The Alpha's Progeny [The Alpha's #3]

15 YEARS LATER

MALIK VLADIMIR

Malik soon realised that when his uncle Marcellus said that his mum would be gone for a while, he was just trying to spare the feelings of a scared child. After realising that everyone had gathered for his mum’s funeral, Malik’s whole world had changed. From that moment on, he was no longer the happy, curious child that he used to be. He wasn’t quite cynical but he no longer viewed life through the rose-tinted glasses.

“Alpha?”

“Yes,” Malik blinked in surprise as he turned to face the designated driver for this trip – one of the warriors.

“We’ve arrived at the Lupum Griseo pack,” Simon, the warrior, informed his Alpha – or Alpha-to-be – as he continued driving. They were less than five minutes away from the pack house.

“Thank you, Simon,” he replied politely before turning his head to glance out the window.

If he could, he would mind link his aunt Anastasia and uncle Marcellus that he had arrived, not that they would be surprised as he visited every other weekend. Half for pleasure and the other half because Marcellus had taken it upon himself to train Malik to be the best Alpha he could be. After all, he would soon take over as Alpha of the Apo to Chaos pack.

Without a mother and father figure in his life – and no, all the pack members and his uncle, the Beta did not count – Malik viewed Anastasia and Marcellus as his parents.

“Feel free to get something to eat,” Malik called over his shoulder to the two warriors – Simon and Brent – as he rushed out of the car. “I’ll catch you both later.”

Even though Malik visited on a bi-weekly basis, he was always excited about coming over to the Lupum Griseo pack. As strange as it sounded, this place felt like home. He couldn’t quite explain why and meant no disrespect to his own pack, but there were definitely many things that he would personally change once he took over as Alpha. For now, he relied on the Beta Clayton to keep things afloat.

“Where are the Alpha and Luna?” Malik paused to ask some of the pups that were playing out on the grass in front of the pack house.

“In their house,” the bravest child from among the group replied and even then, Malik noted the way the boy was shivering.

“Thank you,” he replied politely before turning around and taking off in the direction of the Alpha and Luna’s house. Even though he was used to the way people from outside the Apo to Chaos pack acted around him, he couldn’t help but feel saddened by the pup’ reaction but alas, he had learnt the hard and long way that there was nothing he could do to change people’s perception of him and his pack. In fact, nine times out of ten, it just made things worse.

Marcellus and Anastasia’s house was a short walk away from the pack house; near enough for them to be there all hours of the day but far enough – not to mention secluded by a tall bunch of trees – to give the growing family some privacy.

“What are you doing, Clyde?” Malik asked curiously as he spied his cousin sat on the front steps of the house.

“Waiting for you,” Clyde replied like the smart ass that he was. At the ripe, teenage age of thirteen, Clyde Storm was a force to be reckoned with. While he looked just like his father and had inherited his father’s short temper and sometimes emotional outbursts, he had a good head on his shoulders like his mother. “Dad said that we couldn’t start training without you.”

“Well, I’m here now.”

“Let me go get him,” Clyde jumped up to his feet, ready to rush into the house like the little powerhouse that he was.

“No, let me,” Malik called out to him. “I want to speak to your mum anyway.”

“Fine!” his cousin huffed dramatically as he dropped himself back down on the doorstep. “But don’t take too long. I’ve already been waiting forever!”

At Clyde’s dramatic antics, Malik chuckled as he let himself into the house. Dropping his rucksack full of clothes and necessities for the weekend in the hallway, he headed toward the office which he knew to be Marcellus’ second bedroom.

“We can’t keep this from him,” Malik heard his uncle murmur in a quiet tone.

“I’m not saying that we should keep this from him,” Anastasia huffed back at her mate. “I’m just saying that let’s not say anything right now. Let him stay and enjoy the weekend. If we tell him now, it’s going to ruin this entire weekend.”

“Malik trusts us to be honest with him,” Marcellus continued to insist but having heard enough to know that the conversation was about him, Malik knocked on the office door before letting himself in.

“What are you two talking about?” Malik asked.

“You’re getting better at masking your scent,” Marcellus commented in an impressed tone.

“I was taught by the best.”

“That you were,” his uncle chuckled.

“Now, what were you talking about?” Malik continued to persist but when neither of them said anything, he knew something was definitely up. “Since when did you start keeping secrets from me?”

“We’re not keeping any secrets,” Anastasia was quick to deny; far too quick.

“You know I can tell when you’re lying, Stassie,” he quirked a brow in her direction, daring her to deny it. Before Malik could pressure his aunt into telling him the truth – because he knew that he would be able to get her to crack – Marcellus was quick to come to his aunt’s rescue.

“And you know that we can’t be late for training,” Marcellus was quick to rush Malik out of the house, effectively saving both him and his mate from spilling whatever they were clearly working very hard to hide from him.

Whatever it was, he was determined to find out. He didn’t like when people kept secrets from him, especially the few that were near and dear to hi.

-

There was something different about tonight but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Usually, he slept best when at the Lupum Griseo pack but tonight, sleep evaded him. He had considered closing his eyes and mimicking sleeping as he usually did when he was having trouble falling asleep but when that didn’t work this time, he crept out of the bed and sat himself on the back porch.

This was his favourite spot in the entire pack; partially because it was private from the rest of the pack members. After all, not many were allowed into the home of the Alpha and Luna. With nothing but green, green and more green, this was the one place where Malik was able to drown out his thoughts and focus on nothing. The one place. It was just unfortunate that his sanctuary wasn’t at his own pack so he needed to wait two weeks before returning and even then, he was busy for most of the day training to be a good Alpha for when he finally took over.

