A Strained Relationship

"Hi, Alpha," the tribe members greeted as they headed to the kitchen. Michael would never get used to the name Alpha. He became the sole Alpha when his father-in-law passed away last year. Before that, he was just Michael with Alpha privileges. The Diamond cloak tribe lived long and prosperous lives, and at any given time, they were two Alphas ruling the land. One would oversee the warriors while the other would be in the order of everything else. That has been the way since the start of this tribe many years ago. It was rare that only one Alpha ruled. Alphas usually chose to step down to give the younger ones a chance at reigning. His father's death was another mystery like Esther's mother's. Saul and Samantha had taken their granddaughter out for a walk. They decided to drive to a toy store a few miles away when members of another tribe attacked them. Saul should have been able to fend off the attackers easily. Even in his old age, Saul was still one of the strongest warriors, and as Alpha, he had great power. However, in protecting the child, he gives most of his powers to Samantha and the child to help them escape.

Michael sighed dearly before getting up from the couch. He walked up the first flight of stairs to the boy's room and peeked in on his boy fast asleep. He let them sleep for a little longer as they had training later. The boy's room was a dark blue, and the boys had asked that it be decorated with lions and wolves on the walls. The boy's bunk beds were off to the side while a min workout station was on the other. The boys wanted to be the toughest out there to protect their sister. The death of their grandfather hit them hard, and they vowed more than ever to keep their sister safe. He went downstairs, and Esther had her little wing off to the side. He carefully approached the door and peeked in on her. He heard the ruffling of the little girl inside and knew they had less than an hour before her screams could be heard in the packhouse. He quickly closed the door and went looking for his grandmother. The last time he saw her, she was headed for the kitchen. He quickly headed toward the kitchen. He pushed open the door to see members of the tribe having lunch. Samantha was nowhere in the crowd. "Hey, guys, have you seen Luna Samantha." The tribe members shook their heads no. One omega said, "she was here earlier and said she needed a break." He shook his head in defeat. He knew exactly what that meant. She was forcing him to take care of his daughter. He had only a few minutes before Esther would start and become hard to console. Inside, he was panicking and looked at the faces in front of him. He needs to find someone that can help him take care of her. He suddenly remembered Ezra; she was initially Samantha's second in command but took over many of Samantha's duties so she could play grandma. She has also helped Samantha take care of Esther, and the little girl was used to her. "Have you guys seen Ezra" the panic began to form in his voice? Ezra's daughter stepped forward. "My mother is out of town, Alpha. She and my father are visiting other tribes". "What is it that you need." Michael was losing all hope quickly. "It's Esther." The young girl understood at once. "It's okay, Alpha, I will get her; I babysit Esther when my mother and Luna Samantha have official business to take care of." Michaels breathed a sigh of relief. His face showed appreciation as the little girl began hurrying around the kitchen, preparing Esther's bottle and meal. She quickly disappeared out of the kitchen. She was re-emerging a few minutes later with a half-awake Esther. She carefully put Esther in her booster seat and placed the food in front of her. Esther did one big stretch with a blanket in hand before looking at the food in front of her. Esther's eyes shifted from blue to dark blue as she quizzically looked at what was in front of her. The tribe members giggled as they were used to this picture in front of them. One of two things would happen: Esther would eat it or wait to start playing with it. They were always amused when it came to her. The tribe members quickly fell in love with the little girl with a big personality. Ezra's daughter Abigail looked in anticipation as she wondered if she would have to prepare another meal. She was sure that this was her favorite, but her favorite wasn't her favorite for long like many two-year-old’s. A few moments later, Esther began eating both the tribe and pack, relieved that she was eating and playing. Michael used this opportunity to sneak away to his office. He was in turmoil whenever he looked at her. He was still morning his wife's death and knowing his grandfather while leading a tribe and raising kids. He walked up the stairs into his boy's room to wake them up. It took a few minutes, but they finally awakened. "Boys, go grab some lunch, and get ready for training." training started young as many boys needed to protect their mothers and sisters when their fathers were away. Even more so for the Alphas family as they needed to protect the tribe if something happened to him.

Michael went to study and would be there for the rest of the night. The boys arrived in the kitchen as some tribe members were still eating, while others were just fascinated by Esther. The boys sat at one of the chairs and asked one of the kitchen staff to make them something to eat. For the most part, the tribe was independent. A few staff members helped with some of the cooking and cleaning for the younger members. The boys turned to their sister, who put the last bite into her mouth. She had made a mess feeding herself, but no more than usual. Ezra began feeding her off another plate as Most of the food ended up on the floor. Many of the younger tribe members were heard whispering in the corner. The topic was the same. "Has he ever held her? As far as I know, she has even held her since the day she was born. I heard he's scared that she can be more powerful than him. Is it true that Luna Jasmine passed away on the day she was born? They said that Luna Samantha told them she would be more powerful than any of us and a true leader amongst leaders. I think he's just that way because she's so much like Luna Jasmine look at her. But still, she's your daughter. You should still want to hold her. When it comes to Esther, he's always looking for Luna Samantha or Ezra or her daughter. Why can't he just watch her, even if it's just for an hour? I heard he hadn't even been in the room with her for more than five minutes. No, that's impossible there's no way that Luna Samantha will let him get away with that. Hey, that's what I heard. Remember Esther is her granddaughter and the only girl. So, it wouldn't be surprising that she's getting spoiled like crazy by her grandmother. If that's the case, then the bad Alpha isn't so big and bad. Guys let's not assume until be safe for ourselves. Are you serious? Esther is two, and have you ever seen the Alpha hold her, or have you ever seen the Alpha take care of her. " I guess when you put it that way. You might be right."