The Defiant Luna
Chapter 38

Nathan POV

He was watching both Jay-la and Stephen in the cars revision mirror as he drove away from the pack house.

They were waving and smiling, he chuckled to himself ” They think it got past me.”

“Hm, I bet she was extra attentive last night, huh.”

Nathan cleared his throat and glanced at the children, they were all sitting in the back seat chatting happily amongst themselves. Seems they were excited to be going out to buy their mum a birthday present as well. Stephen had been right about that.

This was the very first time he was going to be out with them on his own, without Jay-la and hed seen on occasion that they could be a handful, hoped that today would go well, that they wouldn’t be too much for him and Jackson to handle. He’d left Ethan at the pack under the guise of helping Franklin, the pack doctor, research, though he was actually there to tell him what was going on.

He had told Ethan what he suspected was going on, not to worry too much if Stephen suddenly disappeared off pack territory he was expecting as much. Had seen Ethan just shake his head and chuckle “I didn’t think he’d still be here to be honest.”

It didn’t take long for the call to come through just half an hour, plenty of time for him to be far enough away that he wouldn’t make it back to stop his Gamma from leaving, no real surprise on that one.

Though the second call he got from Ethan just 10 minutes later made him frown, when Ethan told him that Jay-la had also gone off pack territory with Stephen that they had taken Jay-las car.

That his own father, Blaine, had strolled into the Alpha’s office where Ethan had been sitting and had looked right at Ethan and stated, “Out of my chair boy, the Luna has put me in charge, until Nathan comes back. Seeing as she’s also no longer here.”

Ethan had looked into her where about, after that. Found out that Nathan’s plane was being prepped to leave, cheeky bloody woman had commandeered his own plane to get the Gamma to his mate. He did like that she had taken her car, liked that she used it all the time. Obviously, she was going to drive Stephen to the air strip herself. Likely order the pilot not to bring him back if Nathan called and told him to.

“Likely ordered him to go to his Mate.” Jackson chuckled “

There’ll be no punishing him for this you know, not even taking your plane. If she ordered that as well, you know that right.”

“I do.” He smiled, “It’s fine, now that I’ve seen she’s really happy, it’s okay for him to be gone a few days or a week.”

“Hm, did you just hear yourself?”

“I know what I said.” He smiled.

“Okay…but I don’t think you fully understand just how devious that Mate of yours could be, or understand what you really just said.”

He looked at Jackson a bit confused

“We’ll wait on that, huh!” Jackson smiled right at him.

They parked at the shopping centre and he let the children wander about, looking for something for their mother. In and out of stores, none of them really knew what they wanted to get her. They were happy looking at anything and everything, until they saw the ice cream place that was.

Then all their attention was diverted to it, they all ran over there to it wanting to have ice cream. It was barely ten thirty in the morning and he shook his head at them. “How about, we shop some more, have lunch and then you can have ice cream.” He thought that was a good compromise to make. Also made him a good parent by not giving them ice cream at that hour of the day.

He saw all three of them look up at him, three sets of green eyes right on him and then they were suddenly begging him and grabbing onto him, like they had done that day back in the pack where he had caved and given them everything they wanted. Jay-la had told him he had to learn to say no to them.

He said “Not now, later.” And they were all pouting up at him, was going to cave and he knew it, was going to have to steal himself against those three adorable pouting faces of his children, looked at Jackson for moral support and the man just shook his head “Your children.” He laughed right at him.

Took a deep breath and tried to put his foot down as gently as possible, didn’t want to upset them, had never had to admonish them in the past few weeks of them being in his life, didn’t exactly know how it would go down.

“Mum, would let us.” Lilly told him right away.

He heard Jackson snort with full amusement, took a breath in and said “No, Lilly. After lunch you can all have ice cream.” He kept his tone light but firm and tried to take both girls’ hands to lead them away from the ice-cream place. Couldn’t he realized, hold onto all three of them, watched as both his daughters ran away from him and Nate laughed a little.

He had to take another breath in, was not at all used to people in his pack not doing as he said, even the small children listened to him, they all knew who he was and did as they were told. Not his children, it seemed, he managed to snag Rosalie, but Lilly was gone in the other direction, ran right behind and then around Jackson and Nate, who were both just standing watching him.

His own children were drawing unwanted attention to him.

There were several people staring at him as they walked by, heard one woman state “Control your children.”

Lilly was yelling at him that “Mum would let us.”

Another passer by commented “I guess, mum wears the pants, in that family.” With a snicker.

He sighed and stopped trying to chase her about, despite his size and larger steps she was actually pretty fast and used the strangers walking about to hinder him. He could see there was no point in continuing to try and get her, it was just causing a bigger scene.

