The Hidden Queen

Chapter Two

Fiona POV

           Finally, I was nearing the end of my Friday afternoon duties, and then it is home free, with my brothers for the weekend. They were off of school next week for the festival, so their teachers will have time to help prepare or travel in other years. Most packs bring all but one ranking wolf pair, and as many unmated wolves as possible. It is a prime event for finding your mate, not that I want to find a mate. They will probably reject me right away given raising my younger brothers. I mean who wants an instant family of 12. Not many.

           Having 11 younger brothers is not something that is very common. It is not like my parents were popping out a kid every year. Isaac is 15 and the oldest, then came the 11-year-old twins, Becker and Oliver. Everyone thought they were done, but then triplets, Nolan, Ayden, and Carson who are now six. When my father died in the rouge attack everyone thought, oh wow 8 kids what is Elizabeth going to do, but she shocked everyone when she announced she was pregnant, and when it was quints I almost had a heart attack. Camryn, Isaiah, Spencer, Everett, and Quinn were born 4 months after my dad died, and my mom didn’t survive the delivery. They will be two in a little over a month, but still who would mate into this mess. I am not leaving my brothers, and I will die before someone takes me from them.

           There is a knock on the door as I power off my computer. I didn’t finish everything, but hopefully, nothing more comes in from the other packs for the festival over the weekend. I will need the rest of the time to just get what I got done organized. Isaac walks opened the door and stood in the doorway. All of us had the same dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. He is 6 foot 3 inches and still growing, whereas I was only 5 foot 3 inches and done growing. Luckily, I am still taller than the twins, but they are fast approaching 5 feet tall and will overtake me soon.

           “Are you ready for the last weekend locked away in packhouse with these crazies?” He asks nodding to what I am assuming are my younger brothers hiding behind him giggling.

           “ I mean I guess… If I have to…” I say sarcastically as the twins and triplets run from behind him tackle me with hugs. They all start trying to tell me about their day at school at the same time, as we get up and start walking towards our apartment.

           Oliver got an A on his spelling test, and Becker got to play basketball in the gym. The triplets learned how to add numbers for the first time and could not wait to add all the numbers. As we approached our floor, I walk in and find Amber playing with the quints on the floor. Amber is an Omega that watches the boys after their nap to when I get home. Pupcare couldn’t do naptime with how little they all slept; they only took a 30-minute nap from the time they were born.

           “Hey Fi, I heard about the festival isn’t that great news! Maybe I can find my mate!” Amber calls out as soon as she sees me. She is 23 and still hasn’t found him yet.

           “It is a good chance with all the packs that are coming,” I state nonchalantly. She smiles huge and goes to grab her bag.

           “Have a good weekend, are you sure you can handle all of them next week? I can always ask Alpha to send a few more people to help?” I continue as she heads for the door.

           “Fi! I got this. They are like my little brothers. It will all be fine, and you are just two floors below.” She giggles as she heads out the door. She is amazing I don’t know what I am going to do if she found her mate next week. I turn around to see a mass of bodies on the floor playing with the blocks and fake wrestling. I watch them play for a few minutes before joining in.

           After 30 minutes, I gather the troops and head down to the packhouse kitchen for dinner. I try to eat in our apartment during the week, but on the weekends it is time for the good stuff. Isaac takes the quints to the table and the rest follow me and start plating the flood for them first. I get all of their food and get them settled before heading back to plate my own.

           “Fi!” I hear Joey scream from behind, as she and Sarah approach the buffet line. “We are going dress shopping tomorrow! James, Gavin, and Gabe are going to watch your brothers. NO getting out of it. 8 am the front door.” I know there is no way I was getting away from Joey, and if Gavin and Gabe (The Gamma and his husband) are going to watch the boys. I know this was big deal for her, as future Gamma and the Alpha’s daughter, she can pull their arms the easiest.

           “I know… I told Alpha. But I was thinking maybe a pants suit or a jumpsuit?” I was hoping to get away with that and then sit in the back and hope no one sees me sneak away after a few minutes.

           “ Fiona, you will be okay. It is one night, and maybe you will find your mate. I won't even make you try on a pink dress.” Sarah states as we head to sit next to my brothers. James and Dakota (the future Delta and Sarah’s younger sister) come and join us. Gavin and Gabe’s two kids Ross and Rose join in a few minutes followed by Allison the youngest sister of Sarah and Dakota a few minutes later. Rose squeezed in between the twins, and Ross and Allison sat at the end. 

           The boys are all chatting away about sports and school, and the girls are discussing plans for the festival. Rose and Allison complain that they are not old enough to be able to go, and I just giggle wishing I had that problem. I sit back and just listen. I was always the mom of the group. Being the oldest of all the ranked children had its benefits, but also had its downfalls. After dinner, I shoo my brothers up to our apartment and help get them ready for bed. By the time they were all in bed and I sit down on the couch with a bowl of popcorn to watch something on TV, it was well after 10 pm, and 8 am would be here before I knew it.

           “You were quiet tonight,” Isaac states as he leans against the wall.

           “There is a lot to do before next Thursday. Just thinking about stuff.” I respond.

           “No, you are worried you will find your mate.” He looks at me pointy. He knows that when I find my mate everything would change. He just doesn’t realize how much.

           “So? I am going to reject him. He would never understand all of this, and I am not making someone else sign up for this.”

           “You know that mom and dad would kill you for saying that.”

           “I know, ‘A mate is the most sacred thing’. But they need to accept not only me but my position and you guys.” I state quoting my mother.

           “ ‘A mate is your other half, and will accept you for who you are.’” He jokes quoting our father.

           “Hey now, you're too young to start sounding like dad.”

           “Fiona, just don’t forget to live a little. I know that you think you have to be strong for all of us and make sure we get the childhood you had but don’t forget to live your life too.”

           “I’ll think about okay? Why don’t you come join me, I’m re-watching Grimm.” He rolls his eyes, and comes and sits next to me on the couch, and grabs a handful of popcorn as we start watching.  It was my favorite show, and I had watched it on repeat for as long as I could remember.