Chapter 48 - Preparing the Pack

Alpha Dillon sent out a mindlink to the pack, telling them there would be a mandatory pack meeting in two hours. Everyone was concerned because the Alpha didn't call mandatory meetings unless something was wrong.

As they filed into the dining hall, the only area big enough to hold everyone comfortably, the tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. The Alpha, Luna, Dominick, and Kaleigh stood at the Alpha table. Felicia was at the table too, but she was sitting down, looking at her phone.

After everyone had taken their seats and had settled down, Alpha Dillon stepped forward. He had Alannah's hand in his for support; he knew the pack would be upset with the second part of their news.

"Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for meeting with us so quickly. I have a couple of announcements to make. First, I am happy to inform everyone that my son Dominick and his mate Kaleigh are expecting their first pup." The Alpha turned toward the couple as everyone started cheering and shouting congratulations.

The good news seemed to ease everyone's mind temporarily. Kaleigh was surprised to see so many pack members excited about the news of their pup. The most excited of all was Felicia. She was jumping up and down, squealing with excitement at the thought of being an aunt. After the noise had died down, the Alpha began to speak again.

"That was the good news. However, that wasn't the only news that I needed to share. I want to thank everyone for all the hard work you put into defeating the witches that attacked us a few days ago. We prevailed with limited lives lost. Unfortunately, the battle has only begun. We recently discovered that several black magic covens have decided to attack our pack in hopes of getting their hands on Kaleigh's stone."

There were looks of shock as all eyes turned toward Kaleigh, making her uncomfortable. She noticed that no one seemed upset with her but more concerned. Dominick wrapped his arm around her shoulders in comfort while they waited for his dad to finish.

"The good news is that we will not be fighting alone. Besides Kaleigh, Alannah and Celeste, we will have many pure magic witches joining the fight. The hope is that they will be more effective by using pure magic to fight the black magic on top of our fighting skills. Once again, we will ask everyone to train with the witches in our pack to prepare. We have at least a few months until they descend upon us, so let's prepare." Alpha Dillon stepped back, indicating that he had finished speaking.

There was a lot of talking as pack members spoke among themselves about what was coming. Kaleigh could feel the nervous energy all around her. Kaleigh felt someone tap her shoulder, and she jumped, startled. When she turned around, she saw Amber with a handsome man next to her.

"Hi, Kaleigh. This is my mate, Troy. I just wanted to thank you once again for doing everything you did to give me my life back. I'm sorry I was so horrible to you when you arrived." Amber looked down, afraid that Kaleigh would be mad at her.

"Amber, I don't blame you for the spell Brielle put on you. I'm glad that I could help and that you were able to reconnect with your mate." Kaleigh smiled at Troy, who was just a couple of inches taller than her, with tan skin and light brown hair.

"I wanted to thank you as well, Kaleigh. Without you helping Amber, my wolf and I would still be in a lot of pain from the rejection." Troy held his hand out for Kaleigh to shake, which she took with a smile before turning back to Amber.

"Amber, I'm very sorry about your father. I know what it's like to lose a parent, and it causes a pain that won't go away. It may get better over time, but it will always be there. If you ever need to talk or a shoulder to cry on, let me know, okay?" Kaleigh smiled at Amber, who was looking at her with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you, Kaleigh. I may take you up on that. I have another favor to ask. I've heard some talk about your fighting style, and I wanted to see if you would be willing to train me. I have never been the best fighter, but I am pretty limber. Maybe I won't be completely helpless if I learn your style." Kaleigh nodded at Amber.

"Yes, you can train with me. Before the last fight, I was working with some of the she-wolves. You are welcome to join the training sessions. We usually stick around the training facility after the pack training session in the morning. If you are ready, we will be getting back to it tomorrow." Amber nodded with excitement.

"Yes, that sounds great. Thank you." After Amber and Troy left Kaleigh, she looked to Dominick, who had watched the interaction.

"What are you grinning about?" She asked him with amusement as he walked over to put his arm around her.

"I am just amazed every time I see you with the pack. You are going to be a great Luna. The entire pack looks up to you and seeks you out for help or advice. I thank the Moon Goddess daily for making you my mate." Dominick bent down and kissed Kaleigh right there in the middle of the dining hall, not caring who was watching.

"Get a room." Felicia groaned behind them, causing both Kaleigh and Dominick to laugh.

"So, Felicia, are you ready to be an aunt? I don't think you are mature enough; our pup may be teaching you instead of the other way around." Dominick loved messing with his sister and seeing her temper come out.

"You better watch it, Dominick. I am going to be the best aunt that pup will ever have. I hope it's a girl so I can dress her up, and she looks like Kaleigh. We don't want the pup getting picked on if he or she has your ugly mug." Kaleigh was trying to hold back her laughter at the siblings' banter. It was such a breath of fresh air watching them pick on each other.

"Kaleigh, do you think the pup will be a hybrid like you?" Felicia was ashamed to admit that she was already feeling a little jealous of the pup that wasn't even here yet. Not due to the attention the pup would get, but because the pup may be able to do magic, unlike Felicia.

"I don't know; it's always a possibility. Skylar should be able to tell us soon if we are having a boy or a girl. She may also be able to tell us if the pup is a werewolf, witch, or hybrid. No matter what the pup is, I know you will teach them well, Felicia. I will need your help when the pup comes, so I hope you're ready." Kaleigh smiled at the teenager.

Kaleigh felt that Felicia was a little upset over the pup possibly having magic. She also knew how much Felicia wished she had been born a hybrid. Kaleigh would show Felicia how special she was just the way she is. She walked over and hugged Felicia, who hugged her back tightly.

Alpha Dillon and Luna Alannah were watching their children and Kaleigh. They looked at each other and smiled, knowing that after this next fight, they would be ready to step down and hand the reins over to the younger couple. They just hoped the fight went as planned.