A Beta's Determination

Serenity

Sam

"I would say last night was a night to remember, wouldn't you?" I spoke to Colleen as I ran my fingers through her silky, soft hair. We had the whole day to ourselves, seeing how my parents wanted to keep Serenity a night so Colleen and I could have some alone time. We would have her for the remainder of the weekend before leaving for the trip, so I thought we could do something special with her before leaving for seven days.

"Love, what do you say we take Serenity to the mall tomorrow and let her pick out a few of her favorite toys and let her ride the carousel they have there," Colleen smiled at the gesture.

"That sounds perfect. We can get up early so we can miss the weekend traffic and just spend the whole day with her, then come Sunday, we'll just have a family day here at the packhouse while we make sure we have everything for the trip."

"Baby, you have checked and rechecked each bag we have packed. I think it is safe to say we have everything we need."

I couldn't help but laugh at her overthinking at times. After all, that is one part of her that made me fall deeply in love from the first time I laid eyes on her, along with the mate bond. The more I learn about this woman, the more she gets my heart racing and does things to me emotionally that I have never felt in my life.

"I know; I just want to be sure we have every single thing we need and that we're not stopping a hundred times for things we forgot."

I just rolled my eyes, smirking at her determination.

We continued our romantic moment until Christian walked in, of course, without knocking. You would think after knowing him for so long, he would by now know that when my door is closed, that means to knock. Yeah right, who am I kidding; he's like an overgrown kid at times.

"Sam, the contracting company is here to get the blueprints of the house," Christian stated, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed all nonchalantly.

"I'll be right down."

I gave Colleen a quick peck on the forehead and smiled, "Come on, love, let's go see how our home is going to be built."

"I am so excited; I can't wait," Colleen clapped her hands together all giddily.

"You do know they are not going to break ground until around March or April, so that gives us time to decide on any changes we may want to be done before then."

"I know. I have everything planned and designed the way I want it to be. I don't think there is anything I would change about our home."

"Good day, gentlemen," I said to Raul.

"Good day, Beta."

"Please, call me Sam. I mean, after all, it's you and your team that are going to be building our dream home, so whatever you or your men need in the process, let me know, and I will try my damndest to get it."

"That is mighty kind and professional of you, Sam," Raul said.

"So, here is the rough draft of the blueprints for the house. Look at them, tell me what you think. Do I need to alternate anything or move things around to make it how it is laid out?"

"By looking at the design and the square footage, I say you should have plenty of room for all that you and the Mrs. wants, probably even more."

Raul scanned through every detail of the design, making marks and circling certain spots on the plan.

"Did you hear that, Sam? I can add stuff to the design; we're adding an inground pool," Colleen eagerly stated.

"Coll, we have a pool at the packhouse; why need another one?"

"Well, what if we are at home and we want to go swimming? Or when we have company over during the summer, what then?"

"We can all go to the packhouse and swim. We don't need an inground pool, Colleen."

Colleen had a tendency to plan big things when, in reality, we already had it, but when she had her mind set on the house and having our own home, I was willing to try my best to get her that; not just for her, but for the whole family.

"I'm sorry, Colleen, but they are not putting in a pool, that's that."

Colleen pouted for a moment, then brushed the disappointment off her face, knowing I was right, and she went a little overboard on the wants and needs.

"Fine. Can I at least have a few birdbaths and a Koi fish pond over her?" Colleen stated, pointing to an empty spot next to where the fire pit and patio would be.

"I don't see why not; you could probably put in a few play accessories for the children over here along with them." Raul pointed to another open area on the print.

We continued scanning and marking the prints; before we knew it, the blueprints looked like something Serenity had drawn. He had different colored pencils for other areas. He had blue for the waterlines, brown and green for the landscaping areas and yard decor, yellow for the electrical work, purple and orange for the bedrooms, and other house areas.

