Asher let out a sigh, running his hand, threw his short dark brown hair, as he watched his sister Rebecca lost in her own world, staring into space. His heart felt like it would break in two. She had always been fun, his partner in crime, along with their older sister Phoenix, when they were younger. But now it seemed like the light had gone from her eyes, and she was no longer up for pranking their parents, or even him and Hamish, his younger brother. Not since she found out she was mated to a rogue, who was determined on bringing destruction to the world of werewolves, and even humans. Rebecca had, of course, rejected him, then ultimately killed him during the Montseny battle. She bore the scars, not physically, but emotionally. The man who was her mate was evil personified, but the wolf inside him was abused by his human counterpart and begged her to save herself from his tyranny. Rebecca mourned, not for the man, but for the wolf, who, if he had not been subjected to a cocktail of manmade drugs that brought him to the edge of being feral and giving him super strength, would have been a kind and loving mate for both her and Maggie her wolf.
“Hey, I am sure Mam is up to something.” Asher smiled at his sister.
Rebecca shook her head slightly, coming out of her daze.
“Mam is always up to something.” Rebecca gave him a small, rare smile.
“Very true. She keeps giving me a knowing look. I know she has had a vision about me but is refusing to divulge what it is.” Asher sighed, shrugging his shoulders.
“You know she won’t say a word unless the timing is right,” Rebecca said, then continued to stare into space.
“Becca, I head south tomorrow for five weeks. How about we prank Mam and Dad, or even Hamish like we used to?” Asher asked, almost pleading with her.
“Sorry Asher, I am not in the mood. Plus, pranking Mam is always a letdown because she guesses or has a vision about what we are up to every time.” Becca sighed.
“Well, I am going to get them somehow before I go. I guess I will just have to teach the triplets how to create the perfect prank if you will not help me.” Asher grinned.
Rebecca smiled slightly again and looked at her brother.
“Don’t ever change, Asher. I know you will one day be king, but always remember who you are as a person. Just like Mam has.” Becca softly said, then her eyes stung with tears as once more she stared out the window.
Asher nodded his head. Yes, he was known as a bit of a fool to those who did not know him, always up to some sort of mischief, but when it counted, he took the duties of running the realm very seriously.
With a determination to get his mother the Queen back, for hiding something from him, Asher went in search of his sister Phoenix’s pups. He found them sitting by the fire, with their dad, Alpha Teo Enrique of the Montseny Pack, Barcelona, Spain, reading them a bedtime story.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor beside the triplets, Asher smiled as Teo told the story of the little white bull, a Spanish tail of a small bull heading into the bull ring unafraid of the evil matador. Asher had learned Spanish when his sister had found her mate, and now the whole family spoke the language fluently. It was still funny to him, hearing Teo speak English with a perfect Scottish accent, something that happened when he and Phoenix had mated and marked each other.
“Can I borrow them when you are finished?” Asher asked his brother-in-law.
“Why? What are you up to?” Teo eyed him suspiciously.
“Nothing.” Asher gave his best innocent look but then giggled, like a small boy, rather than the handsome prince he now was.
“Who are your victims?” Teo asked. He would not let the triplets go with Asher if his mate Phoenix was her brother’s intended target.
“Mam and Dad.” Asher grinned.
Teo shook his head and chuckled. He was close to Asher, having completed Alpha training with him when he first met Phoenix.
“Would you like to come with Uncle Asher and do a funny trick on Nana and Granddad?” Asher grinned at the triplets, knowing full well, Zoe would be the first to agree, and wherever the Alpha pup went, her omega sister would follow. Their brother, the middle triplet, would then follow Catalina. He was very protective of her.
Sure enough, Zoe jumped up excitedly, as she grabbed Asher’s hand. He bent down and scooped Catalina up in his arms, as Challan held on to his wrist, and they walked out towards the kitchen in search of the head omega Caroline.
“Hey, Caroline. Do you have any of that nice gravy you made to go with the roast beef this afternoon?” Asher smiled.
“Yes, do you want some heating up?” Caroline smiled.
“No, no, just a plastic jug full, please. Do you have a plastic funnel?” Asher asked.
“Do I want to know why?” Caroline raised an eyebrow with her hands on her hips.
“Probably not.” Asher grinned.
“We are going to trick Nana and Granddad,” Zoe said with a big smile on her face.
