Scraping her hair back into a pony tail, then wrapping it around to create a messy bun, so that her hair was not hanging free, fearful she might infect the royal pack with headlice, Alisha looked in the mirror, as Asher smiled lovingly at her.
“They are getting less each time we do your hair,” He reassured her, understanding why she was trying to keep her hair up.
“I know, but your sister Phoenix is coming, and she has pups, I want to avoid giving them to her if possible. I think my first purchase will be a cap, so I cover my head,” Alisha sighed.
Asher smiled, then walked into his wardrobe before returning with a black cap in his hand, that had a silver crescent moon at the front.
“Here, you can wear this one,” He smiled.
“Oh, thanks,” Alisha smiled gratefully, as Asher adjusted it to make it smaller then placed it on her head, smiling with pride, there was just something about her in his clothes that did things to him in the most pleasurable of ways. Even just his cap sent electric sparks down his body, that caused his length to bulge in appreciation.
“We have lots to talk about Alisha, and plans for you to make, however, I would like you to sit with Nana Cheryl every day. She is the pack councillor and has worked miracles over the years with those we have found in not good circumstances. She will help you process everything that has happened, and navigate the huge changes in your life. Becca talks to her daily as well,” Asher gently suggested to her, hoping she understood, that although they had turned a corner when she let the hurt and rage go, she still had a long road ahead of her.
“Yeah, okay. Can I ask why Becca sees her?” Alisha asked.
“I would prefer my sister to tell you what happened in her own time if that is okay,” Asher asked, hoping his mate understood that he did not want to do anything Becca would feel uncomfortable with.
“Of course. I was wondering if I may do some light training with you guys as well, channel my anger if it comes back?” Alisha asked.
“I am all for that. You will need to learn how to defend yourself and your pack, however, it is up to Andrew, only when he thinks you are ready,” Asher grinned. He was more than a little pleased his mate wanted to train and learn how to fight. She was going to need those skills when she led her pack to defend them against whatever would come their way.
“Now, let’s head down for lunch with everyone. I believe Andrew has agreed to the chicken soup, but no bread.” Asher grinned at her, knowing she had been wanting some.
Alisha’s tummy growled at the words ‘chicken soup’ and she looked up at Asher wide eyed with embarrassment.
“Yeah, definitely think it is time for you some lunch,” he chuckled, then took her hand and led her downstairs to the pack dining room.
“Alisha, look!” Iesha shouted happily, holding out a large Lego set.
“Oh wow, you will love that!” Alisha smiled lovingly at her sister.
“I know, Uncle Hamish gave it to me, he said he will help me build it up after my lessons with Granddad Zander,” Iesha grinned.
Alisha looked a little shocked at her sister referring to the King as her granddad, and Hamish her uncle.
Zander smiled and nodded his head, then walked over to Alisha and whispered.
“We are all family here, and she asked if she could call me granddad. I hope you don’t mind that I agreed,” Zander said.
“No, it is good for her to feel like she has a family,” Alisha sighed, pleased for her sister, but old insecurities that this life could be snatched away from them began to surface in her mind. Closing her eyes she attempted to chase the negative thoughts away from her mind.
“But I will not call Granddad Zander Granddad when I go to school he will be headmaster then,” Iesha chatted happily, as Alisha listened to her, smiling, and hoping that nothing would ever take her sister away from this new family they had found.
Daphne arrived with a wide smile on her face, and passed a bowl of chicken soup to her Alpha and Iesha, before returning into the kitchen, laughing with Caroline about something.
Alisha noticed her pack members were all sat waiting, looking at her with wide eyes.
“Hey, is everyone okay?” Alisha asked them, feeling a little guilty that she had been preoccupied with Asher all morning, and was now heading off for a girls afternoon.
“Yes Alpha. We were wondering if we could train this afternoon with the royal pack?” Eamon asked.
“Of course you can. Actually Eamon, I was wanting to have a chat with you,” Alisha said to the warrior wolf.
Eamon nodded his head, and waited for her to speak.
“I need a pack leadership. I know we are few in number, and it will be a while before we get to Edensor, but I want to make a start on that now. Eamon, would you do me the honour of becoming the Edensor pack beta?” Alisha smiled at him.
“Oh, wow, well, yes, but I have no beta training,” Eamon stammered in shock, he presumed that someone from the royal pack would be given the role.
“I have no Alpha training, however, we have the academy on our doorstep, and I happen to know the headmaster, we can all go and take lessons together,” Alisha smiled.
Zander smiled, nodding his head in approval.
“I will do some lesson plans for you as day students beginning next week. Hamish, how do you feel about leading the beta lesson’s?” Zander asked, it was his hope that his youngest son take over the academy when the day came that Zander would retire.
“Sure dad,” Hamish smiled, but then turned his attention back to a book he was studying.
“Right well we can have a sit-down meeting tomorrow and go through everything formally, but for now, the girls are going to love you and leave you. Phoenix is meeting us there with Liane,” Chloe grinned, then turned and kissed Zander as Asher gently pulled Alisha to him and kissed her softly on the lips, as Iesha looked at them and said “Eww” loudly making everyone laugh.
“Have fun,” he told her, then watched as Alisha left the dining room with the women of his family.
Alisha stood in the changing room of the small boutique, she normally avoided looking at her skinny body in the mirror, but she was unable to avoid it, due to the amount of clothes Becca was having her try on.
“I need elasticated waist” Phoenix, Asher’s older sister said in the cubicle next to Alisha’s.
“So how far on are you, and how many do you have inside you this time?” Becca shouted through.
“Just the one, thank God! And I am 5 weeks, and already my clothes don’t fit,” Phoenix sighed.
“At least with just the one pup, you won’t look like a werewhale this time,” Hannah, Asher’s cousin laughed.
