The Alpha's Claimed Mate

Chapter 9: Children & Reunion

Bang bang bang

"Alpha, it's Thomas. Is the Luna with you?! Several rogues loom right outside in the woods!"

He shot out of bed and gently shook Marietta awake. She jumped, startled. Then seeing him, she smiled and kissed him. His face was full of worry. "What is it?"

He shook his head. "Rogues." Her eyes grew fearful but she was Luna now. She was not going to show her fear. She nodded, then got up to get dressed.

Both in jeans, flannels, and boots, they made their way downstairs where the packs were waiting. They gave a sigh of relief when their Luna was at their Alpha's side. She noticed that none of the males looked at her like a prize anymore. Could they smell that she'd just been mated to the Alpha?

Jeremy's alpha voice thundered over the huge crowd of pack members. "I need all my Warriors to follow me. We're going out to see why they're here and what they want. If it's blood they want, we capture as many as possible to find out who they're working for. If it's hunting, then fine, as long as they don't kill one of our own. If they kill one of our own, we kill them. Got it?!"

Several "Yes Alpha,"s went throughout the crowd while many stomped, impatient to shift. "As for the women and children, they stay here. Go to the safe room. The female warriors will stay here to protect them."

Suddenly, everything was a frenzy of activity. Marietta rushed the females and children into the hidden safe room. The males began turning and ran out to meet the rogues. Little ones began crying for their dads, brothers, uncles, cousins, etc.

--Marietta--

The ones who didn't have mother's or sisters, I felt an overwhelming desire to comfort them. Having never really helped a kid, I wasn't sure how to do it, so I gathered them around and began to sing softly. Many of them fell to sleep as I continued to sing part of a lullaby my mother used to sing.

"Baby mine, don't you cry.

Baby mine, dry your eyes.

When you play

Take no heed what they say.

All those same people who scold you,

What they'd give just for the right to hold you.

Rest you heads close to my heart

Never to part,

Baby of mine."

The few that remained awake begged for more songs. I began another song my mother was so fond of.

"I can only imagine

When that day will come

When I stand forever in the Son

I can only imagine

What it will be like

To forever walk by Your side.

Surrounded by Your glory

What will my heart feel.

Will I dance for You, Jesus?

Or in awe of you be still?

Will I sing hallelujah?

Will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine, yeah, I can only imagine!"

By the time I was done with that portion of the song, the rest of the little ones were asleep. Getting up, I softly padded around the sleeping children to check on everybody else. One mother had triplets and twins. She was trying to get them asleep. She looked up when I went over to her. "May I help, Ma'am?" Her face was a mixture of relief and confusion.

With a slight bow of her head, "If you wish to, Luna." Sitting down beside her, "Please, call me Marietta." The mother smiled softly. "I had a daughter named Marietta. She'd be seventeen and a half now. I used to sing the same songs to her that you sang over there.

"Ma'am, what pack was this in?" I took the twins in my arms and a triplet in my lap. She sighed.

"The Bloodmoon pack. She was born June 25th, 2002. I came so close to death when she was three that I was sent away to die. My last request was for them to keep her safe. At that point, they were in Florida. I don't know what became of her, but you have her eyes." By this point, there were tears streaming down her face. Anger, despair, love, and confusion warred within me.

"Ma'am, I think you're my mother. Was the father Alpha Peter Bloodmoon and are you Marie Hazel Bloodmoon?" Her Nodding,

"Yes, that was the father. He forced himself on me. Bloodmoon is no longer my name. My true mate is Beta Thomas' father, Tyler Goldfrost." Oh. My. God.

"You're my mother!" Thomas was my step brother! These children were my siblings! Holy s**t! I had a family!

The next words startled me. "Daughter, if you're anything like me, you'll have a few abilities that normal werewolf don't. I don't know if you've discovered them, but in time you will." I looked up at her.

"What do you mean?" She sighed. "So he never told you?"

I shook my head. "From the moment he said you were dead, it was literally constant torture. That's where all these scars came from. He never told me anything about you. I had to cling to my few memories of you." Her icy blue eyes clouded over with pain.

"I'm so sorry, Marietta. I didn't know. One of these abilities is that you'll never stay dead, one that I didn't realize until a few years ago when I had my throat slit, which kills any werewolf. I died for a minute, then sprang back into action. As time goes on, you'll discover more of these, but I cannot tell you for sure what all you'll have. I can guarantee that your true mate will never stay dead either, meaning ya'll will live for eternity, something many long for but few have." I was too shocked to speak, so I just went to putting the three pups I had to sleep.