CH 9

Nora Finally, the door to the birthing suite opened, and Nora pulled herself from her own thoughts on this pack, and the pack doctor and nurses all filed out and then Rob appeared and smiled at them all. He looked very happy to her, she knew why he loved Nita, their Mate Bond had been perfect and strong from the get-go. He doted on his Mate, just like her father did her mother. He waved them in, and they got introduced to little Rosanna. She was a cute little bundle of joy, wrapped up in a pretty pink and white crochet blanket; something Rob’s mother had made and gifted to them, sent from his home pack just 30 minutes away. His parents would likely be here shortly after being informed their granddaughter had finally arrived. Her niece was already resting comfortably in Nita’s arms, and Nora smiled at her sister. “She’s beautiful.” She told her as she looked down at her and then hugged Nita a little. “Thank you. She's got our golden-brown eyes, but the rest is all Rob,” Nita chuckled softly. Rosanna didn’t have their black hair or olive skin, her skin was fair, and she had light brown hair just like Rob did. “Adorable is all I see.” Nora smiled and reached out to run her fingers gently over the little girl’s head. “An Alpha’s blessing I bestow upon you, my little one. May Selena always shine her moon's light on you, and gift you a loving Mate in the future.” Then she tapped her right on her tiny button nose and looked at her sister, who hugged her. “Thank you.” Nita smiled, tearing up just a little at the blessing given. “You never know Nita, she might just be the future of this pack,” Nora stated and hugged her back. “You’ll find a nice Mate someday, and you’ll get to have an heir of your own sister… Alpha.” Nita smiled. “You know, I love being able to say that to you. I also love that the lands of our Goddess recognized the strength in you, and deemed you worthy, granting you that very status.” Nita chuckled. “It’s like the sweetest revenge on that dipshit, when he finds out, of course.” “I’m not looking for him to find out anytime soon.” She shook her head. “He also won’t recognize me at all anymore.” But that was mostly because she’d also changed a little with her new Bloodline as most Alpha’s did. She’d become taller with her new status, as Rosa had become larger herself. Nora was now five-foot-ten, instead of the five-six she had once been, she also didn’t have that sweet 20-year-olds face she’d once had back then. She looked to be about 30 in human years, older and wiser, she liked to think of it as. She had a more adult-filled-out look to her face, instead of innocent youthfulness. Jace would also think she still smelled like a Luna, and still hold that lowly warrior blood. That was what he would be looking for, but she was now Alpha-blooded. She still had the same scent of pecans and maple, which were her two natural scents, but her pack scent was now different, as was her bloodline. He or his unit, walking past her, even if they smelled her on purpose, there was no Luna rank to be picked up. She could likely walk right past all of them in a pair of sunglasses. She was too different from how she’d once been inside that pack, especially if they were looking at her from behind and not face on. Her height and new bloodline would see them all dismiss her in an instant. Wolves relied on their sense of smell to recognize others around them. What rank they were and which pack they came from, who they were related to, most could discern a family bond between wolves. If that wolf they were scenting was mated and even what rank that venom was that ran in one’s veins could all be picked up on. He could no longer do that with her, because she was nothing at all like who she had once been. Not even in personality, she was out here loud and proud, happy, and outgoing, and she laughed a lot, didn't hide herself away and never had. She was willing to bet if she wanted to, she could sit opposite him at a table, shake the man's hand in greeting and if she had sunglasses on, he'd dismiss the two scents that were hers and believe it was a coincidence and nothing more. He'd be oblivious unless she pointed it out herself to him. Although she was willing to bet that he still smelled exactly the same, as he had to her all those years ago when she’d been his Mate. That she’d scent a warrior’s venom in him, though she doubted very much she would pick it up as her venom anymore, because that venom that had once been hers was now not hers. Nora believed that she wasn't going to feel that connection to him anymore, because technically it wasn't her venom anymore, and he wouldn't feel it where she was concerned, because she was no longer tied to him, something she was thankful for because she didn’t want any connection at all between them regardless of how minute it may be. Her pack was only four and a half hours from his by car. The Black Rose pack was just west of Colorado Springs, and it was probably just pure luck that she’d never come across him in the past 10 years of being an Alpha to this very pack. Prior to that moment, she’d been living inside Alpha Garrett’s pack down in