Raven’s POV
I am over the 4-month mark, our pup will be here by next week, and I cannot wait. I am so big, and uncomfortable. I am thankful for the guys, as I am sure I would be miserable without them. They are so doting and happy to try to outdo each other. It is working out great for me, and the guys have fallen into a good routine with how things are going for us. Thankfully, they have settled down with trying to outdo each other too. They are both pretty strong-willed, and possessive. Most nights, especially now, are just cuddling at night before bed. They both know that I am getting close, and they are just as excited as I am to see the baby.
They will both be with me, in the delivery room. There was no real way around it, I am working on both of them knowing that they are important to me. The bond helps to make that happen, but I can’t treat them any differently from each other. I love them both, it is just different with each. Brandon is more forceful, and assertive, in how he is. Justin is just laid back, unless he is fighting, or having sex. He is much more controlling then. I am assuming that Reagan was very controlling there too, and didn’t let him do what he wanted in bed. That was why he really thought it was me in the video. Because she never allowed him to just do what he wanted, only what she wanted.
Justin is very happy these days, more than I have ever seen him. I see he loves the baby just as much as Brandon does. He considers it to be “ours” and although it is still uncomfortable sometimes together, they are much better than at the beginning of this. The pack is much more receptive of us as well. After the elder spoke, they realized that we are not the only trio that has existed. They have gotten much more information on the subject through the council and high elders. One of the high elders even came here to speak to the pack about why the Goddess does this, and the war that we will be facing. The gossip about us has thankfully stopped. None of us knew that it was even happening in the pack, they were respectful to all of us when we were together. It was poor Justin who was the one who was getting hit on when he was alone.
Since he escorted me with my duties, any guy who even gave me a second look, shut them down and was quick to do it. They figured it out very quickly, that I was never alone, and after that second town hall, that was it. They knew if they approached, it wouldn’t be just Justin that they dealt with. Brandon shut down the flirting of his fan club, and he no longer assisted with helping anyone with their form, only mated wolves got his assistance. He verbally assisted anyone else, even the ones who intentionally were “confused” as to how their stance should be. He could see it through my eyes now. If he didn’t want to see me in the same position of someone putting their hands on me to help me out, then he didn’t do it with the unmated she-wolves just looking to get him to help them.
I started having pains last night, I was still able to sleep, but they were annoying. Brandon had done as much paperwork, and food deliveries as he could, to try to get ahead because we knew the baby was coming. He was the most jealous of Justin right now, as he has ever been. Justin’s job is to train with Brandon and the ranked wolves. He also helps train two classes a day, and stays with me, as an escort for my safety. I had been in one of the two classes, but now that we are so close to delivering, we can’t do it. Stella and I stayed on the sidelines with Lanie, who was a month behind us. We are all excited that our children will be close as siblings at almost the same age. My baby and Lanie's baby will be cousins, and Jackson and Angie were so happy for the grand pups arriving soon. My brother Carter, and his mate Simone, are expecting as well, she got pregnant in her second heat too, and is about a month behind me.
I have really been enjoying being at training lately. The guys try their best to get along, and not cause me stress. The only time that they are allowed to be free with their discord is in training. Truett is strong but was surprised to see that his ranking as second in the pack, was lost to Justin. He forgot that Justin was a Beta blood too, and was truly surprised to see Justin beat him in sparring, and not break a sweat to do it. Justin has been going to the same human training place that Stella, and I, went to train. He has been really helping the pack become stronger as he teaches them more hand-to-hand combat. He masters the training and then helps the pack with it. He teaches the ranked wolves first, and once they have it down it gets included in the training.
Today the raked wolves, all four of them, are sparring, and as usual, a number of the warriors and pack members have shown up. It helps everyone wanting to excel in the new way to fight to see the ranked members put on a good show. So far it is back and forth on who is the most successful at it. Brandon, or Justin, are always the ones on top, it just depends on the actual form to know who is the best at it. Brandon is best at Krav Maga, Karate, and MMA styles. Justin excels at Taekwondo, Jiu Jitsu, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Justin will be going to learn Judo, Muay Thai, and Aikido as well to bring into the pack training. They have not perfected all the moves yet in the training. It will take more than two months to become a master, but we have plenty of time to train. That is what they are learning to do, and Brandon has gone to several of the training sessions as well in the city to learn the forms that he is better at than Justin.
They fight one pair at a time, to give the other team time to rest. To make it fair all four of their names are written on a piece of paper, and they randomly pull a name to fight. Brandon, Truett, Leander, and Justin will all take turns pulling first, but it never fails that either Brandon or Justin, will end up winning. That is not to say that Truett and Leander are not excellent fighters, they are, and they can beat anyone else in the pack. I see Leander picking first this time, and he motioned at Justin and grimaced. I can see that he doesn’t want to fight him, and it is easier when they include Jackson, Krew, and Edward, Truett’s dad in the group. Krew has gotten to where he enjoys going to train in the city too, as he and Lanie go and she watches so she can train in it after she delivers. Lanie is a great fighter, and I am excited about when we get to learn too after the babies get here. Stella is ready to get to it as well, as she listens to the instruction as they teach it. With us so close to delivering now, we had to stop our training a month ago.
