The Broken Wolf
Chapter 137

“You really think he’s best for the Alpha job?” Seth asks me as he takes off his clothes, pulling on a pair of shorts.

I nod at him with a smile. “I really do. I’ve thought so for a while.”

“I don’t disagree, to be clear,” he says, climbing into bed and pulling me to his firm chest. “I just don’t want to lose him. How do you think Benjamin is going to take this?”

I stop and think for a moment, taking a deep breath to inhale my mate’s scent. “I really don’t know. I told him before I couldn’t make him Alpha. I think he understands, but understanding won’t make it hurt any less when it happens.”

“I’m sure Dad will be content to let him remain in the territory and even join the pack, just not as Alpha,” Seth says to me, kissing me.

“Will you please ask him in the morning?” I ask, looking at the clock and realizing that it is very much already the early morning.

He nods. “I will, but you’re not to wake up early, understand? You haven’t been able to rest enough today. I’ll go to Rob’s office when I wake up, but you’re not doing any work.”

“If your dad is agreeable to the plan,” I say to him, tilting my head at his order. “I would like to be the one to speak with Benjamin. I think I need to do that myself, and alone.”

He nods and k****s the top of my head as I drift off to sleep with my head on his chest.

I wake up in the meadow and sit up, searching for Sage. I replace her at the side of the stream, leaning in and drinking the water that’s flowing. It makes me smile to replace her up and moving around and I walk over to join her.

“Hey,” I say, sitting down on the large rock next to her and slipping my feet into the cool water. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve been here,” she says, looking up and sitting down next to me. “I’ve been watching, resting and getting stronger. I’m sorry I couldn’t heal you.”

I shake my head at her. “I didn’t realize how much rest you needed after everything. Seth and I should have been more patient and waited.”

“No,” she tells me simply. “I’m excited about our pups. Altair is excited about our pups.”

“Are they really going to be OK?” I ask and the little wolf nods a little.

“They are strong, Molly,” she tells me, as if I should know that. “The boy is the strongest wolf in generations. Possibly the strongest ever.”

I smile at her reassurance and look up at the stars. “Will they be alright?” I ask her quietly, afraid of the answer. “The girl has magic…”

“She does,” Sage says, confirming what we believe. “But so do you, Molly. You will be the most help to her and her unique needs. You didn’t grow up knowing you had magic, but it’s always been inside you.”

“I don’t know how to use it,” I say, feeling vulnerable, but who better to be with than my wolf side of me. “I can barely control it when I’m afraid.”

“You can do more than you realize,” she tells me, moving to lay down on the rock next to me. “The babies are a gift from the goddess, all pups are. They will be the best, and the worst, of both you and Seth. Our pups will grow to do great things.”

I nod to her, petting her ears. We both just sit there, looking up at the stars. My back starts to hurt a bit so I move to the grass, lying back as Sage follows me over.

“I’m glad I got to be here tonight,” I tell her as she curls up next to me.

“Keep drinking the tea from Lily,” she says and I look over at her. “It’s helping both of us.”

I wake up to the sunlight peeking around the sides of the drapes that cover the window. I realize quickly that I’ve really slept in and roll over, replaceing that Seth has already left. It’s probably for the best as there’s so much to take care of after last night. I sigh, remembering the mess of bodies lying on the ground dead. There were so many, and for what? What was the purpose of so many wolves dying?

Seth and Benjamin had gone through many of them and didn’t recognize any of the ones who had intruded into the territory. The assumption would have been they were from Seth’s uncle’s new pack, but they weren’t after either of us, and what use would they have to try to remove Benjamin when both of us were right there? Perhaps Alex was so scared after they attacked his family that he decided to work with them to keep him safe?

I stretch and drag myself out of bed, noticing a white box on the table with two carafes. I peek inside the box to replace some doughnuts and smile, aware it was probably Seth’s idea, but that Oliver had sent my favorites. After I use the restroom, I grab my breakfast and climb back in bed with my coffee and tea and pull out Cora’s journal.

I won’t lie, the journal has turned into what is a very boring baby book of a now King Peter. He was a quiet baby and seems to have pooped a lot. There was mention that Cora was going to nurse him only for fear they would kill her more quickly if she didn’t. It must have been such a difficult time for her, enjoying her new baby but always looking over her shoulder.

———–

Today, I became Queen. It’s not something I ever wanted, and I’m not sure I even want it now, but it is.

This morning, I took Baby Peter outside to play in the garden. He loves the grass on his tiny toes and being in the sunshine, my sweet boy. He was crawling and I was startled by a sound behind me. I turned around to look and when I looked back at my pup, he was gone.

I was frantic, searching everywhere, running all through the garden. I linked Prince Joseph but before he was able to make it to me, I found my son in the arms of Queen Judith. She told me again all the ways that I am not good enough to be queen. I’m not sure why she has always felt the need to tell me them, as I’m acutely aware of without her reminders and can easily add more of my own reasons to her list.

Judith slowly and carefully placed my son back down on the grass, clearly having no intention of hurting him, but she quickly turned her attention back to me and attacked me, knocking me down to the ground. I was not prepared for her attack and she was able to pin me down and get her hands around my throat before I ever even realized what was happening.

I looked at my pup, knowing it would be the last time I would see him when she was suddenly knocked off of me. After taking a few deep breaths, I looked over and found my mate shifting back to his human form, his mother lying on the ground dead. He looked at me and then walked over, lifting sweet Peter into his arms and handing him to me.

After verifying that I was alright and able to walk, he helped me up and told me to go immediately to my room with Peter and to lock the door, not letting anyone except for him inside. I did as instructed and waited with our son for what felt like hours, a strange feeling overcoming me before he arrived.

I opened the door for him, replaceing him still naked and covered in b***d. He looked at the two of us and walked up to me, examining my throat where his mother had held me in an attempt to end my life. He nodded to me just once before he turned and went into the bathroom, immediately washing the b***d from his skin. When he returned, I could see some bad scratches on him, but his wolf was healing them as he sat on the bed, our son in his lap.

It took some time, but he finally told me that he had waited in the garden for his father to arrive and when he did, he had killed him as well. He told me that I’m safe now, but also, that I’m now the queen.

—————

King Joseph had killed his parents, killed the Queen and King, for his mate. From her journals, he had seemed to have such mixed feelings about her, and I know Seth said he wasn’t always very kind to her, but it warms my heart a little to know that he truly did care, in some way, for her.

I close the journal and get up, getting ready for the day and to go replace my mate.