4. What the fuck happened?

Aleida’s POV

“What are you talking about? What happened?” I ask, confused and slightly anxious.

“We’re not sure, but according to Luis, your whole pack became inconsolable when they saw and felt you die. He’s been trying to get them to snap out of it, but he can’t do anything,” Kian explains.

“Is he aware that I’m alive?”

“No, I thought you wanted to make a grand entrance,” he answers with a smirk.

“Who can I bring?”

“Anyone you want, except Nathan, me, and Miliano. We need to take care of the boys and our pack; Nathan is going back home today.”

“The betas,” I answer without hesitation.

Why don’t I bring Jason, you might wonder? Simple, because even though the two alphas stay behind, their focus is going to be a lot on our boys, and someone needs to keep everything else in check. Since Jason is the gamma, he’ll do that. The betas aren’t annoyed with me, my dear brother is.

“It’ll be our pleasure, queen. When are we leaving?” Killian asks and bows dramatically.

“Be ready in ten; I just need to change my clothes, kiss my babies goodbye,” I answer and walk up the stairs.

Alexander and Elias are lying in their cribs, sleeping. I sigh with disappointment, I really want to coo at them a little before I leave, but that has to wait; I just have to settle for kissing them. My mind wanders to the clothes issue, I want to look nice, but I also can’t appear in a ball gown. I settle for a pair of jeans and a cute blue top with a couple of white converses. Killian and Henry are waiting for me at the door. When they see me, they’re smiling. It may be strange to you, why are they happy about running for several hours just like that when they could’ve stayed home to relax? Everything in the werewolf community is about ranks, the higher position you have, the more respect you get from others, and when I picked them out, it’s an honor that they’re chosen. It’s kind of silly, I know, but that’s how these things work. Their wolves take pride in it.

“Car or wolf?” Henry asks.

“Wolf. It’ll take us two hours extra to drive over there, and I’ll rather be there quickly to take care of the problems.”

They nod, and we walk outside. My mates are standing there, waiting to kiss me before I leave. I give them one big sloppy kiss each and a hug. With a little wave, I take off my clothes and tie them around my leg. The shifting is quick, and before I know it, my massive body is standing there. I howl, and the betas howl in response, ready to leave. We run to the forest and soon disappear between the trees. I feel nervous and afraid; what if they all reject me as their alpha? Even though I technically am not their alpha anymore, since I handed it over to Luis, it scares me that they might hate me.

My warriors protect the territory heavily, and I can feel their hatred from here, and we’re two miles away from them. Luis wasn’t kidding when he told Kian about the significant differences that appeared after my death. That’s why I’m here, though, to make sure that everything goes back to normal. It’s the trio who’s watching the border, and they growl at us when we approach. I shift back and smile at them. Of course, they don’t recognize me. Slowly, I walk up to them and caress Dennis’s face. He stops growling and looks at me with big, searching eyes. He remembers my touch; it’s how I calm people down when needed.

“Aleida?” he asks with slight hope.

“Hello, my brave warrior,” I answer and smile at him.

“You came back!” he shouts and hugs me.

The other two do the same, and I feel at ease about walking into my territory again. They believe and accept me. Instead of showering me with questions, they settle for my hug and calming words in their ears. The trio became like little brothers to me when I still ruled over these lands.

“How have you been, darlings?”

“Miserable. Everything changed when you died. The whole world seemed darker the same second we saw you let out your last breath,” he answered sadly.

“I’m alive, but as a hybrid now, and I won’t ever leave you like that again. I have plans on seeing my pups get their own pups later, I’ll leave you one day, but it’ll be when I’m old and wrinkly,” I chuckle.

“How come no one told us that you’re alive?”

“I thought that the word about my resurrection would’ve reached you by now. When Luis called Kian, I understood that you didn’t know and hurried here with their betas. This is Killian and Henry. You’ve protected me against them at the alpha gala.”

They shake hands and even joke around together like long-lost friends; I’m the only one being quiet on our way towards the packhouse. Dennis mind-linked Luis and asked him to gather all our members in the back. I wasn’t nervous anymore, only grateful that they still care about me.

“Dennis, why did you ask me to gather everyone? If this is some kind of sick joke to you, I swear that I’m going to kick your ass!” Luis growl in warning.

They break apart with smiles and lets me walk out from our little group. Every member falls to their knees when I use my aura to make sure they know it’s me. Luis is crying when he sees me, his arms are open, and I hurry to him.

“Mi hija! You’re alive, baby!” he sobs, and I smile at him.

