The prospective pack warriors were anxious for their next test.

So far they had been put through the gruelling tasks of fierce hand to hand combats, paw to paw combats, treacherous obstacle courses, survival challenges in the middle of nowhere, and a four-hour written exam that made them question whether they should have even graduated elementary school.

They weren't surprised – Alpha Alrik expected the best of the best to be inducted into his regiments – but they were floored by the intensity and how much they were pushed to the extremes.

Which made this final assignment even more daunting.

Beta Conrad entered the room silently, the authority radiating from his stance forced all of them to stand tall and completely motionless. He crossed his arms and trailed his eyes over every warrior as if he was making a mental note.

"We began with one hundred hungry warriors, and only thirty of you have made the cut," he remarked thoughtfully before he narrowed his eyes, "How many of you will remain after today's challenge?"

There was an audible gulp in the room.

Beta Conrad grabbed his clipboard, "Today, Commander Reece will be your test proctor alongside her mate, Commander Leon. So I expect all of you to showcase your strengths to the maximum. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," they chorused as the door swung open.

Commander Reece marched in with her head held high, causing all of them to bow their heads as she had a quiet conversation with Beta Conrad.

Their Beta's face morphed into a small smirk that sent chills up every warrior's spine before the Commander finally addressed them, "Warriors, your last test is going to involve a living creature. Any guesses?"

Micah, the most enthusiastic warrior of them all, threw his hand in the air, "Poisonous snakes?"

"Not quite."

Another hand rose, "Rogue dragons?"

The Commander's face hardened at that, "No, we've had enough experience with rogue dragons to last a lifetime."

The warrior who had voiced the suggestion winced under her glare.

"What about venomous insects?"

"All of you are far from guessing it," she shook her head before glancing at the door, "Leon, bring them in!"

The distinct odour of perspiration was already drifting around the room and tickling their nostrils as if to mock them.

They held their breaths as the door swung open slowly before their beloved Commander Leon entered carrying two living creatures beyond their understanding.

Pups.

In one arm, he held a rosy-cheeked baby girl with thick black curls and a pair of chocolate doe eyes that could melt the coldest of hearts with just one glance. She was dressed in a little navy blue romper with a matching headband that she patted with her tiny hand as she babbled as if to say it bothered her.

In the other arm, he held a much smaller, chubby-cheeked baby boy with wisps of feathery brown hair that fluttered in the air and the same pair of doe eyes as the girl. However, his gaze was more grumpy and disorientated as though he was upset that he was awoken from a nap. He hugged his penguin stuffie close as he stared at the crowd of warriors like he was their king and they were his peasants.

"Pups," Reece stated, cutting through the tense silence, "The challenge may seem odd, but pups are a symbol of innocence and purity."

She met their stunned expression with a solemn one of her own, "The perfect bait. I have seen warriors be lured into a trap by a seemingly lost or injured pup."

"So your challenge," Beta Conrad continued, "Is to resist the pup. Commander Reece and Leon will carry the pups around, allow them to interact with you, but your focus must remain on the target on the wall. If you get distracted and take your eyes off the target, you will fail."

The pack warriors were torn between disbelief and relief.

That was the challenge? They just had to stare at the target? No one had to be sent to the hospital for nearly losing a limb?

A few of the young soldiers exchanged smug looks.

They were definitely going to pass with flying colors.

They were all going to fail.

Resisting the pups was proving to be a lot more difficult than they had imagined.

Poor Micah had failed two minutes into the challenge because the boy had spit up all over his shirt, and he instinctively glanced down to see the damage. Another warrior nearly lost it when the girl poked his eye trying to touch his shiny eyebrow piercing, but he had managed to keep his focus with his teary red eye.

Five warriors were already out, and Reece and Leon decided to take the challenge up a notch.

"Now, for the next part of this challenge, all of you will have to hold the pups for at least two minutes," Beta Conrad announced, ignoring the horrified looks he was receiving before he explained, "Suppose you fall for the trap and decide to pick a rogue pup up, you must always be aware of your surroundings no matter what the pup says or does."

"So arms out," Reece instructed Victor, the first victim to the new rule. She placed the boy in his hands slowly, making sure the pup was secure, "Hold him closer."

A terrified Victor curled the pup in his arms, trying not to look down at the grumpy boy that was studying him curiously. To make matters even worse, the boy's pacifier tumbled out of his mouth, causing his lip to tremble furiously.

Victor's eyes widened as he tried to rub the boy's back to comfort him, which was a difficult feat considering the little one was squirming in his arms.

Reece noticed his dilemma and decided to have mercy on him, taking the pup back and bouncing him in her arms, "Aww Fefe, I'm sorry. I've got to clean your pacifier before I can give it back to you."

The penguin stuffie fell from his tiny hand as well, forcing a louder cry from his mouth as Victor itched to break focus and grab it for the distraught pup.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, the girl pup was all smiles as she greeted every warrior she met with a drawn-out, "Hiiiiii."

