Chapter 33
25 Points
“Thank you,” Phoebe smiled at the staff. She hated to think their little..
project had interfered with meal preparation, but the kitchen was quite
large and the staff assured her the use of one oven meant nothing.
“Of course, Luna,” Myra, the head of the kitchen, answered. She was a
robust she–wolf, a mother who successfully raised three pups and her
niece. Myra reminded Phoebe of the motherly wolf in charge of the
kitchen at her old pack. “You can come by any time. And please bring
the pups too.”
Phoebe hugged the older she–wolf; much to the latter’s surprise, before
herding the pups back to the dining hall. Their parents were already
arriving. They had been told their pups would be at the kitchen, rather
than the daycare center. The pups greeted their parents, eager to show
off their culinary results.
“Mommy,” Emma tugged Phoebe’s hand, “can we show daddy too?”
“Of course,” Phoebe smiled, patting her head. She was still getting used
to the title, but it warmed her heart. Though she was hesitant to disrupt
Jason’s work, she wanted the pups to feel closer to him.
Norah nodded encouragement, so she left the former Luna to watch over the rest of the pups still waiting for their parents and took Blake
and Emma by the hand. Both had been given baggies with extra
brownies for Luke, Mona, Ben and Lucille as none of them had pups of
their own. Considering how long both Ben and Luke had been mated, it
was strange neither started families.
She–wolves were only fertile during their heat cycle, which occurred once a year. It usually occurred during the winter months, thus their pup
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would be born in the spring. A holdover from when they relied on the
natural bounty of the earth. Less common were she–wolves who had
their cycle in the spring so that the pup would be born in the fall during
the harvest season. Even with a wolf’s insatiable appetite for their mate,
that left a narrow window for pregnancies to occur. Since wolves only
gave birth to one pup at a time, it actually gave them a rather low birth
rate. Survival rate of pups was practically guaranteed, which aided
consistent population growth overall.
In Luke and Ben’s case, she had a sneaking suspicion they deliberately
held off having pups. She hadn’t asked them yet, but it made sense
given how close they all were. Prior to being marked, she–wolves had a
truncated heat cycle that was both shorter and less intense than a
marked female. If they mated during that time, it could still lead to
pregnancy, though their fertility was really not that high.
All wolves shared a strong connection to the moon. They were stronger
and felt more at peace under the light of a full moon. According to Máni,
the effect was even more potent for them, which was why Máni insisted
Jason mark them before the Luna Ceremony which was set to take place on the upcoming full moon. Phoebe still recalled their
conversation earlier that morning.
Phoebe sensed Jason’s departure, but remained in contented sleep. She
felt heavy as the pack bond knitted her into it. The connection was
stronger and more potent now. She had a direct connection to the ebb
and flow of the pack’s emotional state. It was
a good thing it was so
early and most still asleep or just beginning to stir. Once they woke, it
would strain her mind as their worries invaded her through the link. Over
time, her mind would naturally learn to channel the input, but for now
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she would have to be careful when she accessed the link.
‘How are you feeling?‘ Máni asked.
‘Good…considering. Why did you want him to mark us now?‘
‘It was for his own good.‘
‘What do you mean?‘
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‘Our strength is directly tied to the moon. We are weakest during the New
Moon and strongest when it is Full.‘
‘Isn’t that true for all wolves?‘
‘Yes, but even more so for us. We’ve been hiding our true strength all this
time, so you’ve never truly experienced it. Our Mate is strong, but he won’t
be able to endure it full force. That’s why we marked him now. It was the last night of the New Moon. As the moon waxes and our power grows, he can gradually acclimate to it.‘
‘You mean it will really affect him that much?”
‘An Alpha’s strength always increases once he is marked and mated to his
Luna. How much is determined by the Luna’s inherit strength. It’s best if he
acclimates gradually.’
