One and a half months later...

Lyndis stood in one of her spare bedrooms as she gently rocked the little infant in her arms. Her newest brother's tiny pink face was set in a contented look; his tummy was full after his first feeding. Lyn gently ran the back of her finger over his chubby little cheek.

He was perfect, in every way.

Lyn glanced to her mother who had finally fallen asleep. Iyana was next to her, slumped against the headboard at an awkward angle. She was fast asleep as well. Lyn smirked a bit. She would have to adjust her later. It was early, around 2:00 a.m.

Aurelia and Sylvie had the toddlers with them asleep in the next room, but other than them, the house was empty. Gaius had been called away on pack matters to the Alma pack, the pack that Gaius's second eldest brother, Diogo, was to take charge of.

He had been gone a few days and told her to use the house however she wanted, though even if he'd been there, Lyn had no doubt he wouldn't have minded leaving for this.

Marion hadn't gone as wolf-crazed as Lyn feared she might during her labor with the close proximity of non-pack scents around them, but the cottage had no running water, so Lyn thought it best she deliver here.

It barely fazed Marion that Lyn was in a different pack now; a laboring female always recognized her own family.

Lyndis glanced back to her mother again, it had been the first time she had helped her through it without her aunt, but everything had gone perfectly, despite the heartache it brought up.

Lyn glanced briefly toward the window when she heard some hesitant footsteps approaching the house from a slight distance. She couldn't see him or smell him at the moment, but she had a hunch who it was, even though she'd told him to wait for her to call.

He never listened; she knew he was always anxious. Lyndis glanced back down at the little pup when he made a little coo and Lyn smirked a bit.

"You wanna meet your daddy?" She asked him quietly. She glanced cautiously to her mother, ensuring she was fully asleep since she doubted she'd be out of her mother-wolf aggressive mode for another few hours at least.

Lyndis gently eased the babe out of the blanket to set it down at the edge of the bed to ensure his scent remained in the room. She grabbed a fresh blanket and quietly left the room.

Lyndis wrapped her new little brother up again as she walked with light steps down the stairs to the front door. The moment she pushed through it, she saw him waiting near the tree line. Lyndis smirked as she walked over to him.

"How is she?" Geoffrey asked quietly, his attention on the house, but as she neared him, his eyes immediately fell on the little-wrapped bundle in her arms.

"She's fine; she's asleep. You have another son." Lyndis said as she gently handed him over to Geoffrey. She watched her father's face as he took him gently into his large hands and observed the little infant. It always amused Lyn how he held newborns with far more caution then he really needed to, as if he was afraid to break them.

"Renault it is..." Geoffrey said with a bit of a grin. Lyndis observed her brother's reaction to their father. He was watching him with squinted eyes. At that age, an infant was only easy in the arms of his mother and female relatives... the only males they were calm with was their father and the Alpha.

Renault was obviously easy in Geoffrey's arms, he recognized him as both father and Alpha. It always amazed Lyn seeing that connection form, infants bonded to their Alpha in an entirely different way than adults, especially when the Alpha was also their father.

It went quiet for a time as her father held his newest son, until finally, Geoffrey glanced up at her, and then to the house.

"Is it safe-" Geoffrey began.

"Not yet," Lyndis cut him off.

"We should wait until morning. I think she'll be fine by then." Lyndis added. Geoffrey just nodded and gently handed the baby back to her. Renault started to wail; his lungs certainly were healthy. Lyndis quickly soothed him, not wanting her mother to wake. Geoffrey just chuckled a bit.

"I hope he's not another Marius." Lyndis joked. Geoffrey just grinned a bit as he watched his newest son's little face. Lyn glanced up at her father, and though he was smiling, there was something in his eyes, a kind of sadness she hadn't noticed until then.

It occurred to her then what he must be thinking. This was very likely their last child with her mother's age. Her heats were already fading. The baby yawned big, and Lyndis glanced back to his little face. She looked back to the house and knew she had to get him back in the room before her mother noticed he was gone.

"We'll see you in the morning then," Lyndis said and turned to head back inside, though she doubted he was going anywhere. He would just wait nearby like he always did.

_

Two months later...

Lyndis glanced back in the direction of her families cottage for the fiftieth time as she walked along the pathway to the pack house with Gaius.

"You can see them after." Gaius said with a chuckle as he comfortingly squeezed her hand in his. Lyn glanced over at him with a fake scowl.

She hated this... but she expected it.

Carina's patience with her had come to an end. Gaius had said his mother wanted Lyn to start being more involved with the pack, and that she insisted she had given her plenty of adjustment time.

