Chapter 2. The morning after.

It was later the morning after the birth of Fenrir Lykos. The storm form the night before had long since left the area, leaving behind a peaceful, if not flooded terrain. Both Drogo and Luna decided to curl up in their tent to get a little bit of rest. Fenrir was being looked after by the Betas of the pack, Julian and Allison. 

"Luna was so exhausted, I'm surprised she managed to stay awake for as long as she did," Allison's gruff voice filled Julian's ears as he cuddled the sleeping child in his arms. They had a small soft blanket wrapped around the boy as he lay snuggled in Julian's arms. Allison's heart melted as her hormones went haywire at the sight. This was her precious mate. A violent, powerful warrior in his own right. Second in strength to the alpha, Drogo. As fierce as he was in battle, he was putty against her whims. One raised eyebrow from Allison was enough to halt Julian in his tracks, and she loved having that effect on him. Made her feel powerful, unique, special that just a feral, strong male bowed to her. Her heart was warm as she watched Julian cuddle with the child. She was imagining him doing that with their own child in the next day or two. 

Tears pricked her eyes as she smiled at them. She reached a hand out to gently rub the back of Julian's short spiked hair as she sat close to her mate. "You look way too good with a baby in your arms," she whispered against his ear, her breath tickling and hot against his skin. 

Julian grinned as he turned to look at his mate. "Yeah I know, sexy dad bod over here" he said with a quiet laugh. Allison reached over, her distended stomach almost made her unbalanced as she grabbed another log of dry firewood and tossed it in the pit. Ash and smoldering embers floated up through the air as the heavy log landed and dislodged the burned remains. "I can't wait for our baby girl to join us," he said quietly as he nuzzled her neck and inhaled her sweet scent. 

Allison felt chills over her body at his intimate gesture. The action setting her hormones on fire and need inside her building. "Hopefully she comes today or tomorrow," Allison said, her voice suddenly very dry. She was ready for the little one to get out of her. She was anxious about meeting her. Would she screw it up? She had no children yet, this little girl would be her first child. She had no idea what in god's name she was doing. Would she spoil the child? Would the child know right from wrong? 

Julian turned and saw the look on his mate's face. He had a strong hunch about the chaos that made her brow furrow. It was like she couldn't even see him right now. He reached out with one hand to gently cup her cheek, his thumb rubbed soft circles over her cheek. Her eyes seemed to regain focus and clarity as she startled and looked at Julian. "Huh? What'd you say babe?" Allison asked distractedly. A faint red blush crept over her cheeks as she realized he was rubbing her cheek softly.

"You need to stop overthinking things little lady," the concern in his voice touched her as she saw the love and adoration in his green eyes. 

"Sorry, I guess I kinda went down the rabbit hole," she said as she shook her head, brown hair swaying from the motion. She tried to push all the fears, doubts and worries aside and focus on the moment. "I just let some stupid thoughts enter my head and went from one doubt to the next," she told him. She leaned against his side as she felt his warmth creep into her body. He soothed and comforted her worries just by being near her. She loved this man for it. 

A young child, probably around the age of thirteen or fourteen came running over, her feet splashing through the left-over puddles of rain from the storm. "Morning Ashlyn," Allison called out to the young girl. She was thin for her age, with messy unkempt red black hair that fell just past her shoulders. Ashlyn smiled in greeting as she rushed over to peek over Julians shoulders to see the newest member of the pack cuddled against him. "He's so small, how can he be the next leader?" She asked, her eye's refusing to leave the baby's face though, as if entranced by the adorable cuteness of him. 

Allison smiled down at the inquisitive child. "He was just born, you will have to give him a few years in order to grow into his own," she said softly as she reached out to ruffle the messy hair on the young girl. Ashlyn looked up at the Beta female. 

"When are you gonna be due, Beta Allison?" Ashlyns soft voice asked her. She placed a hand over on Allison's round distended stomach. "You have to be close right? Right?" She asked incessantly.

"Today or tomorrow the midwives are thinking," Allison said with a bright smile on her face as she placed her own hand on her stomach. She was ready to hold her beloved. To plan out the future hopes and dreams for her sweet girl. She looked over at Julian and smiled as she reached for his hand. "We can't wait for the little one to join us," Allison said to Ashlyn. 

Suddenly a sharp pain pierced through her body. It felt like someone was taking a blazing hot dagger and plunging it deep through her innards. She let out a pain filled moan as she doubled over from the intensity of it. Julian gasped as he reached out with one hand to try steadying his mate. "Is it time for the baby to come, love?" he asked her, concerned from the sound of her cry. 

She nodded, face contorted as another wave of pain went through her body. "Yeah, I think she's ready to come," she said, gasping out loud. Julian quickly goes back over to Drogo and Luna's tent. He threw open the tent flap and woke his Alpha. Drogo woke groggily and looked up to see Julian's pale face above him. 

"Jules, what's wrong?" he asked, taking note of the panic on his features. 

"Hey, I'm sorry to wake you. Allison's gone into labor. I need to drop the munchkin back off to you," he said as he gently handed over Fenrir to his father. 

"Of course man, go be with her and may the gods watch over her delivery," Drogo responded instantly as he sat up on the bed and cradled his son. He was still asleep during the hand off as Julian rushed off to gather Allison's midwife and prepare for the struggle to come. 

