TM [Complete ✔️]

19. Bond

Sofia's P.O.V

March, 4 months later...

I opened my eyes to my blaring alarm, signaling five a.m. Instead of being annoyed as any normal being would, a huge smile slipped on my face as I sat up and stretched, preparing for the day ahead.

Before, I was as much of a morning person as anyone else - grumbling until I was practically dragged out of bed by the hair, but ever since I became a gardener I've learned to appreciate the calmness of the early mornings, those first rays of sunshine, watching it with a mug of steaming coffee in hand...

This time of year was one of my favorites. It was early March, not even the official beginning of spring, and yet despite there not being a lot, some signs of new life were sneaking through the plants, blossoming beautifully to prepare the earth for the season ahead.

Today, the gardeners and I would start planting the first of our more cold-resilient plants, officially starting up our busiest season.

And busy meant peace. A quiet mind.

Too much work meant I was too exhausted to notice how empty and silent the house was, how loud my footsteps echoed off the ground with nothing to drown them out.

I quickly jumped out of bed, turning on the coffee machine before making my way back to the bedroom, where I put on my green rain boots and stretchy light blue overalls, a white t-shirt underneath. I threw my hair up into what I could only pretend was a messy bun but reminded me more of a rat's nest instead, pouring the ready coffee into my thermostat before I was out the door, all under ten minutes.

"Hey there, boss!" Greg greeted, him and the others working today chatting amongst themselves as they waited for me to arrive.

"Ready for another great season?" I grinned, a few of the other gardeners cheering in response.

"You bet!"

We high-fived each other, a small tradition we began three years ago before every first seed we planted into the soil, and got to work.

Despite the chill in the air, sweat was quickly dripping down our mud-splattered bodies, just as we'd all grown to love.

Zane's P.O.V

Beyla's tiny fists were wrapped around each of my thumbs as I taught her how to sit up.

"Come on, just a little more!" I cooed once she was close, gently laying her back down onto the playmat Dali had gotten her for Christmas.

I clapped excitedly at her progress, my little girl imitating me by clapping her own hands, grinning with her only two teeth on display, drool, as always since she started teething, covering her chin.

We hadn't gone back to Blood Moon for the holidays and no one but Knox knew the real reason, though I'd tried to sell him the lie everyone else bought.

To Dali, to my mother, to anyone who cares enough about me and my daughter to ask, I was swarmed with work and couldn't afford to lose days traveling back and forth between packs.

The real reason was simple enough - after losing the love of your life and the mother of your only child, Christmas and New Year's was only a reminder with fancy lights and ornaments.

I couldn't bear to see said child, even if she wouldn't remember it, celebrating her first Christmas as the only one without a mother, despite knowing there were many pups out there in the same boat.

Being in constant contact with Knox, however, he knew the real reason well enough. Knew that even though I hadn't let the pack drown in debts and was still working to pull it out, I didn't care enough not to come see my family if I wanted that.

Luckily for me and unfortunately for him, he knew grief well enough to know that any firsts afterward were like tiny shards of glass slipping into the open wound, so he didn't push but went with my lie, even in front of his mate.

Dali and my mother, along with Mia, Francis, Paisley, and Shawn, had showered my doorstep with delivery after delivery of gifts for both me and Beyla, the pile sitting in a corner up until last month.

Half of it was still sitting in the very same corner it had been in since December, but my pup's half I'd managed to open.

I thought she deserved at least that if not a proper holiday, even three months too late.

Checking my phone, I left my little girl on the mat in her nursery, reaching for the stuffed wolves and staring at herself in the toy mirror, and prepared her a bottle before picking her up.

New Year's had been the worst day of them all. All the hope, the resolutions, the knowledge that I was leaving Rosie in the past and would never start another year with her broke me. It hurt so much I couldn't move, eat, or breathe.

All I could do was hold onto my chest, afraid I'd have a heart attack and leave my pup all on her own until someone eventually realized I hadn't been showing up for some time and came to look for me.

Realizing I'd gotten distracted and the bottle was already empty, I set it down and laid my little bean in her crib, kissing her goodnight before her first nap of the day, just as the nanny knocked on the front door.

She'd been coming here for about two months now instead of watching Beyla in the office next to mine. Ever since the pup started being more alert and trying to roll over, it was simply uncomfortable for both of them to be stuck in one room.

I had to admit, despite my initial anxiety, Gwynn had proven to be an amazing babysitter and Beyla loved having her around. Ever since she started watching her in the suite, she would also clean up, make food, and occasionally even do laundry without accepting any form of extra payment.

"Good morning, Alpha," she greeted, "heading off?"

"Hey, Gwynn!" I nodded at the woman, "I'm running late, actually, but Beyla's asleep as per usual!"

