Alpha Loren
Chapter 54 Two-nil

November 11th

"What the fuck is this?" Leo asked placing one of the flyers Allison and I had made down in front meon the table.

"A flyer," I said.

"No shit," he remarked before picking it back up again.

I stared at me in disbelief as I smiled innocently.

He then read it one more time, "As the war ends and peace returns to the Stella pack, many of uscelebrate. But as we hug our loved ones and thank the Goddesses for bringing them home to us, weknow not everybody has that privilege. But as Alpha Loren promised on the night of the ball, yourchildren wrongly snatched by the junior training regime will be returned and you will get to hugthem again. If your family is currently missing your sons, grandsons, nephews and brothers, pleasegather outside the junior institute tomorrow morning where the reuniting will be."

"Mh hm," I said taking a bite of my carrot.

"And looks like you have once again made a promise on my behalf," he said.

"Yeh I did."

"Did you not hear me when I told you this was the bottom of my priority list? Right under leaningancient Greek?" he questioned.

"Why would you learn Ancient Greek-" I began before stopping myself. "Oh...you wouldn't.""Precisely."

"So what? You go against your second promise to the pack?" I asked. "And soon you will be a DadLeo. Do you not feel anything for the parents of those babies?"

"Most of them don't have parents,” Leo replied.

"But some of them do and some of them will be hopefully waiting tomorrow morning to bereuniting with their son,” I said, "And it's too late. I've already distributed these all over the pack.”He rolled his eyes.

"Leo come here," I ordered.

He narrowed his eyes.

"Just come,” I said.

He reluctantly obeyed me.

"Crouch down and give me your hand.”

He followed the instruction and I brought his hand to my stomach.

"Do you feel that?"

"A heartbeat,” Leo said quietly.

His face had softened dramatically as he stared down at his hand.

"And do you feel the bump?" I asked.

"It's small, but yes," he replied.

"That's your child,” I said. "Soon to be a real-life living, breathing, crying baby. Imagine if somebodytook them away from you though. It's small, but it means a lot right?"

Leo nodded.

"Those children all mean a lot to someone out there too," I told him. "You can't sentence them to alife empty of love when there's a chance that someone is still alive and would give them a life theydeserve. Please, Leo. I am begging you."

He nodded again, "As if I have a choice anyway. Well played, Ells."

I smiled.

"Two-nil," I said bopping his nose.

For the next fifteen minutes, I watched over intently Leo's shoulder as he sent various emails to hismen who worked at the junior.

"Done," he said after pressing send on the final email that detailed how on earth this operation wasto be carried out, "Can we stop arguing about this now?"

I kissed on the cheek and embraced him in a hug from behind.

"Doesn't doing something good make you all warm and fluffy inside? Do you feel lighter?" I asked."The only time I feel lighter is after taking a shit,” he deadpanned. "And no. I feel like I amdestroying my plans for a stronger army. Those kids had potential.”

"You just defeated the only pack in the world even close in strength to yours. What the fuck do youneed a stronger army for?" I asked. "World take over?”

He shrugged and spun his office chair round to face me, "It's nice to have the option. And until allmy enemies are crushed, I will not be satisfied.”

"I have an alternative and very simple solution," I said perching my self on his lap. "A replacementfor the kids if you like."

"And what's that?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.

"She-wolves," I chirped.

He tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling.

"I see where this is going,” He groaned.

"The power of women is highly underappreciated by many men,” I said repeating Ancesco, thecoffee man's, words. "We can learn to fight too."

"The battlefield is not for women," he said. "It's dangerous.”

"It's no more dangerous for women than it is men," I replied.

He sighed, "Women are weaker physically. No amount of training is going to change that.”

"I bet none of your men could beat what Maria, Elena and Allison can do with a bow and arrow," Ipointed out.

"But look where it got Elena,” he snapped. "I will not have women in my army, Ella. We as men arehardwired by nature to want and need to protect women. The idea of putting them in as muchdanger of the front line of a battle, it unthinkable.”

"But-"

"Even if I did allow it, Maria's mate was not happy when he found out about what they did and Idon't suppose any other man would be happy about their girl fighting either.”

"You think I'm happy about you fighting?" I asked. "Watching you go off to war knowing you mightnever come back?"

He wrapped his arms around me and guided my head to rest on his shoulder.

"Why does it only ever apply one way, Leo?" I questioned. "Men can do anything even if their matedoesn't want them to but women can only do what their mate permits?”

"Because that's the way it is Ells," he said. "Call it sexism or whatever you like, it's not gonnachange."

I sighed. "So what about self-defence? What happens if the oh so powerful all-male army can't holdback the attackers and a woman ends up in a position where she is face to face with someone whowants to kill her?"

"Women are taught basic self-defence once a month at the base,” Leo replied.

"Basic isn't good enough. You remember that woman that was killed infront of her kids in the war?She could still be alive if she knew how to fight them off!" I said getting off his knee. "It's the 21stcentury Leo! Where is equality?"

"Ella, calm down," Leo said standing up and taking my hands.

"No, don't tell me to calm down," I hissed. "How many of the civilians killed last week were women,huh? How many could have been prevented if they were offered the necessary training?!"

I tried to pull my hands out of his but his hold was tight and I couldn't defeat it.

