Hope

Connor escorted Asher to the cells and met us back in his office at the packhouse after I had finished healing everyone I could. We didn't have many losses, but the grief still affected us. Connor would make sure Asher paid for the damage he caused.

"Technically, you're Alpha of your old pack now. " Connor says pulling me onto his lap. I rest my head on his shoulder and try to keep my eyes open. Using so much of my power drained me as well as experiencing the loss of pack members.

"I don't want to be alpha of that pack." I say tiredly but honestly. We have enough to deal with without adding in a pack that is hours away.

"We could combine the packs." Dean suggests but I shake my head.

"I would feel guilty forcing all of those people to uproot their lives to move here." I say. Connor kisses my temple and I lean into his warm embrace.

"Who is Asher’s beta?" Connor asks.

"Jon Cosgrove. He's a good wolf. Almost as strong physically as Asher. He was always the nice one, more willing to see reason as well." Kade says and Connor nods and looks to me.

"It's up to you, Hope. You're the one that overpowered the alpha." He says and I sigh, playing with the hair on his neck. I appreciate him letting me make this decision, but part of me wants to let someone else make it.

"I think Jon would be a good choice for alpha. What do you think, dad?" I ask my father who has been quiet and contemplative. Typical head warrior.

"I think he'd be an excellent choice, baby. We wanted him for alpha anyway but Asher was too proud to admit he couldn't hack it. It's the right outcome, I just wish we hadn't had to go through this to get it." He says gravely and we all nod in agreement.

"Do you want to tell him, Hope?" Connor asks gently and I shake my head.

"Not right now. I'm so tired, Connor." I say looking up at him with pleading eyes. He nods in understanding and kisses my forehead before standing and carrying me.

"Dean, will you and Kade talk to Jon? We'll talk to him again before he leaves but I don't want their pack worrying about their future any longer than necessary." Connor says. Dean and Kade nod and stand to head out.

"Where are you going?" Dean asks.

"I'm going to tuck Hope into bed. Stop by the house after you talk to Jon and let me know how it goes. I'd like the two of you to stay with us for a couple more days just to make sure things settle down, then we'll get you moved into the beta house."

"Yes, Alpha." They both respond.

"Wait!" My dad calls to Connor.

"Can I carry her? This was a hard day for this old man." My dad says and Connor smiles at him. I hold my arms out and wrap them around my dads neck just like when I was younger.

"I'm so proud of you, baby." He tells me kissing the tip of my nose making me giggle.

"I'm glad you and mom will be staying here. It's like we're complete." I say sleepily while yawning. My dad chuckles and nods.

"We're happy to be able to keep an eye on you and Kade. I'm sure this isn't the first dose of trouble you two will find yourselves in." He says affectionately and Connor can't stop his laughter.

"I'm glad to have another wolf to help me protect Hope. Your girl is a handful." Connor says making my dad laugh in response.

"You're preaching to the choir." He says as we reach our house. He puts me down and I pull him into a tight hug.

"I'll stand watch until Kade and Dean get back." He says and my heart fills with warmth. I used to argue with my dad and fight him tooth and nail over how restricted my life was, but seeing him here today I understand it all. His love, his devotion to my safety, it was all him being an incredible father.

"I love you, dad."

"I love you too, Dope." He says smiling and Connor scoops me up and carries me all the way to our room.

He sets me down gently and goes into the bathroom and I hear the bathtub filling. He comes back and gently pulls my shirt over my head, placing gentle kisses from my shoulder up to my neck. I reach for him, grabbing his face and kissing him hard, letting my love and relief spill through.

"Finish getting undressed, sweetheart. I'll get your bath ready." He says quietly.

"Our bath." I correct him with a grin and he smiles.

He carries me into the shower to rinse us both off, gently running a washcloth over my body. Heating at his touch, I reach for him but he stops me.

"Not tonight, stóirín. You need to sleep." He says with a warm chuckle and I huff in disappointment.

He pulls me towards the bath and tucks me into him, holding me tight against his chest.

"You were incredible today. The Moon Goddess didn't tell me you could project your healing. That will be very helpful." He says, amazement clear in his tone.

"I will need to practice it. I'll need to practice all of my powers, but I am excited about that." I say resting my head on his shoulder with my eyes closed as he runs his hands gently along my body.

"So about that vacation..." Connor prompts and my eyes pop open as I smile at him making him chuckle.

"Somewhere tropical. I want to sit on a beach." I say decisively and he nods.

"Anything for you, my love." He murmurs in my ear, kissing me softly.

I nearly fall asleep in the tub, until Connor lifts me to my feet and dries me off with a towel. He leads me to the bed and lays me down gently, tucking me in as my body instantly relaxes. He moves towards the door and worry grips me.

"Where are you going?" I ask.

"Just to see if Dean and Kade are back. I want to know how things went with Jon." He says and I shake my head.

"Not yet. Come lay with me for a couple of minutes." I all but beg. He gives me a warm smile and crawls in next to me. He's warm and his shirt is so soft I can't stop myself from nuzzling my face into his chest and letting out a sigh of content.

"Thank you. For what you said to Asher." He says quietly.

"Which part?" I ask and he sighs a little.

"How I'm worthy. That you'd never choose him over me. Having the pack hear that, it was an incredible feeling." I look up at him, eyes heavy with exhaustion.

"I'd never pick anyone over you. You're everything I ever hoped for in a mate." I say and he leans down to kiss me softly, our lips moving together in a perfect dance.

"You're even better than I hoped. I'll always be here for you." He says and I squeeze him tight.

"Good. I have a feeling I'm going to need you." Connor chuckles at that.

"If your dad is right, that is definitely true."

"Well, dads never been wrong." I say and we both giggle until I settle back into his embrace. His fingers running soothing circles along my back, it doesn't take long for me to slip into a dreamless sleep.

I'm not sure how much later it is that a knock on the door wakes me up. I look up at Connor, who is watching me. I can tell he didn't get any sleep, but I'm in the same position so I know he didn't leave. He kisses my forehead and hops out of bed, then turns back to pull the covers tighter around me, since I'm wearing no clothes, and I smile at his antics.

"All of this..." he says motioning to my body. "Is mine. No one else gets to see it."

"Yes, Alpha." I respond cheekily and his eyes darken. Another knock rings out and Connor shakes his head before going to the door.

"Alpha."

"What's up Dean?"

"We were in the office talking to Jon about the future of his pack when the phone rang."

"The alpha phone?" Connor asks. Very few people have that phone number. Mostly only other alphas. It's only used in emergencies.

"Yes."

"Who was it?" Connor asks and I sit up, holding the blankets tight against me.

"The council."

"The werewolf council?" Connor asks incredulously and Dean nods.

"No one's heard from them in decades." Connor says. "What did they want?"

"They heard about what happened here. What Luna did. What she's capable of." Dean trails off, obviously nervous.

"What are you not telling me Dean?" Connor asks as Dean runs his hand through his hair nervously.

"They're coming here." I gasp making Connor turn to look at me. "They're coming here, and they didn't sound happy."