Lyn couldn't find any more excuses for not going... especially now that her mother was doing better and her new brother was a bit older.

Lyndis was overjoyed to see her mother's mood improve so much with a new pup to care for. It seemed to snap her mother out of her misery. But Lyn still spent as much time as she could at the cottage. Which had been nearly every hour of the day since her brother was born.

She knew she had been left alone by Carina for nearly the entire five months she'd been there. It was already more than anyone could ask for. She shouldn't be ungrateful for the time she was given ... but she still had hoped Carina would have waited until her family left at the end of the year they were allotted before she forced pack duties on her.

Clearly, that wasn't the case.

"It will only be for a little while," Gaius added. Lyn sighed and stared ahead of them as they walked along the jungle pathway. She still wasn't looking forward to it.

It was a pleasant day, they passed several pack members going about their daily lives. It was a busy walkway. Anyone they passed gave Gaius and she nods or bows of respect.

It felt... strange to her. It was easy to forget she had a rank now in an actual pack setting. She hadn't really been out among the people much, she had stuck to either their home or to her family's cottage.

She had lived as basically a rogue for most of her life, she knew it would take a lot of getting used to. Her wolf enjoyed it though... maybe a bit too much.

As they neared the pack house, a wolf suddenly came barreling through the jungle and darted toward the main gate. Lyndis glanced at Gaius in question. His expression changed slightly, more focused, but he said nothing. As they approached the plaza, she could see the male wolf had shifted to skin and was speaking hurriedly to the enforcers stationed there.

Lyndis observed him carefully. It was clear he was a border guard. She glanced at Gaius again. Border guards didn't usually leave their posts unless it was something important... something usually bad.

"Go ahead, I'm going to see what's going on," Gaius said distractedly as he broke away from her and headed toward the males. Lyndis frowned as she watched him. Her mate's demeanor had tensed slightly. Clearly, he was rattled about it too.

She watched for a moment as one of the enforcers rushed inside, and Gaius started talking to the three males who remained there.

She hated she couldn't understand what they were saying, her understanding of the language was still shaky at best. She felt the urge to go over as well, but she knew she'd only get in the way.

She would have to ask him about it later...

Lyn turned and pushed through the doors to head toward Carina's meeting spot. She'd only been there a few times before.

She heard the laughter and talking long before she approached the second floor open aired room. A caretaker walked by her carrying an empty tray and paused to give her a nod of respect before continuing.

Lyndis stopped for a moment and took a slow breath to prepare herself. Finally she forced herself to enter the room. 

"Lyndis," Carina spoke warmly as she gestured her to the third chair beside her. Lyndis gave her best polite smile as she moved to take the seat.

She felt everyone's eyes turn to her, and Lyn glanced around to the others gathered there with as polite a smile as she could muster in her nervousness.

She was seated beside Luana, Gaius's eldest's brother's mate, the future Alpha female. Lyndis had only met her a few times, once being at her mating ceremony and the other just in passing. But they hadn't spoken beyond brief greetings. Luana smiled pleasantly at her.

She was a pretty wolf in her early thirties, taller than most females with dark hair and dark eyes. Lyndis could see why she was chosen as a potential Alpha female. She definitely fit the part. It was clear she had good breeding, not up to par with Lyn's, but not far below it either.

On the other side of Lyn was a few of Gaius's younger sisters and nieces who were preoccupied talking amongst themselves and eating the snacks on the coffee table in front of them. Lyn wasn't completely straight on their names. A few had been the ones who tried to get her pack sisters to play with them in the early days.

Carina sat at the head chair on the other side of Luana and beside Carina to her right was Marcia, the female beta.

Lyndis made eye contact with her and they stared at each other for a moment.

She was a plain looking female with sharp features and dark hair. They met only once before, at her union ceremony. Lyn had taken an immediate dislike to the female... She just made her wolf prickle uneasily. And it was clear Marcia disliked her too. The disdain she saw in the older wolf's eyes was unmistakable, she didn't even try to hide it.

Lyn had never done anything to this female, but Lyn had lived a life that made her care little what others thought. She had no desire to be liked by anyone, especially someone who acted like she did.

Arrogant and prideful.

The Alpha wolf in her blood took offense to the audacity of the female, but Lyn didn't want trouble. Especially considering her circumstances. So from their first meeting she had already decided to steer clear of her whenever possible.

