At War for the Breeder: Pregnant With Four Alphas' Babies, #4

CHAPTER 1: CLOSER THAN FRIENDS

*Barbara*

It seems I have my work cut out for me. I had mistakenly assumed getting one of the Alphas to jump into bed with me would be easy.

The room assigned to me is so small, it’s the size of my shoe closet back home. I made my demands about my living conditions quite clear to King Gene. How dare he give me such a shoe box for a bedroom?! He said this room is the best and used to belong to his cousin. I wonder if she ever felt like she was suffocating in such a small room. Just being in it is giving me claustrophobia.

A maid knocks and enters the room with a glass of water on a tray.

Is it room temperature? I ask the maid. 

She nods nervously.

I take the glass of water and sip. This is not 68 degrees Fahrenheit. It seems to be more like 71 degrees Fahrenheit, I say as I spit the water back into the glass. Also, I clearly asked for water with cucumber slices. This water has lime in it. Don’t you know the difference between a lime and a cucumber? Pathetic! Get out of here.

The maid scrambles out of the room. I walk around the room trying to think of a new way to get to one of the Alphas. If they are all as fixated on the Breeder as my last target was, I would have to know what makes her special. Alpha Tristan might have just given me a great idea with his insult. I will have to learn a thing or two from this Breeder in order to know the best way to get one of these Alphas for myself.

Being Luna has its own advantages and perks, but being queen will change my entire existence. It will give me more power over the lands. I can’t lose this quest.

After putting on a decent pair of jeans and a blouse, I take off the dog collar for a little while. I moisturize my neck and put some baby powder on before putting it back on. I am going to have to talk to King Gene about wearing a dog collar. Wearing such a thing for the duration of my stay here is not going to work. Couldn’t he have put it on my ankle instead? It is within his reach, for crying out loud.

Do you need us to launch another attack on the capital? I can hear my Beta, Robin, ask me through our mind-link.

No. Lay low and see to things back home with the pack. I’ll let you know if I need anything else, I respond.

I make my way down the hallway, wondering where to find this Breeder. I don’t have to look for long, as I see a pregnant woman and a red-haired lady walking toward me. I plaster a huge smile on my face.

Oh, my. You must be Rose. You are as beautiful as everyone says you are. Pregnancy really suits you, I compliment her. I continue to beam at her, trying my best to figure out why the Alphas seem taken by her. Her nose seems a little big and not suited for her small face.

Who are you? The red-haired woman steps in front of the Breeder protectively.

Oh, I’m Luna Barbara. You are such a great maid, protecting your mistress like that. I am harmless, trust me, I assure them as I smile brightly at her.

My name is Kelly Silver, and I’m not a maid. I am Alpha Eli’s sister and your worst nightmare if you dare try to hurt Rose, the redhead warns me as she gives me a suspicious look.

Oh, wow. Two for the price of one. Maybe I can also befriend the Alpha’s sister and get in her good graces. This is going to be easier than I originally imagined after all.

Oh, pardon me. I was about to ask why such a gorgeous girl is a maid. You look like a model. That red hair is pure fire. What hair dye do you use to get it so red?

The girl scowls as she glares at me. Is she not one to take compliments?

Parents’ DNA is the name of the hair dye, she spits.

Dang! I was so sure she had dyed her hair. Who has hair this magnificent? Oh, my bad. You are gorgeous, stunning even; both of you are simply beautiful.

Kelly gives me a look over before taking Rose's hand and walking away without another word. Bitches!

Where are you going? I’m so bored and know no one around here. Could I join you guys?

Kelly looks back at me from over her shoulder and says nothing. I take her lack of a response as a yes, and follow them. We walk into a room that is just as small as my own. A woman I recognize as King Gene’s Beta’s wife is sitting on a bed. I have met her once or twice at some functions.

This palace is full of gorgeous women. You’re Beta Adam’s wife, right? I’m Luna Barbara. I smile at her. Honestly, all this fake smiling is making my jaw hurt and probably creating unwanted ugly smile lines.

This is Shelby, and we had no idea you were a parrot, Luna Barbara, Kelly says sarcastically to me.

The insolence of this girl. Does she know who I am? What do you mean? I ask, still smiling.