The more I looked at the design, the more overwhelmed I got. I knew this would take some time to build and wouldn't be finished overnight or even a month, but we still had the packhouse and knew that it would be our home for now until ours was finished.

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Colleen

"Oh my Goddess, guys. This looks amazing," Julia walked up, glancing at the displayed colorwork laid across the table.

"You like it?"

"Girl, I love it. Maybe I can get Elijah to rethink some remodeling ideas. I love the living room. Oh, that dining room is going to be immaculate. We have got to have a housewarming party when it gets finished. Spring needs to hurry and get here; I am ready to see what this masterpiece will look like. Raul built our house, and he and his men know exactly what they are doing; granted, it did take a little longer to get finished, only because I kept changing my mind a thousand times." Julia smiled.

"Thank you, Jules. I wanted to put in an inground pool because Raul said we had extra square footage to work with, but Sam won't let me have it."

"We have a pool at the packhouse; why do you want another one?" Julia laughed, shaking her head.

"That is exactly what I said too," Sam piped in from the side, waving his arms.

"Okay, you two. Stop ganging up on me; we're not getting the pool."

"Yeah, Elijah said the same thing when I suggested we get a pool put in at our house. He explained that we already had one and didn't need another one, plus, he made me realize that it gives us time to spend with our families and friends and mingle with our pack when we are at the packhouse." Julia pursed her lips, knowing she had a good point.

"Well, now that I really think about it, I do see both of your points about it. Maybe I was a little selfish."

"Girl, you are far from selfish, more like selfless. It's okay to want extraordinary things for yourself and your family. You work hard for your family and friends, and you and Sam deserve to have your own home."

"Thanks, girl."

"Anytime. Don't say anything, but Cat and Christian's anniversary is coming up, and Elijah and I have decided to surprise them with a gift they have never had."

Julia looked as if she was fixing to explode if she didn't get to say what it was quick enough. Before I could even get a word out of my mouth, she burst out, "WE ARE GOING TO BUILD THEM THEIR OWN HOME!!!"

"Julia, that is the most sincere and selfless thing you and Elijah could do. Now, I am excited to see what theirs will look like. What kind of ideas do you and he have? When is it going to be built? I want to help you design it. This could be our little project," I couldn't help but squeal like a little girl.

"Technically, Elijah has already put me in charge of it because he has been so caught up with work and the s**t with Sam and the paternity to that little girl, so he told me to take this and turn it into something unique. Cat and Christian have no idea what we are planning. I want to let the others in on it and gradually develop layouts and designs that I know Cat will like. Christian isn't hard to please when it comes to decisions; he'll like whatever Cat decides on, but the hard part is trying to get her to look at designs and stuff like that without her catching on. She has mentioned that she likes the layout of individual rooms in our house and how the front porch and back patio area, with minor differences, but I kept that in mind, and I have it all wrote down in a notebook and put it in Elijah's safe."

"When can we get started on it? Sam, Raul, and his crew seem to have ours situated, so we need to get Christian distracted helping them to be able to start on theirs."

"Let me take care of that. I know just what to do." Juia smiled a Cheshire cat grin.

There was no telling what she had planned up her sleeve to keep both Cat and Christian distracted for as long as it was going to take to get their house done, but if Julia said she had it, then she had it. I learned to not question Julia's antics or choices since she became Luna, one, because she was my Luna, two, nine times out of ten, she was right every time.

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Sam

"Daddy, we go shopping? Shopping, shopping, shopping," Serenity said, singing it like a song.

"Yes, baby, we are going shopping. What would you like to buy when we get there?"

"Toys!! Candy, and more stuffed animals, pwease." She had the cutest, most innocent little voice and had me one hundred and fifty percent wrapped around her little finger. It almost made me feel a bit guilty in a way that I was like this with Serenity, knowing out there in the world, I could possibly have another little girl that was missing out and had missed out on such crucial moments in her life.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Colleen turned to look at me and ask.

