True mates Book Two of Ozark Wolves

Malcolm lay in his hospital bed. Handcuffed to the bed which he found ironic. He was barely able to hold his head up much less chance an escape. His crusade was over. He had failed his family. All the facilities had been raided by the word of Alexandria Olander. He had been captured giving himself a treatment of the medication he had come up with to stave off the effects of the cancer eating him alive from the inside out.

He saw his daughter as she was leading a class of kindergarten children out of the facility to a school bus. She looked different. Her hair was longer and she was rounder. She turned to the side. She was pregnant. Three years he had thought her dead. Three years he had thought that his line was dead. But she had not only survived but had in fact reproduced.

He laughed in his bed. His laugh turned to a heavy cough. He tasted blood on his lips. It won't be much longer now. A week perhaps less and he will perish from this earth. His hospital room door opened. "I really do not think this is a good idea." A male voice was saying.

"I have taken that into consideration from all three of you but he is my blood and I would like to see him one last time before we go back to Missouri." Alexandria's voice rang clear and sweet. She had changed. Malcolm could hear it in her voice.

She stepped within his view. She said nothing. Did not smile. Just looked at him. A huge male paw was on her shoulder. Then another and then her hand was taken. The three mates stood protectively behind her. Their collective glower over her head made it clear they did not make much of the small man in the hospital bed.

"So you figured it out?" Malcolm asked when she still did not speak. She gave a short nod. Her hand over her protruding belly. "And that?"

"They are all wolf." William said over her head his eyes blazing with hate. "Half-breeds have stronger wolves than even normal wolf females. The game is lost for you."

"Triplets, like their fathers." Rick said proudly. Quincy nodded.

"But who is the father?" Malcolm asked curiously trying to understand the way these creatures worked.

"All three of them. One life for each." Alexandria finally replied. "I was hoping for one at a time but Mother said I would probably have three as she did." She looked the sick man over. Why had she tried to be something to him? To prove herself worthy to him. He did not understand anything but his own hatred. His own ignorance of a beautiful culture and way of life. "I wanted to tell you goodbye. I will not see you again. There will be no trial for the crimes you have committed. You will not live long enough. All treatment of your cancer is stopped. You will die here. Alone and unknown."

"Your revenge?" Malcolm asked.

She shook her head. "My gift. To keep you alive to stand trial would be hell for you. Prison is not kind to men who rape, murder, or sell out their own children. Yes I found the files you kept in your safe. My birthday was the code though since you never showed me love. Never cared what happened to me I was rather sickened by that." Alexandria replied.

"I am sorry I did that. I should never have done that." Malcolm pleaded like the dying man he was. Hoping that would buy him a little time.

She shook her head again. "I accept nothing from you. I am done. I have taken responsibility for the lives you have destroyed. For the lives that would have been destroyed." She smiled then. "I will make it my life's work to undo everything you spent your lifetime doing."

She turned to William and nodded to the door. She was ready for the ride home. They would have to drive since she was too pregnant to fly. "Your sister, Alexis?"

"Dead. I killed her when she attacked me. Three years ago when she betrayed my mates and my pack." Alexandria replied not turning to look at him. "My last words to her were if she had just found love and comfort and acceptance in the life she had been given instead of thinking so much of you then perhaps things would have been different."

"She was loyal to me and you killed her?" Malcolm asked astonished.

"Yes." Alexandria replied with a pain in her chest for the loss. She never had a day when she wondered if she could have reached Alexis. When she could have saved her sister from her fate.

"Then leave me to mine." Malcolm replied harshly. Alexandria nodded and left. The three males behind her.

"You never asked him why." Rick pointed out. "Why do it in the first place."

"I have read everything in his offices. An old journal some three hundred years old gives the tale. Your pack and his village have a history. His family is why your people emigrated." She sighed. "That family has had a vendetta against your pack from two hundred years." She looked up at the three males behind her. The three mates she loved. "Destroying your pack was supposed to cause the rest of the packs here in the US to implode since you are one of the biggest and most influential of the packs."

"I think I am understanding." Rick replied. William and Quincy nodded.