“Oi, I was not that bad!” Phoenix grumbled, slightly.
Alisha smiled at the banter between the girls, as she pulled on a pale green playsuit by some designer Becca assured her was going to make Honey so jealous, she may explode.
The soft fabric felt amazing against her skin, and she loved how the trouser part flared out from the fitted waist, but as with all the clothes, it was too big.
“Let me see!” Becca shouted excitedly at the door, as Alisha stepped out.
“It is far too big,” Alisha sighed disappointed.
“Nothing some safety pins cannot fix,” Chloe smiled,
“No, no safety pins happening mother,” Becca shook her head.
“What is wrong with safety pins, I love them,” Chloe asked, looking down at her cropped ripped purple top that had safety pins holding the rips in the fabric together, and her tight black ripped at the knee’s jeans.
“We know, and we love your style, for you, but not for Alisha.” Phoenix laughed, walking out of the changing room, with arms full of clothes, and shaking her head, as she gave them back to the store owner.
“Not on the outside, on the inside, to make it fit better, then we can move the pins out as she puts weight back on,” Chloe sighed, explaining her thoughts to her fashion obsessed daughter.
“So other than it being a little large, how do you feel in it?” Hannah asked, giving Alisha the option of what she wanted to wear.
“I love it, but it is too big.” Alisha sighed.
“Why not have Caroline take it in?” Nicki, Asher’s aunt suggested.
“Yeah, I think that would be the way to go,” Becca nodded her head.
“But it is so expensive, it feels like a total waste of money if we permanently alter it,” Alisha said, not wanting to Becca to spend so much for it only to last a little while.
“We have a smaller size here your highness, but it is in burgundy not the green,” The store assistant informed Becca.
“Please it is Becca, how many times do we have to tell you, Xenna,” Becca smiled at the woman.
“I have been telling her for at least twenty years,” Chloe laughed shaking her head, knowing the woman would never refer to them by their names.
“Asher’s bedcovers are burgundy, I think he likes the colour,” Alisha smiled, hoping they had found a solution.
“That settles it, go try it on.” Becca grinned gently pushing Alisha back into the changing room, with the smaller clothing.
As she tried on the playsuit it fitted her perfectly, and although she was still extremely thin, it suited her, and made her look more of a normal size. Stepping out, Becca clapped her hands excitedly.
“Yes, that is it, how do you feel in it?” She asked.
“I love it,” Alisha grinned.
“Cool, so add that to the rest of the clothes we have please, but I will pay separately for it,” Becca said excitedly to Xenna who bowed and nodded.
With the clothes all packed, Phoenix insisted they head to the small coffee shop for some shortbread, which she needed to have, immediately making everyone including Alisha laugh. As they sat in the booth, all chatting happily, Alisha felt a wave of guilt wash over her that she had judged these people so harshly.
“Hey, are you okay?” Chloe asked seeing her new daughter-in-law go quiet.
“Yeah, just, I am sorry, I judged you so harshly before I knew you,” Alisha admitted bowing her head.
“Do not stress about that, we all understand. You seem happier with Asher now though,” Chloe smiled.
“Yes, I kind of lost it yesterday at Edensor, I was horrid to him, but then after I cried and screamed, I felt a lot better, and realised it was not his fault, it is nobody’s fault other than those poor excuses for and Alpha and Luna,” Alisha sighed.
“Yeah, sometimes losing your shit is good for you,” Becca nodded, a faraway look in her eyes.
“At least my brother is understanding and loving. He is not a raging psychopath who tried to rape your friend, and subjected his wolf to horrendous abuse, all be cause he wanted world domination,” Becca sighed, as Phoenix reached over the table and placed her hand over Becca’s.
Alisha gasped, seeing the flicker of pain in Becca’s eyes, then looked around the table as Nicki offered a sad smile at her.
“She rejected him, but his wolf was good, so she has conflicting emotions all the time,” Nicki explained.
“I…I am so sorry that happened to you… when?” Alisha asked, shocked to the core at Becca’s confession, but she could guess when this had all taken place.
“Three years ago, there was a lot going on. Still, it is no excuse for Zander and me to have totally missed your situation,” Chloe sighed.
Shaking her head, Becca turned to the table and smiled.
“No, not going there today, for the first time in an age I am feeling more like myself, less angry, let’s not talk about Resus the fucking psycho,” Becca stated.
“I am sorry that happened to you Becca, and that I was so wrapped up in myself not to realise something bad must have been happening for you guys not to know what was going on,” Alisha said.
“Hey, no, the past is the past, we all move forward from it. Now, should we head back?” Chloe stated, not wanting her daughter or Alisha blaming themselves for anything that was beyond their control.
“Actually, I was going to ask, Bradley loved spending time with Iesha, how do you feel about her visiting us this weekend, give you and my brother some alone time?” Phoenix grinned.
“Oh, but it is in Spain, we do not have passports,” Alisha declared.
“No need, I take us all there and back in less than a second,” Liane shrugged.
“Plus, it will be good for her to meet the triplets, for all they are only 3 they love playing with the older pups,” Phoenix smiled.
“Well, yeah, if you are sure, but what about her headlice?” Alisha asked, not wanting her sister to infect Phoenix’s pack.
“She had the shampoo on today, so she is clear, why don’t we ask if she is happy to go, then you can decide?” Chloe smiled.
“I love our sister, but having the bedroom to ourselves with our mate sounds amazing, oh the things we can explore together, say yes Alisha, I want to get my hands on our mate,” Mia’s voice sung happily in her mind.
“Okay, if she is happy to go, then yes.” Alisha nodded, wondering herself what would happen without Iesha in the room, and she could not deny the thought more than excited her. Chapter Thirty-Four – The Forgotten Mate and The Alpha Prince.