"It's nothing, love," trying to give her the best fake smile I could.

"Sam, you suck at lying, always have. Now, tell me what's bothering you," Colleen took my hand in hers.

"I was just thinking about possibly being a father to another little girl out there and missing out on times like this spent with her," I whispered over to her, hoping Serenity couldn't hear what I was saying.

Colleen and I hadn't mentioned anything to her about her possibly having a sister. Serenity had asked us before if she could have a sister or a brother a few times before, but all we told her was that if the Moon Goddess wanted to give us one, then when the time comes, she will become a sister. If it turned out the little girl was mine, how would I explain why the little girl was older than Serenity and not younger.

Serenity is a brilliant girl, sometimes a little too much for her own good; I just hope she understands if it came down to me having to explain things to her in her own way, she would still look at me as her superhero.

"I know it bothers you, but we are going to get through this. If you are her father, you can start from there and be the best you can be. You can't make up for lost time with her, but you can begin by taking one step and day at a time and treat her the same way you treat Serenity. She may be angry at you and may push you away, but you have to see where she is coming from and let her take as much time she needs to gain that same bond you and Serenity have."

I loved it when Colleen boosted my spirits when I needed them and made me snap back to reality and notice what kind of a person I really was. Minus the mistakes I have made in the past, Colleen was always there for me through everything, which made me feel more confident about the possible consequences that may lay ahead.

I smiled at Colleen, kissing her knuckles and gripping her hand tight.

"This is going to be a good day. We will go shopping with our little girl and, for once, forget about the obstacles that lie ahead. Today is Serenity's day, and we are going to give her a fantastic one," Colleen stated, giving me an ear-to-ear, reassuring smile.

"Daddy, I want to go ride on that," Serenity squealed, jumping up and down, pulling my arm towards the carousel.

"Okay, munchkin. Stop pulling daddy's arm like that; you are going to pull it out of the socket," I chuckled, trying to keep pace with her as we walked close to the ride.

"Don't be a big baby, daddy," Serenity stopped and gave me a look. My mouth hung open as Colleen stood beside me, trying to contain her laughter.

"Yeah, daddy. Don't be a big baby," Colleen said, imitating Serenity's little voice.

"Very funny, Coll."

"I'm sorry, baby. I had to; that was the funniest thing ever. You can't help but laugh." Colleen was smiling.

Colleen was right; it was hilarious to hear Serenity say something like that, all nonchalantly and serious-like. I couldn't help but laugh myself.

Serenity rode the carousel at least six times before we could convince her to walk away from it and let the other kids ride on it too. She made a valid point that there were, in fact, other seats on the carousel, and they had plenty of room. Eventually, she caved and decided she was hungry," Mommy, I hungry. I want chicken," Serenity stopped in her tracks, spotting a Mcdonald's on the other side of the mall. I mean, who could miss those yellow arches, even five miles away? She could spot them out of nowhere.

"Okay, sweetie. Let's get cleaned up, and we will go get some chicken."

"Serenity."

"Yes, daddy."

"You still get to do some shopping; you still up for that?"

"Yes, I am," she replied, smiling big at me.

Serenity scarfed down her chicken nuggets as if she had never eaten before in her life," Serenity, slow down, or you're going to choke," I told her.

Four hours later, we were finally heading home. Serenity was passed out in the backseat, along with Colleen passed out in the front. Today was a great day. Serenity got plenty of new toys, stuffed animals, and a new Build-A-Bear she had been eyeballing since we walked into the mall. I was ready to get home to spend the rest of the day and weekend with my pack family and friends.

"Wake up, love bug. We're home," gently shaking Serenity to wake her.

"Daddy, I had a dream," smiling big as she said it.

"Really? What was it about?"

"I had a dream that I had a sister, and she was so pretty. She is older than me and beautiful, like mommy. She has the same color hair as Aunt Cass and green eyes."