A parrot can speak, but constantly repeats the same phrases until it learns new ones, Kelly explains with a cold tone.

I bite my inner cheeks to stop myself from lashing out at her. I had to make these women believe that I was a friend, after all.

I know who you are… the Luna who is a prisoner yet roams around the palace freely with servants at her beck and call, Shelby chimes in.

Dang! Is everyone around here so unwelcoming?

Ahh, the king just wants to negotiate deals with my pack. After all, he could gain more from my powerful pack if he showed them that he’s treating their leader well, despite the mishap. He and I are actually acquaintances. We’ve known each other for a long time, I admit.

I see, Shelby answers lazily. 

I can see that these two ladies aren’t about to believe anything I say. I decide to focus on the person that they seem intent on protecting. If I gain her trust, the other two might soften up.

How are you doing, dear? Are the babies kicking yet? I ask.

Rose smiles lightly at me and nods. Yeah. I just feel like an elephant.

Oh, stop it. You look gorgeous. The belly suits you. Any weird cravings?

She laughs. Pickles and peanut butter.

Oh, wow. I liked ice cream and hot sauce when I was pregnant, I laugh.

Rose's eyes open wide as she regards me. Ice cream and hot sauce? That’s really weird.

Luna Barbara, why are you being nice to Rose? Also, why did you attack the capital and come here to brag? Why even attack if you and the king are close? Shelby asks.

I swallow as I try to formulate an answer. I’m generally a nice person. Also, I feel Rose and I have a lot in common.

Shelby raises a perfectly plucked eyebrow at me. A lot in common? Like what?

Like knowing how it feels to have your child threatened; Emily did a shitty thing by trying to kill Rose and her babies. I can relate to how she felt, being terrorized in such a way, I empathize. I bite my tongue, realizing I had revealed a secret that King Gene had told me in private.

How do you know about what Emily did? Shelby continues to cross-examine me.

Rumors travel fast. I must have heard someone talking about it somewhere, I offer.

Weird. I didn’t know that knowledge had traveled outside these walls. So, how were your pups threatened? Shelby inquires.

Well, see, that’s why I attacked the capital and came here. My child went missing, and I believe King Gene has some intel on what happened to him. I came here to try to figure out what he knows. All I am is a heartbroken mother following the trail of my missing child. Being a Luna without an Alpha is hard. I would really like to find my son, and maybe hook myself an Alpha in the process.

I realize I have again divulged my mission without fully intending to. I do hope they only took the sob story about my so-called missing child and nothing about getting myself an Alpha. 

Hook yourself an Alpha? Here? Kelly asks.

I feign a whimper as I try to blink hard so as to squeeze out some fake tears. It works as I feel a fat teardrop roll down my cheek. You know, ruling a pack as a single woman is hard. I mean, this is a male-dominated kingdom. But I have to be strong, for my kids. We women are like tea bags. We never know how strong we can be until we’re thrown into hot water, right? We have to stand together as women.

Right… Shelby says.

I can tell from her tone that she’s not buying my story. I need to move on to act two of my script.

CHAPTER 2: SANDWICHED BETWEEN ALPHAS

*Eli*

We are not in the greatest position. Not only do we have Alpha Stephen’s men in front of us, but Reece and I also have to worry about Alpha Kane. As some of our warriors poured in from their previous locations near the castle, they warned us that they had spotted the other pain in my ass creeping toward us from the north.

The last thing either one of us wanted to be was a nice juicy sandwich for the other two Alphas to devour.

What are we going to do? Reece asks as the two of us look at a map in a few moments of civility. We’ve managed to keep Alpha Stephen’s forces on the run, forcing them back away from the village where Rose grew up, but I have a feeling that’s not going to last forever. Some of my troops are on their way right now to take a look at Rose's parents’ house again. 

During the last battle, we had some issues, and I swear I saw Alpha Stephen’s men sliding their way back toward the new mansion, but I wasn’t certain, and I was too busy ripping throats out of wolves to look more closely.

We’re going to continue to drive Stephen backward, toward his own lands, I say. And as we go, we should be able to put some space between ourselves and fucking Kane.

Unless he stays glued to our asses, Reece mutters.

I look at where Alpha Kane’s troops were last spotted on the map, and I understand why he is concerned. They are within a few miles of our current location.

