Chapter No 1 A beautiful Gift

“Feeling better my mate?” They were running in their wolf form when Jack asked her.

“Yeah much better,” said Ruby. They shifted back into their human form and took a pair of clothes from behind the tree. She got up, but her eyes were still tearful.

“What has happened to you Ruby? Why are you still crying?” Jack asked, looking so concerned.

“I am sorry Jack, because of me you are also bearing this pain,” she said sadly.

“Hey, you are my mate, and there is no pain in living with you,” he said while hugging her softly.

“Jack, I wish we had pups of our own, so these people would not tease me for not having children,” she said while crying slowly.

“Hey, please don’t cry Apollo is getting sad while looking at you like this,” Jack said while moving his fingers in her hair. His wolf name was Apollo and was unable to tolerate her being upset, “I will leave this pack for you, it’s all you who matter to me” he said sadly.

“But you are the beta, how would you?” She asked. “I will do anything to cheer up my mate,” he said while smiling. She smiled in return.

They were now walking towards the woods when they heard the baby crying.

“Did you hear that?” Said Jack.

She took a deep breath.

“Jack? Did you smell that?” She asked, concerned.

“It’s blood,” he said and ran towards the woods.

She followed him. They ran following the odor of blood. They stopped, where they saw a rogue wolf that was about to hurt the newborn baby.

They both shifted into their wolf form and attacked the rogue. He grabbed Jack by his neck but Ruby got him in time by biting off his leg, weakening him. Jack had grabbed him by his neck, thus breaking it. They both shifted back to their human form. Their clothes were torn apart.

“What is this baby doing here?” He asked while holding her in his arms. The baby, who felt safe, giggled.

“Hey little one, you have such a beautiful smile,” said Ruby smiling.

“Jack, why don’t we keep this baby,” she said, smiling.

“You know I can’t resist your smile,” he said while leaning on her.

“It’s a baby girl. What name do you want to give her?” He asked.

“Me?” She asked in surprise, he smiled and nodded.

“Althea,” she said softly. Althea giggled in return. She had a dimple when she laughed.

“From now you are our daughter,” said Jack while kissing her over the cheek.

“Jack, I am so happy today, she is our pup,” she said happily. They walked slowly, holding her in their arms.

This is how her story started, her journey started.

A few Months Later

“Jack, I am going for groceries, I have to buy new clothes and toys for Althea,” said Ruby.

“Take care, I am going for a meeting as Alpha recalled a meeting today,” said Jack while tying his tie.

Ruby walks towards him and kisses him on the cheek. “Be home on time, don’t make me wait” she said, smiling.

He winked at her and she blushed. She lifts Althea up and leaves.

Althea was a very beautiful baby. She had blond hair and hazel eyes. She had dimples when she smiled.

“Hey, look who is that,” said Linda, an omega of the pack.

“It’s Ruby, beta’s mate,” said Quinn, another omega of the pack.

“Do you see that child, I heard they found her in the woods, they adopted her” said Quinn.

“Do you think this child could be the next Beta?” She asked curiously.

“No, I don’t think so, this child is an outsider, Alpha would not announce her to be beta,” said Linda wearing a repulsive expression.

“The child is beautiful,” said Quinn.

Ruby walked ahead ignoring their gossiping. She entered a baby-product shop. She brought stuff for Althea when she heard a baby cry. It was Luna Elena and her son, he was one and a half years old.

“Tyler honey, what happened?” Elena said, exhausted while calming him down.

She was trying to give him toys, but he was being stubborn. Ruby walked towards Luna.

“Hello Luna,” she said while bowing in front of her s courtesy.

“Hello Ruby, no need for royalties here,” she said smiling.

“What happened to our little prince?” She asked while patting Tyler on his head.

“Just being stubborn, you know he is too much stubborn,” she said, exhausted.

“Motherhood is sometimes a strong job,” said Ruby smiling while looking at Althea who was playing with her toy. Tyler was trying to snatch that toy.

“Looks like he wants that,” said Elena. Both women laughed.

“Ruby, Are you free to have a cup of tea with me?” Elena asked.

“Yeah sure, Jack said he would be late for his meeting with Alpha,” Ruby said while rocking Althea.

“Yeah, Peter has conducted a meeting to make peace with a fellow pack,” said Elena and they both left for the coffee shop.

“Alpha Peter is making new strategies,” said Ruby.

“So that’s true you found Althea in the woods,” said Elena while patting Althea.

“Yeah, I and Jack found her in the woods and saved her from a rogue. We felt a bond with her on the first touch as she was a gift from the moon goddess’ so we adopted her,” she said while sipping coffee.

“I am glad for you, you are a mother now Ruby, at least bitches around the pack will not tease you anymore,” she said while smiling.

