Beloved

18

Dante held Gaia's hand as she endured her final check-up before being allowed to leave the hospital. His parents had already taken their bags to the car and were signing her discharge papers.

The nurse finished jotting down the final notes in Gaia's chart, closing it with a snap. "All readings are normal, doctor."

"Thank you, nurse. Please make certain miss Gaia has been added to my schedule, she should come in weekly until she's capable of shifting."

"Yes doctor." She checked her tablet as she turned to the young couple, asking, "Is every Friday around eleven in the morning okay for you? I do have other days and slots open, but next Friday would give you a full week and a couple of days before you have to return."

Gaia looked at Dante, nodding slightly.

"That would be great, yeah. Thank you." Dante pulled out his phone and added the appointment to his calendar as recurring. "We can make a day of it, come here, then have lunch after." He glanced at Gaia with a grin tugging the corners of his mouth.

"Great. Gaia, if you'll get in the wheelchair we'll see if your mate's parents are finished signing you out."

Dante supported Gaia as she slid off the bed, then held her hand as the nurse pushed the chair to the lobby where his parents were waiting for them.

Arianna smiled warmly when she saw them approaching. Florian rested his hand on his mate's back and gave his son a stiff nod.

The nurse insisted on pushing Gaia out of the hospital "for insurance reasons", but took the wheelchair back inside as soon as Gaia was standing in front of the vehicle that was waiting for them.

Dante opened the passenger door with a greeting to Beta Jordan and his mate in the front, and moved the second row seat to reveal a third row of seating. Then he stepped out of the way so Gaia could climb in.

Gaia stepped forward to peer into the vehicle before climbing in, gasping when she felt Dante's hands grasp her waist to lift her into the car. She slid into her seat, admonishing him she could have climbed in on her own, paling when she saw that it was Arianna sitting beside her, rather than Dante.

He took the seat in front of her, smirking over his shoulder at her as he drew his seatbelt across his body. "Buckle in, or do I need to do it for you?"

Gaia huffed as she pulled the belt across her body and clicked it in.

Arianna chuckled and patted Gaia's arm. "Don't blame him, my dear, we've been told you're not to exert yourself."

"For how long?"

Dante said, "For at least until your first shift." He then turned his attention to his father's open laptop to discuss pack business.

Gaia mumbled under her breath that her first shift couldn't come soon enough.

Arianna nodded, "I understand, darling. Now, I want to let you know I've already taken the liberty of moving your things to the room across from Dante's, and your friends were a great help decorating it with me, but if there's anything you would like different or added just let me know. Your friends were just darling on our little shopping trip, I can't wait for us all to go shopping together. And don't you worry about planning your mating ceremony, that pleasure falls to myself and beta Janine, we just need to know what color scheme you prefer, and then we'll take you shopping for your dress when we're closer to the date, which we'll set for the first full moon after your first shift. Now, I don't want to overwhelm you, but we really do need to start preparing you for you luna duties, I think... "

Realizing quickly she wouldn't be able to get a word in, Gaia tried her best to be interested in Arianna's mile a minute monologue, but she ended up falling asleep within five minutes of the twenty minute drive to the pack house.

***

"Will you get the door dad?"

Dante had his seatbelt unbuckled and was opening his car door before Jordan shifted the gear into park. He climbed out and adjusted the seat to reach for Gaia, thankful his mother was already gently unstrapping his mate from the belt. Once she was in his arms he carried her into the house, following his mother to the room she'd prepared.

The third floor of the family wing held four ensuite bedrooms, his own being furthest from the stairs and above his father's office, overlooking the front yard. His mother had prepared a room overlooking the back yard for Gaia. Arianna opened the door for him, then left the room after handing him a soft blanket to drape over Gaia once he gently laid her on the bed.

Dante slipped Gaia's shoes off her feet, then knelt beside her, smoothing the curls from her face. He watched her sleeping for several minutes before kissing her forehead and leaving the room, closing her door behind him.

He stood at the door another moment before trudging down the stairs to his father's office where the Alpha and Beta were waiting for him. This would be the first time he left her side since she woke with her wolf two days before, and he was unprepared for how intense his feelings for her had grown in the short time he'd spent in her company, how lost he felt without her within arm's reach.

