The Alpha's Niece (Barton Pack Book 1) Read online

  He looked forward to throwing down a blanket and sitting down to give his leg a rest.

  He was glad the day was sunny but also not overly warm. September weather could be unpredictable but today did seem a lovely day.

  By the time they arrived at the shore of Bear Creek, a slow flowing body of water that stretched about five feet from bank to bank, there were thirty people gathered.

  A large blanket held food for everyone to share while individual blankets with picnic baskets were scattered all around. Several men and boys were fishing while women chatted to each other under the shade of the trees. Cyrus sat the picnic basket down and pulled out the blanket. He put out one bottle of cordial along with some bread and meat. The rest of the food he added to the communal pile. If the hunting and fishing were good he would share in the spoils.

  "Is this the new bride you were telling us about?" Thunder asked. He hadn't heard her approaching. She looked frail but in better health than when he'd last seen her, though her wound still was not fully healed.

  "This is Remember," he said.

  "I am Thunder. Mother of the bear clan. This is Citlali and Ahote," she said indicating her daughters. Remember gave them a curtsy and they curtsied back.

  "Would you like to join us?" Remember asked.

  "Citlali and I cannot. There is much to do as clan mother," Thunder said.

  "I will," Ahote said. She was carrying a buckskin bag and she sat it down next to their wicker basket.

  "I haven't met a werebear before," Remember confessed.

  "We are not so different from wolves," Ahote said. Cyrus would disagree but he didn't say so. He had become close to the bear clan after becoming a physician. He had a deep respect for them and them for him.

  "Is your father the alpha?" Remember asked.

  "My mother is the clan leader," Ahote said.

  "They follow the female line," Cyrus clarified. He took a slice of bread and put a slab of meat on it. He offered the bread and meat to Ahote but she dismissed it with a wave of her hand.

  "I can see there might be advantages to having a woman leader," Remember said.

  "A she-bear is much fiercer than a male is. Especially if her cubs are threatened," Ahote said.

  "I can believe that," Remember said. He noticed her hand gently caressing her belly. It amazed him that she could care for the baby within her so much when it had been conceived in such a terrible way. She was going to be a wonderful mother.

  "Do you hope for a boy or girl?" Ahote asked.

  "I think it is a boy," Remember said.

  "If you believe it is then it will be. I knew my oldest was a boy and my youngest a girl. My middle didn't seem to decide until he was born," Ahote said.

  "Are they here?" Remember asked looking towards the dark-skinned cluster of men and children by the water.

  "My daughter is there," Ahote gestured towards a group of children ankle deep in the water. "She is the girl with the purple ribbon in her hair. Hania, my middle boy, is likely somewhere curled under a tree with a book. He dreams of big adventures far away from this place. My oldest boy has married and left our clan. His wife's people are in California. I doubt I will see him again until my mother joins her ancestors. Even then, who knows if he will come. His clan and his people are there now," Ahote said, "though he will forever remain in my heart."

  "Mama," the girl in the water called.

  "I hope you enjoy the picnic," Ahote said pushing herself to her feet. She gave them a smile before heading towards the child who was now wildly waving her hands to gain her mother's attention.

  A few moments later Abigail, Rachel, and Sally appeared. A line of children were in tow behind them.

  "Can we borrow her?" Sally asked him.

  "Of course," Cyrus said.

  Rachel reached out a hand to help Remember off of the blanket.

  He gave her an encouraging smile as her aunt took her arm and led her off into a cluster of she-wolves.

  Cyrus sighed and leaned back contentedly on the blanket. He had come so close to losing all of the camaraderie of life with his pack. Every day he spent with the wolves was one he was grateful for though he didn't get to enjoy this moment for long before a shadow fell over him.

  "I see you are having deep thoughts again instead of enjoying yourself," Malachi said sitting down at his side. Malachi was older. He was almost the age that Cyrus's father would have been if he was still alive. Malachi and his father had been friends back when his father was the town doctor and Cyrus merely a child. It had been his father who had delivered the news that Bart, Malachi's only child, would die young from a heart condition.

  "Enjoying the beauty of the day," Cyrus said.

  "No harm in that," Malachi said.

  "Is Bart fishing?" Cyrus asked looking towards the water.

  "He will be. At the moment, he is following his wife around as if he was a dog instead of a wolf. I can't say I blame him. Lydia is really something. It had to be providence that brought her to my boy. I couldn't imagine a better wife for him," Malachi said. "After we were told about his heart, I didn't think he would ever marry."

  "A reasonable conclusion," Cyrus agreed. He had given up hope of a woman falling in love with him the day the cannon had taken his leg.

  "Life has a way of blessing us, despite our flaws," Malachi said. Cyrus let his eyes search for his wife. She was standing with her kin. Her hand was over her mouth as she laughed at something one of them had said.

  "Yes, it does," he agreed.

  "Your wife is beautiful," Malachi said.

  "She is," Cyrus agreed feeling a stirring of desire. He quelled it immediately.

  Remember might be his wife in name, but that was all that their marriage was. It was all it could ever be. She was too terrified. Too damaged. He wouldn't do anything to harm her further.

