[3 years later]
“Oh wow, where’s my little Alexi off to, so early in the morning, hmm?”
I paused when I heard Stella’s question. My brows shot up as I looked up from my book.
Did she just call my pup’s name?
I took another bite out of my half-eaten apple and turned around, only to be greeted with the sight of my mate standing there with our pup on his shoulder.
Alexi looked at her grandma with a blinding bright smile as she exclaimed. “Papa taking me forwest!”
“Your Papa’s doing what?!” I stood up like my ass caught on fire as soon as I heard it, forgetting for a second that I was halfway pregnant. I put a hand on my protruding belly and narrowed my eyes at my mate.
Cassian looked away and stared at the wall like he suddenly saw a ghost pop out of there.
The little one gasped immediately, slapping a hand over her mouth before she looked down at her father. “Papa! Mama here! Run!” she said, gripping Cassian’s hair tightly.
“Don’t you dare move!” I glared at my alpha who gave me a nervous smile.
Cassian let out a flustered chuckle as he tried to come up with an excuse. "I was just going to take her out to pick some flowers..." He trailed off, unable to meet my gaze.
"For what, exactly?" I pressed, my eyes narrowing in suspicion.
“For...uh..." Cassian's eyes darted upwards, seeking help from his little accomplice, who leaned down to whisper something in his ear, acting all subtle even though she wasn’t.
Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and I could tell she was enjoying this little secret adventure with her papa. “Cowns, papa,”
“Cows? What cows?” Cassian whispered back, giving me a stupid smile as he kept eye contact with me
“Not cow, papa. Cowns! Cowns on head. Flowa cowns!” The little one whispered a little bit louder.
I struggled to maintain my stern expression, tempted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Both of them are just so stupid yet adorable.
Cassian nodded, still trying to come up with an excuse, "Uhhh….oh, yeah, that"
I placed my hands on my hip, trying to appear more serious than I felt. "Well, are you going to answer me or not?" I asked, my voice firm but my eyes betraying my amusement.
My mate cleared his throat before speaking, attempting to sound convincing. “Umm, we’re going to pick some flowers for her cowns, no sorry crowns. Flower crowns! Yes, that’s it,”
I shook my head, unimpressed by his ridiculous lie. “This early in the morning? I’m not buying it. I know what you’re planning. And no, you’re not taking her to the woods to hunt, Cassian. She’s only three.”
Cassian sighed before he spoke again, his voice soft yet persuasive. “Honey, she’s only going to watch. I’m not hunting any predators. We’re looking for a hare. I just want to show the pup how hunting works. That’s all.” Cassian walked to me and placed a kiss on my cheek which made our little one giggle.
“Oh, let them go, Ivy. Alexi is an alpha. She’s gonna hunt sooner or later. It’s in her blood. There’s nothing we can do to stop it. Let her learn and grow. She’ll be fine,” Stella chuckled, causing me to slumb my shoulders in defeat.
“But she’s still a child. Alpha things can be done later,” I countered once more, trying to stop them. It’s dangerous out there.
“I promise I’ll look after her, my precious. Don’t you believe in your alpha?” Cassian tried his best to get me to give in, his voice sweet and gentle as he caressed my cheek with his fingers. I looked at my mate and my pup.
Goddess, why am I so weak to their puppy eyes?!
“Fine,” I huffed. “but I’m coming along too,”
“Okay—wait, what?” Cassian’s eyes widened. “You can’t. Lily said you need rest.”
"I can and I will," I said, wrapping my scarf around my neck. "I won't hunt, but I need to be there to ease my mind. These pregnancy hormones are making me anxious."
“But—“ Cassian opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by our daughter’s whine.
“Papa, lesh gooo,”
I glanced at Alexia, who was tugging at Cassian's hair.
“Fine,” Cassian sighed. "Looks like we're all going."
——
“Look, Alexi, Papa’s gonna show you how hunting is done, okay?”
“Okay!” Little Alexi grinned and I smiled at my pup’s excitement.
“The first step is to observe and learn. We need to study our prey. Here our prey is a hare and hares are extremely alert and have excellent hearing so you need to stay low and move slowly and quietly.” Cassian explained and Alexi nodded with a serious expression on her face.
“They’re also sensitive to smell so when you hunt, always go for them from behind so the wind won’t carry your scent to the prey, got it?”
“Yes, papa!” Alexi responded eagerly.
“Good girl,” Cassian patted our daughter’s head, causing me to shake my head and roll my eyes.
“Cassian, you’re trying to train her like the young warriors and it won’t work because she’s just three.” I crossed my arms, amusement evident in my eyes. “Who even trains a three year old? It’s ridiculous. She’ll forget all this when she wakes up tomorrow.”
“I won’t, Mama! I remember the worrs Nana taught me four days ago!” She pouted as she held up four fingers to show me.
“I’m not trying to train her but I’m sure she won’t forget because she’s our daughter.” Cassian winked at me before turning to our pup. “Now, little one, you watch papa hunt, okay? Don’t make any sound and stay with mama.”
“Okay, papa,” Alexi exclaimed, her face lighting up with a grin. Cassian leaned down to press a kiss on her head before walking away to a hiding spot.
“Mama, why’s papa hiding? Is it scary?” She looked at me with wide eyes, causing me to smile.
"No, sweetie, Papa's hiding because if the hare sees him, it will run away. Then Papa will have to chase it, but if he surprises it, he won't have to run as much," I explained, taking her small hand in mine. "Let's hide too, so we don't scare the hare away."
