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Crispin's POV

"Daddy, what are you making?" Carter's big brown eyes looked up at me in expectancy as I moved around the kitchen. He sat perfectly in his high chair by the island with his toys. His thick curly hair sat on his head perfectly.

It took some time, research, and practice but I finally learned how to manage it. Carter's biological mom was a black woman and he got many of her features, his hair being one of them. Other than that and his full lips he looked exactly like our father, meaning he looked like me. He had my green eyes and brown hair, but he had a brown complexion.

He has asked me multiple times why he was different, and I told him the truth. His mom, Shera, was black and she loved him very much. Though he didn't need to know the details of who his true father is. Because it's me, I am his father.

"I'm making your favorite." I turned around and gave the plate to him. There was a piece of toast with raspberry jelly cut into squares, with eggs.

"Tank you, Daddy." It was muffled as his mouth was already full of food. I chuckled lightly as I took my apron off.

I walked through our very small house and threw on my dress shoes to match the rest of my clothing which was my usual wear. Black slack, a white button-up, and a belt. Decorated with a belt, my dad's wedding ring and watch on my left hand, and my mother's wedding ring on a chain wrapped around my neck.

Our house wasn't much, it was a two-story, two-bedroom, and one bathroom. It was just us two and we didn't need much space. But that's what happens with Mirco-packs. We don't have much money, so we make do with what we have. We took a small town in the middle of nowhere that was abandoned and turned it into our pack.

There were enough homes to house all that were members, which now was 37. Not including the children. There was one of everything. One school, one gas station, one grocery store, one clothing store, one movie theater, and so on.

Our 'pack house' wasn't much. It was an office building where on the first floor it was recreational but on the second it was the office spaces for pack leadership. Me being alpha I got my own office, which I was thankful for.

Many packs looked at us weirdly when they realize that we enjoy the way we live. That the quiet country life in the hills is something we find comfort in. I had no intention of becoming a large pack, but I did have the intention of growing our pack just a bit.

"I'm done!" Carter's voice yelled and I walked and picked him up from his chair. Not before cleaning him off first.

"Okay, buddy, to the car and daycare we go."

There would always be issues with having a micro-pack. Ours now is that there is not much room for dating or finding mates. Some of my pack members have been lucky to find their mates, many have had to travel pack to pack to find them. But seeing as our funds are tight, we can't afford to send them, so many have to spend their own money to travel which is why many don't.

"I don't want to go, I want to stay with you," Carter screamed as I put him in the car in his car seat.

This was the everyday Monday routine. We spent so much time together on the weekends that when we were apart it was hard on him. On both of us. We were all we had.

Just us.

"We can watch a movie tonight and eat mac and cheese if you behave." He immediately went silent and worked with me.

Anytime mac and cheese were mentioned he always tightened up. Because he knew how special it was. I made it homemade, though it wasn't my recipe. It was Shera's. I was bestowed her recipe book which forced me to learn to cook, also because there are no fast food places here, but I wanted him to have a connection to his mother always.

The drive to the school was quick, it was just five minutes away. There were only two other kids his age, and they all got along well.

"Morning, Crispin," Rena said as I walked into the school with Carter on my hip and his backpack hanging on my arm.

Rena was a pretty girl. Long brown hair and brown eyes. She and I were betrothed to each other, and just in a few months when we turned 25 we would mate and marry each other. Seeing as neither of us has found our own.

"Hi, Rewa," Carter said as I sat him down and he hobbled into the playroom. Rena was the teacher for the little kids and had been since she was 18 years old.

"Hi, kiddo." She chuckled at the way he said her name. She met my eyes and smiled at me. "Busy day today?" She asked with a giant smile on her face.

"Yes, today is busy. I should get going so I'm not late." Though I knew I wouldn't be. James was always incredibly late.

She looked at me like I was the best thing in the world, it was a strange feeling especially when it wasn't coming from my mate. I have no idea how I am going to mate with her knowing that my mate is out there and I will never find her.

But Rena and I have been in sort of a relationship for the past few months. To get us acquainted with each other. It was still strange and foreign. Something that William, my wolf disagreed with very much.

"Please give the Alpha James my regards." She lifted her hand and squeezed my arm gently and then stepped into the room and closed the door.

Alpha James had become a close friend of mine. He and his pack leaders stumbled upon our pack by accident. Their car broke down during a trip and we welcomed them. Fixed their car, let them stay in our homes, and cooked meals for them. This was just two months ago, but we have grown very close since then.

His pack the Blue Crescent was just two hours away from ours but was triple times three our size. His pack held 400, not including children. I can't even imagine. Though his pack was well known because they were dripping in wealth.

The drive to the pack house was ten minutes, and I quickly walked into the office. Though I was surprised at what I saw as I opened the doors to the second-floor offices.

There he stood, James in khakis and a t-shirt. His floppy blonde hair was messy and he looked overly relaxed.

"My man! Crispin!" He walked forward and pulled him into a hug that I of course returned.

"Hello, James." There was a giant smile on my face as I looked at him.

We walked to my office, my beta and delta already in theirs. I sat behind my desk and James sat across from me.

"Not that I don't enjoy your visits but I have to ask, why are you here?" I leaned back in the leather chair and crossed my arms.

