Chapter 33 Gone

Winters pov.

I woke up and his presence was gone. He didn't wake me before he left. I felt tears come to my eyes. I never got to tell him goodbye or be safe or how I have deep feelings for him. I don't know if it's just the bond but I deeply care for him. Tears slip from my eyes and I quickly wipe them away. I must stay strong for our pups.

There's someone here I smell it! I quickly throw on my robe and flash down the stairs without even checking on my pups. I see my son Julious conversating with four preteen wolves in our kitchen one is cooking breakfast.

"Good morning Luna did you sleep well?" The one cooking announces.

"Yes, very well. May I help you, young men?" I quickly question them.

"I'm sorry Luna. Alphas orders we're for us to stay with you till his return. I'm Aaron ill cook breakfast and lunch. Dinner is, of course, the lady K's job description. These three here Peter the tall guy will help you with your Luna duties. Michael the bearded fellow is added security as is James." He tells me and flashes me a huge smile.

"Okay. Is there anything I need to address today Peter?" I ask still in bewilderment I wasn't informed of them coming.

"Not today Luna. Unless something comes up." Peter replies to my question. He looks older than a preteen.

"Coffee Luna?" Aaron speaks while making a cup of coffee.

"Yes, please," I say as I approach the island.

"So Julious I was there my man when you had that fight with Joe tell me your strategy man," Michael questioned Julious.

"Well, I didn't want to end the match too soon and make my opponent be humiliated so I let him tire out throwing punches. He eventually did and I went in for the knockout." He tells them then with a shrug of his shoulders going back to eating his breakfast.

Aaron hands me my cup of coffee. "Thank you how'd you know how I like my coffee? I ask with a raised eyebrow in his direction in which he slightly blushes. I giggle to my self and take another sip.

" Alpha sent us a list of things to go over three days ago to make things as comfortable as possible in his absence." He nods at me. Now I wind up blushing. Damn, he's so caring some times and it makes my heart flutter.

"What other orders were you guys given if I may ask?" I look to them all for an answer.

"Well, Julious has training today so we all shall join him and stay close by each other in case of emergency," Aaron informs me. I nod at him to keep going but Peter continues.

"I have orders to go over emails with you tomorrow and voice mails from the pack and help you address any needs there may be," Peter says while never looking up from his plate of eggs, sausage and biscuits.

"I'm just here for backup Luna in case things get real if you catch my drift." James gives me a huge smile and winks my way. I nod to him giving him an okay.

"The same for me but I'll help Julious with his training along with some of the others," Michael says more to Julious than I.

Then all the sudden the damn doorbell rings. Who could that be?

"I'll get it, Luna. Please don't answer the door while we're here. Okay?" James states solemnly. I tell James "okay" and he goes to see who's at the front door. He glances out the peephole then opens the door. He comes back briefly with a bouquet of lovely flowers.

"For you Luna. I believe there's a note attached." He inquires.

"Thank you, James." I quickly take the flowers and go straight for the note.

I open the note and it's from my Richard. I let a sigh out. I miss him and am terribly worried about him.

Hay beautiful

    I couldn't wake you this morning you were just sleeping so peaceful. I will be missing my family and counting down the seconds of my return every day I'm gone. Stay safe my love.

                  Love, Richard!

That was so sweet I know I look like a dork smiling so hard but I just don't care. It was so sweet of him to do that for me. I still wish he'd woke me up and its totally not fare I can't send him a note back. I just pray the Moon Goddess keeps her watch over him and he returns home safely. It would break my heart if after everything and all this time something were to go wrong now. It just wouldn't be fair.

I run upstairs get Lilly and myself dressed and we head back downstairs. We enter the kitchen where everyone's gathered and Peters face all the sudden drops. What the hell is wrong with him? He starts breathing hard and shaking.

"Hi everybody!" Lilly sing songs her arrival.

Peter clears his throat. "Excuse me for a moment. I need to use the bathroom." He leaves. Okay, that was creepy. Moving on I get Lilly her breakfast while everyone says their good mornings to her.

"How many challenges have you won and lost Julious?" Michael asks. He really is interested in Julious and his abilities.

"I can only remember getting my butt kicked once in a competition." Julious states. "I've lost many against my trainers though." He adds.

"What all did you train for?" Michael asks curiously.

"Everything! I can even withstand Alpha command my fathers not too happy about that though." Julious mumbles sadly looking down at his hands.

"Wow! That's impressive! How do you train for that?" Micheal asks him rubbing his beard in thought.

"First off you have to be under the age of five. Then you spend hours and hours with the Alpha yelling and smacking you around tied up to a chair or chained to a wall. I took some major beatings man!" He states no emotion evident on his face.

Silence. Everyone looks at him speechless.

"You allowed such training for your son Luna?" Michael asks a bit angerly.

"I don't appreciate your tone and no I didn't they would take my son for days sometimes for his training and he told me nothing. He never returned bloody or bruised." I say tears coming to my eyes.

"Julious why didn't you tell me," I ask him sadly.

"I consented to the treatment. I needed to be strong momma. I told them not to bring me home until I was completely healed. I didn't want you to stop my progress. I need to be the strongest. Im not sure why im this way." He says to me sadly.

"It's okay! I love you!" I wrap him in a hug trying to control my anger at Ryan and my tears for my son's pain he endured.

"It's all over now that's the important thing to remember. Right?" James interrupts my thoughts.

"Your right! It's never going to happen again. I promise." I tell my son and kiss his little head.

I can't believe Ryan! I put my son in his hands his safety and after hearing this there's no telling what he's done to my baby. I feel like a bad momma right now.