The warriors near her struggled not to smile as her sunny disposition and random hugs released the tension in their bodies and lightened the atmosphere.

Though the happy environment did not last long.

"COMMANDER!"

In an instant, every warrior was alert, eyes on the target despite the spit up, drool, or tears that were dripping down their faces and torsos.

Alpha Alrik slammed the door open, letting it bounce against the wall, as he entered the room in a rage.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he seethed, unaware of the fear he had just sparked in all the warriors.

Before Reece could respond, the boy squirmed in her arms and stretched his arms out toward the Alpha, whining indignantly.

The warriors expected the Alpha to ignore the pup or glare at him, but instead, his glare softened as he stepped forward to hold the boy.

They watched in awe as the irate pup settled in his large arms comfortably, and the infamous Alpha nuzzled the pup's hair, muttering, "Aunt Reece and Uncle Leon are meanies, huh? They didn't let you finish your nap. No wonder you're so cranky."

"For your information, he didn't want to go back to sleep," Reece argued, not realizing that a huge bomb was just dropped on the newbies.

Every one of their faces were pale.

Mila and Felix Kuznetsov.

Pups of Alpha Alrik and Luna Jaslynn.

How had they not realized it before? Granted, Alpha Alrik and Luna Jaslynn liked to keep their pups out of the public eye, but their features should have been a giveaway. The pups were the topic of discussion for weeks since they were what they called Irish twins, born less than a year apart.

The pack warriors had just disrespected their Alpha's pups by not acknowledging them, which was most likely a direct offense to Alpha Alrik.

And that thought made them sick to their stomachs.

At that same moment, Victor realized Felix's penguin stuffie was still on the floor before him, and he quickly kicked it aside, not wanting to get in even more trouble for refusing to give the Alpha's pup his stuffie.

But the warriors now in the vicinity of the stuffie felt the same urge, and soon all the warriors were discreetly trying to kick the stuffie to the sidelines where no one could be blamed for it falling.

Unfortunately for them, Luna Jaslynn entered the room right as the stuffie flew toward the door and landed right by her feet.

"What the-" she crouched and picked up the stuffie before frowning at Alpha Alrik, "Did you drop Felix's stuffie?"

"No, he must have–"

The pack warriors dropped to one knee one by one, their heads bowed, admitting their mistakes and waiting for their Alpha and Luna to express their disappointment.

"Reece, Leon, Conrad. What in the world did you do?" Luna Jaslynn chided as the three in question gathered at the front, "This is supposed to be a very relaxed initiation. They look like they're going to be sick. "

At that, the warriors exchanged confused looks.

Did she just say initiation?

The usually strict Beta broke out into a series of chuckles at their confusion while the two Commanders merely shook their heads with smirks, "I hope you did not think this test was real?"

Alrik sighed at the immaturity of his Commanders and Beta, "Pardon the three idiots I have as my subordinates. They were meant to begin the initiation ceremony since your Luna and I were running a bit behind schedule. Then, we were supposed to give you the welcome speech, but apparently, they decided to take our role and introduce our pups to you instead."

"Although, it seems that some of you have been more than introduced," Jaslynn continued, sending Micah an apologetic look for his ruined shirt.

"Yes, well, we'll keep the introduction brief and begin the formal induction a little later to give you time to clean up," Alrik acknowledged before nodding at Jaslynn for her to proceed.

"As several of you most likely know," the Luna began, lifting Mila up, "Alrik and I have worked hard to keep our pups' lives private, which is why many of you probably didn't recognize Mila and Felix at first. We want them to have a childhood where they're not placed under a lense and constantly scrutinized or in danger because of their name or status."

The soldiers nodded in understanding as Alrik continued for her, "As pack warriors, we wanted to have you acquainted with them and their scent because if at any time there is an attack on the pack, one of your first priorities is making sure these two are safe. They are the pack and the coven's future so they must be protected at all costs."

"Some of you will be assigned to be their guards when we travel out of pack territory, which is another reason why we are doing this. If we are preoccupied with meetings or otherwise, we trust you to keep our pups safe."

The warriors were honored by the idea. It gave them a great sense of pride to know how much their Alpha and Luna believed in them.

"Any questions about this?"

No one spoke up, and Alrik's lips curved into a smile, "Perfect. All of you are dismissed for now."

The pack warriors waited till the Alpha, Luna, and their brigade left before turning to each other and whooping childishly, jumping up to high-five each other as they celebrated their new positions.

***

Alrik leaned against the doorway, mesmerized by the sight before him even though he had seen it a thousand times before.

There was nothing that took his breath away more than watching his mate cuddle their pup to her chest, humming quietly as she fed him and rocked back and forth in her chair.

As if his pup could feel his stare, Felix stopped feeding to smile up at him and gurgle, kicking his legs excitedly.