“You should not let your Uncle Asher lead you astray, Zoe.” Caroline smiled down at the 3-year-old pup with big brown eyes, like her daddy’s.
“But having fun with me is why I am their favourite uncle.” Asher grinned, triumphantly, already knowing Caroline would not refuse her help.
Caroline shook her head laughing, and handed a jug full of the brown onion-infused gravy to Asher, then went into the small cupboard under the sink, and passed the plastic funnel to Zoe’s outstretched hand.
“I know nothing,” Caroline said to the prince, with a giggle.
“You never do, Aunty Caroline.” Asher grinned.
“You only call me Aunty when you are up to something, Asher, don’t think I don’t know.” Caroline grinned.
“Is James ready for tomorrow?” Asher asked of Caroline and Drake, her mate’s adopted son.
James had come from Phoenix’s birth pack before she was adopted by his parents when only 18 months old. She was mistreated by her pack because she was born Omega. James was also in the group Drake had rescued from the evil Ullswater Pack 24 years ago. He was older than Phoenix, around 8 years old when he was rescued, and came to live with them here at The Royal Crescent Moon pack, a brother for Tom and Ellie, Caroline’s natural born pups to her first mate Duncan, and her first pup for her and Drake.
James was 10 years older than Asher at 23 years and was still trying to find his mate. Even as an Omega, James had displayed excellent warrior skills, and so he worked as part of the royal pack guard. But Asher saw him as one of his best friends. As much as he respected him as a guard, he had plans to make him his Gamma or even Beta when he took over as King.
“Yes, he is all packed. I hope he finds his mate on this trip.” Caroline sighed.
“33 is no age. Look at Dad, he was 87 when he met mam, such is the blessing of living for hundreds of years.” Asher smiled.
Asher had never given much thought about his fated mate until the last year or so. He had, just like all his siblings, remained faithful to the mate bond, knowing the issues that could arise if you slipped up with a she-wolf. It could have consequences further down the line, just like his father had found out. He would, of course, wait patiently, but seeing Phoenix so happy with Teo, he did feel like a part of him was missing. Plus, he loved pups and wanted lots of his own. Hamish often said it was because he was just a big pup himself.
“Say thank you to Aunty Caroline,” Asher instructed the triplets to remember their manners, then smiled as they each looked up at her.
“Gracias,” they said together in unison. Although they were bi-lingual, they would sometimes use English words when speaking in their native tongue, and vice versa when in Scotland.
Asher ushered the triplets out of the door and headed into the library.
“Uncle Hamish!” Challan shouted over to Hamish as he smiled at the young pup and placed his latest encyclopaedia he was studying down on the table beside him.
“What are you four up to?” Hamish asked with a raised eyebrow, before scooping Challan up into his arms.
“We are going to trick Nana and Granddad,” Zoe said with authority, already displaying a strong Alpha aura even at her young age.
"Oh, I see." Hamish chuckled.
Asher smiled at his younger brother, he was more like their father, studious, and he would often get caught up in learning something or solving a puzzle and hyper-focus for days on end. But he still had a wicked sense of humour, and he knew Hamish would soon be helping them set up the prank.
“You three stay with Uncle Hamish, I just need to go find something in my room. I will be five minutes.” Asher grinned, then walked out of the library and headed up the stairs to the second largest room on the Alpha floor, making his way into his walk-in closet, and pulling out one of the large plastic boxes he kept the tools for his pranking excursions.
He quickly rummaged through them, and then picked up two pink whoopee cushions, nodding his head in satisfaction, this prank was going to be epic.
Heading back to the library, Asher grinned at the pups, holding out the whoopee cushions.
Hamish frowned slightly.
“Old school.” He said to Asher.
“Not like this though.” Asher laughed, then sat down, showing the pups how to put the gravy inside the cushions with the funnel.
Hamish laughed and decided to follow Asher and the pups into the living room.
“Now, remember it is a secret, put the cushion under Nana and Granddad’s love seat, just like this.” Asher grinned, placing the whoopee cushions under a soft pillow, the pink end poking out so that they would get the perfect hit.
“It is a good job that the seat is leather,” Hamish shook his head, clearly thinking about the mess the prank was going to make.
Teo looked over and shook his head, gathering his pups in his arms.
“Now you three, be good for Nana and Granddad. Mama and I are going to head back home. We will pick you up tomorrow afternoon,” Teo said.