“I understand that all of you have many questions, and I’m happy to answer them all. But first of all, we need to get things back on track,” I say and step up on a chair. “From this day forward, if Luis accepts it, I’ll be your alpha again.”

“Oh, thank goddess! I can’t take this responsibility anymore!” he exclaims while wiping his tears away.

“Then it’s settled,” I say and slit my hand before letting the blood drops fall on the ground. “Blood fang pack, your alpha is home.”

Loud cheers and howls echo. Everything feels perfect, except for my missing best friend and beta. The thought of Michael makes my heart clench. I need to know what happened to him and where he is. If he’s dead, then I need closure.

“Have anyone seen Michael?” I ask.

“I’m sorry, Aleida. I could feel him revoke his membership in our pack; then, he was gone. No one has seen or scented him since that same day.”

“Then I need everyone to start searching for him; get your beta back home!” I command.

The strategists, seekers, and warriors hurry inside to begin their task. Everyone seems to be happy and ready to take on every assignment I throw at them. The omegas walk inside to undertake the task of feeding everyone and make sure that the companions and I have somewhere to sleep.

“How are you feeling?” Killian asks when he and Henry sit down beside me.

“Slightly nauseous, but mostly worried about my beta,” I answer honestly.

“We’ll find him, even if it’s the last thing we do. Someone must know where Michael is, he can’t just disappear into thin air, and if he crosses anyone’s territory, they should probably recognize him after the alpha gala.”

“Call Kian and Miliano, tell them to spread the word about finding Michael.”

“Yes, alpha,” Killian says and begins to call them.

He walks away and leaves me with Henry. If I’m honest, I’m not sure how to feel right now. My best friend missed my death and resurrection. He doesn’t even know that I died. Simply because he didn’t care about any of it, all he seems to care about is his feelings towards me.

“You don’t look so good, Aleida. Maybe you should lay down for a while,” Henry says and helps me up.

I lean on him, barely able to walk suddenly. He decides to carry me instead, and when my eyes droop, he becomes worried for real. I hear his heartbeat pick up at an unhealthy pace. He’s talking to me, but I can’t answer. His gentle walking is now a full sprint; I don’t know what’s happening. I’m too tired to care.

When I wake up, I’m at the hospital, dressed in one of those horrible dresses. Henry is sleeping on the couch, and it’s dark outside. Did I fell asleep? Pain is pulsating in my neither regions, and I begin to feel scared. Is it something wrong with my puppies? I groan louder than I intend, and Henry shoots up from the couch.

“Aleida, what is it!?”

“It hurts so bad!” I scream and feel tears pool in my eyes.

“Doctor!” Henry shouts while I sob.

I can’t explain to you what kind of pain I feel right now. It feels like I’m being torn apart; this feels familiar to childbirth. But it can’t be! I can’t be in labor this early, right? Another contraction hit me, and I understand that I’m going into labor. No, no, no! This can’t be happening! It’s too early! I think? Considering that I’m a hybrid now, I have no idea how long the pregnancies are. I’ve been in pain from time to time, which was worse than it was with the boys. But never like this! I stand up, and that’s when I feel it.

“Henry, call my mates...” I say, and he looks at me questioningly. “My water just broke.”

“What! But it’s too early!”

“Don’t you think that I know that? Just- Ahh!”

This hurts like hell, and I can’t do shit about it. I’m breathing and try to relax. Breathing exercises can help slightly, and right now, this is all I have. Henry screams at the doctors before picking up his phone; he’s rabbling all kinds of jibberish. I grab the phone since Henry’s unable to talk properly.

“Hello? Henry, calm down! I can’t understand what you’re saying,” Miliano’s voice says.

“Hi, baby. I need you and Kian to come here as quickly as you can,” I say and groan from the pain again.

“What! Are you hurt? What happened? KIAN!”

“What is it?” I hear Kian’s voice.

“Aleida’s hurt!” he says and puts on speakerphone.

“What hurts you!?” Kian asks, worried.

“I’m not hurt, just-Ahh!” I scream from the contractions.

“Baby? Baby, talk to us!”

“I’m in labor.”

They’re completely quiet. What just happened? Did they die just like that? Oh, perfect. Now I’ll have four puppies to take care of on my own... Hell no! They’ve got no right to die on me now!

“Hello? Get here! Now!”

“We’re on our way, baby. Just hang on!” Miliano says and hangs up.

About two hours have passed since I called my mates, and guess what? They still aren’t here! I’ve been screaming my lungs out for hours, and sadly, I accidentally broke the hands of the betas. Henry and Killian are standing at my sides with panic over their features, trying to be helpful.

