Alpha Loren novel Chapter 96

24th December 

As planned all those months ago, on Christmas Eve Leo and I went ice skating again. The night before I had called both Mateo and Allison separately, asking them to come. 

They both agreed and I put the phone down with a mischievous grin.

"Are you meddling?" Leo asked me.

"I spoke to Allison the other day and brought up Mateo. You should have seen her face when she thinks about him, Leo. They're in love and they just need a little shove to realise it. And Mateo doesn't have the balls so I'm doing it for them," I said.

Leo rolled his eyes, "Who do you think you are? Cupid?"

"Oh I also invited Luca. He's offered to look after Cato and watch whilst we skate," I said.

"Just you wait. That man is going to kidnap our child soon. He's obssessed," Leo said.

"But aren't we all?" I said with a smile as he kissed his forehead.

The next day we were on the rink.

Mateo and Allison were both pleasantly surprised to learn of each other's prescence and before long, had separated off around the rink just the two of them.

"They are cute, aren't they?"  I said to Leo as I watched Allison, who was as graceful on ice as she was in all other aspects of life , help Mateo, who was really rather shocking.

"Pull yourself together, honey. You can do better than this," she hissed as his legs began to repel each other once again.

"I've never seen someone so shit at ice skating. He looks like a deer on a frozen lake," Leo stated.

"Don't be mean," I scolded nudging him, "He just needs a little practice. And the more he falls, the more Allison has to help him and the more likely they are to realise their undying love."

Leo laughed, "You're far too invested in this, Ells."

Just then I caught sight of Luca stood on the outside of the rink, holding Cato in his arms. 

He was repeatedly booping his nose and cooing as he showered him in kisses. 

Luca loved Cato beyond belief. And Cato already loved him too. As Luca lifted him up high to and brought him to his face, he giggled and reached out to clasp as Luca's nose.

"If we die, Luca is taking the kid," I said, "I don't think we even have a choice in the matter."

"Planning on dying are you?" he asked.

I shrugged, "We have to consider it. There are enough people out there to get us, Leo."

He wrapped his arm around me, "And there are many more out there to protect us. Neither you nor I are going anywhere until that little boy has his own kids. Or even his own grandkids. Okay?"

I nodded, "Let's hope so."

After we had ice-skated, I ushered Allison and Mateo towards a warm looking cafe before dragging Luca and Leo back towards the car.

"Wait, I don't understand," Luca said furrowing his eyebrows, "I wanted a hot chocolate."

"You can have one at home," I said tugging him away from the window of the cafe where we could still see Allison and Mateo.

"But why-" he began.

"Because," I said in a low whisper, "This is the moment where Mateo and Allison finally admit their love for eachother and I don't think they need an audience."

Luca still looked confused but he let me lead him away at long last.

"Basically Luca," Leo began, "Ella's got this idea in her head that Allison and Mateo are destined for each other and she won't rest until they at least try dating."

"Ohhh," Luca said with a smile, "You're medalling."

"Exactly what I said!" Leo replied, "But whatever. As long as I get to be there to see the twins finding out, I support it."

He grinned at even the thought of it and closed his eyes, presumably to imagine it even more vividly.

"You're evil," I said, "Come on. Let's go home and get Luca that hot chocolate."

When we reached the front door, surprisingly my Mom was sat on the doorstep. I hadn't seen her since the night we found out Connor was the leader of the rogue organisation attacking the pack, where she had left shaken and in tears.

"Mom?" I asked.

She got to her feet and her eyes shifted between Leo and I.

"I came to apologise," she said, "What Connor did to this pack is inexcusable. And I'm sorry for all the suffering he has caused your people, Alpha Loren."

"Mara," Leo began, "You are not responsible for his actions. He may be your son but he made his own decisions and it is he I blame. You have nothing to apologise for."

I smiled, "He's right, Mom."

"Well, I also wanted to show my gratitude. Connor doesn't deserve your pity. But you have taken pity on him for the sake of my daughter which ultimately I benefit from too. So thank you for loving and caring for my daughter and sparing us the grief by allowing Connor to live in exile."

