Chapter two

Amber's pov

Working for Alpha Drake wasn’t that bad, he allowed me to start late so I could have breakfast with Elias and leave early so we could have dinner together. I only stayed longer when he had guests. I had most weekends off and I could take leftovers home.

Saturday mornings I trained with some other working moms, Elias often joined me and sparred with some of their kids. He was strong and could fend off kids twice his age, but I’d rather he stay a kid a bit longer.

Brian was usually sleeping off a bender in the mornings, but would join us for lunch most of the time. He wasn’t a great father, he was often gone for days at a time or he would smell of women and alcohol. But when he was sober and had a good day he would play ball with Elias or help me in the garden. I knew he tried and I saw how much Elias loved him.

Every so often I would see Brian stare at his own reflection and look at the mark Susan has left. It was one of the only things he had left of her, the mark and the necklace he bought Susan for their first date.

Brian and I decided not to mark each other, we aren’t in love and this way he could keep his old mark. If anyone asked we would tell them about his mate. Lying about Elias dad was easier when I didn’t have to lie about everything else. We told everyone that we met after his mate died and then we fell in love and I got pregnant with Elias. 

I loved working in the garden with my hands, feeling the earth and seeing the flowers and vegetables grow. I even brought some to the packhouse sometimes and everyone loved them. The packhouse was next to Alpha’s house, we often had dinners at the packhouse and when Brian and I first got to the Crimson Moon pack we even lived at the packhouse. The packhouse was a safe haven for anyone that needed it.

 I started working for Alpha Drake after Elias turned one years old and we got our own house with a small garden. Brian worked as a handy man in the pack, this way it wasn’t very noticeable if he slept in or was gone a night or two. He wasn’t cut out for a nine to five job.

My neighbor Casandra and her mate Thomas helped me babysit Elias whenever I needed help, honestly she was like a substitute mom. She always checked if we were okay and had enough to eat, she would buy presents for Elias and gave the best hugs in the world. She didn’t care for Brian though, but I couldn’t tell her how he saved me when I was pregnant.

She had three kids grown kids herself and was the proud grandma of five grandpups. She loved having kids around her, it was one of the best qualities of Cansandra, one I never saw in my parents growing up.

She helped me set up the garden and showed me how to care for plants. Cassandra taught me so much about gardening and now I have one of the nicest gardens in the pack. Elias loved to help me too, sometimes secretly stealing a tomato or some strawberries while I have my back turned. He had become quite the little gardener himself. 

It was another random Saturday when I brought some extra cucumbers, tomatoes and carrots to the packhouse and  some flowers to put in a vase. Suddenly I overhead some pack members talking.

"Did you hear there’s an Alpha visiting soon?" asked Lois.

Alex replied: "I heard he’s looking for his mate and he’s staying until the next full moon to find her."

"Who’s visiting?" I asked them out curiosity.

Both Alex and Lois couldn’t say, only that Alpha Drake couldn’t refuse, the visit would be next weekend and that he needed all staff available. I guess I would have to work overtime this week.

Luckily had Casandra been asking me for Elias to have a sleepover with one of her grandkids next weekend so the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

At Monday the staff got the announcement, this weekend the Alpha of a rivalry pack would visit and he would stay until the full moon. The full moon would be in two weeks time. He would stay in the packhouse, because he would be bringing his Beta and some pack members. Honestly Alpha Drake had a big enough Mansion to accommodate them, but I think he wanted to keep them out if his house as much as possible. I wondered why, most visitors would stay in the guest suite at his house.

Suddenly my train of thought was interrupted when Alpha Drake entered the room. He looked at me and sighed before asking me to join him in his office. 

We went upstairs and Alpha Drake closed the door.

"Amber, the reason I called you here is because of the Alpha that will be staying here for a few weeks."

I looked at him with a puzzled look. He never talked to me in private about any of the guests.

Alpha Drake continued, "I am sorry Amber. The Alpha who’s visiting this weekend is Axel.".