Our Luna, Our Mate by Linda Middleman

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Our Luna, Our Mate Chapter Athena's POV

Baby? It's hard to wrap the words around me. As I know Ares and Eros say it's too early but in a werewolf pregnancy they only last for about 5 to maybe 6 months opposed to a human who carries their baby for 9 months out of a year when they conceive. "You okay love?" calls Ares, jolting me from my thoughts as we continue to sit inside of the bedroom. Debating if we should risk venturing out how that I'm pregnant and no longer in heat. "Yea, I'm okay, just still on cloud 9 as I try to process all of this. Us being parents to a tiny little human. That's crazy. I just wish my parents could be here for that" I say, now realizing that my parents were gone and I no longer had a family to share it with. Hey now, don't think like that. Our child will always be loved. Regardless of who the Grandparent is. Our parents will love and cherish you as if you were their own" chimes Eros, hoping to make me feel better. "Do- Do you mean that?" I ask, really hoping their parents would accept me as their own as those few times we've interacted with one another really seemed to make an impact on me. "We do, now no more worrying. This is supposed to be special. Our new Luna is now pregnant with our child. I can't wait to tell mom and dad, they'll be super happy" exclaims Ares, Deimos and Zeus both over the moon to have pups of their own.

Hey,

Smiling, I move to shove all my sad thoughts away. "You're right" I say, until something else finally dawned on me. Having been consumed by my heat for the past four days I had completely forgotten to ask about the Moon Walker Pack. Spotting my new expression, Áres and Eros move to look at me, now worried about my sudden. change in mood. "Athena? Is everything okay?" asks Eros, his hand now moving to rest against my leg, our bodies still sitting on the bed. Looking at my mates, I hesitate to say the one thing I now needed to know. "I-Is the Moon Walker Pack safe?" I stutter, fear now gripping at my chest for the last time we had spoken to Alpha Alarick he was unable to reach Alpha Blackwood and that was almost 4 days ago. "I-" tries Ares only to pause, realizing that he had no clear answer either. "Shit" he curses, his hand turning to fists at how he could have forgotten to ask his father during my heat knowing! would have asked about it the minute I could. "I'm sorry love, I totally forgot to ask my father. While handling your heat, our heat, my mind was

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not in the right mind setting" explains Ares, hoping I would understand.

"I know," 1 whisper, unable to stay mad at him. For when a wolf's heat rises, it becomes too hard to control, let alone be able to focus until the heat either broke or subsided and only then could you catch your bearings.

"How about this, How about we all quickly shower ind then go grab a bite to eat. After all, I'm sure Athena's mighty hungry now, now that she's currying our pup. Eating for two is a lot of work" chuckles Eros making me blush by his words, "And then once we're finished we can go look for father and talk to him about the Moon Walker Pack, sound fair?" continues Eros, hoping it would help ease my worries.

"Sounds like a plan to me" I say, my fears subsiding as we all move to shower. For showering together had now become one of my new favorite things to do besides snuggle with them on the bed. -A Few Minutes Later-

Once showered and dressed we eventually move to leave the room. Scanning the hallway as no one was supposed to be anywhere near the room until tomorrow we slowly made the journey towards the kitchen. Hoping the kitchen would be semi empty when we did. Noticing the time we couldn't help but see it read 5 o'clock which meant it was too late for lunch but still too early for dinner as we slowly entered the kitchen, the staff pausing as they all moved to look at me. "Easy, she's safe to be around now, her heat has officially broken assures Eros, once he noticed their stares.

Still hesitant, the staff slowly moves to go back to what they were doing. Preparing for tonight's dinner. Sighing, Ares moves to grab food while Eros as I stay silent, all the while staying out of their way, not wanting to get in the way as they cooked.

No sooner does Ares return do we quickly turn to leave, deciding to sit outside by the pond before enjoying our quick snack. "Do you like it?" asks Ares, once I had taken a bite of food, savoring the different tastes as Ares had grabbed multiple dips along with fruits and things to dip them in, keeping the meal light as we would be having dinner soon and dinner was normally served around 6 or 7 depending on what was being served that day.

Smiling around a mouth full of food, I move to nod my head as I swallow. "Mmm, yes. Tastes wonderful" I say enjoying the sweet textures.

"Good, that's one of our signature fruit dips, paired with the right fruits it can taste amazing" chuckles Ares as he moves to drip a strawberry into the dip before bringing it up towards my lips.

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"Say Ah"

"Ah" I say, giggling as Ares feeds me the strawberry, a moan rising at the taste of yummy food, Eros moving to eat as well. Each of us taking turns to feed one another as we move to enjoy the outdoors after being confined to a room for days. That was until someone had mind I I linked Ares, his focus now elsewhere, as my eyes moved to focus on him and only him. 'Ares, I need you and Eros to report to my office, NOW! It's urgent. Bring Athena as well' says

Alarick as he reaches out to his son.

"But father, 1- tries Ares, only to be cut off once again.

'NO Ares... it's about the Moon Walker Pack. It's Urgent' was all he was given as Alarick closes the link between them, leaving him no room for debates.

Gazing towards me and Eros, Ares moves to sigh before speaking. Knowing we couldn't avoid the subject at hand any longer. "Father has linked me" remarks Ares, unsure how to explain this. "And?" I say, wanting to rip off t rip off the bandaid.

"He said it was urgent. Something that involves the Moon Walker Pack. And before you ask, he didn't specify what it was, just that it involved them" he finished, his eyes telling me he meant business, my fears suddenly returning to the forefront of my mind. Feeling my fears rise, I begin to hope and pray that nothing bad has happened to them. Oh Moon Goddess, please let them be okay, I pleaded silently to Selene, knowing she could hear me. After all she said so herself the last time we had spoken. Why are you protecting them?' grumbles Artemis, not understanding why I cared what magically happened to them.

Because, no matter what, it'll always be our home. Plus, they weren't all bad,' I say to her, hoping. she would at least try to understand where I was coming from.

Sighing, she moves to drop the subject. Knowing it would be pointless to argue with me, especially when my mind was made up. 'For your sake, and mine, I hope you're right' was all Artemis says as she moves to return to her space. Our space.

I am Artemis... I am' was my only reply, my eternal thoughts all rushing around me as I tried to control them all. At least I hoped they were okay. Because deep down, I knew that no matter how mean, or how awful Beta Colin and his family could be, the Moon Walker Pack had been my home since I was 9, and while I wanted so hard to through it all away and leave them all behind I knew that I couldn't because in doing that I was admitting to my fears, my pain, the dislike I had for