Shadow of the Werebear King

Triplet Alphas

---POV Damon---

It was difficult to leave her once, and now I have to leave her again, knowing she actually wants me here. Slamming through the front door, Gramps looked at me like I had two heads. “What’s the rush?” He asked, once his shock caught up with his brain.

“Ohhh, I’m sure it has a lot to do with a certain shebear.” Johnathan hummed.

“Why are you even here?” I snapped at him while jogging into the living room to keep my promise.

“Uncle Damon!” Ashley squealed and I picked her up. She snuggled into my neck and I patted her back.

“Well, I’m obviously here to grab the kids. Sam’s waiting for me back at the packhouse. You should come by soon. Mom…um…mom misses you.” Johnathan added, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand while the other held one of the toddlers.

I sighed heavily and shook my head. “You know why I stopped coming home.”

“But it will be different now, right? That girl is your mate, so….”

I rolled my eyes and put Ashley back on her feet. “Speaking of. I have to go.” I huffed and Johnathan full on laughed.

“Already got you wrapped around her finger, I see!” Johnathan called while I turned away from him and his gaggle of children.

“Bite me!” I snapped back and he laughed harder.

“Hey, you two! There are kids present!” Gramps shouted, and even I had to smirk at that one. Finally, making it to my room, I barreled through the door and into my closet. I grinned at the empty space to the left of my clothes and sighed. Finally.

“Grandma, can you send one of the maids out to get some clothes for Rosie and the pup?” I called to her since I knew she was the only one who’d be an adult about this.

“Of course, sweetheart. I’ll get your mother and aunts to help. No need to pester the maids. Do you know her sizes?”

I shook my head. “I don’t, but she borrowed some clothes from the shelter, so I’m sure mom has the logs. Just get as much as you can. Then, the maids or you all, can bring it up to my room. There is already a spot for her clothes in my closet. The pups room though…. Use one of the nurseries here that we normally put Johnny’s kids in?”

“You really are going to be a great mate. I am proud of you. We will do what we can and let you know as soon as we are done. When is she coming here so I can finally meet my new grandaugher?!” She squealed excitedly, and I already knew she was on the phone with mom.

“As soon as she can, but…I want to make sure she wants to come here. It might be a lot on her.”

“She will come around. I’m sure of it.” Grandma always knows the right things to say.

“Thank you.” I called back and closed the link. Collecting my things faster than I thought possible, I shoved them all in a bag and raced back to the portal Ravi made.

“Atrium, kid!” Gramps shouted and I froze, furrowing my brow.

“What?” I huffed back.

“Ravi made a new portal just for you. It’s in the atrium.”

My steps shifted, and I raced to the other side of the house. “Thanks!” I called over my shoulder.

“We get to see our mate again. Hurry up.” My bear snapped, and I chuckled, heading straight for the glass doors between me and the portal. When I finally made it back, Rosie tried her best to stay awake even for a minute longer, but when her eyes started to droop, I decided to just let her sleep.

Hours later, her soft snores and the subtle ticking of the clock were the only noises I heard as the sun rose over the horizon. Another sleepless night, but I at least got a couple of hours’ sleep earlier. In my defense though, I didn’t think it was appropriate to sleep with her yet and I have too much to do to sleep in discomfort on a stool again when I can just work. The armchair isn't any better. The funny part is, I never thought I’d say this, but I wish my vacation would last a little longer. I shifted a little on the small armchair I hunkered in last night. Joshua was blowing raspberries in his sleep as he snuggled into my chest. He started getting antsy last night. So, I stayed up with him. Since I was already awake, I took care of it, and I’m sure she was grateful for the peace and quiet.

“It was a good bonding experience. I wonder if that Peter guy ever helped her.” I’m sure that wasn’t his name, but I smirked at my bears’ snarky remark. However true it may be.

“You are enjoying this a little too much.”

“I would enjoy it a lot more if I could sleep with my mate. She’s right there. I think this could be a form of torture.” He growled and I agreed.

Unfortunately, I cannot procrastinate much longer. I have to stop by the castle again before I head into work and I cannot take her with me. No matter how much I want her moved in and safe with me, I cannot allow that until the doctor gives her the ‘all clear’. Not helping that Gran was awake by five, yelling through the link about the things they would get for her and asking me what my timing was for the day. At a certain point, I just had to block her out. Rosie is heavily malnourished, and she has some cuts and bruises that need attending to. Her, and many of the other women that came along with her. So, they stay where they can get treated.

“Are you ready to go, Damon? The board meeting will start in two hours.” Johnathan called through the link. I guess that was my queue.

“I will be back at the palace shortly.” I responded, thankful that Raven gave me a two-way portal into my mom’s office. Under lock and key, of course.

