Two Alphas, One Mate

Diana

My limps tingled from the adrenaline now coursing through my body. My heart raced, my eyes widened, my breathing turned rampant, and my body froze.

He was kneeling down where his gravestone was. He looked like an entirely different person. A rough stubble covered his face, his hair was longer, and tied in a low bun. His clothes resembled a traveling vagrant; loose, with large tactical pockets, an army jacket and black biking boots.

He looked rough but his heart was still beating strong.

I was speechless.

He stood up and watched me, eyes trailing me up and down. “Your looking good.”

His voice caused me to tremble more, almost like I was caught up in a snowstorm.

He took a step towards me, his hands were holding steady in the air to show he wasn’t a threat, but honestly, I didn’t know what to think of him anymore.

“You died…I killed you.” My throat was tightening up, and tears began to fill my eyes. I had no words for him, I couldn’t believe it. I let him go, I forgave him, and now here he was again, staring at his own gravesite.

“Well, yes you did, but I deserved it,” He looked back down at his grave and smiled, “You saved me though…”

“How – how ?” I stuttered.

“How am I alive?” He smirked and took another step closer to me.

I watched his feet closely, unsure of my next move. I took a step back in response and he immediately put his hands up again.

“I’m not here for you Diana.”

“No…” I knew this side of Holden, was he here for them?

“I am not here to take anything from you… Please.” He kept his hands up as he took another step forward.

“You died… We left you there… You were surrounded...”

“Did you see me die?”

I was speechless and continued staring at him like a ghost.

“I came here to say goodbye, please that’s all I’m here for.”

I narrowed my eyes on him as he stood silently waiting for my response. I wasn’t scared, I was more in shock then anything else. I had the power and strength to stop him now, and I knew that deep down in the pit of my stomach. When I brought Damian and Holden back to life, I grew not only in power, but also in strength.

The first time I realized that was when I stumbled on a few rogues on my daily run. I killed them all without batting an eye, and the most concerning part about it was that I enjoyed it. I ended up hiding the bodies before anyone could question how I took down at least seven rogues without a scratch on me. I was in denial about it and came clean to Damian. Sometimes I was beginning to think he was in denial too…

I clenched my fists together and braced myself for his response, “And?..”

“I just wanted to see them before I left…. Please…”

I breathed in heavily and looked to the empty treeline where Damian just ran off through, “How can I trust you?”

“I think you already do. Why didn’t you mind link Damian? He would have been here by now.”

“You don’t know anything about me Holden, you never did.”

“I understand if you don’t want me to come, but what sort of father would I be if I didn’t try to meet my only son?”

I wiped the fresh tears falling down my cheeks, “How did you know it was a boy?”

“I may be nothing now, but I still have Alpha blood running through my veins.”

He had a point, but it didn’t make it right.

I was torn inside.

How could I not allow him to meet his child? I knew deep down he was sincere, but at the same time the haunting memories of his betrayals kept me on my toes.

The connections I had to living things, it was as if I could almost see their thoughts without touching them. This power was growing, and now I was watching Holden in my mind as I looked through his eyes, tearing up in a rainy night, in an alleyway, bleeding out, crawling to safety from the Crimson warriors that he just fought off.

Was this the night he escaped the hospital?

…“Diana… Diana…I’m sorry….” He gasped for air as he continued crawling through the muddy alleyway beside the hospital.

Rain was falling on his blooded face, but there was determination in his eyes. Bullet wounds littered his body, but his limbs moved like there was nothing holding him back.

“I’m going to kill them all…If it’s the last thing I do…” He howled in the night sky as rain soaked through his bloodied skin, then, just as he was about to lose consciousness, he started to shift into his wolf…

I shook my head to recompose my self.

“You ok?” Holden reached out for my arm in concern, but instead I started walking up the grassy incline towards the house.

“Come,” I blankly replied.

“Wait up,” He quickly caught up, walking closely behind me.

It was an awkward and silent walk that went on for ten minutes. Fenrir warriors passing by turned their heads like they were watching a ghost, but as soon as they met my sight, they looked to the floor in submission.

As we approached the front door, I looked back to Holden who was fidgeting his hands, “Nervous?”

He looked down to his trembling hands and placed them in his pockets, “Oh, no, its just…”

I placed my hand on his forearm and we locked eyes, “I was nervous the first time too, don’t worry.”

“Thanks…” He nodded his head and took a deep breath in.

I could relate to how he felt. That’s how Damian and I were the day we met our babies, but it was a different type of nervous. It wasn’t like public speaking, there was a hidden excitement, a building momentum that was overflowing with emotions up until we cradled them in our arms.

