Alpha Paxton

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🖤 V O T E & COMMENT 🖤

"Oh, my Goddess!" Everleigh exclaims, gushing and grinning at me from ear to ear. Quickly, the news was travelling that I was pregnant.

Paxton and I didn't want to keep it a secret —I was already three months pregnant, and would only be growing at a faster rate. Details to the public did not need to be disclosed, however, we felt it was dutiful to let our pack know about the baby on the way.

Our pack was our family.

"I know," I gushed back to my friend. Everleigh and I were taking a walk outside, enjoying the crisp air of our territory. I wanted to have a private moment with one of my closest friends in this world. I still could not believe this was all happening, myself! Everything was so unexpected but I am quickly recognizing it for the blessing it is.

"Have you thought of a name yet? Oh— Paxton needs to help you with names! and socks! Baby socks! Have you bought any socks? Never mind that, I'll buy them!" Everleigh wistfully rambles on about my baby, and their future socks while I stare at her with a bemused expression.

Hearing enough after a few minutes of constant baby gushing, I quickly silence her. "Everleigh! Enough," I chuckle and put my hands up to stop her. She clamps her mouth shut instantly, grinning.

"I'm just so happy for you," she replies. "I've been feeling like I won't be having that with my mate... ever." I look to one of my dearest friends with empathy, although I know I can't truly understand how she feels. I never thought I would have a mate in the first place.

"I'm sure he's out there," I offer lightly. We continue to walk side by side.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm shouting to the void that is our mate bond," Everleigh whispers. "I have never gotten a response."

I snort.

"Of course you wouldn't! You haven't even met each other, Everleigh. But I think you will, someday. Isn't that what happens? Fate allows you to stumble alongside one another in your lifetimes, at some point?" I was genuinely wondering.

"Not exactly. And... I'm pretty sure it's Destiny who is in charge of that, not 'fate', Theia." Everleigh jokes and puts her fingers up in quotation marks when she says 'fate'. "However, mates are not always in one another's lives. Although we are destined to be together, sometimes tragedies happen."

We stop walking as I turn to fully face her. "Tragedies?" I swallow, thinking the worst. "Like what?"

"Like if the son-of-a-bitch has already married someone else!" Everleigh scowls, and loops her arm under my own. She tugs me along and we continue our brisk walk outdoors.

"What if he did? What if he doesn't come for you?" I ask her, and then immediately regret even opening my mouth. Here we were, discussing my mate and baby and she has yet to find her own.

She didn't seem to mind —this was what friends were here for— asking the tough questions you have yet to face on your own.

"Then I will find someone else, Theia. I can hope every day that my prince comes and swoops me off my feet from my tower... or, I can be my own prince. I can go find my own prince. Maybe some poor wolf needs his own saviour. I sure as hell don't need saving."

I was slightly stunned. In the time I have known Everleigh, I had always thought she wanted her mate more than anything else in the world. Maybe she doesn't want her mate; she just wants to experience love.

And from what she is saying, she already holds the deepest and most pristine kind of love anyone in the world can hold —self love.

She appreciates herself and everything she has to offer, and I wished more girls I knew were like that.