We were originally doing it in a modified way, as we can’t go full force anymore. Stella got to go 2 weeks past me, as she is a Beta, and she will go to the whole 5-month mark with her baby. I will probably deliver in the next week or so, the baby looks perfect and is already ready to go and head down now. I cannot wait to meet him. Since I will be nursing the baby's bed will be in the same room as mine after delivery. But for the last week, we have all been sharing the same bed. They are overly protective of me since it is almost time. I have to admit that it makes me feel so safe to be laying between them at night. Their scents help to calm me and make me feel secure. So I really enjoy this time together, I know that they are just as excited as I am about this.
Leander and Justin take their spots and Krew calls the start of the fight. Leander is just trying to keep the fight going for at least the first 5 minutes and is careful in his line of attack. He knows that Justin’s strength is explosive and he will take you down quickly given any opportunity. Plus I think that Justin and Brandon go harder when they fight each other than anyone else. It is not that they don’t give their all in a fight, it just seems like they give 110% when fighting each other. Leander did a couple of good moves and got quite a few blows in on Justin. Leander is the youngest of the group, as he is still 18, and Justin is about to be 20 here soon. I have to admit I was leery of Leander at first, as it was Cheryl’s brother, and I had heard about Silas too. But Leander is a good guy, and he has given none of us a moment's doubt about his loyalty. He cares for Black Adder and his fellow pack members. He also wants to correct the family name for the pack as it got tarnished before. He feels shame for not knowing what they were doing, but all he was focused on at the time was training, to be able to take over the Gamma title from his father.
Justin is focused on Leander, and takes each fight seriously, even though they are pretty good friends. I can see when Justin sees his opening, as I like to watch, and think about what I would do in the same position. I watch as he moves forward and takes Leander down, putting him into an arm bar to make him submit. Justin immediately let's go when Leander submits, and they both get up with a grin and shake hands. I can see how proud he is of Leander as he does better each and every month. It took Justin about 8 minutes to get Leander to tap out, and that is 3 minutes longer than last month. I see Truett hop up, stretching a little before he goes to head to the circle to fight Brandon. He gave Stella a kiss before he walked off, and she told him good luck. She is proud of him, and I love how she adores him so. He is a good mate to my best friend, so that makes me love him too.
Brandon didn’t stretch, but he had already stretched when he got here, he didn’t sit down, he stood next to me to watch the fight between Leander, and Justin. I know he was watching Justin more than Leander because Justin will be his true competition. On nights that I am with Justin, Brandon catches up, or gets ahead on his paperwork, and filing. On Brandon’s night, Justin either goes to train or helps to train Truett and Leander, on what he learned. They both do what they can to make the pack stronger. Brandon watches Truett carefully, and Truett can’t help but be sarcastic and say, “I’ll go easy on you Brandon,” before laughing. We all know that Brandon will probably will, but he never speaks back to Truett and didn’t crack a grin that Truett felt he deserved for his funny comment. They both take their time watching the other and making defensive moves. Truett is trying to learn more about Krav Maga's moves, as he knows that it is what Brandon favors. It is one of the most effective fighting styles, and he knows that is usually what Brandon will use to take others down. He always uses it on Justin, and it is hit or miss for him. Justin is very good and getting out of the holds, and I already know that Justin has been upping his Krav Maga classes, to learn how to escape from some of the holds.
Justin has more time than Brandon does, to fight, and I think it is a pride thing as well. He is shorter than Brandon, but his chest is broader and more defined. They are both incredibly strong and I am proud of both of them. I know that when they fight each other in the next fight, that I will be stressed watching it. They know not to go too far, but it makes me worry anytime they fight each other. Truett rushes a hold, thinking he had an advantage, with Brandon swiping his leg and taking him into a guillotine choke. Truett taps immediately and Brandon lets him go. Truett starts his good-natured, “I went easy on you, and let you win” which did crack Brandon up. Now he and Justin will have to fight, and I am worried.
They have not announced the war coming, as they are scared that there will be a mass exodus from the pack at hearing that. My father had increased the training at their pack as well, but no one other than ranked members know what exactly is coming. They just wanted all of our members to be prepared. Brandon has also been trying to see about getting someone in here, a weapons specialist to help train whoever wants to learn either how to shoot a gun, bow and arrow, or both. Brandon will get ten minutes to recover from the fight and I am already worried about it, as they are both out to impress today, and the crowd has gotten large, there are about 100 people out here to see their fight now. I just hope that no one will get seriously hurt.
Not all it is Cracked up to Be