Chapter 99 After 3 Years

(Hope POV)

I have finished my final year in undergrad. During my freshmen year, I excelled and was given the privilege to enroll in the university's accelerated program, finishing my course in three years instead of four. Instead of applying to med school right away, I decided I would use the extra year to live in France. Alexander asked me if I was willing to start a family, given I had a year to rest. I agreed and we are now waiting for me to go into heat.

I was waiting for the helicopter to fly me to Crescent Moon. Finally after 3 years, my territory was now fully rebuilt. There was a school and a hospital as well as homes for every wolf who may need one. My father's apple orchard was producing fruit in high volume, giving my pack sustainable income to live comfortably. I opened a bakeshop-slash-bakery in the village and asked Big Momma if she would like to partner up and mass produce her scrumptious apple pies. We now supply Seattle, Chelan, Spokane and Idaho and are thinking of expanding to New York.

My former Beta, Grace, is now the Luna of Blue Moon Pack. When Derrick arrived with us from Montana after the war, he instinctively went to Grace and claimed her as his mate. Grace at first didn't want anything to do with him, knowing full well, Damian was his father, but since they were fated mates, there was nothing she could do to stop the bond they had.

The courtship was tough on Derrick. He lived in our guest house on Dark Moon for almost two months before Grace herself came to Dark Moon territory in the middle of a stormy night, asking Derrick to take her in his arms and just be with her in the rain. They just stood there in the garden, in each other's arms, letting the rain wash away the past. When the rain stopped, they agreed to face the future as Alpha and Luna. They are now expecting their firstborn.

Amelie, has taken her job seriously as High Elder, and calls on a meeting every month to see how each pack is doing. She didn't approve of one pack being more financially stable than the other and has made changes to create business opportunities for all packs, not only for packs in the country, but all over the world. She had met with the Alpha of her former pack, a very soft spoken gentleman who asked her forgiveness for the abuse she had experienced when she was young. He was a stark contrast to her former Alpha who was abusive to his pack members, and Amelie liked him immediately. She, in partnership with Arthur, was now helping the Alpha and his pack create a sustainable business of their own.

Arthur, on the other hand, was living the life as a godfather of a made-up syndicate. For 3 years, he had done everything to infiltrate the syndicate. If it weren't for the money he had, the mob bosses wouldn't even give him time of day. Jacques was playing the role of his bodyguard slash right hand man. He wore colored contact lenses and masked his scent to keep the syndicate guessing. As for Yuri, who would never part from his king, was Arthur's Zeta.

They called me up the other day wondering when I would arrive. I first needed to finish some paperwork at the university for my diploma and transcipt and go home to the territory to give last minute instructions before Mark, David, Maria, Leia, Alexander and I would fly to France to live in a mansion I had bought from a celebrity. Maria was so excited. She took French classes and was hoping to make an impression on a French man.

Amanda, Lucian and Leo have been happily living together in Alabama. Diane and Howard would regularly fly to see them. However, since we were leaving to live in France, we asked them to move back to Dark Moon. They were going to arrive next week.

My mom and dad came back to Crescent Moon right after the war and were happy to accommodate the young rogues that arrived in the territory. My mother is the headmistress of  the school while my father takes care of the orchard.

Since Grace had left, I designated George as my new Beta. He had the respect of the pack and while I was in school, he kept everything under control. He'll be the one in charge of Crescent Moon with Amos by his side.

To infiltrate the syndicate, you need to know how it works on the inside. Since Damian Lancaster could no longer live on Blue Moon Territory given his crimes against Grace, I have put him to good use after he came to me begging for a place to stay. Leia and Damian used to work for the drug syndicate and Leia had said Damian had far more connections than her so, I sent him to France to serve as Arthur's butler. The two actually get along quite well and Arthur clearly enjoys listening to Damian when it comes to the critical thinking of the criminal mind.

I hear the whirring noise of the helicopter and exit Alexander's penthouse suite to climb to the helipad. The girls wanted to stay here in Seattle for some fun and I had allowed them to borrow my Ferrari until it was time to leave for abroad.

"Sir, you need to sign this too before you leave." I look behind me and see Alexander exiting the elevator. He was buttoning his suit jacket and fixing his hair. He turned around, took the clipboard from his secretary and scanned the document real quick. He then took the pen and signed it.

"I'll be back on Monday. No calls until then." He instructed her.

"Yes sir. Everything will be handled by the COO." His secretary bows and enters the elevator to bring her downstairs.

"I see Derrick will be handling everything now then?" He gives me a kiss on my forehead.

