house kitchen is ready. I’m really excited.”
“That’s f—Wait, she? I thought the main cook at Crescent Moon was a male?” Cade asked me.
“He is. Matthew took over for his grandma about a decade ago. He’s pretty good,” I replied.
“Then, who—”
“What’s her name?” I asked Charles at the same time as Cade.
“Celeste,” Charles answered, and I giggled.
It figured. Mom’s been bored since she stepped down from being luna.
“She’s tall, curls for days, blue eyes? Probably told you she can start teaching you tonight?” I confirmed.
There were a couple of Celestes in the pack now. Some pack members who adored Mom had named their girls after their luna.
“Yeah! Wait, how did you know she said I could start tonight?”
“Because that’s my mother,” I chuckled, making Charles' face blanche.
“Oh, Goddess! I’ve been calling her Celeste instead of Luna all morning,”
“Relax. Mom hates formalities. She’ll be mad if you call her Luna. Especially, if she’s taken you under her wing.”
“So, she’s your mom, Luna?”
“Yep,” I answered.
“But—” he started and stopped, looking flustered about whatever he was going to say.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he answered, looking embarassed.
“Come on, after everything we went through together, you can say whatever you thought of.”
“It’s just... I’ve tasted her food. How is it you never learned to cook when she’s your mom?” he asked.
Cade dropped his bag, and laughed so hard at the blush on my face, that he had tears in his eyes and was doubled over, holding his stomach.
“I tried to learn, but it just didn’t take,” I defended weakly.
“Goddess! That’s probably why she wants to teach Charles. She wants to make sure you don’t food poison me again.”
“It was one time!” I told him indignantly.
“You can apprentice under the previous Luna, Charles. Now, I have to take my pregnant mate for lunch,” Cade said minutes later, once he’d gotten his laughter under control.
“You’re pregnant?” Charles asked, his eyes going round.
“I am. With twins. Your alpha knocked me up before he left Montana.”
“Right on,” Charles fist-bumped Cade, making me roll my eyes.
“What about you? You knock up Lindsay?” I asked, but he shook his head.
“No. We’re waiting until she’s done with her internship.”
“Good on you for listening to her needs,” I told him, my respect for him increasing.
Cade’s phone beeped and he looked at it, grinning.
“Let’s go before the calvary comes and gets you, My Queen.”
“Chris?” I asked.
"He’s got seats waiting for us. Need a ride, Charles? I’d imagine she starts preparing right after lunch.”
“Oh, sure. If it’s not a bother.”
“None at all.”
We stepped out of the double wide, and saw a lot of people hovering around.
“Damn, Charles. You work fast,” I commented.
“That was me, actually, Luna,” John said loudly, coming from the side. “I was too excited.”
‘I thought we were past formalities?” I asked him via mind-link.
‘We are. I wanted to make sure they knew who you were. Most know of you, but some of them haven’t seen you before.’
‘Oh, right. D-do you think they’ll accept me?’
‘They’re going to love you,’ he assured me.
“Welcome, Luna.” People started calling out to me. “Welcome.”
“Thank you,” I told them all, feeling overwhelmed and moved by the friendly smiles and hugs they were giving me.
If they kept being so nice I was going to start crying.
“Thank you. I’ve got to go feed my pregnant mate, now, but we’ll be planning a proper welcome feast soon,” Cade told everyone, sensing I was on the verge of tears.
People gasped and cheered at his words, and then he had to lift me into his truck, because I was starting to sniffle as more people approached.
Charles jumped in the back seat, and Cade drove back to Crescent Moon. Before we could go into the dining room though, Dad came running out of the basement.
“Don’t go in yet, Cade. I need you for a moment.”
Violet and Chris walked out of the dining room. Both looked confused as they approached Dad.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, dread filling me. All I wanted was to spend the rest of my life in peace. At least, until the war was supposed to come.
“Peachy. We’re getting rid of some trash.” Mom was the one to answer, as she walked up the stairs that led to the dungeons. I growled when I saw who was being dragged up behind her.
“I thought the council was going to take her and punish her?” I asked.
“They were delayed. We’ve been keeping her as a special guest until they could come.” Kara pushed forward, answering with a mischievous giggle, as she looked and smiled at the petrified look Ada was giving her.
I took a better look at Ada. She was trembling as she tried to shrink away from my mother. Her hair was a mess and she looked like she’d lost a fair bit of weight. Kara hummed and receded, and Ada was finally brave enough to look around her, her eyes filling with hope when she caught sight of Cade.
Coyo didn’t like that, so she pushed forward and growled, pulling Ada’s attention to us.
“Don’t look at my mate, again,” Coyo growled before she receded.
“What? N-No. You’re n—”
“She’s my mate and my Luna,” Cade growled, wrapping an arm possessively around my waist.
“You pushed the wrong sister, bitch. I was the one taking up Cade’s time, because he’s my mate,” I told her.
“Alpha Mar—Is everything okay?” A man stopped a few steps from the pack house doors, taking in everything going on.
“It is, Councilman Esiah. You can take her now.”
“When will we expect an answer from you?” he asked, coming closer.
“Not soon. I’d like to enjoy my family time for the foreseeable future,” Dad replied.
“It wouldn’t take up all of your time.”
“So you say,” Dad chuckled.
“What’s going to happen to her?” Violet asked.
“She’s been convicted of attempted murder. She’ll be imprisoned and then banished from this country, once she’s served her sentence.”
“Not death?” Chris asked, astonished.
“She didn’t kill anyone,” Councilman Esiah replied.
“So, she’s being rewarded for failing? How’s that fair?” Chris growled.
“If you want our laws to change, young man, convince your previous alpha to accept the invitation to join the council,” Alpha Esiah said, dragging Ada behind him, while she pleaded for Cade to save her.
“You’ve been asked to join the council, Dad?” Cory asked, coming out of the kitchen with one of the twins in his arms.
“Yes, and I have no intention of joining,” Dad replied.
“Why not?” I asked.
Being part of the werewolf council was a position many coveted after giving up their alpha position to the next generations.
“Because I’d like to enjoy my family. Besides, we have things to prepare for,” he reminded us.
“Come on. Let’s not get caught up on that, right now. Let’s enjoy some happy times. We’ve got over twenty years before that arrives. Let’s enjoy our lunch in the meantime,” Mom said, leading us all into the dining room.