“What?! Where the hell are you then?! Dude, you cannot still be at the shelter right now.” He shouted back.

“I will see you at the office, Johnathan.” I shot back, and he knew that was grounds for silence, so a response was not given. I smirked and stood to my feet, careful to support the little cub in my hands as I closed my laptop at the same time. He’s so tiny. It made me wince when the doctors told me he might have some medical issues due to the nature of his birth, but we will get through this no matter what. He was a happy child and that was all that mattered to me.

I rested his small body into the bassinet and made sure the blanket wasn’t too high up on his body before turning to my mate, leaving behind a quick note. Her sandy brown hair fell in every which way and a soft dimple was found on her cheek as she grinned at something in her dreams. “Sweet dreams my princess.” I whispered softly before laying a kiss on her forehead and taking my leave. Ha. Like father, like son.

It didn’t take me long to make it back to the palace and prepare for my day. I readjusted my navy-blue suit as I stepped out of my town car, allowing my driver to head back to the portal. "Come on dude, where are you?" Johnny hissed again. What's got him so concerned?

"I just got here. Relax. I'm more than early." Two of my ‘bodyguards’ – as humans call them – stood at my flank, and we walked into my fathers’ company. As per usual, I didn’t socialize with anyone, and I made it a point to keep my eyes forward until we made it to the elevator. Some of the employees are human and some are supernatural. We do our best to emulate their culture as best we can. To acclimate. It was annoying at times, but every now and again, you can see our pack members wincing when a human approaches someone like me or my brothers…as their equals. They see us as their bosses, but they also see us as approachable. I don’t know how, and it bugs the hell out of us. We are not their equal.

I walked into the lobby of my office and nodded to the secretary, who shot out of her seat in a panic. “S-Sir.” She whispered breathlessly. “Johnathan is waiting for you in your office, your highness.”

I nodded again and pushed open the doors to be bombarded by my brother in the flesh. “There you are! I thought Father was going to have an aneurism if we were late! Alpha Vil and Edon are here too.” Sometimes when we talk about the three of them together, it’s just easier to use their names and titles. However, with Johnathan’s father, it’s a whole different story. Of the three of them, there was only one who required such professionalism in public. Even with his own kids. Our father, the head of the Triplet Alphas, Alpha Conri Oden. They usually don’t come by the office much anymore, but I guess this meeting really was important enough to bring them in. Mine and the twin's dads are pretty chill about whatever we decide to call them. Therefore, it really does depend on the situation.

“All three of them?” I asked with a raised brow. I know this is an important client, but that might be overkill.

“That’s what I said. Will Isaiah be in the meeting too?” Johnny asked. At least now I know why he's so antsy.

I shrugged. “He should be. He is head of sales. You got something else to tell me?” I growled lowly.

Johnny raised his hands immediately and shook his head. “N-nope! You were the only one we are missing. He’s a little ticked he had to come in on a Sunday but um…he’s here.”

I sighed and fell on my chair for just a second. That is not what I was asking, but I don't have the energy to correct him. I’m exhausted, and what’s worse, I’m completely engulfed in my mate at the moment. Is she awake now? Has she had breakfast? Is she still in pain? How’s little Joshua doing? Why did she lie to me? I winced at that last question and shook it off. I already told her I wouldn’t make her feel bad for protecting herself and the cub. We are going to start with a positive view on our bond. We will have enough problems created by others to fight against each other.

I rolled my eyes and turned to my warriors. “I need you both here after lunch. Also, I need you to station a warrior or two at the woman’s shelter. They are to protect Rosemarie Anders and her son with their lives. Am I clear?” I growled at the pair of them, and they bowed before disappearing back the way we had come from.

“Wow, so it’s gotten up to that level?” Johnathan suggested with a snicker. Like he didn’t do the same when he found Sam.

“At least I didn’t shadow her for a month until she yelled at me to go back to work.” I grumbled, and Johnny gasped.

“Ouch.” Can’t face the truth, I guess.

“Do you have your paperwork ready? Father will not be too happy if we show up ill prepared.”

“Says the one who stayed up watching over his mate the whole night. Do you ever sleep, brother?”

I smirked and pulled my tablet out of my desk, pulling up the documentation I was working on last night. “Not since you were born. And hey, I got a nap in yesterday afternoon.” I responded as he feigned another pain in his chest. I rolled my eyes and headed to the boardroom. One thing we weren’t going to do was be late.

Johnathan and I made it into the room with minutes to spare, but someone had already been in here. Damn. I walked down to the front of the room, facing the flatscreens on the wall. The blinds were already halfway down, covering the windows, but the thing I couldn’t ignore was all three of my fathers, staring at me.

Double damn.