The Hidden Queen

Chapter Four

Fiona POV

The beginning of next week goes by in a blur of activity. It is not often we have so many other packs coming and staying with us. All I can hope is the alpha meetings on Friday after the ball go as planned. We have everyone showing up Thursday afternoon and the ball starting with a feast at four. The alpha meetings would begin at 8 am promptly the next morning. 15 packs in all, renewing the alliances and making sure to all have each others’ backs for the long winter ahead.

Wednesday afternoon, just as I was about to turn off my computer and call it, my desk phone rings.

“f**k…” I mutter under my breath. I did not want to know what pack was calling for a change now.

“ Hello, this is Fiona speaking,” I grunt as I answer the phone.

“Hello. I need to speak to the beta.” A gruff male voice yells into the phone.

“Speaking.” I roll my eyes. Lovely another annoying male answers that doesn’t think women should be in positions of power.

“Oh s**t, sorry, this is Gamma Kaleb of Lake Moon Pack.” He quickly changes his tone. Even though Lake Moon was our closet neighbor, we kept to ourselves and didn’t really interact save for the necessary yearly meeting.

“Okay… and?” I respond dryly.

“Alpha Cal wanted me to send his condolences, but he will not be able to make the meeting, but the rest of us will still be present.” He states.

“As long as someone is designated for his votes, all shall go as planned.” I state back. This was the biggest meeting of the year, and the Alpha was willing to pass his vote to someone else shocked me, but to each their own.

“Well yeah. It is just Cal not coming, so it will be fine,” he states questioningly.

“ Okay? Well, I will see the rest of you tomorrow evening.” I am not in the mood for this. I already have enough on my plate with this meeting, and the boys are not in school this week. I did not have enough time to deal with packs that did not even want to send their alpha to this meeting.

As the place, the phone down, Isaac walks in. He has a s**t grin plastered across his face. I know he wanted to talk about what would happen if I find my mate tomorrow. He had approached this conversation multiple times over the past few months and even more over the last few days.

“Fi, come on. I know you don't want to meet your mate but seriously. Mates are supposed to be our other half. Mom and dad were Mates and I know they would be pissed if you gave up your mate for us boys.” Isaac states sitting down on the couch across from my desk.

“Isaac it's not that easy. You boys are my life. Mom and dad are gone, and me being the oldest I have a lot of responsibility. I promised Mom I would take care of you, and I'm not one to break promises. If my mate can’t accept you boys then he doesn’t deserve me.” I say flatly, shutting down my computer and getting things packed up and ready for Friday morning.

“ Fi, You are going to be almost 40 by the time the quints are 18, you cannot shut down your life that long. And don't give me some bull s**t answer of well I raised you boys I'm good.” He stares back. At almost 17 he had really grown up over the last two years. He was almost an adult, and I knew that he didn’t want me stuck alone forever.

“We don’t even know if my mate will even be there. He could live in a different country for all we know.” I say pleading this conversation doesn’t go on forever. I knew everyone had the best intentions, but I had been able to avoid all balls and gatherings since turning 18. My mom almost got me to go to one, but I snuck away. Even before my parents passing, I was not ready for a mate, which meant settling down and taking up my true roles, all of which I was not ready for.

“All I ask is that if by chance you meet him, that you give him a chance. Let him decide if this is what he wants or not. Don’t force him to reject you. ” Isaac pleads. He has those puppy dog eyes that one day his mate is going to not be able to resist.

“Okay IF I meet my mate at this stupid ball, I will give him a chance..., but he has to fully accept you boys before I even tell him everything else that comes with us,” I say with a small smile and roll my eyes. He was more like our mom than he wanted to ever admit.

“That’s all I ask sis. Plus maybe a mate will get the stick out of your ass.” He states as he hurries to the door. He goes to reach for the knob and escape before his last words, but I am faster and chuck a pen at him hitting him on his shoulder. He laughs and just opens the door and runs out to our apartment.

“You will not reject mates.” Ivy pipes up.

“Ivy, there are not many people who will sign up for 11 instant kids. Five still in diapers. We will let them make the choice. The human and the wolf both need to be able to want everything.” I say to calm my wolf. I knew mates were the lifeline for all wolves, but I needed to make sure that my mates were ready for everything that came with me.

“Mates are made for each other. I have a feeling we will soon have our ma.….” She starts, but she is cut off when James comes in the door left open by Isaac.

“Ready for this?” He says pulling me away for Ivy and her insisting.

“Ready as I will ever be.” I laugh as I grab my phone and we head upstairs. Everyone used to think James and I would be mates. We had always grown up glued to each other. But once he turned 18, they were all disappointed. We never dated, but we had kissed once when we were younger. It was gross for both of us, and we knew that we were better off as just friends.

We head to get the boys and go down to dinner. The whole morning is planned out for us girls tomorrow starting with hair and make-up at 11 in the alpha suit. I am not good at hair and make-up I am much better at strategy and battle planning, but I kept reminding myself to play along and hopefully sneak away after the first few songs.

Morning comes quicker than I would care to admit, and I get the boys ready and set up with activities to keep them busy. Isaac was still too young for the ball but would come down for the feast. At 10:45 Becca shows up with two other older omegas to watch the boy until I made it back. I thanked them and headed up to the Alpha floor to get ready. Only a few more hours and then we can get the meetings out of the way and get back to normal.