Asshole….

Let’s move the left flank of your warriors over here, I tell Reece. That will give them the top of this ridge to anchor against. Then, as long as they are able to hold onto the high ground, Alpha Kane will have to run uphill to get to them.

That makes sense, Reece says, nodding his head. I just hope we can get that division you sent into the village back soon. We’re going to need them over on the right. That seems to be where Stephen is amassing his reinforcements.

Reece is right, and we don’t have the luxury of reinforcements. Unless we request warriors from Tristan or Mark’s packs, and at the moment, one of them is making sure that whatever the fuck had happened in the capital the other day was under control, and the other is still defending the castle from Alpha Kane’s lingering forces.

It seems like Alpha Kane is spread thin, but he may have other packs helping him.

Before I can answer Reece, I hear my sister’s voice in my head. Eli , can you hear me? she asks, using the mind-link.

I wanna say no because whatever it is that Kelly needs is going to serve as a distraction, I just know it. But I feel compelled to find out what’s going wrong. In my gut, I have a sharp pain that makes me wonder if something is wrong with Rose or our babies.

Giving Reece a sign that I’m using the mind-link, I try to keep my voice calm. Yes, Kelly. What’s up? I ask.

Thank the Moon Goddess, Kelly says. Listen, this stupid bitch Luna that King Gene has prancing around the castle is almost as dangerous as Emily was. You need to get back here. I don’t know that we can handle her by ourselves.

A wave of confusion washes over me as I try to process what she wants me to do. Stupid bitch Luna? I repeat.

That’s right. Luna Barbara from Shore pack. She’s trying to seduce Alpha Tristan and Alpha Mark. She’s a nasty slut! Kelly sounds exasperated.

My brow furrows as I try to think about this. You want me to stop fighting Alpha Stephen and Alpha Kane because Alpha Mark and Alpha Tristan can’t keep it in their pants? 

Yes! That, and I’m afraid this Luna is going to try to hurt Rose, she adds, sounding almost as exasperated as I feel.

Kelly, Reece and I are in the middle of a fucking war. We don’t have time to go back there to babysit the two Alphas who we sent back to babysit the pregnant lady. Tell those two motherfuckers they’d better keep their dicks in their pants, or when we get back, we’ll chop them off. As for Rose's safety, if they spend time with her instead of with Luna Barbara, she should be fine!

It’s not as easy as you’re making it seem! Kelly whines in my head.

It is as easy! It’s definitely easier than trying to fight two Alphas at once! I shake my head in exasperation.

Reece asks, What’s going on? Is everything okay in the castle?

Tuning out Kelly’s pleas, I tell him what she’s told me. Once I conclude my recounting, he is just as pissed off as I am. I have no doubt that Alpha Mark and Alpha Tristan can figure out how to keep Rose safe. If they take shifts, or one of them keeps an eye on Rose while the other one keeps an eye–from a distance–on Luna Barbara, they should be fine.

That’s what I told her, more or less, I reiterate to my friend. I don’t see the problem either. Even as much of a sex maniac as Tristan is, I wouldn’t expect him to cheat on Rose. The idea of him hurting her makes me want to punch him in the balls, even though I’m pretty sure he’d never do that.

"Isn’t this Luna Barbara a prisoner? That’s the intel I got from my men, that she’d been arrested for starting that riot in the capital. So… if she’s a prisoner, why is she a threat?’

Apparently, King Gene has given her free rein to walk around the castle, I explain. It sounds to me like this whole thing is just a damn setup with Gene.

Well, we can’t go back now. We have to finish off Stephen before Kane’s forces all end up on top of us, Reece declares, which I already know and agree with.

Eli! Kelly screams in my head. Answer me, damn it!

At the same time, I hear howls in front of me and howls behind me.

We’ve got company coming from both sides. 

Kelly, just make it work. It’ll be fine. Tell those assholes to keep Rose as their main focus, and if they hurt her, I’ll castrate them with my own teeth!

That seems to get my sister’s attention as Reece asks me, Do you think I should pull my troops away from the line with Stephen and send them around behind us?

I look at the map again as the sounds of howling turn to sounds of grunts and snarls. The battle is beginning again. We need to strip, shift, and get out here.

"I don’t think we should split