On the other side of Marcia was Gaius's oldest sister, Nori. She was fifteen and like Marcia, obviously hated her. In the few times they had met it was quite clear. Lyndis didn't have to wonder on that point. The way Nori looked at her said as much. She seemed quite close with Marcia. Lyn just figured the older female must have a strong influence over her and left it at that.

Nori had dark hair and eyes like Vitor. She looked nothing like her mother, but she was pretty in her own right. Lyndis had to give her that. She was also well-curved for her age. Most of the women in this pack were, and she smelled strongly of maturity.

Lyndis figured she must have been an early bloomer. It made her briefly wonder if she'd be mated off before the next Blood Moon.

Lyn glanced at the other females present. She wasn't sure who they were, but she assumed at least one was the female Gamma. They all appeared to be high ranked females and their daughters.

There were no introductions like she thought there might be. So she was just left to guess.

The conversations just continued.

Lyn sat with her mind preoccupied for the next fifteen minutes. She couldn't concentrate on anything they were saying. She barely understood them anyway. But the language barrier aside, she couldn't get her mind off her family.

Lyndis glanced at the window. She could see the enforcers outside acting restless. One darted off into the jungle a moment later. Lyn furrowed her brow.

The interaction at the front gate returned to her thoughts.

Was something going on? Her wolf was staring to grow antsy.

Marcia suddenly spoke sharply in Portuguese. Lyndis caught a word or two, and glanced back at her when she realized she was talking to her.

"Sorry." Lyndis quickly apologized in Portuguese. Marcia smiled that fake smile that made Lyn's wolf irritated and continued talking to her. Lyn did her best to follow along, and she glanced briefly at Carina. Her mother in law just smiled at her but offered no help.

After a moment Marcia scoffed and turned back to Carina to continue her rant. To Lyn's relief, Carina said something that clearly changed the subject. Marcia didn't seem happy, but she obliged, and they engaged in their mindless chatter again.

Lyn just looked back out the window. Her wolf wouldn't let it go. Something was clearly going on...

Thankfully none of the others tried to bring her into the conversation again, and the next two hours were the longest of her life.

Lyndis waited until she was sure it was polite to excuse herself after several others left, including Luana. As she walked down to meet Gaius on the pathway toward home she looked over at the enforcers again. They seemed to have settled from whatever happened earlier, but it didn't ease her nerves.

"How'd it go?" Gaius asked her the moment she approached him. Lyndis studied his expression.

"Fine... what happened?" Lyndis pressed. Gaius took her hand and they started walking back toward home.

"Nothing, you don't have to worry," Gaius said nonchalantly. Lyndis tugged his hand as she stopped walking. He paused and glanced back. Lyn gave him a hard expression. Gaius studied her eyes, before he sighed.

"We are having some issues with our neighboring pack, they are hunting on our lands is all." Gaius said, but his tone sounded like he was downplaying it. Lyndis frowned at him.

"Who?" Lyn pressed.

"The Filhos." He said. Lyndis studied his expression. She knew nothing about their neighbors. It occurred to her then she knew very little about the pack she now belonged to.

Why hadn't she thought to ask these questions sooner?

"Who are they?" Lyndis asked. Gaius tugged her forward to start walking again and she fell into stride with him.

"They share a large portion of our southeast border. We have had problems with them in the past... but my father always managed to work it out with their Alpha. I'm sure this is no different." Gaius said as he glanced back at the pack house. Lyndis followed his gaze.

"How many do they have?" Lyndis asked. The worry was climbing.

"We don't have a good indicator. They are a bit more on the wild side, they aren't feral but they are close. They live in encampments spread out over their land and as far as we know spend most of their time as wolves, but they haven't allowed anyone on their land for hundreds of years, so none of our own has ever seen it. It's not as extensive as ours but it's still quite vast. They keep wanting more of our land... my father allowed them some a few years ago in an effort to keep the peace, but honestly, I think it just made it worse. They have it in their heads we stole this land from them in our ancestry and we are invaders." Gaius said.

"Did you?" Lyndis asked curiously. She knew pack wars over land were not uncommon in the old days. Gaius shrugged.

"Who knows, we don't exactly have records from then. Our pack has been here for thousands of years. Though we have changed Alpha lines a few times." Gaius said.

Lyndis figured that. It was typical. Very few packs kept their Alpha lineage for long periods of time, especially those that warred often or had aggressors kill Alpha lines off and start their own. She felt the strength in Gaius's line. His had to have at least gone back several generations. She knew her own went back at least fifteen hundred years, and that was a rare occurrence. Gaius's was probably half that.