Nathan realised that he had no idea how Jay-la managed the three of them, sighed, she’d warned him they would try and walk all over him, that he had to learn to put his foot down. Frowned right at his wayward daughter, who was now standing glaring at him, that Alpha blooded defiance on full display for him to see,

, “Lilly come here.” He told her

firmly.

“NO, I want ice cream.” She shot right back at him.

He handed Rosalie to Jackson. “Please take her.” he said, and Jackson did, Rosalie went without issue. It appeared that Lilly was the only one on the ice cream train, Nate had not kicked up a fuss about being told no, only the girls had, and Rosalie had stopped once hed snagged her.

“Lilly, I said no.”

“Mum would say yes.” She stated right back.

“Mums not here, I am.”

“Then call her, she will say yes.”

Nathan sighed a little on the heavy side now. “I’m not going to call her Lilly, you’re out with me, you’ll do as I tell you.” he told her, tried to be firm with her, find his dad’s voice.

“I’m having ice cream.” She suddenly yelled at him and then just ran over to the ice-cream place right up to the counter.

He damn near snarled at his daughters’ defiant attitude.” Lilly that is enough.” He snapped right at her. “I said no. I meant it. There will be no ice-cream, period.”

Watched as those green eyes of hers turned right on him and knew instantly she was going to cry, this was the first time he had ever raised his voice to any of them. Saw her lower l*p quiver and then she just started crying and sobbing before his eyes, he walked over to her to pick her up with a sigh. Hed not meant to make her cry, only to have her run around him and right over to Nate, stood right next to him.

He saw his own boy stare right at him as he took her hand in his, he was frowning right at him, didn’t like that hed made his sister cry. It didn’t take long for Rosalie to start crying after that, less than a minute and he had to sobbing girls. He’d gone from happy children to unhappy children in the matter of a few minutes and all over ice-cream. He stood and looked at his children.

“How does she do this?”

“Maybe you should ask her how.”

He could only nod his head and say, “I will have to I guess.” But he did want to show Jay-la that he could handle the three of them when out on his own. He was now just realising how very hard her life must have been, and wondered what she did, when they were like this. Did she give into them? Or hold firm and deal with the tears and tantrums?

Hunkered down in front of Lilly. “I didn’t mean to yell at you, or make you cry.” He told her gently and reached out to pick her up, she actually let him, but didn’t say anything, was still sobbing. He looked at Nate, he was the only one not crying, stood up and took his hand. “Come on, let’s find mum a present.”

Jackson, he saw was rubbing Rosalie’s back. The man smiled at him. “Not so easy, I guess.”

“No.” he could only agree with him.

Nate didn’t cry at all, but both girls did, sobbed for a good ten minutes before settling down, Lilly squirmed to get out of his arms, to be put down, and he let her down, watched as she took Nate’s hand and walked with him, saw Rosalie follow suit and he and Jackson walked along behind them, the three children were just quiet now.

Nathan found himself not really knowing how to deal with them, they were always happy back in the pack. He’d thought today would be just the same, was standing with them while Jackson was looking at jewellery for Margaret, rubbed his chest and frowned as it ached more than a little.

He didn’t think he was far enough away from Jay-la to cause himself any issues, though he did know what that ache inside his chest meant, it meant that they were far apart from each other. So far apart that his bond to her made his chest ache.

Saw Jackson look at his action “Might want to think about your words now.” He commented.

“What?”

“Does your chest hurt? Mine doesn’t.”

“A little, yes.”

“Why would it?”

“Mm, I’d be willing to bet it’s going to get worse as the day goes on.”

Saw Jackson pay for his purchase and stroll out the store.

“Didn’t you tell Stephen he had to stay with Jay-la.” He commented casually.

“Yes.” He frowned right at him.

“And where do you think Stephen is right now?”

“On his way to Suzy, I imagine.” He shrugged “Why?”

“Yes…” Jackson stared right at him, and after a few seconds “So…

“So?” he stared right at him.

“My goddess you’re completely dumb sometimes.”

Jackson shook his head. “Stephen is with Jay-la.”

“No, Jay-la took Stephen to the airstrip, she’s in the

Pack.”

“How’s that chest ache going for you, I don’t ache at all.” Jackson smirked, “Your Gamma and your Luna, were hatching a scheme for Stephen to go to L.A. and you told your Gamma, he had to go wherever Jay-la went.”

“No, she wouldn’t just leave.” Turned his eyes to the children, then back to Jackson mind-linked right to him ‘ She wouldn’t just leave them with me all alone.’

“Why not? You’re their father. They’d be perfectly safe with you and Havoc.’

He frowned now as he really paid attention to his aching chest, it was already stronger than a few minutes ago,-heard his own wolf huff, annoyed inside his mind

“And you thought it would be good to have her mischievous side back?”

