Avayla and Theo spent every waking hour talking about how they wanted to handle their situation. Sometimes Maria would be included when she had questions, but they tried to keep most of their fears and worries to themselves.

They weren't sure they could handle scaring their daughter and adding to the stress the were all feeling, even though they knew she was well aware of what had happened.

Thankfully Maria was also wise enough to accept her temporary role as Kendra's babysitter.

Although that was never a full time job anyway since Kendra was still so dependent on her mother.

It was late in the evening on their third night there and Avayla was sitting in a large rocking chair when Maria brought a fussy Kendra over.

Come here, Sweetheart. Avayla said softly, also cooing and shushing her youngest. Mama is here. She tugged her loose, flowing shirt aside to give Kendra access to her breast, then leaned back to settle in for however long it took the tiny girl to nurse.

Can I get you anything? Theo asked, his head poking around the corner by the kitchen.

Avayla shook her head and took Maria's hand. I'm alright for right now.

Alright. Maria, come help me?

Their daughter perked up and hurried to her father. A bright squeal came from the other room a minute later quickly followed by Maria running back into the sitting room. She was beaming and clutching a bowl close to her chest.

What have you got there? The alpha asked, even though she knew already.

Daddy got ice cream!! Maria bounced in place, then giggled after taking a large bite.

Theo crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, a bright and loving smile curling his lips. His eyes flicked to his alpha and they shared an unspoken feeling of happiness and satisfaction. If they could keep their daughter happy, then they would take the small moments of peace.

The other alphas hadn't come back to visit them after the first day there. During that time, Avayla and Theo had taken turns surveying the immediate area around their home and attempted to stake some kind of temporary territory by marking trees with their scents.

They weren't sure if it was working or if the pack was just giving them space, but they were grateful for the chance to be with each other and think a little.

Time had also allowed them to explore the home they had been given. It really was set up to be fully functional and ready for their family.

Aside from the nursery, Maria had her own room filled with books and crafts and toys none of them had ever seen before. Avayla and Theo had a large master bedroom, complete with a gigantic bed, beautiful handmade furniture, and an attached bathroom that had both a shower and a generous bathtub.

Avayla couldn't help but admit that she was impressed. The house was lavish and... beautiful. It would be the perfect place to raise a family.

Their kitchen had also been fully stocked. The cupboards were full of dishes, utensils, pots and pans, and multiple gadgets, while their fridge and pantry contained a wide variety of food just waiting for them.

At first the couple had been hesitant to eat anything, however the second Maria's stomach growled they pulled out almost everything and sniffed it furiously for anything that smelled off.

They found nothing and had happily enjoyed several large meals together.

It was a strained, odd sense of peace they felt. Despite everything they'd been through, there was nothing threatening about this home or the immediate surroundings. If they let themselves relax enough to not think about things too deeply, neither Avayla or Theo could say this didn't feel like a normal life.

As Maria enjoyed her ice cream, Avayla found her mind drifting somewhere between sleep and awareness.

It wasn't until Theo let off a soft growl that she sensed someone getting close to the house. He moved to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder, watching the front door with wary eyes.

A soft knock came a few seconds later, followed by a light voice. "Avayla? It's Gahyeon. Can I come in?"

It's Gahyeon.

I know... Theo said softly. He watched as Maria tilted her head to the side curiously. What is it, Sweetheart?

She's nervous. Maria looked at her parents. Why are they nervous to be around us when they are the ones who took us?

Avayla pursed her lips and sighed. I'm not sure, so we just need to be careful and observe everything we can, alright?

When Maria nodded, Avayla looked back at the door and called, "Come in."

The door opened slowly, followed by the cute little alpha peeking around the corner with a shy smile.

For a second, Avayla had to double check herself and her feelings, but there really was no denying that the wide smile and big eyes Gahyeon had been blessed it's really were cute. Her bubbly nature helped with that too.

"Hiya!" The alpha said, proving Avayla's point to herself. "It's been awhile, I just wanted to stop by and see how you are doing."

Avayla couldn't help but smile and nod her head toward the couch as an invitation. "We are doing fine, thank you."

"Wonderful! Are you in need of food or anything?" Gahyeon waved at both Maria and Theo before skipping over to the couch. "I see little Maria has found the ice cream. Is it good?" She asked, looking directly at the young beta.

"Mmmhmm!" Maria hummed around her spoon.

She seems... relaxed. Theo commented through a private link.

She does. How are you feeling? Avayla made sure to not look at her mate. Her instincts told her that their ability to communicate with each other so easily was something they needed to keep to themselves.

Theo's eyebrows scrunched together and he lifted a hand to pick at his lip, a trait he had inherited from his mother that Avayla found adorable. Neutral, I guess? That's the best word I can think of. I'm not sending any hostility from her. She genuinely seems happy you let her in.

Hearing the words coming from her mate allowed Avayla to relax a bit. She trusted his intuition more than her own and knew he would pick up on the slightest change coming from their visitor. "We will probably need some more meat soon." She said, finally answering Gahyeon's question.

The alpha's eyes sparkled when she met Avayla's gaze. "We can make that happen! We have our own herds we tend to and protect from humans."