He'd completely bypassed wanting to be her friend, running headfirst into needing to be her romantic lover. Bringing her home was just adding pitch to the flame she'd awakened in his heart.

He tapped on the door with his knuckle as he walked into his father's office, nodding to both his father and beta Jordan, and Jordan's son, Colton. Spotting his laptop bag near the couch took a seat and opened his machine.

"We're going over security measures of the territory, son," Florian said. "Jordan's been telling me the cameras you insisted on setting up has made quite the impact, he's a little wary his son won't have much of a job."

"Jordan you know this pack would've fallen apart without you since dad and mom joined the council, I know I've been relying on you in my dad's absence," Dante said, "the cameras are just an extra measure."

Jordan bobbed his head, his mouth curved in a small smile for the younger man's praise. "And the cameras have been a boon to our base security measures. We have warriors who would otherwise be retired or benched manning the vidfeeds alongside wolves who want to be security but can't make warrior status."

"And Colton's been rethinking our details," Dante said. "He has some interesting ideas for improving on scouting and defending our borders."

"Let's hear it." Florian leaned back in his chair, stroking his chin as he listened to the younger beta pitch his ideas for development, nodding when certain elements caught his attention.

The betas left after a little more than an hour, leaving Dante and his father to turn to the business portion. After awhile Florian noticed his son's head was elsewhere and suggested they take a break, steering him toward the gym.

"You haven't been to training in almost a week. Let's see where you're at."

***

Gaia opened her eyes and quickly realized she was in a much different room than she'd previously occupied. She lifted her head, then sat up to peer around the room drenched in late afternoon sun as she stretched, taking note of the differences and deciding she liked the dusty rose and cream decor.

Her stomach didn't waste time letting her know she needed to eat soon, so she decided to head down to the kitchen.

Opening her door she saw her room was at the top of the stairs. Literally. There were three other rooms on the floor, but there wasn't another floor above the one she was currently on. She straightened to her full height with the sudden realization she wasn't in the guest wing.

Just the week previous she had roamed the entirety of the guest and visitor wing of the house, including the unoccupied guest rooms. The size of the rooms and the grandeur of the alpha suite in particular had impressed her.

The only way to figure out precisely where she might be was to continue on her way to the kitchen. And maybe along the way she'd find Dante.

At the first landing she paused to peer around the hall finding three closed doors and a faint scent of Dante stronger below, she continued down the stairs. Halfway down she recognized the layout below, then she heard Dante and Florian coming through the entry to the basement before she saw them. Seeing them in joggers and sweat soaked tees she deduced they had been in the gym.

Dante's gaze landed on her as he stepped up onto the main floor and a smile broke out on his face. "You're awake. Did you get enough sleep? Are you hungry?" He took the stairs two at a time until he was standing before her and gently stroked her cheek with his knuckle.

Gaia nodded, "Yes, yes and yes. I'm awake, I'm rested enough for now, and I'm hungry."

Dante scooped her into his arms, ignoring her squawk, to carry her down the stairs. "Well, let's see what we have to feed you."

Wrapping her arm around his neck, she said, "Dante, I can walk!"

Florian shook his head watching the young couple. "Son-"

"I know you're able to walk, but this is a big house and I don't want you to tire out quickly. Also, I missed you." He smirked, noticing the blush rising in her cheeks.

In the kitchen he set her on the counter with a tap to her nose. He then turned and opened the refrigerator, quickly pulling out produce and containers of sandwich meats and garnishes.

Florian had followed them into the kitchen for water, but he pulled a couple loaves of bread from the pantry, saying, "Your mother should be back in a couple of hours and I think she's planning on using most of those vegetables you pulled out to go with that chicken that's thawing in there."

"I was just pulling them out to find the sandwich stuff," Dante answered as he closed the refrigerator door. "Hey, thanks for getting out the bread."

"Make mine a roast beef and swiss with spicy dijon and mayo. On rye. Don't forget the onion, lettuce, and tomato."

