And people embraced it and changed with it, walking out of cities filled with bloody reminders to start new villages that evolved into new homes. Governments were set up, like what we used to have in the old days before the fall of technology. Police were granted the power to protect and keep lawful order. But their hierarchy of wolves added another dimension and gave the vulnerable a layer of protection.
Omega became a sacred word, protected and cherished like they’d been before those dark times. Alphas, omegas, and betas live in harmony now. We remember the past, but we don’t dwell on it.
The great Resistance leader, Bear, led the world into adopting a policy of community, where differences are celebrated, and uniqueness is viewed as a vital part of our prosperity.
In this world, your designation is unimportant; it’s the strength of your deeds and actions that shape how you’re viewed. Alpha Bear brought peace after he won the war, and that peace is still powerfully embracedand defended. I am so glad they chose him, he did a better job than I could have dreamed.
“You two make the most perfect babies,” I say to them and brush my thumb over this brand new beta’s fuzz.
Lucian's smile softens, and he looks up at his alpha, my twin. Walker brushes his white hair back and puts a hand on his omega’s shoulder. I don’t know who he’s more proud of; Lucian or my darling niece.
Their story was instant love. One of those that you rarely see. They met, and by dinner, Lucian was packed and ready to come home with us, a bond mark on his throat.
I will never admit that I knew how much Walker was suffering, but when he met Lucian, it’s like his heart healed. When we came home, he had Lucian in tow, a smile I’d never seen, and a plan for the future that made him happy. I don’t think they’ve spent more than an hour apart since they met.
I would love Lucian for that alone, but he’s charming, good-natured, helpful, happy, and a perfect match for my brother. We met, and he was one of us. Like fate. Or destiny. Or a set of star-crossed lovers finally getting the happy ending they deserve.
My mother bustles in, chortling, and bends over the baby, cooing. “You are just perfect, aren’t you?”
“You’re supposed to coo at me, Mother,” I say dryly, winking at Lucian.
“Eh, you’re all old and dried up!” She teases. She ties up her auburn hair and takes off her jacket, hanging it over a chair.
“I’m twenty-five!” I say in offense.
My mother unrepentantly ignores me and steals my niece from my arms.
My father comes in and smiles. He’s a huge man with a mane of black hair. He’s a bit brusque, but he’s the alpha of our small community. Noone else will challenge him for it, though he keeps trying to pass it off to us. Sometimes, when I look at him, I see him framed by the sun, with a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other. I try not to think of those times.
“So, what have you decided to call her?” I ask, flicking my eyes to my brother.
Walker has always been quiet; he’s got what my mother likes to call an old soul. But I can tell he’s happy. Really, truly happy.
“Mia,” Lucian says.
My head snaps towards him, feeling the blood drain from my face. A feeling of intense fear and then happiness washes over me.
“Her name is Mia. The name speaks to me, like she will be important and loved. I want her to always have a home.”
A flash of an image, a woman stepping in front of me, taking a blow that’s meant to be mine.
I choke up and swallow hard. “It’s…it’s a wonderful name.”
Walker casts me a look that tells me to stop it, warns me to stop it. Ever since he found Lucian, he’s been able to push these dark thoughts away, but I still wake up feeling like something is missing.
I shouldn’t because I am happy, but I wake tangled in my alpha’s arms and legs, crying inconsolably.
“I’m going for a run,” I say to my parents. “I’ll be back in a few days.”
“Don’t go far,” my dad says, looking up into my eyes. “We’ve got a party next week.”
“Pssh,” I say and flip my braid over my shoulder as I walk out with a backward glance. “We’ll be back in time for it.”
As soon as I step outside, I’m ambushed. I shout, scream, and run as four young wolf pups with gangly legs chase after me. They let out wobbly howls and chase me until I fall down in the dirt and let them pounce on me.
They jump all over me, and I wrestle and play with them until their mother recalls them.
“Kaida,” she says with a grin. “Don’t indulge them.”