"Take me home. I am tired and these three are kicking the shit out of my spleen, kidney and bladder." Alexandria smiled. "Thank you for indulging me. I needed to say what I needed to say. To have closure." Alexandria kissed each one softly.

On the ride home three hands were on her belly as she lay in the backseat her head on William's lap. The feel of the three within kicking and shoving amazed the fathers. She whimpered when one kicked especially hard on Rick's hand. He smiled and massaged the spot lightly with two fingers. The movement within slowly stopped. The three settling within. As William and Quincy joined him in the little circular motions on her belly.

She sighed. They had figured out a month ago that doing this when little guys were especially active helped to calm them. In turn helped her sleep better. She had no more nightmares. Peaceful nights and exciting days.

She had gotten her GED and her college diploma in early childhood to become a daycare provider to the pack. William had designed and Marcus had built the facility within the residential compound.

After the first year of running the place she had asked her three mates if they were ready to be father's yet. She was ready to be a mother. But did want to push the subject. She got three sets of the same wide eyed expression of fear and exhilaration.

William's business was booming after the nightclub and then a shopping center for the same investors and owner. Rick's clientele hand picked up on his consulting website and Quincy said the pack their own finances were doing wonderfully.

All three nodded in agreement. She had grinned. "Starting now?" She had said and got to her feet and raced to the stairs in their new packhouse. William was the first to catch her of course he had been the closest to the door. Scooped her up and took her to the top floor she had all to herself except when she wanted them to sleep with her. Which was every night. She laughed and threw her arms around his neck as Rick took a foot and started to massage gently and Quincy ran a hand through her hair that was now down to the middle of her back. Soft black with blue highlights.

Within a week she was pregnant. Her first exam after the home test came up positive after several nasty mornings of being sick. Margarette had come over with crackers and water bottles peanut butter and a spoon. "These helped me. I believe they may help you as well." She had said with a grin. "Congratulations. Triplets are so much fun." She side eyed her sons. "And remember if these are males we expect no more."

Alexandria had laughed. At her latest ultrasound they were told that all three were in fact males and all three were healthy. Now it was a matter of making sure Mom was prepared and kept healthy. Plenty of rest. Light stress and foot massages were the doctor's orders.

She was two months from delivery and getting bigger everyday as the little guys grew inside her. That is what the brothers called their unborn offspring. Little guys. She thought is was adorable.

As with their father before them. The nursery was already painted and color coded to meet the children. Everything in accordance to how she wanted. Including a rocking glider chair with ottoman. Though she suspected that William putting the nursery one floor below their rooms had been on purpose. They would have to change and bring the pups up to her if they woke up in the middle of the night.

Late July came sooner than anyone expected and she was miserable. Her back hurt and her body felt like she was being cleaved in two. William was asleep next to her when she rolled from her back to her side and then back fighting to stay asleep. They had just climbed into bed it felt like. She whimpered. He opened his eyes and looked at her. Then the bed became soaked and he was up and throwing his pants on. He called to his brothers and scooped her up off the bed. "Those had better stay in there. We are not baseball players." He joked as he carried her down the stairs calling to his brothers again.

Rick grabbed her go bag and Quincy grabbed the keys. Though they were just two miles William was not going to carry her all the way. Quincy opened the front door and followed as William and Rick proceeded. Anyone watching would think they had practiced this. That is not the case. Each knew what to do as they had discussed it. Whoever was sleeping with her would carry, whoever was closest to the nursery grabbed her go bag, and the last grabbed the keys.

Four hours and an emergency cesarean later. Each father was holding a clean and screaming bundle of waving arms and scrunched faces. Each demanding their mother. Who was getting her tubes tied. She wanted no more of that. Three was enough.

Margarette was there to help with the first nursing and to hold her grandsons. A proud grandmother she was. "Names?" She asked her daughter in law.

"Henry, Lyonus, and Jonathan." Alexandria replied. Smiling tiredly.

"Lovely names. Be sure to leave the bracelets on until you learn cries. It makes things easier than having them get upset when they are laid down in the wrong colored crib." Margarette replied smiling with a light blush on her face. "It happened twice."

Alexandria smiled and nodded. She was exhausted but happy. She had her sons, her mates and a pack that she loved. Nothing could take that away from her.

The End