"You can make your own sandwich, dad. I pulled everything out."

Florian set a basket full of single serving sized bags of chips onto the counter, saying, "Some of us have important pack business to get back to, others of us have a mate bond to cultivate. I'll take barbecue chips with my sandwich." He headed back toward the stairs.

Dante rested his hands on the island on either side of Gaia, watching his father leave the kitchen, then turned to her, saying, "See what I have to put up with?"

Gaia giggled, "It's terrible, you poor thing." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Set me down, I can help make sandwiches."

"You can sit there and look pretty, is what you can -"

Gaia groaned and slid off the counter. "Dante you can shove that attitude elsewhere, I don't need it. Get out the cast iron stove griddle, please."

Dante's brow furrowed. "What do you need the griddle for?"

"Some sandwiches are better as melts, and I want a melty sandwich. Get me the griddle." She selected a knife and cutting board for slicing the beefsteak tomato and a large red onion.

"Well okay miss bossy."

"Set the burners to medium." Finished with the tomato and a few rings of the onion, she turned to portioning breads, meats and cheeses on a plate. "And what do you want on your sandwich?"

"I'd like to see what you do with ham and provolone. On rye."

"Do you want tomato and onion?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

On the warmed griddle she melted some butter and added the onions. She let the onions soften a bit, then settled them to the edge and added the meats to the griddle. When the meats were warmed she flipped them, and added the cheeses on top of the meats, and the breads to the griddle. When the cheeses were beginning to melt she flipped the breads and squirted a swirl of dijon on three slices, then scooped the meaty cheese piles onto one of their respective bread slices and put the tomatoes on the griddle to let them warm up before adding them and the onions to the melting piles, and finally shifting all of it onto the three waiting plates.

"And now for the mayo," Dante said, smearing mayonnaise onto the top slices before adding them to the sandwiches. He mind linked his father to come take a break.

Gaia turned off the burners, then looked around to see Dante had put everything away, so all that was left to do was clean the tools and wipe down the counter. He had also poured beverages, and had even added a few bowls with pickles, olives and friggetello peppers.

Florian entered the kitchen as Dante and Gaia settled everything in place. He took his seat saying, "How long does it take to make a sandwich?"

"It takes as long as it takes. Next time you can make your own sandwich," Gaia retorted before chomping into the melty goodness.

Florian eyed his son. Your mate isn't just feisty, she's borderline insolent.

She's just matching your level of rude.

Florian frowned I'm being rude?!? He lifted his sandwich, pausing as he noticed it was somewhat different than he'd been expecting. He took a bite.

She made gourmet sandwiches and you sneered about the length of time it took. She's a handmaiden, which means she outranks you, and she isn't stupid.

"It's rude to talk about someone behind their back, especially right in front of them."

Florian raised his eyebrow. "You forgot the lettuce."

"You'll live."

Florian shot his son another look.

Dante shrugged his shoulder. "I warned you she's not a pushover."

Florian sighed, but chewed and swallowed another bite of his sandwich before breaking news, "The council is calling your mother and I back. We'll be leaving Saturday, but we'll be back within a week of your first shift, Gaia."

Gaia asked, "Why are you and Luna away so often? Isn't it unusual for the alpha and luna to be part of the council instead of leading their pack?"

The alpha finished chewing and swallowing the bite in his mouth before answering.

"Similar to the history of humans, werewolves once had a monarchy system, the king and his luna queen, with a court of minor rulers made up of the regional Alphas. Some centuries before the age of discovery and expansion, the monarch line treatied with the vampire royal line, the werewolf prince was wedded to a vampire princess. It was their coupling that produced the first hybrid. Since that time, the descendants of that coupling are considered the true royal line, even though the monarchy has been replaced with the council of elders. The head of the council is always a royal descendant. About twenty generations ago the Black family merged with the Forest line, which had already merged with the third and final branch, and so the Black family is the last remaining branch of that hybrid line."

"So you and Luna are training to someday head the council," Gaia surmised.

"That is correct. My great-grandfather heads it now, and has since my father and his father before him were both killed in the line of duty. The human's wars have proved devastating to all were kind on the European and Asian continents."