Leo smiled, "We were about to go inside for a hot drink and you must be freezing from sitting on that doorstep. Would you like to join us?"

She nodded, "I'd love to."

Inside, Luca finally got his hot chocolate and I was sure to fix my Mom with a coffee, just how she liked it.

"So what's your plan, Mom?" I asked sitting beside her.

She shrugged, "I guess I'll just keep roaming around. Maybe I'll convince Connor to come with me for company."

"You know, you're welcome to join the pack, Mara," Leo said, "I could find you a home nearby and from there you can be more involved with Cato and Ella."

She shook her head, "I appreciate it, Alpha. I really do. But after my mate passed away, I became consumed by grief. I found the only way to cope was to stay on the move, never let it catch up with me. And since then, I vowed to never stay in one place for long."

Leo nodded and gave a small smile, "Well the offer will always be there. And please, you don't need to call me Alpha. I'm like your son-in-law now right?"

She smiled and nodded.

"So anyway," Luca began, "Mara. How does it feel to be a saint?"

"Luca!" I exclaimed as he sat down, possibly too close to her considering this was the first time they'd met.

"I want to get to know the woman who brough my bestfriend into the world," he said defensively, "Do you have any baby pictures?" he implored, leaning even closer to her.

"Personal space, Luca!" I scolded.

My Mom laughed and reached for her pocket, "I keep baby photos on me at all time."

"Oh Mom..." I groaned as Leo's eyes lit up and he strode over to where my Mom and Luca sat.

"Ella you were so cute!" Luca squealed as my Mom handed him a bundle of photos, "And that one, aweee!"

"Hmm," Leo said, "She looks kinda possessed in that one."

I took it from Luca's hand to see.

It was of me, wearing a bright red rain jacket and green rubber boots nearly as big as me. I was maybe two years old and hadn't quite mastered the art of smiling as I stared wide eyed into the glash of the camera.

"Jesus Mom. You couldn't have found any better ones?" I asked as I saw another one of me hanging upside down on the branch of a tree, my skirt falling down over my face, revealing my frilly underwear.

Luca then thankfully put that one behind the pile, showing the next.

"Oh my," My Mom said with a sigh and a little sadness twinging at her lips.

It was a picture of my Dad holding both me and Connor as we laughed and smiled widely.

"Those were such happy days," she added.

I looked to Connor and the way my hand was entwined with his, our fingers grasping each other's tight.  We were maybe six and seven years old, possibly younger and at that point we still lived in the forest, moving somewhere new every day.

My attention then shifted to my Dad and the way he smiled at the camera, his scruffy beard as untamed as ever and his hair wild as it always used to be. But his eyes were as bright and happy as he was - in his case his eyes really were the portal to his soul.

"Wasn't Dad handsome?" I said placing my hand on Mom's shoulder.

She nodded, "He was. And you kids were such little darlings. You used to just laugh and play all day."

She then reached for my hand and squeezed, "Now you have your own little darling. Hopefully, his childhood will be just as wonderful."

"Well with so many people he loves around him, I'm sure it will," I said, "He'll never get to meet Dad but I'll ensure he'll lives on in through the stories I'll tell Cato when he's older."

My Mom gave me a sad smile before putting the photos back into her pocket.

"I ought to go, love," she said, standing up.

She looked like she was holding back tears.

"Get back out onto the road."

I nodded and pulled her into a tight hug, "Be safe and keep in touch."

She agreed before Leo passed her Cato for another cuddle. Soon enough she had bid farewell to Luca and Leo too and was jogging down the drive into the forest.

I felt kind of down for the rest of the evening. Luca left after his hot chocolate and Leo lit the fire as I put Cato to be before we both collapsed onto the sofa for a cheerful christmas movie which distracted my mind and lifted my spirits considerably.

"Leo!" I exclaimed halfway through 'home alone'.

"What?"

"It's snowing!" I squealed before grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the back door. 

It was still unlocked from when Leo went to collect firewood from the forest so I swung it open. 

"No, no, no," Leo said pulling me pack inside the seconds I set foot on the icy ground. "You'll freeze. Put something warm on first."