"Let go of me."

I pushed against his chest but he refused to let go, trying to keep me still.

"Calm. Down," he repeated more sternly this time.

"I should be able to fight you off,” I hissed only getting less and less calm. "I should be able to!"

At that point, I felt Leo's arms wrap around my waist and my feet leave the floor.

"No!" I sobbed hitting his chest with my fists before he spun me around so that I was facingforwards, but he still had his arms around my waist.

All the way up the stairs he didn't say a word as I continued to kick, scream and cry hysterically. Hecarried me through to the ensuite bathroom and began to run some hot water and bubbles into thebath.

The soothing scent of vanilla and coconut filled the air as he sat on the closed toilet- me still in hisarms. I stopping trying to get out of his grasp and instead lay quietly in his embrace breathing in hisbeautiful scent.

"I can't fight you off," I said quietly after a few moments of listening to the bath run.

"That isn't surprising,” He replied calmly.

"I can't fight anyone off," I added.

"What about all those humans? You could crush them like butterflies,” he said.

"I'm weak Leo. I feel so defenceless and helpless all the time. With Max, Connor, Haden, rogues,Logan, you. You've all done things that I didn't want, but couldn't stop,” I said. "I can't protectmyself."

He kissed my cheek and hugged me tighter.

"That's why I am here," he replied.

"But I want to be able to take our baby out for walks while you're walking or meet my friends on myown or just do normal stuff. But there's this constant threat that comes with being your mate and Ican't protect myself from it."

There was a moment of silence.

"And I feel so powerless,” I added. "Especially with you.”

After that, Leo slowly stood me up and gently removed my clothing before lowering me into thedeep, warm bath and turning off the faucets

Once I was in, the bubbles protected my modesty and I felt much more relaxed with the warm watersurrounding my muscles.

"Haden and Logan were Alphas. I am an Alpha. It's not surprising you feel weak next to Alphasbecause everybody does," Leo reassured. "But you are not weak Ella Jones.”

"How so Leonardo Loren?" I asked. "I'm small and little."

He laughed. "That you are. But you're also strong-willed and savvy and fierce. I admire yourconfidence.”

"I thought you said it was annoying?" I asked with a grin.

"At times, unimaginably so," he replied rolling his eyes. "But you don't conform to anyone else andyou're more self-assured than anyone I've ever known."

"Unfortunately, you can't talk yourself out of all situations,” I said looking down at the bubbles inthe water.

I then moved my hair off my shoulder to reveal my mark, "This being a prime example.”

"I did that for your own safety," he replied. "It was against your will and I'm sorry but I couldn't waitfor your consent.”

I nodded, "I know but... don't like you using your strength to against me."

He put his hand behind my neck and kissed my forehead and ran a thumb along my cheek.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I try not to but sometimes you leave me no choice.”

"Or sometimes you get angry and don't care anymore," I mumbled.

He sighed again, "I will admit that I can be rough if you piss me off. But I try to keep my wolf atbay...sometimes I just can't."

"You're an animal,” I said with a grin.

He narrowed his eyes, "Watch it, missy,” he said before splashing a bit of water up into my face.Since I was laughing, the water came straight into my mouth. I spat it out before splashing himback.

"Don't forget which one of us is fully clothed here,” I said as his t-shirt darkened with the bathwater.

Of course, he wasn't going to let that slide and sent a tsunami of water cascading over me andspilling over the edges of the tub.

"Bitch!" I exclaimed wiping my eyes.

I then sat up, the foamy bubbles running off my chest leaving it bare. His eyes flickered downbefore I sent him a slight smile and looked him dead in the eye. I wrapped my arms around hisneck, and slowly began to lean into his lips. I could tell by the warmth and quickness of his breaththat I was driving him crazy and his hand reached to the small of my back.

But just before our lips reached each other, I drew away and pulled him straight into the soapywater.

His head went under as his arms clasped for the edge of the bath to pull him back up.

When he eventually did, his hair was flattened over his eyes and he was spitting up water as Ilaughed hysterically. His t-shirt clung to his body and although his whole legs didn't fit in the bath,his jeans were also somehow completely soaked.

"Why didn't I see that one coming?" he asked brushing the hair back off his face.

"I gave you a pretty sufficient distraction?" I said biting my lip.

In the frenzy, I had ended up straddling him in the bath with very little covered by the water andwhat was left of the bubbles which in the splash of Leo falling in had mostly been sent up the wallsand onto the floor.

"Come here," he said beckoning me down to him.

I leant down and finally kissed his lips as we lay in the warm water.

He eventually pulled away and closed his eyes breathing heavily.

"Thank you, Leo," I suddenly said, "I know I practically forced you but..you're doing the right thing.”He smiled and pulled me down to kiss me again, "And thank you...I guess. For making my peoplehappier than I ever have. I saw the hysterics and joy in the base today. That was your doing."

"And Allison," I said

He rolled his eyes, "Of course Allison was involved."

I smiled before he put his hands on my hips.

"Now, you're driving me insane, Ella," he said. "Are you going to let me have you or are you justgoing to straddle me naked?"

I placed my hands on his chest, "Promise you'll teach me how to defend myself?"

"I'd promise you anything right now," he said his eyes feasting on my body.

I grinned, "Then you can have me."