Planning A Trip

Zions' P.O.V.

After Rain and I get back to our suite and get her comfortable on the couch, Odett comes running into the room. They decide to watch a movie while Sam links me to let me know Orian and Jessica have arrived at the Blue River Pack and are waiting on me to call them. I tell him I would meet him in my office in a few minutes. I tell Rain that I have some work to take care of, and she asks me to bring her a smoothie on my way back, followed by Odett saying she wanted one, too. I asked what flavor and Kissed them on their foreheads after they said strawberry. I told them I loved them and left our suite, heading for my office.

"How's the Queen feeling?" Sam asked as I walked into my office.

"Tired. Rain's putting on a strong facade, but I know she's scared. The twins are growing faster than they should be, and the doctor believes it's a mixture of our royal bloodlines and her being a hybrid. Honestly, we don't know anything about hybrids and pregnancies." I say as I plop down in my chair.

"She's strong. I believe she can handle anything that's thrown at her." He says, and I nod.

"She's strong, but if I lose her, I don't know what I would do. I'm terrified. And Odett knows something is going on." I say honestly, and Sam looks on edge at the mention of his little mate.

"Did you find out anything about the mating process from Lord Demetrius?" He asks.

"Apparently, she already feels the bond between you two, though I don't think she realizes what it is. But that explains why she wants to be around you all the time. Vampires also age to adulthood quicker than wolves. According to Lord Demetrius, she should reach adulthood by twelve. When normal vampires reach adulthood, they then begin to age extremely slowly. " I say, and his eyes look like they would burst out of his head.

"That's incredible." He says, fully amazed.

"So, what did Orian and Jessica need to talk to me about?" I ask, changing the subject off of my daughter.

"I believe it had something to do with the old she-wolf from the orphanage." He says, and I have to fight to calm Ryker down as he lets out a low, angry growl. I quickly dial Orian's number, and he picks up on the second ring.

"Zion, we have a problem," Orian says quickly.

"What is it?" I ask, trying to stay calm. If anything happened to any of those kids after Rain and Jessica left the pack, they would never forgive themselves.

"Someone set the orphanage on fire, the kids got out, but the orphanage mother is missing." He says, and I exhale.

"Do you think she was in the building?" I ask him.

"No, we have eyewitnesses that say they saw her leaving moments before they saw the smoke." He answers.

"Does Christian or Nick know where she could be?" I ask, wondering if she could have found refuge with distant family members from another pack.

"They are checking her records as we speak." He answers. "They also don't know where they could place the kids. It's a small pack, and there aren't many places for the kids to go."

"Do they have room in the pack house until we can find somewhere else for them?" I ask, thinking of bringing them here since the orphanage will be remodeled soon, and there will be plenty of space for them to be comfortable.

"They have two rooms open, but it won't be enough for all the kids." He answers.

"We will be there tomorrow afternoon. I'll get Sam to prepare some rooms here at the castle for them until the remodeling of the orphanage is complete. Can you find room for them until then?" I say.

"Jessica and I will work that out." He says.

"Is there anything else I need to know before we arrive?" I ask him.

"When you say we, do you mean you and the Queen?" Orian asks me.

"Yes. Is there a reason I shouldn't bring her?" I ask, rethinking my decision to take her back to the one place that was her own personal hell.

"No, Jessica and the kids will be happy to see her." He answers.

"Good. How is everything else?" I ask him.

"Everything is running smoothly. We have released the slaves, and Beta Christian and Gamma Nick have found places for them. Two have even asked to adopt a few of the orphans." He says, and I can tell he's hiding something.

"What are you hiding?" I say.

"You'll have to wait till you arrive tomorrow." He says, and I know he's smiling.

"Will I like this surprise?" I ask him.

"I think you will, but my mate is ecstatic, and the Queen will definitely be happy." He says with a laugh.

"Fine, we will be there tomorrow afternoon," I say. "If you need anything else, call me on my cell."

"Yes, my King." He says before ending the call.

"So, you're really planning on taking the Queen back there?" Sam asks me.

"She's been wanting to go back to see the kids. I think it will make her happy to know they will be coming home with us." I say, and he nods in understanding.

"Okay. Do you think we should add more rooms to the orphanage during the renovations?" He asks me.

"I will let Rain and Jess decide that. I'll let the contractors know that it's a possibility tomorrow in private, though." I say, and he nods. "If there's nothing else, I need to return to my pregnant mate and daughter."

"Yes, my King." He says before looking at me questionably. "Is Odett doing okay?"

"She's doing well, other than worrying over her mother," I tell him, and he smiles. I leave my office and make my way back to our suite. About halfway there, I remembered that I was supposed to be getting Rain and Odetts smoothies, so I turned around and headed to the kitchen, where I found Mia and Annie.

"Good evening, King Zion. Can I help you with anything?" Annie asks while they both bow.

"I need two strawberry smoothies," I say with a grin.

"Is one for the Queen?" She asks, and I nod. "Doctor Jameson let us know that we should add more protein and vitamin-enriched foods to her diet. Do you think it would be okay if I added some protein to her smoothie?"

"That would be great. Thank you, Annie." I say and wait at the counter as they prepare the smoothies for them.

"The one with the red straw is the Queens. She shouldn't taste a difference." Annie says.

"Thank you, ladies," I say as I grab the smoothies and walk to the suite.

When I reach the suite, I find Odett sleeping on the couch, but Rain is nowhere to be found. I call out for her, and she linked me that she was in the bathroom and not to wake Odett up. I walk to the bathroom door and quietly ask if she's okay. She opened the door, explaining that she had to pee. We walked to the kitchen table while talking about Odett. I hand her the smoothie as we continue talking, and I decide now is a good time to discuss our trip to her old pack tomorrow.

"How would you feel about taking a trip?" I ask her, and her eyes go wide.

"Where are we going?" She asks.

"Your old pack," I say, and I can feel her nervousness. "If you don't feel comfortable, you can stay here."

"No, I want to go. But I'm not sure taking Odett would be a good idea." She says.

"She can stay with Stephanie, and I'm sure Sam would enjoy her being around," I say, and she smiles.

"I know he's your Gamma, but if he ever hurts her, I may have to kill him." She says with a laugh.

"I'll gladly let you. No one hurts our princess." I say with a smile.

"When will we be leaving?" She asks.

"We will leave after we speak with Eithan and his mate about taking over the Alpha position of Plue River Pack," I tell her, and she nods. "We might need to stay for a night or two, so you need to pack for a few days."

"Okay, do I need to bring anything specific?" She asks.

"Whatever you're comfortable with, and maybe a dress or two in case they decide to have a nice dinner," I tell her, and she nods.

"We'll need to let my mom know so she can be with Odett, too." She tells me. "I don't want her thinking we're abandoning her for any reason."

"I understand. We'll also be taking a few of the warriors with us." I say.

"Sounds good to me!" She says, full of excitement.