Chapter 149: Side Story 1 Present

A prologue to Side Story 2.

Sophia's POV

"That asshole!" Jhoanna punched the nearest wall the moment she came inside our pack mansion.

"Jhoanna!" I slightly raised my voice with a warning tone.

She looked at me and gasped. The irritation and fury in her eyes instantly gone, "Sorry, mom. It's just.. just.. Ugh! That Hans, I swear!"

She gave me one quick kiss on the cheek before storming into her room. Samuel, who, a moment later, came after her, greeted me with a warm voice. "Hey, mom."

He gave me a half hug and kissed my cheek. My head moved a little bit sideways, motioning to his sister, "What happened to that one?"

He smirked and slightly tilted his head down with a little shake. "The usual Hans and Jhoanna mayhem."

I sighed. Seasons came and went. And just like that, seven years had gone by. There were problems here and there, sure, but we always managed to solve them all. But not Jhoanna and Hans' unending fights.

Fights.

A strong word, indeed. Only, that's literally what's happening. We couldn't even call it a mere skirmish. Couldn't even bring myself to compare my past bickering and banter with Jacob.

And to think it all started when they were just little pups and three-year-old Hans called my five-year-old Jhoanna, annoying.

There's also this little problem about her that I cannot disclose since it's not my story to tell, even if she's my daughter.

"Can you, at the very least, tell Hans to just let Jhoanna be?" I asked, more like begged my own son to smack some sense in his best friend. This all happens because Hans always tries to irritate, and annoy the hell out of Jhoanna.

"What!? MOM NO!" My daughter's shriek echoed from her room down here. Mind you, her room is far away from where we are.

Samuel cocked his head to one side with a grin. "Precisely why I cannot intervene, Mother."

"It looks to me that you are just having fun," I groused, pinching his ear.

"Mom!" He complained. "I'm way too old for these!"

I gasped and slightly punched his shoulder. "Hey! With the way you're speaking, it looks like I'm punishing you when you were young!"

He flashed a cheeky smile and beamed. "But you did!"

"Except I didn't!"

"What is all with this commotion?" Jacob's presence loomed as he exuded his pheromones.

"Dad!" He squeaked. "Mother is bullying me.. again!"

I groaned for the life of me. Samuel usually calls Jacob 'dad' for these types of scenarios. Which the latter actually likes! This traitor!

"My Luna.. You can bully me all you want, but not our children."

"And there you said every night that you loved me so!" I sulked at the same time, rolled my eyes at him.

"Of course I do! I always do!" He chuckled as he slipped his arm around my waist. Jacob leaned in, and his tongue licked the back of my ear. Like he was trying to hide his scandalous acts in front of his son.

"Good Goddess, I'm out of here!" Samuel grimaced at the public display of his father's affection. My mate could only chuckle and continue nipping my ear down to my neck, and he was about to snake his tongue over my collarbone if it wasn't for Trent asking.. No, more like, demanding his attention.

"What is it?" Jacob snapped, and I gave him one knowing look. He sighed and changed his tone, "What is it?"

"I'm sorry, Alpha, Luna. But rogues are at it again." He bit his lip.

"Again?" Jacob sighed. "It is the third time this week. Despite the patrols."

"It really is rather odd." I commented, tapping my right fingers over my left arm.

"Why couldn't we sense them?" Jacob muttered under his breath, quite annoyed with this fact. "Even with your powers and my pheromone traps, it is still quite hard to catch them."

"Beats me." I clicked my tongue. "Maybe we should be thankful that they are just ruining the crops. Maybe they're just hungry and starved."

"I sure hope so. They could just steal food and go. Why do they need to damage our crops on top of it?" Jacob raked his hand in his head.

He looks rather hot.

'Pia! Seriously!?' Lia snorted, to which I mindfully apologized. Right. Focus Sophia. The heck is wrong with you, your pack's crop is at stake!

"I'll just go and restore the plot of land again. We could purposefully leave food for them and see what happens." I offered. Stretching my sore muscles and twisting my neck, heard lots of bone cracking. Gah, hated how I feel so old.

'It's because you're doing lots of work aside from your Luna duties, silly. Stop saying you're old. You're not! If you are, that would mean I'm old too!' Lia complained, and I could only chuckle at her argument. 'Right. I'm not old, just busy.'

"Erm. Luna." Trent opened his mouth. Only to close it yet again. Hesitating if he'll continue what he'd say.

"Go on," I nodded. Motioning for him to finish. "It's alright."

He looked at Jacob, and my head whipped in his direction as well. With a soft chuckle, I chimed, "Don't worry about him. I'm here."

He nodded once, and Jacob scoffed. I shot my mate one last warning look and turned my attention to our Beta.

"The rogues.. attacked almost half of our crops. And this time it is quite.. awful."

He mentioned the last word after a little dramatic pause.