"My family is out there." Lyndis finally voiced her worry. They were tucked out closer to the southeast border in the cottage they were given.

"Other families live near there too, we increased our border guards in that area and we are having enforcers do more patrols. It should be fine." Gaius said reassuringly.

"Should I warn them?" Lyndis asked.

"No need... an enforcer has already visited them to let them know." Gaius said. Lyndis frowned.

"Did you want to head out there?" Gaius asked. Lyndis nodded.

"Want some company?" Gaius asked with a smile. Lyndis smiled back.

"Of course." She said. Her family already loved him, she knew they wouldn't mind. They stopped and turned back toward the other walkway that would take them to her family.

_

One month later...

"I want a pup..." Lyndis said sprawled nude across their bed in the late afternoon heat as she caught her breath from their recent activities....

They were still speaking French, even though she had been expressly forbidden to by her tutor, probably because of Carina, but it was Gaius who insisted on speaking her native tongue, not she.

It hardly mattered anyway.

Lyndis got plenty of Portuguese practice attending to all manner of pack duties Carina had suddenly been forcing on her. Ever since that first meeting a month ago...

Though those 'meetings' felt more like gossip sessions than actual pack matter discussions of the female leaders in the pack. At least from what she could understand. But the inflection in speech was very telling.

Lyndis had also been tasked with assisting Carina as she performed her Alpha female duties once a week... which were nothing like Lyn expected.

It was clear they had a very strong patriarch in the pack as opposed to others she had stayed with. Carina's duties seemed very unimportant and almost silly. Not that Lyn would ever voice it.

Clearly Vitor kept all the important decision making for himself.

Aside from that, Lyndis still had been spending almost every hour of the day at the cottage, so when she did return home to him, Gaius would immediately take her up to bed.

Not that they went to sleep early.

She grinned a bit at that thought. But with an infant almost constantly in her arms now, she'd had some serious baby fever. She kept imagining a mini version of her mate in her arms.

Gaius chuckled from his place sprawled nude beside her. It was hot, and their recent activity didn't make it any cooler.

"We have plenty of time for that... I think I'd like you to myself for a bit longer." Gaius added with a grin.

"But I want one noooww..." Lyndis whined playfully and shot him a fake scowl. He grinned.

"Well... it's not like we tried to prevent it." Gaius said as he leaned over to nuzzle her shoulder. She smirked back at him at the thought.

The last Blood Moon that passed just before her brother's birth had been rather... busy. They'd barely left the bedroom, or the bed, for that matter, but she likely couldn't get pregnant for a few more years; most female wolves weren't fertile in their early heats. It annoyed her current baby-fever mood greatly.

He must have seen the lust it stirred in her eyes remembering that night because he growled and rolled over on top of her again to begin kissing at her neck. His large comforting hands were caressing everywhere as his weight pressured her down into the mattress in the most satisfying way.

Lyn couldn't help but tilt her head back, exposing her throat to tempt the dominant wolf in him. She smirked to herself as she spread her thighs invitingly and stretched her arms out above her head to arch her breasts up and let him do whatever he wanted. She knew how posturing like that affected him.

God... she couldn't get enough of him.

He growled and she gasped as he immediately thrust back inside her. She moaned softly at how full and sensitive she felt but he didn't immediately start pounding into her like she expected, he started slow. Deep and long.

Lyn took several deep breaths and looked up at him. He was concentrating on her face with a mischievous grin. Lyn caressed her hands up over his arms that were propped beside her head and traced the muscles at his shoulders as he continued working between her thighs in that slow pace.

Lyn glanced down between them and couldn't help but admire her powerful mate as she watched his lower muscles flex with every thrust. With every push forward, he started to press his weight into her in that way that made her toes curl with how deep he got.

"Fuck..." Lyndis cursed and dropped her head back as he ground forward in the delicious way that sent hard pulses of pleasure through her pelvis. She jerked her hips against his, wanting more. He grinned and leaned down to nip her ear.

"Haven't got one of those before." Gaius teased. Lyn took a hard breath.

"Move," Lyndis growled. Gaius chuckled and kissed her temple.

"As my mate commands." He said and started to hammer into her, hard and fast, just the way she loved it.

And his stamina was unrelenting.

Lyndis fisted the sheets and whimpered in pleasure as she felt that winding pressure deep in her pelvis build to the point of nearly bursting, but he abruptly slowed his pace at the last moment and stopped completely.

Lyndis growled in frustration as he teasingly nipped at the side of her face and pressed inside her deeply. She was trembling now from unfulfilled pleasure.