Jason’s return had cut off further discussion as he slid back into bed
and pulled her into his arms. He nuzzled her as he adjusted her position
so as much of their bare skin touched as possible. Phoebe tried to
pretend to be asleep, but she felt his stiff member pressing against her
thigh as he held her close. His large hand gently caressed her, earning a
moan of approval. Jason didn’t seem aware of any changes brought on by the mark. In fact, he was more concerned about her and whether she felt any discomfort from the previous night. Perhaps it was the novelty
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of its newness or Máni was correct after all.
Jason was replying to an sss when a knock at his door interrupted him.
Knock
Luke and Ben still sat on the couch; trying to convince him to join their
celebration, but quickly put their glasses down at the door opened revealing Phoebe and the pups.
“Daddy!” Emma squealed, running up to Jason without hesitation.
Jason scooped up the pup as he stood. He covered his awkwardness by
nuzzling the pup, causing her to giggle as the bristles on his cheek
tickled hers.
Though their bond was still new, their scent was definitely becoming
more potent. It wasn’t quite the same as if they were truly from his
blood, but it marked the pups as his and they were under his protection
if anyone intended them harm. In the back of his mind Lobo wagged his
tail, pleased with how the pups accepted them. His wolf had always
loved pups and longed for its own as much as it longed for its mate.
“What brings my little treasures here?” Jason asked, kneeling and
bringing the more hesitant Blake into his embrace.
Blake was just as desperate for parents as his sister, but knowing Jason
was an alpha made the pup too nervous to appear too familiar. Though
Jason was still adjusting to his new role, he wanted both brother and
sister to be comfortable with him. Blake leaned into him and snuggled
close, enjoying his embrace.
“We made brownies,” Phoebe said as the pups showed off their baggies.
“Try one! They are really good!” Emma said, opening her bag. “This one
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is for you.”
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Jason accepted the still warm, gooey offering. He had never been one for sweets, but nonetheless savored the pup’s treat. It was the first gift his pups ever gave him.
“It’s good, right?” Blake asked. Like the other pups, they ate their own immediately.
“It is.” Jason hugged them close.
Given his own childhood, he had grown up with almost no connection to his father. There had been too much history, too much bad blood.
Because of that, he was unprepared to play the role of father, though he
had longed for it as much as his wolf. But they would learn together.
“Does that mean we won’t get any?” Ben asked. He couldn’t keep the
pain from his voice as he loved chocolate.
“We have some for you, Uncle Ben,” Blake said, carrying his baggy to
them. “And for Uncle Luke too.”
Emma followed him to the couch and happily crawled into Luke’s lap
before offering him one of the gooey brownies. The pups had one for
Eagerly accepti
each of them and their mates. Eagerly accepting the treats, the beta and
gamma popped them into their mouths, devouring them in a single bite.
The gamma moaned as he leaned back practically comatose in his
rapture. Blake and Emma giggled at his over–the–top reaction.
“Where can I buy these?” Ben sighed.
“You can buy the ingredients at any grocery store,” Phoebe chuckled as
Jason slid his arms around her and held her close. “We made these
from scratch.”
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MAMEN PICAS.
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“You did?” Ben looked at her in surprise. “You bake?”
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“I find it relaxing,” Phoebe nodded. Her mother loved to bake and her
father had about as big of a sweet tooth as the gamma.
“You missed your calling. You definitely belong in the kitchen!”
“What was that?” Jason let out a short growl at the thought of Phoebe
being anywhere or anything but his Luna.
“Easy, Alpha,” Luke chuckled. “That’s just the chocolate talking.”
“Speaking of,” Ben leaned forward, but Blake stepped out of his reach,
saving the last brownie.
“This is for Auntie Lucy,” the pup declared.
Ben huffed. Like Jason, Lucille didn’t have a particularly strong sweet
tooth, but she certainly wouldn’t turn away fresh baked goodies,
especially if they were delivered by her niece and nephew.
Phoebe chuckled, “There are more in the kitchen. The cooks are making
them for dessert.”
“Oh really?” Ben perked up.
“Well, now you know the way to his heart,” Jason joked, nuzzling her and
kissing her temple. He didn’t care how many hearts she captured, as
long as hers belonged to him.