There was only so long that his Beta could run the pack for him.

“What are you doing out here?” a familiar voice sounded out from behind him. Malik turned his head to spy his aunt leaning against the wall, a hand resting on the top of her protruding stomach.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Anastasia shot back at him before moving to take a seat on the garden furniture that decorated the porch. When she visibly struggled to sit down, he reached out to help her, only letting go once she was comfortably leaned back in the chair.

“You’re so big.”

“That’s probably not the best thing to say to ap pregnant woman,” Anastasia laughed, mirth swimming in her eyes.

“Sorry,” he apologised, a sheepish look on his face. “How far along are you?”

“Thirty-one weeks,” her lips curled up into a small smile as she gazed down at her stomach. “Not long left until you get to meet your little cousin.”

“If she’s anything like the first, Mars and you will have your hands full,” Malik threw his head back and laughed at all the mischief Clyde had gotten up to when he was younger. Much to his parent’s relief, he had calmed down now that he was a little older but like to test them by relapsing back into mischief every now and again. To say that Malik liked to sit back and watch the drama unfold in front of him would be an understatement.

“At least I’ll have you to come down and help me every fortnight,” she sent him a pointed look, her lips twitching at the corners.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he grinned, meaning each and every word.

“You make such a great big brother, you know?” Anastasia’s face softened as she stared down at Malik, no doubt her mind wondering off to that same spot it had been doing these past fifteen years.

“Correction, I make a great big cousin,” Malik corrected her, his smile dimming just slightly. “I’ll never know what it’s like to be a big brother.”

“I’m so sorry, Malik,” the apology was quick to pass her lips. “I never should have said anything in the first place.”

“No, please don’t apologise,” he shook his head frantically, instantly feeling terrible for what he had insinuated. “I didn’t mean anything by that. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad…I just wonder about my mum sometimes, you know?”

“I know,” Anastasia sighed and nodded her head. “I wonder about your mum all the time, too.”

“You do?”

“I do,” she nodded her head. “I may not have known her for years and years, but in the little time that I did know your mum, we went through a lot of stuff together. She was like the sister that I never had and honestly, I wish I could have done more for her.”

“What do you mean you wish you could have done more for her?” Malik’s eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, even more so when Anastasia visibly froze at his question. “You mean you could have been there for her the day she committed suicide?”

“Yes,” she gulped. “I wish I was there to change her mind; to talk her out of it.”

“I wish I was there, too,” Malik sighed, his eyes fluttering closed as he leaned forward to rest his head on her knee. “Maybe mum would still be here today if I was there that day.”

“Maybe but we can’t think like that,” Anastasia murmured, gently running her fingers through his hair as he briefly remembered his mum to do for him at times. “The last thing your mum would want is for either of us to blame ourselves for what happened to her. It’s very unfortunate, yes, and I wish I could go back in time to change things but unfortunately, that’s just not how things work.”

“I feel like I’m forgetting what she sounds like…how she was,” Malik admitted in a small voice, having to strain his ears to hear himself.

“I feel like that sometimes as well,” Anastasia admitted aloud. “When I do, I just close my eyes and remember everything I can about her. Her favourite food, the way her face used to scrunch up when she ate or smelt something she didn’t like but you know what’s my favourite thing about your mum?”

He shook his head, eager for every little bit he could learn about his mum.

“How much she loved you,” she laughed, her hand travelling down to playfully pat his cheek. “I love Clyde and this little baby but the way your mum loved you, I’ve never seen such a love before.”

“I was her special little man,” Malik joked in hopes of lightening the situation. He wasn’t prepared for how moved this conversation would make him and if he didn’t joke now, then he was sure that he would burst into tears.

“You still are,” Anastasia promised him, a determined glint in her eyes.

“What were you and Mars talking about earlier?” Malik asked, far too curious as to what his aunt and uncle were working hard to keep him from. After training, Mars had sent Clyde and Malik off to patrol the borders and when he got back from that, they had dinner in the packhouse. After that, Anastasia was busy with some work in the office and he couldn’t find Marcellus anywhere. There were two days left to the weekend so he could only imagine what else these two could get up to keep him too busy to ask questions.

“Nothing.”

“It sounded like you were talking about me,” he quirked a disbelieving brow in her direction.

“We were talking about Clyde,” she told him through he was far from convinced. “He’s been getting into some trouble at school lately and we’re just trying to figure out how to get through that.”

“Didn’t sound like you were talking about Clyde.”

“You probably only caught the last bit of that conversation.”

“Maybe.”

“Well, I only came down for a midnight snack so I’m going to head back up to bed,” Anastasia moved to get up, her lips twisting up into a grateful smile when he stood up to help her. “Don’t stay out too late, okay? You’re going to need plenty of sleep for all the Alpha training Mars has planned for you and Clyde in the morning.”

“I won’t,” he murmured in a small voice, turning his head to watch as she headed back into the house. As much as he loved his aunt, he knew when she was lying and now, this was twice that she had lied to him. As she had never lied to him before, he couldn’t help but think that this had to be something serious.

What could Anastasia and Marcellus be keeping from him?

-

Please remember to like, comment, REVIEW and follow me if you haven’t already! Also, support me on PATREON to read the COMPLETED book and get EARLY ACCESS to all my other books, including the third and last book in the trilogy!

PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/LaylaKnight

Layla Knight

01.08.2021