Alexia's eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked up at me. “Mama, hare come soon? We see it soon?" she asked, her voice full of anticipation.
“Soon, Alexi, we need to be patient and silent. If we make too much noise our prey will hear it and run off.” I whispered to her.
“Oh…” Alexi whispered back with a nod.
“It’s also important for us to be silent so we won’t be catching the attention of other predators, okay?”
“Other?”
“Yes, the forest is full of dangers, sweetie. There are many animals here that could hurt us. That's why you should never come here alone, okay?” I patted the head of my little one and she looked at me with a beaming smile.
“Okay, mama,”
I couldn't help but smile back at her, and I gently pinched her cheek, succumbing to her adorable charm.
Her smile is just like her father’s.
Just then, a hare came into view, and Alexi's eyes grew wide with wonder. She watched in awe as her father hid himself expertly in his wolf form, his body low to the ground, moving stealthily through the underbrush. In a lightning-fast move, he pounced, his powerful jaws closing around the hare in a swift and deadly bite.
Alexi's gasp of delight turned to a thrilled clap, and I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. But my joy was short-lived, as a low, ominous growl caught my attention. I froze, scanning our surroundings before my gaze snapped upwards.
Oh fuck!
A leopard was perched above us, its eyes fixed on Alexi. In a flash, I grabbed her hand and yanked her to safety just as the leopard sprang from the tree, its claws swiping through the air mere inches from my pup's face.
“CASSIAN!” I screamed out my mate’s name, my voice hoarse with fear, as I shielded Alexi behind me. One hand instinctively cradled my stomach, while the other wrapped protectively around my trembling pup. Alexi's frightened wails filled the air as she called out for her father, her small body shaking with terror.
Panic set in as I realized I couldn't shift, trapped in my human form. The leopard took a menacing step closer, its eyes fixed on us, and I growled back, trying to sound braver than I felt, hoping to stall its approach.
It did stop for a moment and took a few steps back, only to lower its body to the ground. My blood ran cold as it leaped into the air but in a split second, it flew left as something crashed into it with brutal force.
My eyes followed it only to see Cassian’s wolf standing face to face with the leopard, snarling and growling at it. It took a step back and sneered but my mate let out another loud growl before attacking again, pinning it to the ground.
He threw me a look and I immediately knew what it meant. My shaky hands grabbed my pup and moved to a safer place, holding the little one close to me so I could comfort her.
“It’s okay, Alexi. Papa’s here to chase it away. Don’t worry, okay? We’re fine,” I said as I wiped away my baby’s tears.
That was a close call and it almost took the life out of me.
“M-Mama, ca-call papa…” she said as she cried.
“Papa, will be here soon, baby. Don’t worry. He’ll be here in a minute.”
Her tiny voice cracked as she begged, “W-Wanna see my papa,” clinging to my legs in desperation. Witnessing my pup’s fear and distress shattered my heart into a million pieces. I was helpless, only able to offer gentle pats on her head and a comforting scent, hoping to soothe her.
Minutes felt like years before Cassian finally returned, transformed back into his human form and fully dressed, bringing a sense of relief to the chaotic scene.
“Where’s it?” I asked as soon as I saw him.
“It ran away. Don’t worry, it’s badly hurt. It won’t make it very far. I’ll tell the patrolling team to take care of it,” he answered, wiping away the blood from his face.
“P-Papa!” The pup shouted as she ran to her father. Cassian immediately picked her up with a smile, pinching her already red cheek.
"Did my little one cry? Were you scared, baby?" Alexi nodded adorably, her big eyes sparkling.
"It was going to hur-rt Mama," she accused, pointing a tiny finger at me.
Cassian's face turned fierce, but his voice remained gentle. "No one can ever hurt Mama when we're here to protect her." He showered her forehead with a tender kiss.
Alexi's curiosity spiked, and she tilted her head, "Why-why did it jump at Mama?"
"Ah, I think your mama is the modern-day Snow White, Alexi," he teased, "Animals seem to adore her – this isn't the first time one came to meet her."
Alexi's eyes widened in wonder, her tiny gasp filling the air. "Really?!" she breathed.
“Really!”
“Shut up,” I playfully rolled my eyes at my mate's exaggeration, hitting his chest lightly as he chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He leaned in to press a gentle kiss on my lips, his voice filled with concern. "Are you alright, love? That was quite a scare."
"My hands are still shaking," I admitted, holding them out for him to see. He immediately intertwined his fingers with mine, offering a comforting touch.
"I'm so sorry about that. I should have been more careful," he apologized, his voice laced with regret. He pulled me close, his sigh warm against my ear. "Let's get your blood pressure checked by Lily. That was a stressful situation for you, especially in your condition. I'm already imagining the lecture I'll get from her for bringing you here."
I pouted, still feeling a bit shaken. "You deserve it. I told you it was a bad idea. What if the pup had been alone? You never listen to me," I huffed, trying to sound stern but unable to hide the lingering fear. “Why do men never listen to women?”
“I’m sorry, love. I’ll be a better alpha from now on.” Cassian whispered, his lips brushing against my cheek as he apologized.
“Are you sure it won’t come back?” I asked, looking around warily for a moment, still feeling a bit unsure.
“It won’t.” Cassian said confidently. “I’m still the apex predator here after all.” He said with a smug smile. “And a prey never runs back to its predator.”
I couldn’t help but smile at his words.I must be one hell of a crazy prey then.
Cassian pulled me into his arms to hug me.
I fell in love with my predator.
The End.