The Ebony Alpha Ch. 15

She had only seen the back of the man that had left her Mother's room. He could have been a bell boy from all she could see, but her Mother's reaction confirmed her suspicions.

She wanted this visit to be pleasant but they were already off to a rocky start. Sighing she smiled at the angry woman in front of her.

"I'm sorry Mom. I was so excited to see you after we got off the phone I asked Aunt Ophelia where you were staying and went to your room. I really wasn't trying to spy on you."

"It's alright my dear. It's about time you realized that I have a life and men are sometimes a part of it. I will let you two enjoy your afternoon and I will see you tonight at dinner."

"Okay Mom. I am sorry for being so rude to you."

"I am fine my dear. We have a lot of catching up to do, and I look forward to spending time with you. I hope Abraham will allow you out of his sight long enough to do so."

Penelope smiled and left the table. Hazel was an adult now and although she would always be her baby, she would soon be having babies of her own.

Penelope didn't know how she felt about being a grandmother and laughed. Her daughter may make her one, but she would never look the part. Well not for a very long time anyway.

****

Louisa awoke wrapped in Joe's arms. He was sleeping peacefully but didn't awake at her nudging. He was only acting on impulse and putting his arms around her was an unconscious gesture.

She slowly extracted her body from his and looked around her on the floor. Becky and Ambrose still slept at the foot of her bed. Abraham and Hazel were missing, but Raphael was there sleeping on the couch.

This was unusual. In her mind she could feel the twin brother's life force as well as Hazel's and Becky's.

That could only mean one thing; she and Joe were their Alphas. How was this happening? They didn't even have a home to go to. Where on earth were they going to start a pack?

Looking further into the room she saw another wolf the color of burnished gold cuddled up against a sandy brown wolf next to her. Exploring her feelings closer she could sense Maddie and Sullivan as well.

Oh dear Luna! Jackson is going to freak. What is Napoleon going to think when he finds that his daughter is bonded to them and not him? As Alphas they have already felt the disconnect.

This was certainly unexpected, but no one knew where bonds were going to form and Luna was definitely unpredictable.

Louisa suddenly leapt out of bed and ran to the bathroom. Her stomach lurched violently and she threw up the contents of her stomach.

Could she be............She didn't want to think about that possibility. Joe would go off the deep end knowing that his wolf wouldn't be able to protect his pack nor his child.

A cold towel suddenly appeared beside her head and Louisa grabbed it thankfully. Raphael sat on the floor beside her and watched her take deep breaths.

"Is congratulations in order Mama Louisa? Joe's wolf was not bound when you became mated."

"But I was not in heat Raphael. It's not possible." Louisa sighed and leaned against her adopted son.

"Look on the floor around you; that isn't supposed to be possible either. Many strange things have been happening Mama Louisa, and a new life in your body could be just another one."

"When did Maddie shift? I didn't see her change in the conference room."

"Sullivan brought her to you last night. He said she changed in her sleep and couldn't be calmed until they came here. Do you feel their bond?"

"Yes and it is quite unsettling. What are we supposed to do Raphy? I don't know how to be an Alpha. Joe is going to protest because he will not be able to call his wolf if he needs to."

"He will have all the help he needs. Don't you feel me as well?"

"I have always had a bond with you my son. It didn't occur to me that it is now even stronger."

"We have a lot to do and many decisions to make. Don't worry I will be there for the both of you and so will Sullivan."

"How is Jackson going to take this Raphy? Sullivan is his best friend."

"The bond has been established and it is because of his mate. Jackson will understand. He has no choice."

Louisa looked at her mini pack lying on the floor of her suite and sighed. They would certainly be an eclectic mix. But there was love and blood connecting them and soon children. She had a lot to tell Joe when he woke up and she hoped he would accept it all in time.

"Help me up Raphy I need to clean up and prepare for my mate to awaken. Let's get the room cleared out and I will assure my new family that we will talk soon."

****

Jackson and Napoleon sat in his office drinking strong black coffee. They had felt the disconnects from their bonds last night and it had grieved Jackson terribly.

His greatest fear had come to pass, Sullivan had a new Alpha. He had called for Napoleon thinking it was him, but Napoleon had a question for Jackson. Was he Becky's new Alpha?