Tyler was trying hard to snatch the toy from Althea but she always wins.

“Look they are fighting, looks like our kids will not get along, first Alpha and Beta are fighting,” said Elena.

Ruby’s smile faded away.

“Luna, but the pack and Alpha he won’t allow the outsider to be Beta,” said Ruby concerned.

“She is your daughter now and you are betas of the pack for generations, so technically she is an heir,” said Elena while putting her hand on Ruby’s hand.

“Sometimes I get to worry about my Althea, I know she will be treated as an outsider in the pack, as no pack accepts rogues, it’s the law around the world,” said Ruby sadly.

“How would you know she is a rogue?” Asked Elena.

“We don’t know her heritage, but we have doubts,” said Ruby while thinking.

“Don’t worry Ruby, I can tell from the glimpse of hers she would be a strong wolf, strong enough to be beta,” she said while putting her hand on Ruby’s shoulder.

Six years later

Ruby’s POV

Six years, it’s been six years since we were raising our daughter, we have heard people’s gossip, and our daughter did not shift yet. They thought we took a rogue inside the pack. We are waiting for her shift.

If her wolf is stronger, she would be eligible for being the upcoming beta but despite what Luna said I am still unsure if the pack would accept our daughter or not.

Today is her first day at school. As my mate is the pack’s beta, she is going to the same school where royal members of the pack go. Jack loves her more than anything else in this world and she is our entire life. She sometimes becomes depressed because she feels the eyes of people on her. They always stare at her.

Since her eyes turned purple this year, people are ruder towards her. We thought she was Canis Lupus, the most dangerous kind of wolf in the world. But the pack of Canis Lupus was destroyed a long time ago. As the days are passing, Jack and I are more concerned about our daughter.

We never saw her wolf so we can’t say if she is Canis Lupus. She sometimes asks me what Canis Lupus is, but we all are forbidden to say anything about Canis Lupus, as it was a pack’s law from all around the world that no one would talk about it. I asked her where she came to know about this and she told me something very strange. She had a dream where she was in the meadow and a voice said to her the word Canis Lupus. Jack and I had told her not to tell this to anyone. Jack is too protective over her, he does not want anyone to hurt her, but as a beta of the royal family he was unable to leave the pack.

“Daddy look,” she came running towards Jack who was reading a book. He turned towards her “Daddy look now I look like a princess?” She said laughing.

She was wearing a pink frock with cute ponytails on her head.

“You are always my Princess,” Jack said and kissed her forehead.

“Daddy, it’s my first day at school. I am so excited,” she said happily.

“Oh it’s the first day of my bunny princess,” he said while hugging her softly.

“Now I am a big girl so stop calling me that daddy,” she said annoyed.

“Oh my big girl is getting annoying, here comes the tickling monster,” he said while tickling her.

“Ha, Ha, Ha. okay, okay I am not annoyed,” she said laughing. Ruby came from the kitchen.

“Althea, drink this, it’s your favorite strawberry milkshake,” Ruby said while giving her cup.

“Mom it’s such a huge cup my little tummy will not bear it,” she said dramatically.

“Yeah stop doing drama like your father and drink this,” she said while looking at Jack. He felt her sarcasm, she was a bit annoyed with him because he was late last night.

“I am sorry honey I was on duty,” he said while looking into her eyes.

“Daddy, Mom wants to tell you something,” said Althea while taking a sip of her milkshake. Ruby was startled. She really wanted to tell him something but she had not shared it with Althea.

“How do you know pup?” She asked while kneeling in front of her.

“My wolf told me,” she said innocently.

Jack and Ruby's exchange looks, “What, honey, are you sure?” He asked her softly.

“There was a voice inside my mind last night, it said she is my wolf and her name is Lilly, and just now she said mom is hiding something, she wanted to tell this to Daddy and she was saying something about a heartbeat, I don’t know what does that mean,” she said while looking inside Jack’s eyes innocently.

“Heartbeat?” He said startled and he heard a faint heartbeat.

“Ruby? You?” He asked excitedly.

She got up and nodded her head happily, “Yeah I am pregnant” she said smiling with tears in her eyes.

“Mom, what is pregnant?” Asked Althea.

“Ehm, honey, It’s 8:00 am. I don’t think it’s enough time to explain, Daddy is going to take you to school,” she said awkwardly.

“But Mommy, I want to know,” she said stubbornly.

“Daddy’s gonna tell you on the way,” she said mischievously.

“Me?” asked Jack, startled.

“Jack, take her,” she said softly.

He walked exhausted with Althea.

********

She entered the school after hugging a goodbye to Jack. She walked towards the entrance and then to the left, where her class was located.

She sat on the bench in the middle when she saw him for the first time entering the classroom. He had jet-black hair and arrogant expressions. All the girls in the class were following him to sit with them. She started looking at her book.