“Are you going for a night out?” Asher asked.
“Yes, we are having a night out with Jonathon and Amalia, Liane and Marcus. I would have suggested you come, but you are on the road tomorrow for your royal visits,” Teo smiled.
Just then Liane appeared out of nowhere. The Montseny Beta was a transporter wolf and could move anywhere on earth within a nano-second. She had been affiliated with the Royal pack but met her mate Marcus when visiting Phoenix, and so was now part of the Montseny pack in Spain.
“Are you ready?” Liane asked.
“Just waiting for Phoenix, and these three are pranking Chloe and Zander.” Teo grinned at Liane.
“Oh, I wonder which uncle’s idea that was?” Liane giggled, looking pointedly at Asher.
Phoenix walked into the living room, heading straight for Teo and the pups and placing a soft kiss on each of them.
“Be good for Nana and Grandad.” Phoenix repeated what her mate had already told their pups.
“Si, mama.” The three little ones all smiled up at their mother.
“Are you ready to go?” Phoenix asked her mate.
“Two minutes, the pups are doing their first prank,” Teo whispered to Phoenix.
“Oh, really, cool, I will wait then.” Phoenix laughed and then headed over to the loveseat with the gravy infused whoopie cushions.
“NOOO” Zoe shouted before her mama could sit down.
Asher chuckled and shuck his head at his older sister, pointing to the chair next to Teo, as Liane laughed beside them.
“Hey, I thought you would have gone by now. We want to do bedtime with these three.” Chloe the queen’s voice happily said, as she walked into the living room, Zander the King following close behind.
Becca blinked her eyes open, forcing herself to watch the triplets’ first prank. It was almost a right of passage in this family, and for all, she was not herself, she did not want to miss it.
“Sit down, Nana and Granddad.” Zoe excitedly said, pointing to the chairs she wanted them to sit in.
Asher watched, seeing his Mam smile at his Dad, clearly spotting the pink flap from the whoopie cushion, but playing along. Little did she know there was more of a surprise than a simple farting sound.
Zoe hopped from foot to foot, as Catalina giggled behind her tiny hand, and Challan watched with excitement.
“We will sit down here then.” Zander chuckled at his grandpups, playing along.
As they sat, the wet-sounding fart noise was soon accompanied by Chloe screaming slightly.
“Errrr, it’s all wet.” She shouted, jumping out of the seat, the brown gravy dripping down her leg from under her short mesh purple skirt, down onto her ripped fishnet tights.
Zander shook his head, feeling the cold gravy hit his trousers on the bum, then looked at the pups.
“Look, Nana and Granddad have poopied.” Zoe shouted with glee.
Zander stood looking at his granddaughter, then pretended to be ‘Monster Granddad’ growling, but with a smile on his face, stretching out his arms, as he chased the pups around, the whole room laughing. Catalina squealed, a little frightened, and Challan quickly hid his omega sister behind him, standing puffing his little chest at his grandfather, protecting her, as Zoe ran around the house, Chloe laughing and chasing her.
Becca sat, her sides hurting from laughing, and for that brief moment, she felt herself once again.
The next morning, Asher awoke early. It was going to take around 7 hours or so to drive down to middle England. He double-checked he had everything, as he closed the boot of the car.
Cheryl and Andrew stood with him, James taking on the first leg of the drive in the black, Range Rover. These were the times he really missed Liane being part of their pack.
“Asher, here,” Chloe said, handing him the small, cross-stitched picture that had hung on his wall since being born. A gift from a prophetess he did not remember.
“Everything worthwhile is worth fighting for.” Was delicately stitched on the bottom of a silhouette of two wolves howling at the silver crescent moon.
Asher frowned, his mother had never made him take the gift that was supposed to be significant for his life when he travelled on royal duties before.
Taking the cross-stitched picture, Asher simply nodded, knowing it must be something to do with whatever his mother had seen in her vision.
“Remember. Go to Matlock pack first. Take them by surprise. Stay in that packhouse for four nights, and no matter what, do not leave before then.” Chloe said, then placed a kiss on her son’s head, as Zander stood behind his mate, wrapping his arms around her waist, and then waved off Asher as he embarked on the first part of his Royal tour of the packs. Chapter Seven – The Forgotten Mate and The Alpha Prince.