"Go on, we'll be okay!" I gave her the smallest of smiles, something I'd only recently started being able to do again but made me feel much more alive than before.

Perhaps I was doing a better job at surviving than I thought.

Despite the progress I was making, however small, Zion was nowhere to be seen or felt. It was as if he'd completely vanished, as if he was all too happy to let me look after our daughter, not bothering to meet her even once.

I was struggling, my chest, my ribs, my heart all felt like they were being ripped apart, we were experiencing the same grief in the same body, after all, but one thing I'd never understand was him abandoning Beyla the way he did.

At least that's what I told myself to make it hurt less, the absence of his presence.

I'd all but given up hope to have him back after he'd crushed it on multiple occasions. He'd lift his head or give me the tiniest amount of his presence inside my head only to disappear as soon as I noticed him.

It'd crushed me the first couple of times, crushing the last of my hopes the next and being a painful reminder for the rest.

Today was the first day in which training would be brought outside for all the members, rather than just those that had their wolves and could handle being in the cold. It still wasn't warm but it was bearable enough that after many persuasions on both Julian and Knox's part, the two teaming up in an effort to make me pull myself together, it seemed, I'd agreed to give training a go, just this once.

I'd made both of them swear they'd leave me alone after today, so I'd just have to push through for an hour or two before I could head to the office for yet another day of work.

I'd also have to stop by the gardens later, Sofia informing me they'd be starting planting for the new season today.

Upon my arrival at the training rings, everyone stopped to acknowledge my presence before I made them go back to what they were doing, Ezra and Enzo coming up to me after a couple of moments.

"Alpha!" They greeted in unison.

"Are you joining us in training today?" Enzo asked.

"Don't act like Beta Julian didn't warn us about it." Ezra scoffed, earning an elbow in the ribs by his mate. I shook my head at the two, Enzo looking away.

"Shall we," Ezra gestured, saving him from further embarrassment.

Enzo and Ezra were my Gammas. I gave them the positions only a month and a half after I took over but even that time seemed like an eternity.

Julian and I were swarmed with work and no money or warriors, in which department I was of no help. He'd divide himself between training the rest with only a handful of other skilled wolves, border patrols, and working in the office with me, quickly but efficiently showing me why I was right to appoint him as my Beta, despite being apprehensive at first.

Enzo had been one of Julian's most reliable partners both for patrols and training, being one of the few who could help get the others get in shape.

He'd never been outside of Silver Claws, therefore was nineteen, almost twenty, and hadn't found his mate yet.

Until Ezra visited with his father, the Alpha of the Green Moss pack, and his sister, Everest, the future Alpha, to form an alliance with me.

Initially, Alpha Erickson had meant to offer Ezra and a couple of his more skilled warriors to come help us out. His daughter, being the firstborn, would become the Alpha of his pack soon, while his son had great potential but nowhere to show it and teach others from it, so he thought it was the perfect opportunity for it.

Until Ezra ended up meeting Enzo and permanently moved to Silver Claws with him despite being of higher rank.

Both of them quickly showed they knew what they were doing, so I wasted no time making them the Gamma couple of the pack and hadn't regretted it thus far.

Ezra, as the more extroverted and fun one of the two, took training the she-wolves, while his mate trained the males, his brooding and quiet personality making him scarier, therefore keeping the males in check easier.

The two parted ways with a wink (Ezra) and a playful eye roll (Enzo) he showed only to his mate. I got in line with the rest of the males, hoping today would pass without problems and before I could embarrass myself, knowing there was enough work to be done as is.

***

Only a few minutes in, I could barely keep up. On the contrary of what I assumed, no one was giving me a hard time, despite my obvious lack of shape, perhaps because they could see the other aspects of what I did for the pack.

I was trying. but failing miserably to keep up, when suddenly a blinding pain hit my temples right in the middle of the training grounds, everyone around me stopping to see what was wrong.

"Alpha, what's wrong, what's going on?" Someone, I assumed one of the Gammas, asked, but I couldn't do anything but hold my head, afraid my brain would split open and spill out onto the dirt.

Agony rippled through me so hard I was panting, barely containing my screams until hundreds of voices sounded inside my head, intensifying the pain with how loud they all were.

I could hear them as they spoke about me, wondering what was happening, If I would be okay. Here and there, some were snickering about how I couldn't run a lap without a break, something that was obvious but I hadn't realized I'd done.

When it was only the voices remaining and most of the pain was gone, I focused on filtering them out, one by one, one voice at a time, until the only one that remained was mine - mine and Zion's.

Taking a few deep breaths, I opened my eyes, squinting against the sunlight when I smelled it. When I felt it. When I saw it.

Her eyes, Sofia's eyes, stared straight into mine as a mate bond settled between us.

A/N

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