I stopped for a moment, thinking maybe she overheard Colleen and I talking on the way to the mall, but the strange thing about it was no one knew what the little girl looked like, not even Elijah. All we knew was the child was a girl and six years old; that's it. Maybe it was a little girl she saw on TV that may have put a sister's image in her mind seeing how she has wanted one for some time. I didn't think anything about it, unbuckling her car seat and taking her in.

The other kids were in the living room playing as Olivia was trying her best to keep up with the older ones.

"Play nice with the others, and let Olivia play with you all too," I said to Serenity and Cat's twins.

"Yes, daddy."

"Yes, Uncle Sam," the twins replied.

I went to go find the others to see what they were up to, with the thought of what Serenity told me earlier running through my head.

"Hey, guys, what's up?"

Elijah, Julia, Cat, Christian, and Colleen were sitting a the kitchen table playing UNO Attack. Elijah wearing a severe look on his face, told me he must have been losing.

"Hey, Sam, what's up?"

"I just put Serenity in the living room with the rest of the kids. They were good when I left, so hopefully, we won't hear any crying any time soon."

"Yeah, Olivia has gotten to where she tries so hard to keep up with the others; it's so cute," Julia replied.

When Serenity was younger, all the twins would try so hard to keep up with her. Serenity was the oldest of all the ranking kids, her being like the boss, leader, and mother hen, to an extent. She was more of the softer, less daredevil-like children with each passing year. She hardly got in trouble or into anything only because she was the first to experience all the wrongdoings first-hand, and she would try her best to look after the younger ones and guide them.

"Can I ask you all something and not sound like a total crazy person?"

They all stopped the game, looking up at me as I poured a glass of Pepsi and sat down with them. They had the "have you lost your mind" look on their faces, waiting patiently for me to say something.

"Well, are you going to ask us or just sit there?" Cat spoke up sarcastically.

"Have you ever heard of a child possibly having premonitions?"

"Sam, what are you talking about?" Julia sat her cards down, scooting closer to me, interested where this conversation was about to go.

"So, this may sound crazy, and I may just be overthinking things and looking more into, but Serenity told me something today that got me thinking. I honestly didn't know exactly what to say to her or anything; I just stood there."

"What did she say, Sam?" I had Elijah's attention as he listened intensely with his head c****d to the side and an eyebrow raised. Elijah never raised an eyebrow unless he was aggravated or deep in thought.

"She fell asleep on the way home from the mall today. When I tried to wake her when we got here, she told me she had a dream that she had a sister. Serenity doesn't know anything about what's going on with the paternity thing. I thought maybe she heard me say something to Colleen about it on the way to the mall, but I barely even said it in a whisper; besides, Serenity had headphones on watching a movie in the backseat, so there was no way she heard what I said. I asked her what her "sister" looked like, and she described it to me in detail. She said she had the same hair color as Aunt Cass, which is blonde and green eyes, and she was older than her."

Elijah stiffened, eyes widening, earning a stern glare from me. He must know something and isn't saying anything. Elijah sat there quietly with his UNO cards in his hands. I could tell he was concerned and confused at the same time by the tight grip he had on them. I wasn't going to say anything about his reaction in front of everyone, so I decided to wait until later and have a private meeting with him.

"Sam, keep an eye on her. It may be a coincidence her having that kind of dream, but just to be on the safe side, watch her behavior; if anything seems off about her, let me know. I'm going to talk to Jo about it and see what she thinks on it, and I'll get back to you." Julia gave me a reassuring smile, indicating for me to relax and not get worked up over something as simple as a dream.

"Yeah, I'll talk to my grandma to see what she thinks; it could just be a coincidence," Cat added.

"Thanks, you all. It may be nothing, but I just find it odd Serenity dreaming of a girl possibly being her sister. I mean hell, we don't even know what she looks like."

I didn't know what to think about the dream or what it meant, but I was confident we would come down to the bottom of it between all of us.