Origins: Silver Mountain

Chapter Ten

Augustus

Renèe had always been a great fighter. I met her when we were pups. Although we did not live in the same pack, we crossed paths often. I was smitten when I saw her take down a boy bigger than herself. She sparred with such grace. I was in awe. Over the years, we became close. I remember the day we discovered we were mates. We share a birthday. Her family visited our pack the day after we both turned 18. We both gasped before embracing one another in a warm hug. Our parents and friends were delighted to be part of that moment. From then on, we were inseparable.

Everything we had seen together made this moment all the more sweet.

I listened to our pups cooing and sharing a moment between one another. Their fingers were interlocked. Amitayus was chewing his other hand, while Apple balled up her fist repeatedly. Amitayus was bigger than his sister, so I knew he would be her protector. That made me feel that things were going to be ok.

Renée was sleeping peacefully. I scooped the twins up and carried them downstairs to prepare a bottle for each of them. Apple didn't consume much and it concerned my mate. The doctor said she would come around eventually, so I tried to reassure my mate as often as I could. Amitayus smacked his lips and sighed. I chuckled to myself as I placed them both in their swings.

As I was mixing their formula, a soft knock caught my attention. I glanced at the twins, who were smiling at one another. They seemed content, so I paused to answer the door. It was the neighbor from the next house over. She was an older woman who had lost her husband to some illness before she found our territory. She had been coming over to help Rose with the twins while I worked since they were born. From what I had gathered, she didn't have any children of her own. No grandchildren. She was pretty much alone. She never talked much about her family, except her mate.

"Sofie! Good morning." I grinned and motioned for her to come in.

"Good morning, Augustus." She immediately gushed as she laid her eyes on the twins. They were fond of her and their excited little giggles as she walked toward them was proof of that. She sat directly in front of their swings for a game of peek-a-boo. It was something I had never heard of, but was apparently popular amongst humans.

I left them to their game and went back to my fatherly duties. It had been a couple of weeks since I convinced Renée to visit our secret place. She was so impressed by the lush land. She wanted to explore it more, but I had to get back to the packhouse and finish up some work. Her theory was that we would find Judeah there. It had been so long, I doubted he was even still around. I mean, there would have been some trace of him somewhere.

With our pups growing by the day, we were both becoming more serious about leaving. They were only three months old and were rather big for their age. Amitayus was still bigger than his sister, but he had the appetite of a grown he-wolf. He was born to be a warrior.

I finished their bottles and began to feed them.

"I'll take those." Sofie snatched the bottles from my hands. I chuckled as she gave me a wink.

"Papa has to work so he can feed you beautiful little pups. Granny Sofie is going to make sure you get your milk while Papa gets ready." The twins hungrily drank the formula.

Sofie was really great with them. It was heartwarming to see the care she put into helping us out.

I made my way upstairs and showered, getting ready for the day. It was probably going to be another busy one. Lukas hadn't been quite right since Emmeline left. He was angrier, less sharp, depressed, and obsessed with finding her. He made a show of getting rid of what he called the nightmare. His heir wasn't what anyone expected. I didn't see it, but I believed everyone who said they did. I had warned Lukas of forcing a triple hybrid. It was very rare and only acceptable between fated mates. The whole idea was disastrous from the beginning. The stubborn ruler refused to listen. And now things were only more hostile for the people of the pack.

Since Lukas was depressed, he spent most of his time locked away in his room. The last time I had seen him was a week ago. He had lost a significant amount of weight. He was already a slender man, but now he was wasting away. I had to step in, which was fine because conditions were improving in Lukas's absence. The pack seemed much more vibrant. I could even hear children playing outside during my daily walks.

As I took a final glance in the mirror, I exhaled deeply. It's not going to be easy, but raising my children to be better than me was my mission. I gave Renée a kiss, hurried downstairs and kissed my pups, bid adieu to Sofie, and walked the distance to the packhouse.

Upon my arrival, I was shocked to find Lukas in my office.

"Augustus." He reeked of liquor and old sweat. I held my breath, trying to hide my disgust. My enhanced sense of smell was a curse sometimes. Werewolves could pick up anything.

"Yes, King Lukas?"

"I'm going away for a while." Silence fell over the room as I waited for him to continue.

"Going away?"

"Yes. Home. For just a few weeks." He was staring down at my desk with his hands folded on top of them.

"Ok, King. What should I do?"

"Don't make a mess of my Kingdom. I trust you. And I have already notified my guards that they should treat you as they would treat me." He stood suddenly, stumbling.

"I will take care of the territory. You have nothing to worry about."

He began stumbling past me and stopped in the doorway.

"Give Renée and the pups my best."

With that, he continued down the hall, using the wall to guide him.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Separation would be good for everyone at this point. Though it would just be a few weeks, the territory needed some fresh ideas and a little newness. I took my seat at my desk, preparing for the day and silently thanking the Moon Goddess.