“You knew?”

“No..but I suspected as much.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“It’s not my place to tell the Luna, what she can or can’t do.

You should have seen it coming with that rule you have about them being together.”

Wanted to curse at the man, refrained himself and pulled out his phone, dialled Ethan “Where is Jay-la?” he asked right away.

“With Stephen still, hasn’t come back yet.”

“Stephen is going to see Suzy.” He muttered.

“Then my guess is, she’s on that plane with him, she’s not returned from the airstrip yet.”

“Just great.” He muttered and hung up, looked right at Jackson “She is with Stephen.”

“Well, at least she isn’t alone,

, has Stephen with her and

there are four warriors out there, one’s which Stephen hand-picked to protect her.”

He could see all the children looking up at him now. He smiled down at them, and nearly g*****d out loud as he realised why he had the children. He couldn’t get mad while around them, even if he got a call through to her, wouldn’t be able to yell at her or be angry with her in front of all of them. It would upset them.

“Might as well, get the shopping done. She’s got a five hour flight, plenty of time for you to think about how to respond.

” Jackson told him.

“I’m already thinking about it.” he muttered, he was going to use his parent’s Jet to fly right over there the minute he got back, was going to be several hours behind her, likely she would arrive as he was leaving or close enough to it.

Stephen had better stick to her like glue or he was in for the beating of his life.

If anything happened to Jay-la on that man’s watch, all hell was going to break loose. Looked back at the children. ” Come on let’s get your mother a gift, and then I will go and get her.” he half muttered

“You’ll bring Suzy back too?” the girls both asked him.

Even Havoc huffed inside his mind, as they both realised the children knew she’d left. She had obviously talked to them about going away, shook his head. Of course she would have. Wouldn’t have wanted them to worry, she wouldn’t just up and leave without telling them where she was going.

“Yes.” He nodded, there wasn’t much he could do right this minute, and yelling at her wasn’t likely going to work either.

She had wanted to close out her human life by herself, likely was just doing that, it was something that he also wanted. Though he was unhappy that he wasn’t with her, it was too late to do anything about it now.

They continued to shop, let the triplets pick out a gift, one from each of them and bought them ice cream as he’d promised to do earlier in the day. Jackson drove them back to the pack while he was on the phone organising for his parent’s jet to be on full standby for him to follow Jay-la to L.A.

They weren’t using it, likely that vacation they were supposed to be on was on permanent hold for them, or at least until his little brother was born anyway.

He walked the triplets into the pack house to find Ethan and his father waiting for him, saw his father’s smirk, bloody bastard knew what was going on as well.

“Father?”

“Son, did you have a nice shopping trip?”

“Did you know?” he asked right back.

“Yes, I don’t see any harm in it. She’s with Stephen, will be just fine.”

“You’re sure of that?”

Watched his father think about that for a full two minutes, then nod “Yes, I already see her here and your son playing with my son, later in life, so everything will be fine.”

Stared right at that man, more than shocked “You what?”

“Its curious even to me.” He stated “I’ve always seen

Jay-la’s boy playing with my boy. Even when she was not here, I always saw it.” he shrugged “Meant to be I guess, though I didn’t pick him as yours all this time.” Shook his head. “Just always knew she would end up back in the pack someday and her son and my son would play together.”

Nathan was really staring at him now “and you never once said anything at all. Didn’t think to mention it.”

“No, didn’t see a need to. I saw she was here and happy.

That was all that mattered, it would happen when it was meant to, I guess.”

“Is he my son?”

“Yes, now that I look at it, he will look more like her side of the family, have her dark hair and her green eyes, kind of look like Jodi actually. Probably why I didn’t pick him as yours. The boys will be the same age nearly too.”

Blinked at that, his parents were already pregnant. “Is she pregnant now?” He couldn’t but help to ask. Shed been in heat, it was possible, even Havoc right this minute was excited at the prospect.

“I don’ know, go put your paws on her, use your Alpha senses, it’s been over a week since her heat, you or Havoc should pick up something even if she and Kora don’t.

“

He smiled at the thought of it, was now itching even more to get over there to find out. He’d not been focused on trying to make a baby, he was just happy being with her, they had three children. He wasn’t trying to get a baby out of her. Though Havoc was another matter.

“Jackson, go pack, Ethan, you’ll be in charge, father stay out of my office.”

“Oh it’s too late to spoil my fun now, son.” His father laughed and walked off happy with himself and whatever dealings he’d made while he was back in charge. Nathan wasn’t even going to bother asking him what it was. If it was really important, his father would tell him. likely just bought something very expensive was all. It would show up on the man’s pack card or the pack’s accountant would call him with the concern about the amount.