8

Stevens P.O.V.

At the entrance of the well-known pack house, we were welcomed by Costas Mate Inala, who opened her eyes wide as soon as she saw us. No wonder, because like Arsen said, everyone took us for dead. Totally shocked she looked around between the 8 of us.

After recovering somewhat, she handed out clothes that she had previously dropped on the floor out of sheer shock.

Then, when we were all dressed again, we followed Arsen, Costa and Inala inside. The rest of the warriors parted from us at the entrance, so eleven of us entered the packhouse.

We headed towards one of the two kitchens in this building. It was the Alpha's private kitchen, emitting a lovely smell of roasting meat. In addition, this smell mixed with another one I knew. But I didn't know what it was anymore.

Arsen, Costa and Inala were the first to enter the kitchen, but when I recognized the smell I pushed my way through the crowd to be the next to enter the kitchen.

Could it really be her? Didn't I see her die? Could she really still be alive? But how?

And then I saw her.

Her golden blonde hair framed her delicate face just like then, from which her bright blue eyes just stood out.

Aurelia. It really was her. Exactly as beautiful as I remembered them. I can hardly believe it. As if all my wishes came true. She is alive and standing right in front of me. I can finally take her in my arms again, hear her voice and laugh with her.

My eyes got a little wet with happiness.

When her blue eyes found me, she widened them in disbelief. She too thought all the time that I was dead. Just like I thought of her. The here and now is all the more beautiful. That we finally meet again...

"S-Steven?" she said and you could tell her voice was shaking.

"Aurelia," I said before running towards her and hugging her tightly. But something prevented me from pulling her closer.

When I looked down between us, I knew why. Aurelia's stomach was clearly bulging and didn't allow me to pull her closer to me.

"You're pregnant?" Immediately I was happy for her. She was alive and pregnant. What have I missed?

"Well yeah..." she started embarrassed, scratching her head. "Third time, actually." Aurelia suddenly started to sob and pulled me close again. "II missed you so much."

Yes, I missed her too. But wait? Was she pregnant for the third time? "What?" I pulled away from her to stare around the room in disbelief while the alpha stepped protectively to her side.

"This is Arian, our eldest." This time it was Arsen who spoke. He pointed to a little boy with raven black hair and blue eyes like Aurelia's who was sitting at the table and eyeing all the people curiously.

"And this is Steven." At the mention of my name, I turned back to Aurelia and Arsen. The latter was taking an even younger boy out of a high chair, who looked absolutely like Arsen.

"What?" I asked again. Did I just misunderstand or did they name their son after me?

"This is Steven," Aurelia repeated her previous words, wiping a few more tears of joy from her eyes.

"You named him after me?"

"Clear. You were, I mean are, my best friend. We thought you were dead and wanted to remember you."

Happy that a son of Alpha was named after me, I ran up to the little one, who pierced me with his green eyes. Arsen understood what I was up to and handed me the little man, who suddenly started laughing.

"I just can't believe it... How many years have passed? 5? There wasn't a day that I didn't miss you." It was Aurelia who said that. Her lips had the brightest smile I've ever seen from her this time.

Wait? 5 years? I haven't been home for 5 years? I knew it was a long time, but I was thinking of a maximum of 3 years.

"Wow...5 years," Owen's voice came from behind me. "Kiana. I need to see her." With this sentence, Arsen's face suddenly became pitying. Owen, who probably didn't take it seriously, continued: "She must have missed me terribly. We haven't seen each other for so long that my heart broke after just a few months without her. It was really, really bad pain, but the hope of seeing her again kept me going-..."

"Owen..." Costa interrupted him. When I turned to him he had that pitying smile on his face too. Okay...what's going on now?

"What? What's going on?" Owen wanted to know right away and you could tell he was realizing that something wasn't right.

"She... she is-..."

"WHAT IS SHE?" he snapped at the Beta. No one else would have dared to, but...

"She's dead. I'm sorry."

"How?" Owen's voice cracked and for the first time in my life I saw another man cry.

"Hey, will you please give him to me?" It was Aurelia, who spoke to me from the side. Of course, I gave her her son back immediately. Then she took Arian's hand and Inala also took the 2 other children, who were still there in the room held hands and they left the kitchen.

Costa looked after his wife and probably his children. It wasn't until the door was closed behind them that he continued, "Shortly after you 'died', as we thought, she found out she was pregnant."

"She was what?" Owen asked, his voice still shaky.

"She was pregnant by you. When the time came and she gave birth to him, she just gave up..."

"Him?" Owen swallowed before continuing. "Is...Is he a-am..."

"Life? Yes, that is him. We've already notified his foster parents, as have all of your other families." This time, Costa turned to the other men in the room.

"May I see him?"

"As soon as you feel able," Arsen answered Owen's question.

Owen nodded. But you could tell from his facial expression that he still didn't quite get it that he would never see his mate again. All those years in captivity he has been waiting to hold her in his arms again. He always talked about how much he looked forward to being released and finally being able to see her. It's hard to believe that all his dreams have now been shattered. And he hasn't even processed it properly. He will then realize that she is gone forever when he is alone. Luckily he has a son to take care of, giving him a little distraction. Still, he didn't deserve to go through this now.

Speaking of mate...my mate is still out there with those savages.

"Alpha?"

"Yes?"

"I've found my mate and need help rescuing her. She lives with the packless and-..." That's when the alpha interrupted me.

“BY RUDDLES? Tell me everything and then we'll wipe out those strays that hurt my mate back then."