"No Napoleon, I have only felt a loss and no gain. Who can it be? Do you think it may be Charles?"

"There are several possibilities Jackson, but Raphael is also absent from me as well. I think it may be Louisa and Joe. Remember that Joe is a reluctant Alpha. Now that he is mated, Luna will give him a pack to care for."

"But Sullivan is my best Beta and my best friend. I am going to suffer a great loss when he leaves."

"Why not offer them asylum until Joe's wolf is no longer bound? That way they will have your protection, and all of the new wolves will thrive among your pack. Joe will definitely consider this, he is an intelligent man."

A knock sounded at Jackson's door and he called for the party to enter. Sullivan, Maddie and Louisa came inside of the office and took a seat. Jackson sighed loudly and tried to stay calm.

"Is it you and Joe, Louisa?"

"Yes Jackson. When I awoke this morning the bonds had been established. I am not sure what Joe will want to do Jackson, but I wanted to make sure you knew what's happened."

"I'm sorry Jackson." Sullivan told his friend. "You know I have no choice in the matter. Luna has made the change."

"I don't blame you Sully. It's just so unexpected. I truly expected you and Maddie to be a part of my pack."

"You know Jackson, Joe and I need an established Beta to assist us. I also learned that Raphael is also bonded with us. They will teach the twins all they need to know about life as a Were."

Jackson sighed loudly and finally smiled at Louisa. "Well if I have to lose my best Beta to anyone; I'm glad it's you and Joe. We are family and that makes my home yours for as long as you need to be here."

"Thank you Jackson. I'm not prepared to lead a pack, and Joe is so young. I'm not sure what he had planned outside of our mating. When he wakes up this afternoon we will have a lot to discuss."

"Well I hope you'll accept my offer. If you stay here until the new Weres are trained, it will take a lot of pressure off you and Joe. I will also offer you my protection while his wolf in bound."

Louisa's face took on a pained expression and she lowered her gaze to her lap. She didn't want to think about that and the fact that she may be pregnant. There was no use worrying about it; she would take things as they came for the time being.

"Thank you Jackson. I will make your offer known to my mate." Rising to leave Louisa gave Jackson a slight bow and left the room.

Jackson looked at Maddie and Sullivan and shook his head. "Did Stephan tell you he was joining the ASI Sully? He asked for my permission to leave yesterday. I am going to lose both of you and so soon. Things will never be the same around here my friend."

"No they won't my friend. But look on the bright side, you will soon be mated and won't have time for me anyway." Jackson had to laugh.

"I will miss you my friend. My mate has changed my outlook on life and I am sure yours will too." Sullivan said a serious tone coloring his voice.

"Thank you for trying to make me feel better. You are not the first ones to tell me that my life will change when Megan and I mate. I hope you are right about that. All I know is that I can't wait for that to happen."

Napoleon stood and decided to leave the friends to work this out among themselves.

"Maddie would you like me to escort you to see Megan? She is hiding out in our suite until the ceremony."

Maddie looked at the two friends and nodded her consent. "That's a great idea Napoleon. Is it alright with you Sully? I really want to speak with Megan; I want to let her know that I made my first shift."

Sullivan trusted the Boscoyo Alpha completely and gave her his blessing. Napoleon opened the door for Maddie and they exited Jackson's office.

"Sully do you think you can persuade Joe to take me up on my offer? It will be a perfect solution for all of us."

"I will try Jackson, but in the end it will have to be his decision."

"That's all I can ask Sullivan. Joe is a good man, I'm sure you and Maddie will be happy with him as your Alpha."

"What about a run for old time's sake Jackson?" Sullivan asked trying to lighten up the mood.

"You know I think that's a good idea. Come on Sully let race to the foothills."

The two men striped and shifted leaving through the terrace doors. It felt good to leave his worries behind for a little while and enjoy his beast.

Yes he would miss his friend, but he would soon gain a family of his own and that's what life was all about.

****

Joe woke up slowly, his eyes opening to a darkened room. He had been deep in sleep and his dreams had been quite fascinating. The Shaman was there and he was assuring him that he was not alone.

Joe saw many other wolves circling him, their warmth had soothed him. Joe relaxed and laid next to his wolf and they had shared the sleep together.

