Mommy, I Want A New Alpha Daddy

Lunaris Blooms

AZALEA'S POV

--

Father's study is a mess. I can't find anything, and Mom and I have been piling papers together. "How did he find anything in here?" I sigh hopelessly. Mom falls silent, the entire demeanor of the study becoming cold. I glance her way as she sits down at the desk, the sorrow in her eyes pushing her shoulders down too. Father has been gone for three days, and it seems my mother isn't taking it well at all. "Gran-ma," Lyra's tired little voice has my mom looking up from the paper in her hand. Her smile is wide, but her eyes are hallow from any positive feelings.

She's a vessel of a person, hallow on the inside with how much the grief of losing dad had carved out of her.

"Ly-Bug," Mom gets to her feet and strides over to Lyra, picking her up. The doorbell rings, and mom's face becomes long as she stares at Lyra agape, "Who could that be? Wanna come with me to look?" Her fake enthusiasm is what breaks my heart, but Lyra is oblivious to what ever is going on around her, and she nods, smiling.

"I can get it," I offer, but mom dismisses the offer with a flick of the wrist as she lets Lyra slide down and takes her hand. "You continue here," Mom says, looking over her shoulder at me, and her eyes ever so slowly flit across the room like it was haunting her.

I can only imagine her pain, and a part of me wants to ask about the difference, but the only problem is that we don't talk about feelings. I can't ask her the difference between her pain and mine, because all she'd say is that it's a conversation for another day.

I vowed to never let Lyra grow up like that, and I'm sticking to it.

As soon as Mom takes Lyra downstairs, I turn to the desk, where she had left the piece of paper where she picked it up. Curiosity pushes me forward to the paper, and my palms begin to sweat as I reach for it. I release a shuddered breath at the sight of the printed black and white photo of my parents. Mom's hair is a mess, unlike her poised perfected bun she usually wears, but her smile is brighter than I've ever seen. They're sitting on a picnic blanket, a basket beneath them, and they're much, much younger.

I round the hard wood desk, and sit down in the office-like chair, glancing at my phone that hasn't made a beep since last night.

Only the Goddess knows why I thought it was Elion who was calling, but some part of me had this stupid, ignorant idea that he would call, that he'd fight for me and Lyra, instead, it was Corbin who called.

"Azalea," Mom's voice is chirpy, unlike anything I've heard in the past three days. "Mom?" I slide the picture to the edge, staring at the door. Mom strides in with her hands behind her back, Lyra giggling as she follows. The image of them warming my heart. I've yet to see them so close because while we were living at the Nythming pack, I didn't see my parents much, and neither did Lyra.

That's one of my biggest regrets, that she didn't get to know her grandpa.

"What you got there?" My eyes widen as I lean to the side, and Lyra bursts out giggling, stomping her feet as my mother brings forward the bouquet of flowers.

"Are those...", "Yes," Mom sighs, eyeing the Lunaris Blooms. The very rare flowers has a stardust middle, the stem dark as night, but these has their thorns removed. The petals are so light, it's semi see through, and rumor has it, they glow underneath the moonlight. "There's a card," Mom's tone is knowing, and I don't need to read it to know who it is from, because they only grow in one place, and only one pack has access to them. The Scorched Steppes, Corbin's pack. "Here's the letter, Mommy," Lyra hands it to me, her cheeks a beautiful blush from all the giggling.

"Thank you, Ly-Bug." I lean down to kiss the top of her head as mom puts the flowers into the empty vase, and I place the card right next to it. "Aren't you going to read it?" Mom asks, a spark of hope in her eyes. "No," I sigh, hating that I'm denying her what she wants, but I don't need to know what the card says.

I slip my phone from the table, and start typing a message to Corbin.

Azalea: Thank you for the Lunaris Blooms.

Corbin immediately reads the text like he's been waiting for it and starts typing, but I quickly exit the chat, and close the tab before locking my phone.

"Mommy, can we go play?" Lyra asks, glancing over the desk for something to play. I left everything at the Nythming pack, including her clothes, her toys and her favorite blanket, that she luckily haven't asked for yet.

"I can't right now, Ly-Bug. Mommy has to go somewhere." My gaze flicks up to mom, "I was hoping that you'd look after her for a few hours?", "Few hours?" my mother's eyes almost bulge out of their sockets.

Tilting my head, her eyes relax as she suddenly understands where I'm going, and why.

"Alright." She nods, glancing down at Lyra, "Are we going to bake some cookies?" She beams and Lyra nods, already turning and running downstairs toward the kitchen.

"I'll be back in a few hours," I stand, rounding the table as I catch one last glance at the Lunaris Blooms.