Once we got to the second floor, Holden stopped and stared into a photo hanging on the wall. It was a picture of his mother, Alpha Zeus and Damian.

His face dropped as he stared into it for a moment, but I soon called out to him. “Over this way.”

“Oh…” He came back to reality and continued following me down the hallway.

I lightly pushed the nursery door open, hoping the screeching wooden door wouldn’t wake them up. When I caught a glimpse of both cribs, I realized they were still in a deep sleep, so I tiptoed inside.

Holden stood at the doorway, watching me closely as I neared the crib. I nodded for him to come forward.

I had the nursery decorated like an enchanted forest. Call it cliché, being werewolf and all, but it was what I envisioned for my children ever since I found out I was pregnant.

The room was dimmed from the blackout curtains, but you could still make out the chestnut brown tree murals that I had Etta paint on the wall. The dressers and change table also had intricately painted leaves and woodland creatures.

Stuffed animals littered the white built-in bookshelves that Damian and Eric built a few days before the babies were born. It was so stressful when I was due, and I almost dismissed the idea of rushing to get the nursery done, but Damian was insistent. I was having flash backs of the two of them bickering over the construction, but in the end they turned out perfect.

Hippolyta’s blankets that she worked day and night over were hanging over each crib, one baby blue, and one dusty rose.

In the corner of the room was the wooden rocker Adam and Loki bought for us. And lastly, the pictures Etta had developed, scattered on the wall, of me, Damian, and our two beautiful babies.

I could hear his deep breathing from where I was standing.

“Is this….?” Holden peeked over my shoulder from above.

I reached in and pulled him out into my arms. “Yes,” I smiled as I lightly placed a fingertip on his button nose. “His name is Troy.”

I turned back to Holden, and his once watered eyes were now an explosive dam, pouring down his cheeks like a landslide. He wiped the tears from his cheek. “Oh my god, he’s beautiful..”

“He has your eyes.” Listening to him breathing softly in his sleep was so satisfying, I could stare at him all day. He had a strong heart, a big appetite, rosy cheeks, and soft hazelnut hair. I was worried at one point for the lack of crying, but the doctor was insistent that he was fine.

I remembered the first time I held Troy. I was so scared to hold him in fear I was going to hurt him, but once I had him in my arms, everything came naturally to me. That was the beautiful thing about being a mother. You didn’t need a manual or instruction guide, you used pure instinct, and yes, there was a lot to learn, but overtime, everything becomes so natural.

It all felt like distant memories now because the babies were growing so fast. I thought I would carry them a little longer inside me, but of course they came early.

Troy was swaddled up in a white blanket covered in blue stars. I cradled him in my arms for a moment, rocking him gently as he stirred in his sleep.

“May I?” Holden put up his hands hesitantly as he kept his watering eyes on Troy.

It took a moment for me to decide, but we were already here, how could I deny him this.

I lightly pecked Troy on the forehead before handing him over to Holden’s hands. It was so strange to see Holden like this, but even though his exterior was rough, his mind was set straight. He had this determination in his eyes that I could see through. He was changed, but in ways even I couldn’t understand.

When I held Troy midair, for the first time in my life, I saw fear in Holden’s eyes. He was hesitant, but after glancing up at me, I gave him an encouraging nod.

When he finally cradled him in his arms I began to tear up.

“Troy.” He whispered softly and kissed his forehead. “I love you buddy, listen to your mom ok? Don’t be like me…”

There was so much emotion in Holden’s face that I couldn’t comprehend what I was witnessing.

He stepped towards the other crib and looked down. “A girl?”

“Hunter.” I smiled and leaned towards his crib. She was fast asleep as Troy was and swaddled in a cream-coloured blanket. She was slightly smaller than Troy, because technically she was the younger sister.

Holden’s face lit up as watched Hunter sleep, “She’s so cute.”

I nodded my head and continued looking over at him, “She almost died when I gave birth, but she’s a fighter. The doctors were shocked she survived.”

“She’s just like you then.” Tears continued flowing down his face as he spoke, “They’re both…” He sighed heavily, “Beautiful.”

“No matter who they become, we will love them unconditionally.”

“Look…Diana, that night at the hospital, I didn’t have the chance to tell you…”

“Damian told me,” I wiped a rogue tear falling down my face.

He placed his free hand on the side of my arm, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t there, I’m sorry I was a bastard. I treated you like nothing, and it will always haunt me.. Your family, the babies, Damian…” He looked over at the large shadow hovering nearby.

"Damian..."