The only difference was that Joe woke up and his beautiful chocolate counterpart didn't. It pained Joe to see his wolf unmoving, but he understood and let himself come back to consciousness. At his movement Louisa appeared above his head and smiled at him.

"Welcome back baby, how do you feel?"

"I feel quite rested, to be honest. What did I miss? I feel quite a few more personalities inside my head."

"We have suddenly acquired our own pack. Right now we have the twins, Abe and Ambrose, and their mates, Becky and Hazel. We've also bonded with Sullivan, Maddie and Raphael. We are quite a diverse group my mate, my Alpha."

"Whoa baby! Alpha and my name usually don't travel in the same circles."

"It is a gift bestowed upon us by Luna. If not we wouldn't have been given such a promising bunch to start off with."

"I'm just so surprised. I never thought this would happen so quickly. Napoleon warned me this could happen, but I didn't take him seriously. I need to speak to him and Jackson as soon as possible."

"Take it easy my mate. I've been worried about you. What happened while you were asleep?"

"I lay next to my wolf and basked in the warmth that our bodies shared. The Shaman was there and helped me to understand that my other half was only sleeping, and would awake when it was time. I feel at peace Louisa and I don't fear the future. I know I will miss being able to shift, but I'm sure I can deal with it."

"I think that it's a good idea for you to talk to Jackson. He has offered us asylum until your wolf is no longer bound. I told him that I would convey his message to you and that you'd give him an answer."

"I'll have to think about his offer Louisa. Remember I have a home in Texas and my father would offer us his protection as well."

"I forgot about that Joe. I would be nice to meet the in-laws I suppose."

Joe laughed at his reluctant mate and put his arms around her. He cradled her against him and nuzzled her neck scenting her deeply. He could feel his heartbeat beating in sync with hers and a faint twitter that he could barely hear.

Joe looked into Louisa's eyes questioningly and slowly laid her on her back. He pulled up her shirt and put his ear to her flat stomach.

There it was, he could hear it clearly now. A faint beat of its own. If he had not been a Were there is no way in hell he would have been able to hear it.

He looked at his mate in awe and asked; "How is this possible my love? I know you were not in heat."

"Only Luna knows my love. But as you can hear there will soon be three of us."

"Thank you my love, I don't care what my current circumstances are, this makes it all worthwhile. I feel blessed beyond belief."

"I'd stopped imagining that this could ever happen to me. I am beyond happy."

Louisa paused and snuggled into her mate. This was an unexpected blessing and she was almost afraid to be happy.

"Raphael knows Joe. He saw me this morning when I was ill and asked about it. He won't tell anyone and I think we should keep this a secret for the time being."

"Don't you think we've been keeping enough secrets Louisa? I want the world to know!"

"I think the Elder Council bound your wolf so that we would delay having a child Joe. With your wolf bound any children we'd have would be human. If they know that we managed to overcome that consequence they may try to make more trouble for us."

"I understand my mate. I promise to keep my mouth closed until you feel the time is right."

Joe's large hand was palmed over Louisa's stomach. The small thrumming against it gave him a sense of responsibility and determination. He would talk with Jackson and Napoleon as soon as possible. He needed their help and he hoped they would understand his decision about his newly acquired pack.

Smiling he kissed his mate deeply and pulled her against him. He needed to eat and build his strength. He wanted to make love to Louisa but her news gave him pause. He settled in beside her and breathed her in.

"It's alright to make love Joe. The baby can't feel anything now. We won't have to worry about that for a long time. We can still have our fun."

Rolling her onto her back, Joe hovered above Louisa and kissed her again. "I know baby I'm just a little shell shocked right now. How about we have dinner and meet with our new pack. I'd like to get their ideas on what we should do right now. We only have two days until the Blood Moon and then we will have to make a decision."

Joe helped Louisa up from the bed, and pulled her into the bathroom to join him in the shower.

"Relax Louisa everything is going to work out alright. I don't think I would be a peace if it wasn't."

Louisa let Joe scrub her body and she returned the favor. It took them a little longer than planned to get to dinner. It was more than the steam from the hot water that fogged up the bathroom.