I rolled my eyes knowing that he was right before I bolted into the hall to grab my thick winter jacket and my boots.

As I ran out the back door, I squealed with excitement and stepped into the snow flurry that had already formed a thin blanket on the ground.

"I love snow," I said as I held my hand out to catch the individual flakes. "It's so pretty."

I turned around to face Leo with a wide grin on my face. 

"What?" I asked as he just stared at me smiling.

"You know what is prettier than the snow?" He asked still not taking his eyes off me. "You."

I rolled my eyes and smiled more, "Cheese sandwich."

I then turned around and crouched down to gather snow in my hands.

"What are you doing?" he asked two seconds before I launched my snowball at him. 

He ducked and it smashed on a tree behind him.

"You just started a war babe," He said with an evil grin as he started gathering a snowball in his hands.

"No, no. I take it back. I'm sorry," I pleaded frantically. "I TAKE IT BACK!" I giggled as the snowball came flying in my direction.

It hit me on the head and my hair was soon dusted with white powder (the frozen H2O kinds obvs). 

"It's freezing!" I giggled.

"What do you fucking expect?!"

"It's on!" 

I then gathered another two snowballs and flung them in his direction as he did the same.

After ten minutes I had hit Leo a grand total of twice whilst I was covered head to toe in half-melted snow.

"Do you surrender?" Leo asked as he helf me tightly around the waist with a snowball position at the collar of my jacket.

"Never," I giggled as I wriggled in his grip.

"I'm not usually a man that gives second chances, but since after all, you are my Luna and everything, just this once I will ask again before this ball of snow ends up down your back. Do you surrender?"

"No," I yelped before somehow breaking out of his arms. 

I got a few metres away before he tackled and pinned me to the cold ground. 

We sunk into the snow as I giggled and then screamed when he shoved the snow down my top.

"You fucking bastard! Pick on someone you're own size!" 

He laughed evilly as I began to shiver, "Remind me who started this."

I narrowed my eyes, "Note to self: don't start snow fights with Leonardo."

He then brushed some of the snowy frozen hair off my face and kissed my cold lips, spreading warmth throughout my body.

"Come on," he said unstraddling me and pulling me to my feet,  "Kissing in the snow- romantic. Hypothermia- not romantic."

A few minutes later, I was sat by the warm fire with a dry blanket wrapped around me.

"Thank you," I said as Leo passed me the second hot chocolate with marshmallows of the day. 

"Christmas Eve already huh?" Leo said sitting down next to me, "Feels like days since I met you."

I smiled and rested my head on his shoulder.

"Time flies with the love of your life," I replied, "We'll be old and crumbling before we know it.

He exhaled a little air from his nose as he wrapped his arm around me.

"And we'll still be as happy as we are now even then," he said.

"I still can't believe we made a whole new person," I replied, "We literally created and grew it and now it's upstairs asleep."

"I know right," he said, "It was fun though."

"Which part?" I laughed, "Giving birth certainly wasn't."

"mmh," he hummed, "I was thinking more the creating part."

He then ran his finger down the side of my neck. I turned to him and just let him look into my eyes and carress me before he slowly leant in. The reflection of the flickering flames of the hearth danced in his eyes as the warm orange glow illuminated his face. His scent was strong in the air along with the smoldering wood and the festive cocoa and cinammon of the hot chocolate.

I closed my eyes and let him kiss me as his hand moved to my waist. Soon enough he gently lowed my back down onto the couch and lay over me.

He closed his eyes tight before slowly opening them and looking down at me, "Before I let my wolf get too excited," he began, "Are you ready to have sex again? I don't want to rush you and I don't want to halt your healing."

"It's been five days," I said, "Have you forgotten I'm a wolf with super fast healing abilities."

"Well ya know. Cato's head Vs your vagina. I figured you may have taken quite the battering down there-"

I put my finger on his lips.

"Please stop talking about birth-giving," I said, "It's really killing the mood."

Leo's lips curled into a grin before he pulled me off the sofa and carried me towards the stairs.

"Suits me."