New Mexico, in a one-bedroom apartment on the second floor of the packhouse. Alpha Scott had insisted on that, she’d argued it was fine for her to live in a single dorm. That he shouldn’t account for her past at all, it was gone, regardless of what he knew, and he’d stood staring at her and then stated in an almost off-handed way. “Nora, sweetheart, it’s not about what you once were. It’s solely just an added layer of protection for you, in case that man comes here or tracks you down here. You’ll be safer in close proximity to myself, the unit, and, of course, my heirs.” She’d not been able to argue with that particular logic, and Deidre had chuckled and linked arms with her shown her to a full one-bedroom suite on the second floor, had murmured, “I talked him out of the Alpha floor, you owe me one, I had to…” she’d snorted and then waved it off "Never mind." Nora had understood her trailed off meaning and thanked her. But prior to living inside the Triple Moon permanently, she’d lived in a dorm at Berkley, her university of choice for her Architecture degree. Her life had moved on pretty smoothly for a long time even now it was still rolling along, and she was happy. She held her niece in her arms, smiled down at her little Alpha-blooded niece, and all she could do was smile and feel joy, not only at her birth but knowing she was going to be loved and doted on by all. All of her kin here inside this pack for generations to come were now going to be Alpha-blooded. Picking up that scent of Alpha blood on her niece for the very first time and her happy reaction to it, reminded her of the first time she’d returned to the Triple Moon after this very pack had claimed her for itself. She’d turned up at the gates of the Triple Moon and the gate guard, Harold, had frowned at her, “Nora?” he asked tentatively, recognizing her looks but not the scent. She’d nodded and smiled. “There was a hiccup to my weekend,” she'd stated, because that was what Alpha Gretta had called it with a chuckle, after introducing her to the rest of the council members at her Alpha College. "A hiccup of near death has created an Alpha." had been Gretta's words. She’d been waved through the Triple Moon's gate with a nod and the words of, “I can see that.” She’d made her way to the Alpha’s office where Garrett had been sitting at his Alpha desk, and he and his unit's eyes had all moved right to her. The moment they'd scented there was an unknown Alpha-blood coming into his office. They’d all stood and stared at her, and she’d smiled. “I did say something odd happened.” She'd smiled at him, reminding him of her text. “It certainly is.” He’d murmured and gotten up and walked over to her “How? It’s not Mate-related,” he’d asked after the initial moment of shock wore off, and curiosity had gotten the better of him. She’d explained it to him and his unit as Gretta had to her. Then, after a moment, he’d burst out laughing and thought it was very funny, as had his unit, and he had simply stated, “Well, Alpha Nora Rosa, of the Black Rose pack, let me be the first allied pack you have.” Something he had become, that very day over a handshake. The paperwork for the alliance had taken a little longer, she'd learned from him how to do that. She’d driven him and his unit to the pack and they’d all looked around. It had been Garrett and his unit that had helped her to plan the pack she was about to start to grow. Allowing her to live within his pack until it was actually livable up there and had pack members to its name. Alpha Clayton had become her second allied pack. She had a few wolves that had migrated from both of those packs to the Black Rose now, as well as others that came via the wolfen council or a few packs that Gretta thought could send wolves over to start fresh or help with the protecting of her pack. Alpha Aston and Luna Mala had lent her many warriors over the years. Some opted to stay forever, and some opted to return to the Hollowed Moon after a year. That was their home, and they wished nothing more than to live under their true Alpha and Luna. Those wolves that came for a year, looked at it as just a work transfer to be attended to for a year before returning home. It wasn’t that far from the Hollowed Moon, and they were allowed to bring their families with them. Return at the end of the contracted period if they wished. She handed little Rosanna to her mother after five minutes, and she could see she was itching to hold her grandchild. “You’re going to spoil her rotten aren’t you.” “Yes.” Her mother chuckled. “How can I not? I loved her before she was born. Just like I did you and your sister.” She smiled. “I’ll be ever impatiently waiting for you, Alpha, to give this pack and heir that I can spoil rotten too.” Nora shook her head a little. “That will be a while away, I’m not looking for that at all. I don’t need a Mate to rely on, I’m independent and intelligent enough that I can do things all on my own.” Nita hit her in the arm. “Stop that, not all Mates are bad.” Nora smiled, “You get some rest," They all, she knew, wanted to see her get a new Mate, one that would see her loved up like they were.