ELION'S POV

--

"Alpha, please," Joseph stands across from me, his eyes pleading. "I don't understand," I shake my head at him, "Why do you need help all of a sudden?" My eyes flick over to Ashen, my son, who's using a stick as a sword, hitting the air as if he's fighting someone. "Luna Azalea..." He falters, his lips parted, "I thought you knew." His gaze falls to the ground between us as my anger bubbles through every blood cell in my body.

"What did she do, Joseph?" I don't understand what Azalea did at the local children's hospital that made such a big difference, but there's no way that my pack is going to fall behind because of her departure. No one here will need her ever again, including me. "She always took the vitals in the morning, and the children loved her sir, she had a way with them, to calm them down, and it's the second day she hasn't shown up, and now the kids are...difficult. We're behind, and I'm afraid that without her generous donation every month, we won't have enough food." Every details sinks into me like I'm a stupid sponge absorbing water, and I stare at the best doctor I know, frowning like he just killed someone. "You mean to say...", "Azalea was a big help, and without her, we need someone else." Someone else, not Azalea, but someone else. "I can arrange that." I nod, and the immediate relief that takes over is what brings a smile to my face.

Azalea might have helped out around her, but my people don't need her like they need me.

"Daddy, look!" Ashen swings the stick, and does a perfect double back, and one forward movement before striking his imaginary enemy in the chest. I smile, clapping, "That's it son, you're doing great."

It was never like this with Lyra, I never had fun with her. Perhaps it's because she's a petite girl, and easily breakable. I always wanted a son, and now that I have one, my life is complete. There's no secrets to be revealed, nothing to hide, and I can just be me.

A black SUV speeds down the paved road toward the house, and I immediately recognize the vehicle. It does not belong to me, but to Azalea's family. "Ashen." I hiss at him, and his attention is immediately on me, "Go find your mom in the house." I demand as the SUV comes closer, slowing down as it reaches the front of my home. Standing tall, my arms cross over my chest as the car comes to a slow halt, and the back door is opened. Heels, bright red, step out of the car. Freshly painted nails curl around the door's frame, and it shuts. Azalea stands there, her hair falling around her face in waves, her lips painted dark red, and her white dress hugs her body perfectly.

It's been years the last I have seen her dressed up like this, and she looks ravishing.

Does this mean that she's already crawling back to me?

My lips curve into a grin as she approaches, her eyes a blazing storm as she struts over, each sway of her hips has me contemplating how much I'm going to make her beg. "I'm only here for Lyra's things." She doesn't skip a beat and continues to walk past me, leaving me in the dust behind her.

"You can't just come in here," I yell, following her to the house, but I don't stop her. She has to see how easily replaceable she is, and soon, she'll cry and beg for me to take her back. Azalea won't last long in her father's big shoes, and when she finally asks for help, that pack will be mine too.

"Alpha!" A female's voice is carried by the wind from behind, and Azalea and I both turn to look as a young woman in purple overalls runs up to us, but the second her eyes find Azalea's, she doesn't even look at me. "Luna, I'm glad you're back. The orphanage is running low on flour for the bread." The pure relief that instantly took over the second she saw Azalea burns a hole in my chest.

What has my mate been doing behind my back?

I step in front of the woman, "Your Luna abandoned you. Use the funds I send every month for flour." I demand, and the woman steps back, frightened at the sight of how serious I am, her eyes flicking past me to Azalea once more. "I'm sorry, Stella," Is all Azalea says, forcing her chin up, something I've witnessed so many times.

"Stella, where is your funds?" I question, grabbing her attention, but she's suddenly pale. "Alpha." She shakes her head, "We...Luna Azalea.", "She is not your Luna anymore." I snap, and her brown eyes widen in fear. "I apologize...um...Azalea used to help with that." A crease forms in between her brows, and the unsettling feeling of betrayal slices through my chest like claws. "We'll discuss this later. Come see me tomorrow." Stella's mouth opens to say more, but I cut her off with a raised hand, "Dismissed," I growl, and she lowers her head, nodding before turning to leave.

When I reach the front door, laughter echoes through the house, but Azalea is storming down the stairs, lightning shooting in her eyes as anger radiates off her, a bag in hand, and the familiar pink blanket flung over her arm. Lyra's blanket. "What have you done to my pack?" I grab her arm as she tries to brush past me without a word. A rumbling growl rips from her throat, the vibration pulsing through my bones, "Get your dirty, cheating hands off me!" She shoves me back with force, and my eyes widen at her show of strength.

She takes precisely three steps before stopping dead in her tracks, and she turns as slowly as the sun rounds the earth, "I saved it," With that, she gets back into the car, and drives off.

It's going to take me weeks to figure out what the hell she did.

She f*****g ruins everything.