“Just hang on, Aleida. They’ll be here soon,” Killian tries to soothe me while dabbing at my sweaty forehead.

“When? Make them get here faster!” I scream in pure agony.

The door slams open, and a new contraction hits. My tears are falling, and I’m sobbing like a little child. Kian and Miliano hurry up to me. The betas are looking grateful for being out of the crossfire that is my death squeezings. The puppies are moving a lot inside me, and you can see them clearly. The skin is moving.

“It’s all right, baby. We’re here now, and soon we’re going to have our babies in our arms,” Kian coos at me while Miliano is looking at my stomach with fright.

“Is this normal?” I ask in a panic.

“No, it isn’t. Where’s the doctor?”

“I’m here,” Dean says when he walks inside and checks how open I am. “You’re nearly ready to push, alpha.”

“No! I don’t want to! I can’t take this!” I sob, and Miliano kisses my cheek.

“We’ll be here the whole time, lepa,” Kian coo in my ear, and I suddenly get some newfound strength.

“Okay, Alpha. It’s time to push. On three... One. Two. Three.”

I push with all my strength, and it hurts so damn much. My mates winch of the force I’m having on their poor hands. God damn, I feel evil right now. Baby screams echo in the room, and they hurriedly grab the little one to clean it. Suddenly, I see more blood than it should be pouring out of me.

“I’m very sorry, alphas. But I’ll have to ask you to step out for a while,” the doctor says and begins to work fast on stopping the bleeding.

Both of them are about to refuse but listen in the end and walk outside when they see the amount of blood. The doctors and nurses do their best to stop the bleeding; in the end, they succeed. It turns out that a blood vessel broke inside my vagina, but it’s no worries.

Welcome back inside, daddies.

I mindlink my mates, and they look surprised when they see us. I’m lying in bed with three baby hybrid girls. My mates don’t move, just standing there, not knowing what to do. I chuckle at them and show them our three little girls.

“Meet Benita, Adelita, and Lucia,” I say, and my mates finally walk towards us.

I give them one girl each, and they look like they’re in heaven. Both of them are crying at the little miracles in their arms. Lucia is smiling up at me, and I kiss her forehead. Finally, I have three partners in crime against all the men in our lives.

I walk inside my mates’ packhouse with all the girls, and everything stops. Everyone is looking at us; Killian is the first to approach and take one of the pups from my arms. Jason is next, and then there’s Henry. Confused? The alphas sent their betas back when they came to my territory; this is the first time they get to meet them.

“All three of them look like you, Aleida,” Killian says and smiles.

“Of course, they’re beautiful little girls, just like their mommy,” Kian says and kisses me on my forehead.

Alexander and Elias tumble into the room. Confusion is written all over their cute little faces. I put the girls down on a blanket that someone laid out on the floor. They’re approaching slowly and carefully. When they see the girls, the smiles become massive.

“That’s your little sisters. You’re big brothers now,” I coo at the boys, who are looking thrilled.

“You did great, little sister,” Jason says and kisses my temple.

I can’t even begin to explain the happiness and gratefulness inside me. The moon goddess must love me indeed, considering that I’ve gotten five healthy puppies and two beautiful mates. A happy tear falls from my eyes when I look at my five little angels. The boys are lying beside the girls on each side, protecting them from falling off the blanket.

“Protective and possessive, just like your daddies,” I chuckle at them.

My mates sit beside me, looking at all our babies, Kian holds me with his arm draped over my shoulders, and Miliano kisses me before taking my hand between his. Repeatedly, they tell me how much of a good job I did, and I feel the love drip from every word they say. Yes, I did well. Since not many others would be able to give birth to three hybrids without knowledge about the species, it’s technically suicide. It could’ve ended much worse than it did, even though I did lose much blood. The doctors still can’t figure out how and why the girls came out this early. Neither one of them are underweight or unhealthy in any way. But, the fact is that we simply don’t have enough information about hybrids at all to know these things. It’s like comparing a dog’s pregnancy with an elephant’s; it differs a lot. Hopefully, in time, more information will appear. Since we’re now four hybrids, the genes will spread over time. And if you wonder if we got back the same day to my mates’ pack, we didn’t. We actually stayed at my pack for a week before traveling back here, not only because I needed to recover but also because they needed to finish the girl’s rooms. So now, we’re here with all the family present except for my brother, Nathan.

“Oh goddess, isn’t this a precious sight?” Nathan says when he walks inside the house with tears flowing. “What are you, a puppy machine?”

“I guess I am, dear brother. I guess I am.”