  Besides, Malachi had the right of it. His wife was a beautiful woman. She was far too beautiful to find herself beneath a three-legged wolf.

  He winced. Most days he put his missing leg out of his mind. He was a doctor and an asset to his pack even if he was a bit slow and unsteady on three paws at times.

  If he had been a whole man...

  He knew the thought was pointless. If he had been a whole man Isaac would never have asked him to marry his niece.

  "And that pup inside of her is a blessing as well," Malachi said. "You won't know how much until the moment you hold your pup in your arms for the first time. It changes you forever."

  Cyrus nodded.

  "And it will change her too," Malachi said giving him a pat on the shoulder before standing up and heading towards his son and daughter-in-law.

  ***

  Remember was glad that there were only a few people gathered and everyone was spread out. She'd worried during their walk that she would have a fit of panic again but she hadn't even had to push it down. She was surprised how much fun she'd been having when Cyrus brought over two goose carcasses and a string of fish. He shoved the geese in the picnic basket and put the fish over his shoulder. She stood up and looked at the water. The crowd was dispersing. A look at the sky told her the day was well advanced.

  She stood up and folded the blanket. There was just enough room for it in the basket as well. The cordials, bread, and meat had all been consumed.

  "Did you have a nice time?" Cyrus asked as they stepped onto Main Street.

  "I did. It was nice to meet so many new people," Remember said. It had been lovely to meet the werebears and also to spend time with her family and members of their pack.

  "I hope you didn't tire yourself too much," he said.

  "I don't think so," she said. She knew she would sleep well that night but she didn't feel exhausted.

  She took another step and gasped. There was a strange feeling in her belly. It was as if there was a snake slithering around inside of her.

  "What is it?" Cyrus asked dropping the basket as she placed her hand on her belly.

  "I think he moved," Remember said.
She closed her eyes willing the child within her to move again. Until that moment she had known distantly that he was there but she hadn't ever felt him before. Now, he was making sure he alerted her to his presence.

  "Is he moving now?" Cyrus asked.

  "No," Remember said.

  "Where did you feel it?" Cyrus asked as if her hand wasn't covering the exact spot. She wasn't sure if he was worried that something was wrong and she was mistaking it for her son's movement or if he merely was as fascinated as she was that her baby was becoming more tangible.

  "Right here," she said. She reached her hand out and brought his to where the movement had been. To her surprise she felt it again. It was such a strange sensation. She had expected the force of a kick as other women had described it but there wasn't force. It just seemed as if her son was swimming around like a tadpole in a pond.

  "That's amazing," Cyrus said. She looked up at him. He was looking down at his hand. As a doctor, she hadn't expected him to think a baby moving inside his mother was as amazing as she did.

  "It is amazing," she agreed.

  Chapter 11

  Remember was surprised how fast the pup inside of her was growing. Once she had felt his movement it was as if he was always rolling and playing inside of her. He was squirming around vigorously as they made their way to her uncle's house.

  He had invited the pack over to enjoy All Hallows Eve together. It seemed all the supes in Barton had plans for the holiday.

  Cyrus had mentioned the bears' plans for a midnight swim in Bear Creek.

  The witches’ coven was going into the forest where the wolves usually took sanctuary during the moon. The coven had magic to do which required being skyclad; naked, as Martha had explained, and the forest was a safe place that those who were not supes would avoid during the holiday.

  The fact that the holiday drew Martha away to her coven for festivities made Remember slightly nervous. If anything went wrong with her baby she knew that Cyrus had the skill to handle it, but she still didn't think that she could avoid a full panic if she had to let him touch her more intimate places. She pushed the thoughts out of her mind. There was still many months before her pup was due to be born and he was making sure she knew how robust and healthy he was as he romped in her womb.

  "How are you, my darling?" her uncle asked taking her hands gently in his as he answered the door.

  "Very well," she said. She was glad that she truly meant it. She had come to Iowa to escape but it was starting to feel like home.

  "I'm glad. I will be sure to tell your mother you are well," he said, releasing her hands and allowing her to step into the house. Cyrus and Tabitha entered behind her.

  "I have letters for her," Remember said pulling them out of her handbag. He took them and smiled.

  "I'll see to these. You enjoy yourself tonight," he said.

  "I will," she said. Crowds of people made her uneasy still but everyone in the house was a member of her pack and something about that connection helped put her at ease.

  They walked into the dining room where her aunt was standing at the head of a table covered in baked goods, fruits, and nuts.

  "You make sure to eat your fill. That baby needs to grow. No worrying about your figure," her aunt said.

  "You need not worry about that," Tabitha said with a smile at Remember's belly. In truth, she hadn't thought about her figure. She had never been a vain woman but after what had happened to her she just hadn't given much thought to her looks. She glanced at Cyrus. Did he think she was pretty? She hadn't wondered it before. He saw her covered in flour or with hands stained from berry juice. He saw her in her Sunday best and in her nightgown. She never thought of dressing to please him. She wasn't even sure what would please him.