Then, my jaw dropped. I held onto my temple and exhaled a huge breath. They did much damage this time around? In the past, they were just so small, almost petty-like, that we even thought Jhoanna accidentally shrank into her past self using her magic, but no, it was surprisingly rogues who Goddess knew what they wanted and where they came from.

But half? HALF? This is no joke! And if Trent says it's awful, then I'm already worried. This was why our beta disturbed his horny Alpha. (He never disturbs us unless necessary. Well, although we needed to be interrupted too because we are in a public space.)

Jacob let out a low growl. Slowly slipping his pheromones. Trent bowed his head in reverence. I flicked my Alpha's nose, let out my pheromones to calm his wits down, and said, "Come on now. It's not his fault. It is our duty, baby."

He sighed and held my hand.

"Right," he mumbles. Still not quite himself. "Duty."

I flicked my fingers three times, and we teleported to someplace. Almost thought my powers had gone haywire until Trent uttered the words, "We're here."

I frowned and worrisomely glanced everywhere. This place is awful indeed! The land had been poisoned, and it is impossible to think any wolf would be capable of doing this. But then again, wolves nowadays could do lots of things. Even poisoning half of Blood Moon's plot of crop land seems doable.

Was about to cast a spell, but Jacob stopped me. "Let me get some samples first. I'll discuss it with the Suits."

Once he did, I lifted my palm up in the air and uttered some ancient witch language that I knew by heart but would never pop in my brain. Swirling both of my hands as I swished them from one place to another. It took time, of course. How could I ever get this done quickly? Jhoanna is still fourteen, still raw, and on rough edges with controlling her strengths.

Mom's well.. That mother of mine actually went on a trip to Cladbridge with Father! Since things are now going well at Crescent Moon with the twins and their Luna Tilly.

I was then reminded that this was just half of the total half of the damaged crop. But.. because I needed to purify the land and basically make it fertile again, I started coughing out blood. Jacob was about to stop me, but I immediately made a barrier.

"SOPHIA!" He thundered. The grounds even shook because of how furious he is. "Stop."

I just shook my head at him and weakly mumbled, "Almost done. Just a little bit m-more."

He kept on banging into the barrier despite his fists were bruised. Then I smelled blood. Not mine, of course, because that much is obvious, but his. That's when I realized the barrier had formed a tiny crack. My powers are slowly depleting, and I focused on using my last bit of energy to purify the last plot of land. That meant slowly letting Jacob successfully break the barrier. My knees grew weak by the time I was done, and timingly, Jacob caught me before my body hit the ground.

Could hear everyone trying to call my name. My title. Even heard Jhoanna and Samuel's screams.

The last thing I felt was my Alpha's warm hands on my cheek and his arm around my shoulder.

-------

It was presumably midnight. Immediately concealed my presence when I felt Jacob was not inside our room. Maybe he's dealing with the issue and is on group mind-link with the Suits. I walked to the door, and before I could even touch the knob, I stopped.

Jacob would most likely hear the door opening, even if I'm light in my steps right now.

Could use my regained power to teleport, but with what had transpired earlier, I thought that it was best to use that power to purify the land. At least, it would be quicker. Although not any less painful, but then again, quicker.

'Jacob would kill us both.' Lia sighed, stopping me from my plans in continuing to purify the remaining half.

'He won't.' I assured.

Lia sucks in a sharp breath, 'You know I meant it figuratively, right?'

'Yeah, I know.' was the only thing I could reply before placing my hands on the windows. I pushed my body out of it and jumped as my foot touched the ground. Didn't even manage to make two steps forward before one growl crept behind me.

"I just know you would do something like this.."

"Jacob!" I gasped.

"Hmm?" He bore his gaze into mine, forcing me to look away. "I'm merely doing my job."

"Blood Moon doesn't want to have their Luna coughing up blood, Sophia." He sighed and softly held my upper arms. "Just rest, please? Only for a week, and then I'll let you fix the other half."

I looked at him doubtfully.

"Promise." He forced those words out of his mouth even though he obviously didn't want to. But with Jacob, if he said it, then he would most likely keep his words.

"Three days." I tried to bargain. He firmly shook his head. "Six."

"Four." I asked.

"Five days, Sophia. And it's final." He lifted me up and jumped from here up to our room.. Using the window. How we managed to get inside-the both of us, unharmed-that is, I do not know, as everything happened too fast.

Those five days quickly flew by, and the three of them took turns taking care of me like I was a sick person. Just let them all be since they even threatened to chain me if I didn't.

I purified the remaining poisoned plots of land, and Jacob stood by together with our children. This time, I didn't barf or anything, and it was only then that I noticed it was because Jacob released his pheromones. The day quite peacefully ended until someone knocked on our doorsteps. We were in the living room at that time, and Trent cleared his throat. "Young master of the Midnight Pack is here."

Hans appeared behind Trent, and Jhoanna arched one of her brows, "And why pray, tell, are you here?"