Drogo placed Fenrir down on his small bassinet that was sitting next to their bed. Luna made sure when they went shopping for it, that it was the perfect baby blue color for their son. He ensured Fenrir was tucked in safely before he got up, and grabbed a bottle of water to take a few swigs. He reached down to rummage through their supplies to pull out a tin can full of ground coffee out. He poured a healthy amount of the grinds into a campfire pot then walked out to see a good fire going in the pit nearby as several members of the pack were scurrying around gathering things for Allison's delivery. 

He placed the pot down on the fire to heat up while he went back into the tent and changed into a clean hoodie and jeans. He grabbed his boots from beside the tent flap and threw them on as he looked at his mate sleeping peacefully next to him. She still looked slightly pale and exhausted from the ordeal that night. But she was the most beautiful woman on the planet in his eyes. He walked over and leaned down to place a chaste kiss to her cheek as he lifted the blanket and covered her shoulders and back up fully. She snuggled unconsciously into the bedding as a contented sigh escaped her lips and she snored softly in response. 

He grinned at her cute behavior. No one would ever guess that the fierce, powerful Alpha female of the Lyko's clan was such a sleepy cuddlebug. It would drive some people insane from the dichotomy of it. He went back out of the tent and sat by the fire for a few minutes until the coffee pot was bubbling and he pulled it out of the fire with the tongs that laid nearby. He sat the pot down on the table and went inside the tent to grab a mug. He carefully poured himself a cup before he went and sat in his small camping chair inside the large tent to keep an eye on his newborn son and wife. 

Part of him wanted to go be with his Beta's, this would be a long and difficult day for them, emotionally and physically. But the other part of him didn't want to leave Fenrir and Luna's side either. So he trusted the midwives to tend to their needs while they endured the labor. Should anything drastic happen, he was sure they would call for him immediately. He closed his eyes as he enjoyed the sip of coffee against his chilled body. The warmth filled his body and spread out to his bones. He closed his eyes and began to sing a soft melody.

He sang of fears, loss and pain. The sang of rebirth, joy and endless warmth and sunshine. His rich deep voice filled the tent as Fenrir started fussing in the bassinet. He gently scooped his son up and held him in his arms as he continued to sing his melody. Fenrir cooed and reached up for his dad as he sang. Drogo bounced around the room with his son as he moved and paced back and forth. 

"You know, a woman seeing you like that with a newborn child, makes her wanna have another one right away" a soft sleepy voice called out from behind Drogo. He grinned as he turned around and saw Luna sitting up in the bed, her legs tucked under her, the blanket wrapped around her still. Her hair was a wild untamed mess as she yawned and looked over to see her precious bundle in her mates arms. 

"You know, hearing my mate say such… lustful words might make me forget my place and duties," Drogo said in a teasing voice as he walked over and handed Fenrir into Luna's outstretched arms. "You should still be sleeping," he told her as she took her son softly and smiled brightly at her bundle. 

She slid her tank top down to reveal her swollen glands as she managed to get Fenrir to latch on and start feeding from her. She sighed contentedly as her son fed. She held him against her chest as she looked up at her mate. "This is such a peculiar sensation. It feels as if, beside my mother's milk, he's drinking the very mana from my body into his," She commented as she felt like a portion of her mana slowly seeped into his tiny body. 

Drogo frowned at that bit of information, "Oh really? Is it drastic, or more of a barely noticeable drain?" he asked as he sat down on the bed next to his wife. 

She sighed peacefully as she looked over at Drogo, "It's barely perceptible. It's like the milk he's drinking is infused with the mana to help him grow. It's a strange sensation," she said softly. She felt an explicable warmth fill her body at the sensation of feeding her child. It solicited a feeling of mother protection and devotion within her heart and soul. She would always protect this innocent babe, god help anyone who dared lay a finger on her son. 

Drogo smiled down at his wife and child. "Who would have guessed, after this life of hiding from the hunters, of fighting every day to keep our clan alive and well, that we would find our own little slice of peace, happiness and life like this?" Drogo asked as he stroked his wife's back. 

"I get what you mean. We struggle by such a strict code of secrecy in our lives. Yet here we are, having our own child in the midst of this chaos and struggles. Along with about 3 other females in this clan right now," she said as she continued. 

"Our enemies would leap for the chance to cripple us by going after the newborns. We will have to pack and move within the next few days, once all the newborns are here and the women have a chance to rest and recover. We need to make it to the winter site before the snowfall begins," Drogo said as he racked his hand through his curly black hair. 

Luna nodded in agreement, her eyes narrowed, "Agreed, we've been here for too long as it is. We take a risk every time we run into a town for supplies. We need to be on high alert over the next week or two until we get to the mountain cave system. The true Lord's Army has always been after the surviving Alpha Shifter clans like us. They wouldn't hesitate to slaughter our entire clan. They won't rest until every Alpha species clan is fully wiped out." she said as she shook her head. She wished they knew where their base was, or who the leadership is. She'd love to take the fight to them and wipe them out for good. Then they could come out of hiding, and live normal lives like every other shifter clan or species out there.

"Some day my love. Some day we will have our vengeance on the True Lord's Army. The sanctimonious fools will underestimate the might of the wolf one day and we will come for their throats with a glorious howl in the middle of the night," Drogo declared. He fully planned to try hunting them down in the future. "I have a meeting scheduled in about three weeks with the heads of other wolf shifter clans. We plan on going over options and information to start investigating and hunting them down." He informed her. 

They were going to kill the members of The True Lord's army. They just needed time and information before they could coordinate any moves.