"I need you to come to something and you can't say no." I already hated this idea. "There is an alpha summit this weekend. I invited some alphas to my home, for a weekend of fun and networking." He sighed and continued but a seriousness surrounded him as he continued. "I know you're trying to expand and perhaps this is your chance. If you make a good impression, which I know you will. They will offer to send unmated wolves to your pack, or let you send yours to theirs to find mates."

I stayed silent as I listened, and I kept a level head. My wolf William perked at the mention of mates but stayed silent.

"If anything, get out of this town. Come spend some time with more men your age. You never know who you will meet." He shrugged and leaned back in the chair.

My immediate answer was no, but something stopped me. There was a weird feeling that I needed to say yes. William agreed, which was also strange because he never liked leaving the pack.

"It's just for the weekend, and I also can have someone watch Carter all weekend if you'd like. That is if you decide to bring him. You will stay in my home. Ben and I would love to have you and a little one around. Honestly Ben would probably volunteer to watch the little guy the whole time."

Ben was his mate, they met as soon as they turned 18 and they have been in love ever since. I was jealous, to say the least.

"I've thought of everything, so you can't say no. It'll just be you and six other alphas, a very small affair. But it will be fun." He waited in anticipation for my answer and I took a deep breath and the word came out of my mouth effortlessly.

"Yes, I will go. As you said, how can I say no?" A gentle smile covered my face as I watched his face light up.

"Yes! Wonderful! I will tell Ben, and he is going to freak out knowing that there will be a little guy around. He has been pressing the kid's question, so this should keep him at bay for a bit."

"James, it has been ten years and you have yet to have a child. I think you can give Ben some grace."

Ben was another friend of mine as well. He was a smaller man, and skinny but he was just as much of a man as us giants. Ben and I got along quite better in certain instances, but James and I were close in a way I imagined brothers to be.

"How do you do it? Being a dad? I don't think I'd be good at it." James' face held uncertainty at the topic, but I could understand his hesitancy.

"I still don't think I'm good, but then I look at Carter's face and I remember doing my best. As long as he is happy, then I am doing everything right." James nodded in understanding and let out a deep breath.

"Maybe having little Carter around wouldn't be so bad."

A faint smile sat on my lips as I watched James' gears turn in his head. Carter loved Ben and James, he has met them on separate occasions and now calls them Uncles. It warmed my heart knowing that Carter had other people who loved him just as much as I did.

"Who all will be at this 'alpha summit' you called it? Which I think is quite ridiculous if you ask me." I teased him and he rolled his eyes.

"I thought it would be a fun name!" He exasperated. "Anyways, just some alphas from around here. And one from the coast."

He listed off all the Alphas that would be joining, many had mates that they were bringing as well which I was not particularly excited about but I didn't let it show.

"You can bring Rena if you choose, I know you and her are close." I was thankful for the option, but I don't know how I would introduce her to the alphas in question.

Them being, Alphas John, Christopher, Tanner, Alexander, Finnick, and Dieter would be joining. The first four names I recognized, but Dieter I had never heard of.

"Who is Dieter?" The name brought an insane amount of curiosity to me and William.

"Right, you don't know Dieter. He is a cool guy! Funny too. A good friend of mine as well. He can just be a bit intense until you get to know him. No biggie." He played it cool, but his voice wavered as he spoke about his friend.

"If you insist he is cool then he is cool."

"Man, I can't wait for you to meet everyone. The guys are going to love you!"

****

"Is it done yet?" Carter asked as he popped his head up as he stood on the couch leaning on it. I had just plated his meal and I was now walking into the living room.

We were having movie night which meant dinner on the couch. And today Carter choose Cars, which I was not mad about at all. But what he didn't know was that we had a guest joining us. And just in time there was a ring at the door and Carter's face lit up.

As soon as I opened the door Carter ran up and there stood Rena with a bright smile on his face.

"Rewa!" He yelled as she leaned down and picked him up for a hug.

Rena and I thought it would be best to try and get Carter accustomed to her being around more. As we get closer to our birthdays and our marriage day we thought it best to do this now and not after.

Rena tucked herself under my arm after I closed the door and led her through the house though she knew her way around at this point.

"Daddy made mash n cheese, and we watch cars!" Carter yelled as he hopped back onto the couch. Rena let out a soft chuckle and joined him on the couch. I went back to the kitchen to finish making plates for everyone.

"How was the meeting with James today? Everything going well?"

"He invited me and Carter to join him this weekend to meet other Alphas in surrounding areas."

"Uh oh, did you say no?" I couldn't help the laugh that came out. Rena knew me relatively well, which would make the marriage between us easier.

"I said yes for once. I think it'll be good. Especially for the unmated wolves. I think this would be a great thing for the pack." I didn't go too much into detail about the real reason I said yes. The real reason being I felt like I should.

"Well when you put it that way, I can't disagree."

I walked around the couch with plates in hand. A grateful smile covered her face as she looked up at me.

"Would you want to come with me?" I asked hesitantly. But her face lit up and a smile covered her face.

"I would love to. It would be such a fun family trip." Family. Right. That is what were are now.

Carter eagerly took his plate and didn't wait to start eating. I sat in between the two like I usually do, and they both tucked themselves into my sides.

'She's not supposed to be here.' William growled out and then retreated into my mind.

Which was usual for him any time Rena was around. And even though I agreed, that it should be our mate we were with, the possibility of finding them was extremely slim.

Being a leader of a micro-pack you have to make sacrifices for the greater good.

Mine was being mateless.