Alpha Maximus：The last lycan

Chapter 23

Alex runs into our room, frantic.

‘Bella! Bella; she’s in labour. She’s on her way here with Sally and a few others,’ Alex pants, and

we sit up.

‘Congratulations! You're going to be a dad!’ Hope yells, excited.

‘How long until she gets here?’ I ask.

‘A couple of hours. I'll get the doctor ready,’ Nathan says, leaving our room. Pulling Hope into my

arms, I caress her face.

‘Welcome home, Luna,’ I say, with a smile, and Hope smiles.

‘I can't believe I'm here with you. We can finally be together without being hunted,’ she cries,

happily.

Spinning her around, I scoop her up, and my lips smash against hers in a fiery kiss.

‘I love you, Hope,’ I say, sincere. Hope kisses me back.

‘I love you too, Maximus,’ she says, sweetly.

We get dressed, and there’s a lot of excitement downstairs as everyone waits for Bella and the

new baby.

The doctor is in the sitting room with everything he needs. Beth serves us all tea and apple pie

while we sit around waiting.

‘How exciting!’ She declares. ‘It will be so nice to have a little baby running around the house.

Hopefully it isn’t long before Alpha and Luna add one to the mix,’ she laughs.

Everyone smiles and looks at Hope, who is a little embarrassed. She sinks into her chair a little,

and I chuckle.

‘All in good time, Beth. We’ll have babies when we’re ready,’ I laugh, giving Hope a reassuring

smile. Alex paces the floor back and forth, fretting.

‘She should be here by now,’ he says, worried.

‘I'm sure Bella is fine,’ I say, calmly reassuring him.

Alex's phone rings.

‘What do you mean? No, don't say that! I'm coming to you now!’ He says, ending the call. His

breathing becomes heavy and he grips his hair in his hands.

‘What's wrong? What has happened?’ I ask.

‘The baby hasn't come yet. She is bleeding badly,’ he says, and I run to the doctor to tell him to

follow us.

‘Where are they?’ I ask.

‘They’re just outside our territory,’ he says.

‘I'm coming with you,’ Hope states, and I nod.

We shift and follow Alex through the fields and the trees until we see a car parked on the side of

the road.

Bella is screaming in the back, in pain. The doctor approaches the backseat where Sally is holding

her hand, reassuring her.

‘She needs to push. The baby needs to come out now,’ the doctor says.

We encourage Bella to push and keep pushing. After her fourth push, the baby is delivered, and

the doctor wraps the crying baby up, and hands it to Alex. Hope and I approach him.

‘Congratulations, Alex,’ we say. He is in awe of the sweet little bundle.

‘Is it a boy or a girl?’ Hope asks.

‘I actually don't know,’ he says, opening the blanket to check.

‘It's a boy! It's a boy!’ He shouts, happily.

We’re so happy for him; we’re all cheering and smiling. The doctor walks over to us.

‘I'm so sorry, Alex...’ he whispers.

‘What do you mean?’ Alex says, confused.

‘Bella... Bella is gone. I'm sorry. She didn't survive the birth,’ he says, saddened. We freeze and

our faces pale.

‘No! No!’ He shouts, handing the baby to me and rushing to the car. Hope and Sally are crying.

Alex leans into Bella and cries into her chest. Hope approaches the car and her face changes from

sadness to determination.

She leans over Bella, placing her hands over her stomach, and we all watch her hair flow upward,

her skin glow, and her eyes turn silver.

Minutes pass and nothing happens.

‘Hope... Hope! She’s gone,’ I whisper, trying to pull her away.

Tears stream down her face, as she tries to heal Bella, before bursting into tears on the ground,

after a few minutes of nothing. Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

‘I'm so sorry,’ she cries to him. I hand the baby to Sally and wrap Hope in my arms as she cries

into my chest. Alex sits on the ground, crying into his hands.

‘Why is everyone crying?’ Bella asks, a few minutes later, and we all gasp, and run to her, and give

her a big emotional hug each, and cry even harder.

‘We thought you were dead’, and ‘Hope did it, she saved you!’ We shout.

‘Where’s my baby?’ Bella asks, and Sally walks over and gently places him in her arms.

‘It's a little boy,’ Alex says.

‘A little boy; he is so beautiful,’ she gushes over him.

‘Let's get you all back to the house so you and the baby can rest,’ I suggest.

We get Bella and the baby to the house safely.

‘Wow! You live in a castle,’ Sally says, amazed.

‘Yes. This is the pack house,’ I reply.

‘Wow! So cool!’ She says, and Nathan opens the door to let us in, and locks eyes with Sally.

‘Mate!’ He declares. We freeze and watch Nathan eyeing Sally.

‘Umm... what?’ She asks, and Nathan runs, lifts her up over his shoulder, and runs into the house.

Sally is giggling her head off.

‘Umm... Hello… What's going on? Who is this cute guy? Why is he running upstairs with me?’ She

yells, as we watch them both disappear upstairs.

We all burst out laughing, and Beth runs up to Bella and the baby.

‘Oh, he is gorgeous!’ She says.

‘Do you know what his name will be?’ Hope asks.

‘We’re going to name him Billy, after Alex's dad,’ she answers, happily.

‘How about you, Billy and Alex rest in your room for a while? I'm sure you need it, after what you

just went through,’ I suggest, and Alex nods and leads Bella, and the baby upstairs.

‘Want to let our wolves out for a run?’ I ask Hope.

‘Yes!’ She says, running outside. I chase her through the fields. Storm and Chaos play fight; Storm

keeps winning, because Chaos always gives in.

We shift into our human selves and lie in the field of long grass; Hope straddles me, with a

mischievous look on her face.

Sitting up, I cover her body with sweet kisses, and she giggles, and cups my face in her hands.

‘Maximus, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I never want to leave your side,’

she says.

Her eyes well up and she bursts into tears. I pull her into my chest.

‘Hope, I will never leave your side. You have captured my heart and tamed my lycan; something I

never thought possible. I never want to go a day without you by my side either. To do so would be like a

dagger to my heart,’ I say, patting her back. She wipes her tears and looks into my eyes.

‘I love you, Maximus,’ she whispers.

‘I love you, too,’ I reply, leaning in to kiss her.

‘Let’s go home, have dinner and check on the pack,’ I say.

‘Last one home’s a rotten egg!’ Hope yells, as she shifts and runs.

Smirking, I shift into my lycan. If she thinks she can outrun me she has another thing coming! I

chase her all the way home. She is about to beat me to the front door, but I leap with all my strength,

and pounce on her, and we tumble inside, through the doorway, play fighting.

Everyone gathers to see what the commotion is, and find Storm holding me down, nipping, and

snarling, like she has defeated me. I go along with it, and pretend she has overpowered me. Alex can't

contain himself, and bursts out laughing. The rest of the household laughs too.

It feels good to see my pack happy and relaxed. I’m so used to everyone walking on eggshells or

being wary around me. I pray to the Moon Goddess it stays this way forever.