"My new graduate!" He grins, happy I can now be considered a graduate. "Derrick has to put his fancy education to good use. What's the use of paying him so much money if he won't work?"

"Grace I heard has settled quite nicely in one of Arthur's apartments in his building. She said her mother will be coming to help her get ready for the baby." I tell him, putting his mind at ease. His office in France was already ready for him. Since he manages Arthur's bank as well as his business, he needed to keep a close eye on everything.

"When will we be having a pup of our own?" I knew the question would pop up. He has been keeping a keen eye on me hoping I'd be in heat soon.

"I'll be going to have a check-up, Alexander. The Doc never falters. If she says I'll be going into heat soon, she means it."

"Already called her. She'll be waiting for us at the mansion." He says candidly. No way I could get out of our agreement. We are going to start a family.

"Why thank you. I can at least get that out of the way." I punch him on the arm. He tries to shield himself and giggles.

"Come on. They're waiting for us back home." He guides me to the helicopter, bending my head down. Alexander was already looking at lists for girl names. He knows our firstborn will be a daughter of Lupa. He loved the idea of being surrounded by women with gold eyes.

I looked down at my territory as the helicopter flew above it. It was beautiful. My mansion had the symbol of the crescent moon and star on top of it. I could see some of the students practicing their combat skills and some of the men still at the orchard, carrying baskets of apples.

I was caught off guard when the helicopter started to land at the helipad of Crescent Moon. We usually land at Dark Moon and I would just drive to my territory after so, I wasn't expecting this.

We got out of the chopper and Alexander guides me to my mansion. When we entered, everyone yelled, "Surprise!" They had set up a graduation party and an early birthday party for me!

I started crying. I just didn't have the words to express how happy I was, to be in the company of such special people. It was an honor and a privilege.

I was really surprised to see Leia and Maria. Thet kept talking about the fraternity party they were going to attend while in Seattle so, clearly I wasn't expecting them to be here.

"It was so hard to keep it from you. I kept avoiding your hand like the plague." Maria told me. I did notice they would keep a distance from me. It was because of my gift of hindsight.

"What about Alexander?" I ask them.

"He only found out this morning. It's so hard to keep a secret from you. Remember that guy I was silently crushing on and you just blurted it out? It made me want to die right then and there." Maria was recounting one of the instances I had accidentally used my gift."

"You guys are wrong. I found out last week. I just learned how to block off Hope. I asked my mother to help me. So, surprise!" Alexander comes with a plate of food. My mother had cooked all of my favorite food. She asked to go to France with me, but I told her it would be safer for her here. After the Rogue Lord, she doesn't want to get in the middle of anything dangerous, so she nodded her head and told me to video call them everyday.

"Diane knows how? Oooohhhh." Maria walks over to Diane who was happily chatting with my mother. Great.

Doctor Frances, seeing I didn't have a plate of food yet, asked me if she could examine me now before I ate. It would give her a better estimate if she gave me a check-up on an empty stomach.

After my first heat in July, my next cycle came late as well as the next and only lasted for a few days rather than the usual one week. The Doc said it was from all the stress of school since I also did summer classes. It was compulsory because I had enrolled in the accelerated program of the university. I was hoping my cycle wouldn't be off this time. I didn't have anything to stress about anymore except my trip to France.

"You turn 21 soon which is a milestone in an Alpha's life. Your cycle will coincide with your birthday." Doc Frances takes off her gloves and gives my legs a pat. "If you have any plans that day, I suggest you cancel them or you can go on a romantic rendezvous with Alexander. Away from wolves."

"Alexander will be very happy to hear I go unto heat soon. Doc, honestly, I'm scared." I avert my eyes from her finally voicing out my concerns.

"Scared of going into heat or scared of being pregnant?"

"Being pregnant." I tell her.

"Don't be. You are a strong woman. Nothing will harm your child. Your baby will make you even stronger."

"How about if I die? I can't leave her all alone."

"I see where this is coming from." Doc Frances was always quick. I died three years ago not expecting to come back. Soon, I will be going to France to help Jacques regain his birthright against a powerful criminal wolf syndicate. You always have to expect the worse. "You won't die and you won't leave your baby alone. I will be going to France after I finish training the new doctor who will substituting me here while I'm gone. Alpha Alexander has already gotten me a place to stay and I have gotten in touch with a colleague of mine there. So don't worry. I will be with you every step of the way." She gives me a hug.

"Wow, Alexander has had this planned all along. I feel better now." I stand up and fix myself.

"It's time for you to make a family and merge the two packs to make it whole. I will notify Alpha of your cycle so he can plan accordingly." I nod my head and smile at her.

It's going to be a second honeymoon for the both of us.

In Europe.