“Hey, I want to sit here,” she heard him saying. She moved a bit to give him space and then she started reading again.

“Did not you listen I want to sit here with my friend Julia,” He said angrily. She lifted her head up to look. He was standing with a blond-haired girl.

“I am the prince and Alpha of the pack, so you better move,” he said while straight looking into her eyes.

“Tyler, Isn’t this girl the rogue daughter of Beta?” asked Julia with nasty expressions.

“I am not a rogue, I am his daughter and I have the legal right in the pack,” she said angrily.

“Well, Well, Well, our little wolf does not know the law, no rogues are invited in the packs,” she said while winking at Tyler.

“I am not a rogue,” she said stubbornly.

“Well, I am not going to sit with you,” said Tyler, annoyed.

“Sweetie, leave the seat,” said Julia, smiling devilishly. She looked at Taylor, who had the same expression, and got up to leave.

They both sat on the bench. She started looking in the class to find a place for her, but no one was ready to sit with her. Just then a boy who had fawn hairs rushed into the class. He was looking for the place too, but the last bench was empty so he walked forward towards it.

He passed by her and turned, “Hey, what are you standing for? Come on, it’s the last bench, occupy it.” he said and went ahead to sit on the bench. She walked slowly and sat with him.

“Hey Tyler, is this your cousin who sat with the rogue?” asked Julia, and he turned to look and rolled his eyes, and started looking ahead.

“Hi, my name is Jacob, It’s my first day,” he said smiling.

“I am Althea,” she said softly.

“Uncle Jack’s daughter?” He said excitedly. She nodded.

“Do you know my Daddy?” She asked while crossing her arms.

“Yeah my mom is Alpha’s younger brother’s mate so technically he is my Uncle, and Uncle Jack is my mom’s best friend since they were kids. In fact, Uncle Jack’s parents had adopted her when my grandparents died in a rogue attack, so technically we are cousins” he said smiling.

She was happy she had made a friend.

“You are Aunt Regina’s son?” She asked her excitedly, while he nodded.

“I never saw aunt, only daddy has told me about her, he had shown me family pictures and I never met you,” she said.

“Yeah I was at Grandma’s place, in fact, Tyler was also there due to the threats our pack was receiving,” he said while looking ahead at Tyler.

“He is your cousin?” She asked, annoyed.

“Yeah, why?” He asked curiously.

“I don’t like him, I was sitting there and he came to kick me out of my bench and they were mean to me, they were calling me rogue,” she said sadly.

“Oh that’s bad you are not rogue anymore, I mean you were just a baby at that time,” he said sadly.

“How do you know my story?” She asked curiously.

“They talk about you in the pack house because of your eyes,” he said while looking inside her eyes.

“What about them is that bad to have purple eyes?” She asked sadly.

“No it’s not, because my Mom and Dad had always told me physical traits do not prove you bad or ugly,” he said innocently and she started staring at the board.

***********

“Mom, Mom, where are you? Mom, I have to tell you something,” she came to the home screaming excitedly. Ruby came out of the kitchen.

“What is it, honey?” She asked, smiling.

“Mom, I made a new friend today, and guess who it is?” She said laughing.

“Who?” Ruby asked while bending to her knees.

“Jacob, Aunt Regina’s son,” she said happily.

“Jacob is back?” She asked happily.

“Yeah Mommy, he and his Meany cousin Tyler are back,” she said annoyed with Taylor’s name.

“Honey you should not talk about the future’s Alpha like that,” she said softly.

“But Mommy, he called me rogue,” she said crying.

She never saw her crying, and she was trying hard to make her stop crying.

“Honey please stop crying,” she said while patting her but she was still crying.

She grabbed her phone “Hello Jack, please come home yeah everything is fine but please come home” she hung up the phone.

Althea was crying continuously. After a few minutes, Jack arrived. “What happened, why is she crying? What happened honey? Did someone bully you?” He asked her while hugging her slowly.

“Daddy, why do people call me a rogue? Why do they criticize me?” She said sadly.

“It’s okay honey, it’s fine, it’s not bad to be different, they are just jealous of my princess,” he said while kissing her over her forehead.

“But daddy, I feel like odd” she complained.

“No honey, you are not odd, you are our daughter, now make your mood good I have made your favorite pasta,” said Ruby while hugging her, she stopped crying and smiled.

“Now that’s like my princess,” said Jack.

She was sleeping peacefully in her bed. Both Ruby and Jack were standing at the room's door, watching her.

“She is born to do big things Jack” whispered Ruby.

“She brings joy in our lives and now you are pregnant, I am the happiest person in the world,” he said while putting his hand over her stomach.

“She is our beautiful gift,” they said in one voice.