The Mark of Betrayal (Samara and Roman) novel Chapter 73

Roman

After learning that we’re having a boy, I told the omegas to prepare a feast and that night, I stood beside Samara while she held Aria and I held Slade, with Sloane standing by our side as we announced to the entire pack that Samara is pregnant with our Alpha heir.

The party went well into the night as our pack enthusiastically celebrated. At one point, I noticed Samara checking on Phoebe. She and Adrian haven’t yet completed their bond and I’m glad about that. I know from experience that when you give your mate the time she needs, that when she gives herself to you, it’s the greatest gift you could ever receive. When I saw Adrian looking longingly at his mate, I said that to him. Watching him with Phoebe makes me think that he might just be a good replacement for Austin. If Phoebe is honest about not holding the pups accountable for what Sawyer did, then I will seriously consider them as my new Beta couple.

Since we also have Scarlet and Luca this week, I made sure that I sent Samara to bed with Aria and Slade and I stayed up to make sure that the girls made their way to bed, or at least to the Alpha floor before I crawled into bed with my mate.

The rest of the week went by in a blur. I talked to my father and Austin every day. My father was able to stabilize Dylan’s pack, but the Brenner pack was becoming restless without an Alpha. Since Austin isn’t an Alpha, he is doing the best he can, but I told him that when we came on Friday, I’d make sure the pack was ready to accept him.

On Friday morning, as we walked out to warrior training, my mind was on leaving Sloane overnight and how we were going to handle bringing Slade since he refuses to be left anywhere that I am not. So, it took me a few extra minutes to realize that Adrian’s scent had changed.

“Gamma, do you have something to share?” I ask him.

His smile could light up a city. “She accepted me,” he says, pulling his shirt aside to show me his fresh mate mark.

“I’m assuming you left her exhausted and sleeping upstairs?”

He grins. “I did. And I left her a note, just in case she wakes and thinks I left her. I don’t want her to worry that she’s reliving her past.”

“Good thinking,” I say, smiling. If all goes well this weekend, then he and Phoebe will definitely be offered the Beta positions.

I get absorbed in warrior training and it’s nearly the end of training when Phoebe rushes out of the packhouse, looking panicked, wearing only a t-shirt. Her eyes are wide and she looks terrified.

“Phoebs? What is it?” Adrian asks, rushing up to her.

“I ... I ... I thought you left me.”

“Baby,” he purrs softly, pulling her into his arms. “Didn’t you get my note?”

I watch her shake her head no.

“I didn’t leave you, baby. I’m right here. I just wanted to let you sleep,” he says, pulling back and wiping her tears away with his thumbs. “We’re mated, baby. All you had to do was open the mind link and you’d have known I was here.”

Her mouth opens and closes a couple of times before he leans in and kisses her. It’s a dominant kiss, one that tells her that she's his. It's exactly what she needs so she knows that he hasn’t abandoned her.

“Why don’t you two have breakfast in your room. Then you can ... talk to your mate and get her settled before Samara and I have to leave,” I tell him as I pass.

He grunts in acknowledgement but doesn’t stop kissing his mate.

I look up as I walk to the packhouse, seeing my mate, watching their interaction. Her eyes turn to me as I walk up to her, holding her gaze until I take her mouth in the same possessive kiss.

She wraps her arms around my neck, giving herself to me and the kiss as I pour my love into her.

“It’s too bad I’ve already put a pup in you. I’m practically desperate to put a pup in you now,” I growl when I pull away.

“We should practice. You know I want a daughter, or two, or three,” she says, giving me that mischievous grin that I love.

“Maybe I want six, or seven, or eight,” I growl.

“Then you’d better practice long and hard, Alpha,” she purrs.

I know it’s difficult for my mate and for Slade to be back here in this pack, so we put him and Aria in rooms beside and across from us for the night. When we call to talk to Sloane, we find out that she’s struggling with us being gone again and after putting Aria and Slade to bed, we realize that Slade isn’t going to sleep well here either. For some reason, Aria also seems to struggle being here. Rather than getting up one time like she usually does, she’s up three times and in between her awake times, Slade wakes up crying.

It's a restless, sleepless night but in the morning, before the Alpha ceremony, I pull Austin aside.

“Priscilla would like to stay close to our packs, but she says that Dylan’s pack and my pack won’t work for her and the pups, since their home doesn’t feel like home any longer and my pack feels wrong since I killed their father and mate.”

“Okay, does that mean they want to come here?” he asks.

“It does. And I’d like you to assess Timothy for the Gamma position. You don’t need three ranked members here with only fifty pack members. Your son is already slated to take the Beta position, so to me, it makes sense that Timothy takes the Gamma position in this pack. He can help you and if Priscilla accepts him, she can help Elizabeth with the duties of running the pack,” I say.

“Let me talk to Liz. If she agrees, I’ll assess him and Priscilla and let you know what I think. But either way, they are welcome to move here.”

“Thank you.”

Because Slade won’t leave me even for a short amount of time, I hold him while I preside over the Alpha ceremony for Austin and Elizabeth. I watch Austin’s eyes widen when he takes his oath as Alpha, feeling the increase in power that comes with moving from Beta to Alpha. Elizabeth does the same when she takes her place as Luna and while their pups aren’t old enough to accept their place in the pack, it seems like they feel the difference in their status.

I stand by as witness, watching as the pack members come forward and accept Austin and Elizabeth as their Alpha and Luna and then we stay just long enough to participate in the celebration and make sure that everyone feels settled again. Then I collect my mate and Aria and we pack up.

We say our goodbyes to Alpha Austin and Luna Elizabeth who still look a bit shell-shocked at their new status, and I let them know I’ll talk to Timothy on the way home about moving to their pack. They assure me they will be in our pack for Samara’s official Luna ceremony and then we head back home.

Once again, Sloane is waiting for us. She doesn’t leap into my arms, since I’m holding Slade, but she rushes to Samara and asks if we can have family movie night again tonight.

After checking in with Adrian and Phoebe, we have dinner on our floor, just the family. Then we turn on a movie while Samara gives Aria a bottle. Aria falls asleep in Samara’s arms while Slade falls asleep in mine. Sloane, who is sitting between us takes longer to fall asleep, but once Samara wraps an arm around her and Ayla begins purring softly, it doesn’t take long before she’s sound asleep.

One by one, I take our pups to bed, kissing them and tucking them in before joining my mate in our bed, sliding inside her and bringing us both the pleasure and connection we’re craving before falling into a deep sleep wrapped around my mate.