"Your... own herds?"

"Yup! Our territory is huge and has plenty of room for both deer and elk to graze and raise their young. We monitor their population and make sure they have clean water and nutritious food. We even leave them treats to find that we make ourselves so they get all the nutrients they need."

So they raise them like pets? Theo chuckled and quirked his lips to the side.

Gahyeon noticed and sat up a little straighter. "What did he say?" Then she started laughing after Avayla repeated the question. "I suppose it would look like that to you! But no, we have our own pets here that we adore. The deer and elk are used as a reliable food source for us. We keep contact with them to a minimum."

"How do you keep them from leaving or migrating?" Avayla asked while shifting Kendra in her arms when her daughters mouth slipped.

It took Gahyeon a long moment to answer again. Her eyes had fallen on the small child and were filled with wonder. "We, um," she shook her head a little and returned her focus to the other alpha, "We have guards set up on rotation to watch the borders, both our territory borders and the herd borders." Gahyeon swallowed quickly then asked, "What's it like?"

"What's what like?" Avayla asked, confused by the shyness that had entered the alpha's voice.

"Being a mom..."

"Oh-" Avayla's eyes flashed to her mate then back again. She could sense the change in Gahyeon's mood through Theo and it made her heart ache a little. "It's wonderful. I love it. It's the most challenging yet rewarding thing I think I will ever go through."

The other alpha nodded slowly and looked down at her hands. Her scent grew heavy with emotion, filling the air and weighing down on Avayla's senses. "I've always been curious... but really I've always been jealous whenever I see the betas and omegas."

"Why haven't you tried?"

"Most of us were raised with the impression that we couldn't, or that it was nearly impossible. And it made sense, what with alphas being so dominant and how much of a struggle it would be for us to submit long enough for it to actually, you know," Gahyeon blushed and rubbed the back of her neck, almost as if she were embarrassed to be talking about sex. "A few females tried, I think long before our pack was really established, and none of them were successful. From the stories I've heard, too many of them ended up harming their partners, and the few times they were successful, they pregnancy never took. But... you've had two." When the alpha finally made eye contact again, tears glistened in her soft chocolate eyes. "You're so lucky."

The fact that guilt was the first emotion Avayla felt surprised her. She even fought back a little whine and the natural urge she had to go and comfort someone else in pain.

Then Maria shocked them all by gliding over to sit next to Gahyeon. She placed her hand over one of the alpha's and squeezed. "Maybe you will get lucky too. Maybe you just need to find the right person like Mama and Papa did."

Gahyeon's smile grew wide, her rising cheeks forcing the tears from her eyes, but she laughing brightly and tapped her finger on the young beta's nose. "You know? I think you're right. Thank you, gongju, I promise I'll keep looking."

What does that mean? Gongju? Theo asked, tilting his head.

Avayla relayed his question while Gahyeon wiped her eyes. "It means princess. We can everyone here either that or wangja, or prince, as a term of endearment or informal title. It reinforces that we are all one pack and that we need to coexists as one to survive. While we have a council and one alpha that is our 'leader', we don't have a Head Alpha or anyone of 'royal blood' that we bow down too." She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "They are usually such pigheaded assholes anyway."

The air in the room shifted instantly when both Avayla and Theo let out low, warning growls. The other alpha must have realized what she said instantly because she slapped a hand to her mouth and shook her head rapidly. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean- I know they aren't all like that- There's no way yours would be with how your little family is. It's just..." She slowly dropped her hand and closed her eyes. "Mine was like that, so it left a bad taste in my mouth."

Avayla scrunched her nose, not liking the insult toward her alpha, even if it wasn't intentional. She was about to make a rude comment when Theo squeezed her shoulder to stop her.

He sent images of all the memories he had of the terrible alphas their family had dealt with in the past, or even just the stories they were told, and names flashed through her mind.

Alistar.

Alpha Pack.

Lance.

Jasper.

Silas.

Freya.

Ultima.

Caius.

With a long, almost defeated sigh, Avayla spoke softly to their visitor, "I'm sorry you had to go through that in the past. No one deserves it. My pack has experienced our own share of awful alphas, unfortunately. We know what you're talking about, probably more than most living here." Then I've entered her tone, giving it a sharp edge laced with warning, "But do not insult my alpha again, even if it was unintentional. Hongjoong is the best alpha there is and this pack would be lucky to have him as a leader."

Gahyeon whimpered and bowed her head with a nod. "I'm so sorry." She murmured. Then she slowly stood, making Maria move away from her, and she bowed at the hip. "I'll, um... I'll put in your request for more food and we will have it delivered tomorrow."

Then she was gone.

I don't think she meant to say anything bad about Uncle Joong. Theo said, his voice low and thoughtful. I felt true remorse when she realized how that came across.

I don't care. This pack seems to think we are lacking something when it sounds like they are the ones who truly missed out on having someone like Uncle Joong and your dad.

I agree, Avie.

Even with the mixed voices, the voice of reason ended up coming from their ever observant daughter, who was still looking at the door with a frown on her face. They keep saying we need them, but... What is they are the ones who need us?