Chapter 97: One Year Later

REIGN

It has been a year since both of my parents passed. Pretty much nothing has changed.

The council still has their backs up about a female being in the alpha seat, but at least they complain about it internally now.

Although recently, they have been pestering Maddox and me about pups.

It is something that we have discussed privately, but somehow when you become alpha, your sex life pretty much becomes public knowledge for everyone to have an opinion on. It’s exasperating.

“All we’re saying, Alpha Reign, is that the alpha bloodline needs an heir. The pack must know that the line will continue! It has been your family for generations now.

“Your father had to have the same conversations with the council when he mated with your mother. So don’t act like we are singling you out,” Councilman Louis huffed.

~I need to get a new council.~

I rubbed my face in frustration. “I understand what you are saying. But what you’re asking—no, ~demanding~—to know is very personal and private information.”

“But the pack—”

“I know what the ~pack~ needs, Louis, but I’m telling you the pack will have to wait until we are ready!”

He huffed again, crossing his arms.

Maddox cleared his throat. “If I may chime in here. It isn’t anyone’s business when Reign and I decide to have pups.

“All the pack needs to know is that the bloodline will continue. But ~when~ it does is our business and no one else’s.”

Councilman Louis huffed again. “Would you speak to the king like that?”

Maddox narrowed his eyes slightly before composing himself. “Which one?”

Councilman Louis flushed a shade of pink as the realization that he was talking to two royal wolves as well as the alpha and her mate sank in.

“Fine then. I will pass it along that the line will continue at your discretion.” He huffed out of the room, shutting the door sharply behind him.

“He huffs much more, he’ll have a heart attack,” I muttered.

Maddox pulled me in close. “So I take it we’re still not telling anyone, then?” he quizzed, wrapping his arms around my waist.

“No, just our families for now. If it becomes public knowledge, everyone will have something to say, and I’m just not ready for that yet.” I rubbed his arms, leaning in for a kiss.

“All right, that’s fair. Can’t argue with that kind of logic.”

“You can’t argue with me anyway. I’m the alpha.” I winked at him.

He laughed. “Come on. We can’t be late for family dinner.”

We made our way to the castle for dinner. Our family has always been close. Dinners every week.

Nothing happens within the family without everyone else either knowing about it or eventually finding out. ~Literally nothing.~

Everyone was over the moon when they heard the news.

A new addition to the clan. That’s always exciting.

I don’t think I’ve really processed it just yet, but I am excited for this new season in my life.

I’m not sure how I’ll manage to be an alpha and a mother, but like everything else that’s happened this past year, I’ll figure it out. I always do.

***

MILLY

This past year has been nuts. We’ve lost two members of our family, two pillars in our community.

I still don’t know where I stand with the whole mating thing. I’d always sworn I’d never get a mate. I never wanted one. I wanted to fight, to protect the pack, as my father did.

My mother always said it was both a blessing and a curse how alike we were. She’d mutter how one Diego was bad enough sometimes, never mind two.

Wyatt has been patient and understanding, but like Reign with Maddox, I can’t string him along forever. I can’t keep giving him hope like that.

If anything, his bloodline needs an heir. He’s about to be king. The pressure to produce an heir to the throne is a little higher than producing an heir to the line of alpha.

Pops called me into his office along with Alexander and Matthew. We looked at each other silently. I wasn’t sure why Pops had called just us in and not everyone else.

“I need to send you three on a little mission,” he began. “This is of the utmost importance.”

“What’s going on?” Alex spoke up. We all sat and waited as Pops rubbed his face in frustration.

“There have been whispers for years now of the new king of the Blood Moon pack being power-hungry. Up until Gianna’s funeral, I believed it to be just that: whispers.

“But when he put on that display, I couldn’t bury my head in the sand anymore, so I sent Rohan to do some digging.”

I shuffled in my seat, anxious to hear what this was about.

“He has not returned.”

My blood ran cold. Rohan was the best of the best. He trained us all. There wasn’t a warrior in this pack he hadn’t trained. For him to go missing… That wasn’t good.

“What do you want us to do?” I offered up. Without a shadow of a doubt, I was going, whether Pops wanted us to or not.

“I need the three of you to go to the pack on a goodwill mission. Claim to be creating friendly alliances, but find Rohan.”

I swallowed. “And if they have killed him already?“

Pops sat back in his chair and eyed us all, his gaze cold and ruling. “Then you wipe out every last one of them. I am not stupid. I have heard the whispers of my being a soft king.

“If they have killed one of my best, then you will remind them who they are dealing with.”

We all nodded in unison. Matt rolled his shoulders, and Alex clicked his neck.

~We were ready.~

~Whatever it took.~

~We were either bringing a dear friend home.~

~Or starting a war.~