"Careful pup, we don't want to hurt mama with those strong legs of yours," he crouched next to the rocking chair and grabbed the tiny foot. Felix, now bored by his inability to kick, latched back onto his mother and continued his feeding happily.

"Where's Mila?" Jaslynn asked softly, stroking Felix's hair to help lull him to sleep.

Alrik chuckled, "Currently playing how much of Uncle Leon's hair can I pull out."

The dragon warrior was bound to have a bald spot by the time Mila was finished with him. He might escape flames and the deadliest weapons, but nothing could protect him from Mila's grabby little hands.

Alrik was very proud of how she was growing. Soon, he would be able to teach her self-defense against all those irritating boys who didn't know the meaning of personal space.

Just the other day, he had discovered Meredith and Dario's little boy trying to stick his pacifier in her mouth. Alrik had been horrified, but Jaslynn had laughed it off saying it was normal between babies.

Alrik reluctantly believed her when he saw the boy try to stick in Dario's mouth as well, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

He bought Mila a little punching bag for her to practice on.

"Thank goodness, he's finally asleep," Jaslynn whispered, patting Felix's back as he burped quietly and went back to sleep, "I still need to give Mila her bath, then we need to finish inducting the pack warriors, and then prepare for Aleksei and Yerik's arrival and–"

Alrik waited until she had placed Felix in his crib before pulling her into his arms, "Our pups need you. The coven needs you. The pack needs you. When does the Alpha get his turn? He needs his Luna too."

"If you help me bathe Mila and put her down for her nap, we'll get at least twenty minutes together before we have to leave," she winked, pecking his lips and making his chest tighten.

They had shared tears, laughter, and arguments throughout the years, and all of those memories pointed to the fact that Alrik loved his mate more every day. He treasured the changes in her body and mind, seeing her take on the challenges of motherhood with a bright smile.

They had their weak moments, but nothing proved the depth of their relationship more than how far they were willing to go to support each other wholeheartedly.

Alrik glanced at the clock, "So we have forty-five minutes to do both. Challenge accepted."

He bent over and kissed her again, basking in the few moments of peace and quiet they had.

"Mommaaaa!"

The piercing wail broke them apart immediately, and Leon rushed into the nursery holding a very messy Mila in front of him.

"I am the uncle until there's a diaper blowout," he rumbled anxiously, handing her off to Jaslynn and escaping while the stench overwhelmed their senses.

"Awww, Mimi, I know. Let's get you cleaned up," Jaslynn murmured in a gentle voice, walking out of the room quickly so Felix wouldn't wake up from Mila's cries.

Alrik sighed and grabbed the baby monitor.

On days like this, it felt like the chores never ended. But despite all the chaos, life as a leader and father was truly rewarding.

***

"Cassandra?"

The Moon Goddess jumped in surprise, causing the little white and gold sphere to topple from her fingertips.

Her mate kneeled and picked the sphere up slowly, examining it before he shook his head with a small twitch of his lips, "I feel a strong sense of deja vu. Please tell me what you're doing with Alpha Alrik's soul."

"I was just checking on them," she said innocently, holding up the box to show she wasn't taking it anywhere outside the Chamber of Souls.

Her mate cocked his head and studied her face carefully, "You are a lot more attached to them than you care to admit, Cassandra. It's been three years, yet I find you watching over them like they are still unmated."

There was no point in denying his allegations– he was right.

She was a lot more attached to Alrik and Jaslynn than any other couple she had paired.

It might have been because she saw herself in them. Or perhaps, it might have been that she had grown to see them as her very own pups, and the constant need to check on them was her motherly instinct gnawing at her soul.

Either way, it was not normal behavior for her and something even her closest attendants failed to understand.

But her mate understood.

He took the box from her hands and handed her the glowing sphere, squeezing her hand reassuringly, "I know. I know it's hard to let go. But there are so many mated couples out there that await your attention. They deserve to have the same success Alrik and Jaslynn had with their relationship."

She exhaled deeply and placed the Alpha's soul back in its cushions, "You're right. It is just difficult to move on when I have watched them grow as individuals and become the loving leaders and parents they are today."

Her mate nodded, silently voicing his understanding before he lifted the box a little higher, "Do the honors?"

She shut the lid carefully and placed her staff against the top to lock it, "Remind me to give Otis and Bertram a raise."

Her mate chuckled and took a step back, allowing her to take the box from his hands.

She lifted it in the air and tapped the end of her staff against the floor twice.

Together, they watched the little wooden container fly from her hand and back to the shelf it was on where it would remain for the centuries to come.

Once upon a time, she had called him a monster, one she thought would never change. But the monster shed his skin and changed his spots, revealing his best self that had laid underneath that dark coat.

Her blessing really came true.

Love was his savior.

And it was all thanks to the Alpha's little witch.