"Gaius..." she growled and glanced up at him. His eyes were glazed. He leaned down to nuzzle her forehead with a growl of his own.

"Wasn't quite there yet, and I wanted to feel you squeeze me." He said with a teasing tone as he started to thrust again. Lyndis groaned and leaned her head back as he built back up to that hard rapid motion that warmed her pelvis. She started to tense again as that pleasure rebuilt, somehow higher...

He growled and leaned further into her to force her thighs wider apart. She felt his hands slip beneath her to hook her shoulders from below to brace her as he really started to put weight into his thrusts. Lyndis arched into him as her breath got shorter and shallower and she felt that pleasure wind tighter and tighter.

She felt his teeth scrape along the side of her throat. Lyn gasped and jerked her hips hard when the pressure unexpectedly burst and she came hard on him. Her muscles locked up and she tensed beneath him.

He growled in pleasure by her ear as buried himself deeply into her squeezing walls and even through the haze, she felt his heat fill her in that deeply satisfying way.

He kept his weight off her but stayed buried inside her as they calmed. Lyndis closed her eyes as she enjoyed the feeling of being satisfied and full,  when she felt him lean down to take a nipple into his mouth. Lyndis opened her eyes and quickly shoved his face away.

"No more... it's too hot," Lyn whined. She had reached her limit. Gaius chuckled and relented. He pushed off her and flopped down beside her again.

It went quiet for a time as they caught their breath, and Lyn enjoyed the feel of the fan blowing on her sweat-moistened skin.

If she had thought their winter was hot... she was sorely mistaken.

"I was thinking... we have a beach house in Ipanema... maybe we could go for a late honeymoon for a few days. It's cooler by the coast." Gaius said. Lyn glanced over at him with an odd look.

"Is it safe?" Lyndis asked uncertainly.

"Of course. It's within the Almo pack's territory." Gaius said.

"Really? When?" Lyndis asked as she pushed up to a sitting position to observe his face. She was unable to hide her excitement, she'd never done anything like that, with the life they lived, vacations weren't exactly high on the priority list.

"Tomorrow, if you want," Gaius said with a grin. Lyndis studied his eyes for a moment and frowned.

"I was thinking more in a few months... I'd like to stay nearby to help my mother out." Lyndis said. The look that came over Gaius's face was strange. Lyn furrowed her brow a bit.

"I'm sure she can spare you for a few days..." Gaius said, and there was something about his tone that Lyndis found odd. It wasn't like him.

"Is something wrong?" Lyndis asked as she watched his face intently now. He sat up and ran a hand through his hair in what Lyn thought to be a nervous manner. She gently ran a hand down his back.

"What's wrong?" Lyndis asked as she nuzzled against his shoulder and planted a light kiss on his skin.

"Nothing... just, with the territorial dispute and all... I just thought it'd be nice for us to get away for a few days. I already had it approved." Gaius said, but his tone was still off.

Lyn frowned at the reminder. Despite what Gaius had thought, the Filhos were not backing down and their Alpha would not agree to any arrangement. Over the last month the tensions had just continued to get worse. It worried her seeing so many enforcers patrolling the area out near where her family was.

And he wanted to go away in the midst of it all?

Lyn thought of all the things his father had him doing, and how her own mother still needed her help...

"I just think it's not good timing right no-" Lyndis started gently.

"Why not?" Gaius almost snapped at her. Lyndis stared at him in shock.

"Why are you pushing this?" Lyndis asked as she moved away from him a bit.

Something about this didn't feel right.

"I'm... not. I just thought it'd be nice for you and I to have some time alone together... away from everything." Gaius said, but still, there was an underlying tone of unease in his voice that was unsettling her. Lyndis frowned.

She felt it in her wolf.

"I don't want to go, not now," Lyndis said firmly.

Gaius tensed his jaw but stayed quiet. Lyndis watched him for a time in the silence that followed, but he said nothing more. She turned to slip out of bed. She decided to take a shower and leave him be for a bit, but he gently caught her arm.

She glanced back at him, unable to keep the annoyance out of her eyes, but his expression had softened again to the one she was so used to, the one she was fell in love with. He tugged her back in close to him and nuzzled affectionately at the side of her face.

"I'm sorry." He said. Lyndis smiled and nuzzled back against him.

"Me too..." She said.

"Where were you going?" Gaius asked.

"To take a shower..." Lyndis responded with a bit of a grin. Gaius returned the grin, and she squeaked a bit as he scooped her up and carted her off toward their bathroom.