Gaia swallowed the bite she'd been chewing and lowered her sandwich. "I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry for you and my son. Your luna ceremony will also be your inauguration, for you will both be bearing the mantle of Alpha and Luna of this pack after your first shift."

Dante frowned. "I thought the age of passing the Alpha title is twenty-one?"

"Traditionally, but it was passed to your mother and I early for a similar reason, being your great-great-grandfather has been showing his age for many years, now."

Upon finishing cleaning up after the light meal, Dante carried Gaia to his father's study where he settled her on the couch before joining his father at the desk once more.

Gaia's interest riveted to the built in bookcase lining the walls behind and to the side of the couch. A leather-bound collection of the Black family history piqued her curiosity and she asked Dante to get the first volume down for her. Then she curled up on the couch and began to read the vellum pages. She was delighted to find the book was written in the old tongue, and were embellished with engravings.

Dante watched her for a few moments, his mouth curved in a small smile, before draping a soft throw over her legs and returning to pack matters with his father.

Accepting your mate looks good on you

Yeah. Feels good, too. "Rogers and Collinsworth are quarreling again."

"That's a headache I'd rather you not inherit, but they've been going at it since my father was Alpha. What is it this time?"

"Rogers is insisting the new fence Collinsworth just put between their properties is over his line, and therefore overstepping his property."

Gaia muttered, "Their bickering has nothing to do with property or fences."

The two alphas lifted their heads to look at her. Florian said, "What do you know about it?"

Gaia blushed, peering at the men over the top of her book. "Collinsworth and Rogers were friends back when they were still in school until Rogers borrowed Collinsworth's car for a date with the girl who turned out to be Collinsworth's mate, the day before Collinsworth's eighteenth birthday. While on the date, Rogers got into an accident, driving over a cliff, totaling the car. He was scraped up with a few broken ribs and a concussion, but the girl was seriously injured. She'd been speared through by the steering column. Collinsworth went to visit his friend while he was in the hospital and that's when he learned the girl was his mate, but she never came out of her coma and died a few weeks later. She would have had a better chance of surviving if she hadn't been riding on Rogers' lap while he was driving. Then Rogers went into the same trade as Collinsworth, and began to take business from him and his father."

Both men's eyes widened as Gaia related the story that birthed the decades old feud.

"Goddess bless," Florian said. "I had no idea."

Dante side-eyed his father, "Wouldn't grandfather have known all that?"

"Your grandfather didn't like to meddle. He always said the little things would sort themselves out." Florian opened the Collinsworth file and flicked through the papers.

"That doesn't sound little."

"No, but Collinsworth refuses to say much, and neither Jordan or I can get a straight story out of Rogers. There's nothing in here about it," he closed the folder and tossed it on the desk and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest, "how did you come to this information, Gaia?"

"My Grandmother. Every once in a while something in the house would need work and grandma would call Mr. C instead of Mr. Rogers. I overheard her and mom talking about it one afternoon, after my mom had a run in with Mrs. Rogers, who was apparently angry that I was never sent to her house after school for babysitting like the other neighbors with pups."

"That must have been quite a standoff. Penny Rogers has a bone to pick with everyone but your grandmother was a force to be reckoned with." Florian leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. "I wonder why no one ever brought it up with Jordan or I."

"Everyone probably thought you knew," Dante said. "Didn't you hire Rogers to upgrade the plumbing and renovate the kitchen?"

"Yes, but he only tore out the walls and never came back. After six months of his nonsense I fired him and asked Collinsworth if he would finish it. He got it done in less than half the time Rogers had quoted, but it cost the same."

Gaia said, "Collinsworth charges more, but his work is far superior to Rogers'. He apprenticed under his father for years before Rogers even thought of taking coursework at the trade school. Also, if you'd just hired Collinsworth from the start, it probably would have cost less in the end."

"Okay, thank you young lady. Your mate and I have some more work to get through before we can call it a day."

"Sure." She opened the book and quickly found where she'd left off, studiously ignoring the men quietly talking just a few feet away. She fell asleep an hour later with the book open on her thighs.