****

Joe and Louisa had dinner set up in their suite for their new pack. They took time to eat and get to know each other a little better. Joe didn't know Hazel or the twins personally, but he knew everyone else and apologized to Becky.

"I am sorry about our first meeting Becky. I lied to you about being Louisa's mate. I hope that you will forgive me that one indiscretion, after all it turned out for the best."

"It is quite understandable Alpha; I realize what the mating pull is capable of. I will never live down my first meeting with Ambrose." She blushed violently and her mate pulled her close.

"I will never forget it my love and we will tell our grandchildren that story for years to come."

The group laughed and the feeling of warmth and belonging flowed throughout the group. After dinner Louisa and Joe sat with their newly acquired pack and brainstormed among themselves.

Raphael and Sullivan were all for them staying in North Dakota until the end of the year. That would give them more protection until Abe and Ambrose were secure with their new natures.

Abraham and Ambrose were ok with whatever they decided, as long as they were with their mates. Joe took a deep breath and stood up facing the small group.

"I think I would like us to return to Texas to my home and become a part of my Father's pack. I feel it would be disrespectful to my family if I were to keep all of you away from them."

"We had a feeling you might want to do that Joe. Sullivan and I are prepared to leave as soon as you wish it."

"I want to leave within the month. That will give Sullivan time to train his replacement and time for our unmated couples to become mated."

"I thought we would have to wait a year before we could mate?" Abe said excitement showing clearly on his face.

"I feel that Were's, especially Betas like you two will be training constantly. If you are less distracted by wanting to mate, you will train harder to protect the one you love. You have already shifted and seemed to control your wolves very well. I will speak to your former Alphas on your behalf."

Louisa stood and joined her mate. "I will ask the Elder Council if they will permit your mating at the ceremony. It may help Megan feel less intimidated if she is not the only one being exposed."

"Do you think they will agree Madame Alpha? I want to be mated right away. I am tired of waiting." Becky looked longingly at Ambrose and sighed.

"I can only ask my dear. I think they will jump at the chance to make our Nation forget about the awful punishment they gave Joe. Many Were felt it was cruel, especially since we are newly mated."

The future of their new pack settled for now, they parted ways. Joe and Louisa exhaled and laughed at the absurdity of it all. Things were happening too quickly and he started thinking maybe he should reconsider Jackson's offer.

"Don't second guess yourself Joe. I think it will be good to get away from here. Most of our pack is from the South anyway and the transition will be easy for them. Sullivan and Hazel can always visit their home; we won't stop them from doing so."

"I guess I just felt a little overwhelmed. But you're right I'll feel more at home with Reggie and Ralph at my side. We've always taken care of each other."

"Then it's settled we'll return to Texas and start our new lives. We can stay with them as long as your wolf is bound."

"I know that my wolf is bound Louisa, but I don't feel the loss. We need to speak with the Shaman to find out what I'll be facing these next two years."

"You mean we don't you baby? From now on we are together and we will face all of our problems that way. I look forward to our life together."

Joe took Louisa in his arms and kissed her deeply, He was thankful to Luna for his good fortune, even though their life had been turned upside down.

Just thinking about the new life growing in his mate's womb made him smile. Things could be worse but right now he didn't see how they could be better.

****

Stephan was nervous. He was meeting with Jacques Metairie and he wanted to make a good impression. It wasn't every day that someone was considered for a position in the elite forces of the ASI.

Even though Jackson had assured him that he had nothing to worry about, he still couldn't help how he felt.

He paced the floor in anxiety. The Director was late and Stephan was plagued with apprehension. What if he'd changed his mind? What if the ASI thought he wasn't good enough? Thoughts like these went through his head until he heard the approaching footsteps.

The door to the conference room opened and Jacques Metairie appeared before him. He was a large man with a head of auburn hair. He looked very much like Louisa and smiled easily. Stephan hadn't seen much of him since they met in Louisiana but remembered he was a very powerful man.

Jacques Metairie's light brown eyes studied Stephan briefly, and he took a seat at the table and motioned for Stephan to join him.

"Hello Stephan, I've heard good things about you. Please put your mind at ease this is just a formality."

"Thank you for meeting with me sir, working for the ASI has been a dream of mine for a very long time."