  He gave her a smile and handed her a plate. She didn't hesitate to fill it with fruits and nuts but she did decide to grab the smallest piece of cake.

  Tabitha and her aunt began to talk and when Cyrus had filled his plate, and led them out into the yard, his mother didn't join them.

  Out in the yard, logs had been rolled out as seats and Remember sat down with slightly more difficulty and less grace than she had expected.

  The yard, unlike the house, was bustling. A large string had been tied on one end to the far side of a tree branch and the other to a long stick. An apple had been stuck in one side of the stick and a thick candle with a lit wick on the other side. She watched in horror as the stick was twirled and several boys tried to catch the apple in their mouth while avoiding the lit candle.

  "It is a good thing they are werewolf and will heal if they miss," Cyrus said nodding towards their dangerous game.

  "I don't understand playing something like that," Remember said.

  "They want to show off their skills and cunning to one another. Most boys play dangerous games from time to time," Cyrus said though his face held no hint of a smile. She was sure her father hadn't allowed such mischief from the young boys in his pack but she didn't say so. Instead, her eyes looked around the yard and fell on a large tub that had been filled with water and apples.

  Watching the young boys in the pack bob for apples was something she had done as a young woman. They splashed and laughed as two or three would try at a time to get an apple in their mouth.

  Not far from where they were sitting was a large pile of wood. She was sure it would be turned into a bonfire as soon as dusk fully settled in.

  "Do you enjoy the festivities?" Remember asked as she watched the boys playing. Cyrus was too old to join them, of course, but she wondered if he had played such games as a boy. She tried to imagine her own boy fighting for his place at the tub and trying to catch one of the evasive apples. She almost laughed at the image.

  "I did," he said with a sigh. She turned to face him.

  "Not any more?" she asked. His leg might have prevented him from some of the games but surely that couldn't be enough to make the holiday grim for him.

  "This is a time to remember the dead. As a soldier there are many men I try to remember on this day. Add that to my work as a doctor and..." he gave a shrug.

  She hadn't really thought about any of it. Cyrus was older than her but not by that much. She had lost grandparents and a baby sibling but the day had never held much grief for her. On impulse, she reached out and put her hand over his.

  "I'm sorry for all the loss you have seen," she whispered. It was easy for her to be caught up in her own pain. She often forgot all that Cyrus had been through. She was glad time seemed to heal much of his pain. It gave her hope that one day soon her own pain would only be an ache. She needed to believe that someday, she would be able to live a normal life. She needed to believe one day she would be able to love her husband as a wife should.

  "I'm poor company today. Forgive me. I should stay here and make sure that my skills don't become needed. Perhaps you should see what the other women are doing," Cyrus said. Remember nodded. She didn't really want to leave him but she sensed that he wanted some space. Perhaps he was already mourning his dead. She respected his need to be alone with his grief.

  She'd finished her plate by then as had he. She took his plate from him and carried it into the house.

  There was a cluster of women standing around the dining room but most were closer to her aunt's age than hers. She stayed for several moments, trying to find a conversation to join. Finding none, she wandered into the parlor where a group of young women were playing games.

  They were games she recognized and had even played before.

  Four girls were sitting in a circle around three bowls. One had water, one had a mixture of milk and water, and the final bowl was empty.

  A dark-haired girl she only vaguely knew was blindfolded and being spun around by another girl.

  "That's enough. Don't make her sick," one of the girls said. The spinner stopped the spinning girl and led her forward to the bowls. The girl who had been spinning her helped her to kneel down on the floor before the bowls. Remember knew from her ow
n experience with the game that the bowls had been rearranged from the last girl's turn once the current contestant was blindfolded.

  The girl reached out her hand and felt for one of the bowls. She squealed when her hand hit liquid inside of it.

  With her other hand she pulled back the blindfold and looked down into the contents of the bowl. It was the mixture of water and milk.

  "Looks like you are going to marry a widower. Hope he doesn't have too many kids for you to take care of," one of the girls said.

  "I'm sure his wife will have died young," the dark-haired girl declared.

  "Or maybe your husband will be very old," another girl teased.

  "Maybe, lets let you try and see if you will marry at all or if you will grow into a lonely old maid," the dark-haired girl said tossing the blindfold to the girl who had teased her.

  Remember tried to think what her outcome had been when she'd played such silly parlor games but it was so long ago she couldn't remember. She hadn't worried much about it all. She was the daughter of the alpha. She knew when she was ready to marry her father would find her a good alpha or heir to an alpha. He would have no children or at least no sons so that her son would be in line for the alpha position when he was grown.

  She put a hand on her belly. Things hadn't worked out as she'd thought they would. Her son might be an alpha by birthright but her marriage had made him the son of a simple country doctor. She wondered if her son would ever understand what he had lost and if he would hate her for it.

  She didn't plan to tell her son about his true parentage but any wolf child would wonder why his mother, who was the daughter of an alpha, had married beneath her station.

  "I'm sure that is a gavel," she heard a high girly voice screech. She turned to see another group of girls across the room.

  "Looks more like a plow to me," another girl said.