"Mommy I'm finished," Lilly states allowed. I walk over kiss her head and grab her plate to deposit in the sink.

"Uh, guys what happend to Peter? Should someone go check on him? He was acting a bit weird when we came in here earlier." I ask the guys.

"I'll go see what's up," Aaron says and leaves the room.

I put all the dishes in the dishwasher and clean up the counters while everybody continues to talk amongst each other. I just can't believe I ever trusted Ryan. The last year he had been a nightmare. I shiver in thought.

Finally, Aaron and Peter return he looks a bit pale.

"Are you feeling okay Peter?" I question him.

"Yea fine sorry I had a call to take is all." He mumbles lowly.

"Okay if you're sure," I say. He nods unhappily.

We spent the majority of the day playing some games and watching some movies. That was hard finding something everybody wanted to watch. Lilly through a huge tantrum wanting to watch Aliden we all groaned and said no but then Peter growled and said we all should watch Aliden so she would stop crying. We all wound up watching Aliden!

Later we all headed to the training facility. I ran the treadmill and Peter said he'd watch Lilly and the rest went to train Julious. We were wore the hell out when we left. Lilly fell asleep on the way home and Julious barely keeping his eyes open.

"Man that boy can give a hit! My knees are swollen man!" Michael states.

"He's been training a while," I say

"I've never seen nothing like him," James says.

"He seems to get that a lot," I tell em.

We pull up and get out I go to get Lilly but Peter has her asleep on his chest carrying her to the door.

"You can just place her in her bed upstairs if you don't mind it's pretty late already," I tell him.

"I don't mind." He nods.

"Julious go take a shower brush your teeth then I'll read you a book before bed. Okay?" I ask.

He nods. "Okay, mommy." He mumbles before heading upstairs.

"So we got the two couches in the living room and a spare bedroom upstairs ill let you guys discuss where you'd like to sleep and I'll go get blankets and pillows," I tell Jason and Michael as I head towards the stairs.

"Thank you, Luna," They say.

"Oh and I forgot there's one bathroom guys you'll have to take turns showering," I say before heading up.

I hear them arguing about who's got dibs after Julious and me. They are quite a funny group of preteens as I pass Lilly's room I stop. Peter is like five feet away from a tucked in Lilly sleeping peacefully. His heads tilted to the side arms crossed over his chest.

"Peter?" I say to get his attention.

He looks back at me unmoving and I can see he's got puffy red eyes. He's unmoving with a blank expression on his face.

"What's wrong Peter? Are you okay? Why were you crying? I softly ask

" Luna" he goes to say something but can't I walk into the room and take him into a hug. His head leans down on my shoulder and he cries quietly. I whisper things like it will be okay. You're okay. Everything will be fine. Even though I have not a clue what's going on with him.

He lets out a huge sigh a takes a step back he looks to Lilly and then me once more before he whispers out "Luna...Lillys my mate."

I cover my mouth with my hand eyes bulging out as I suck in a huge intake of air. I don't even know what to say to that. My little girl won't know till she's eighteen. He will have to wait another thirteen years for her. It all makes since from this morning when we entered the kitchen to the movie to the facility an then arriving home.

"Alphas gonna kill me!" He whisper yells and begins to pull at his hair looking at the floor.

"No, I won't let him. We will tell him together. Okay?" I whisper out loud.

"Please don't tell her till she's fifteen. Then I'll spend time with her till she's eighteen and I don't know Luna. I didn't expect this!" He whispers yells some more.

"Oh damn! What am I gonna do?" Peter whispers to himself.

"Its okay let's not think on it today lets leave and let her sleep," I whisper aloud.

"Please don't tell the guys I don't want her or Alpha to find out before I can tell him myself." He pleads with me. I nod.

"You can sleep in the guest bedroom beside Lillys if you want," I tell him as we crack her door.

"Thank you, Luna, for understanding. I just want to be close to her to protect her and to love her but not in a sexual way if you know what I mean." He says sadly to me with a pained expression. I hug him again lean back and give him a warm smile.

"I know!" I give him a stern look. "You won't have feelings like that till she's a woman or ill kill you myself." I laugh out loud.

"No Luna it doesn't feel like that for me. I promise!" His eyes plead to me.

"I know she's still so young compared to you. You'll have to wait along time for her." I say sadly looking at his pained expression. His head drops.

"I know and I will." He states quietly.

I pat his back and go into my son's room. Julious is set up in his bed book in his lap. He smiles a big toothy smile my way.

"Hay ill be right back I have to run the guys some blankets and pillows," I tell him and blow him a kiss. He blows me a kiss. I smile and giggle at his cuteness.

"Okay mommy be quick I'm getting tired over here." He giggles out.

"I will babe." I turn and walk quickly to the pantry grab the extra blankets and pillows. Walking back down the hallway I see Peter again he's standing at Lilly's door looking in. Aww, he's too cute!

"Peter go take a shower!" I command him. He gives me an i'm sorry look and heads to the bathroom.

I run down the stairs give the guys their blankets we say our goodnights and I head back to Julious.

"I'm back!" I tell him.

"Finally!" He says tiredly. I read him his book and tuck him in and kiss his forehead. I turn off his bedside lamp and close his door behind me. I go to my and Richard's room get stuff ready for a shower. I grab my laptop send a few emails out to my student's parents about online work to do at home. Since we're in a war at the moment we'll all be off till our fathers, dads, brothers, uncles, and sons return. After im done with all that I say my prayers to the Moon Goddess and go and get my shower. Im ready for this day to end so ill have one less day till I see my love again.

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