Betrayed by My Pack – Wolfless Hybrids Escape
Chapter 159 –

Cara's

POV

We usually don't come out here as a group, so many children have not competed against each other on this course before. We only came today, as it was Lexie's birthday. She had a great idea; they all seemed to be having fun. I can see from how some of the children looked that they wanted rematches. Our children were highly competitive. From now on, I can see us coming out here a lot more for birthdays.

Boris never gave up his lead as he raced through the course. His smile as he climbed the pole to ring the bell was bigger than I had ever seen. He was proud of himself, and I was glad that Cheryl had raced down to congratulate him alongside his father, Anton. After Robert mentioned it to her, I was happy that Cheryl was willing to work on correcting it. Robert had Boris over a lot to spend the night. My twin brothers looked up to Boris, and they were the best of friends. So, I was happy that he was now getting the attention he deserved.Mila only came in third, but she was still proud of herself. She didn't like to use her magic to run the course. She considered it cheating despite her father telling her that she could use her powers. I have heard some of the children in the pack mocking her for not belonging here. "Hold up! This content was written for ib.o, but if you're not on our site, someone scraped it. Don't miss out on our newest insights and authentic novels-check out i. for the full experience." They always tried to act as if we heard them wrong, but that was not the case. I was considering paying a tutor to work with my school-aged children. I don't want their self-esteem battered. It is hard to get past that once it happens. I already had firsthand experience with it, I didn't want that to happen to them. Alexei had walked up the hill with Mila. I told her I was proud of her, but her response shocked me. "Why? I didn't win, Mom," Mila replied.

"I am proud of each one of you. It only matters that you tried your best and had fun doing it. Winning isn't everything. You don't have to be the best of the best to be successful. Having determination and being willing to work on improving yourself is more important than winning. Weren't you proud of Lexie when she raced?" I asked Mila.

"Yes, she did great," Mile replied, smiling down at Lexie.

"She did. She did everything she needed to do, and she was successful. But to some, they might focus on her coming in last. She may have, but she is proud of herself, and so are we. The main point is she had fun out there running the course. She is proud of herself. Don't let anyone else tell you you are less than when you are perfect as who you are. We each have our strengths, you focus on them, and you will always be successful. Don't let disappointment or any perceived expectations drag you down. We are proud of every one of you. We always will be," I told her.

Mila smiled at me and hugged me and her father before settling down between our blanket and my mother's. Mila and Kennedy got on their cell phones and showed each other funny videos. I saw that my mother was snuggled into Robert, and he was sneaking kisses. Two years ago, my mother spelled Robert so that he would age along with her. They both looked like they were in their late twenties now.

It was clear to anyone who looked at them that Robert adored my mother. The feeling was mutual. They managed to get past the Adra issue. Once Mom stopped and looked at Robert's feelings, she saw it all. She also saw how terrified he had been at the thought of losing her when Clay and his men came here to kill us. Mom completely forgave him, and they have been blissfully happy ever since. He is a good man who genuinely loves my mother wholeheartedly. I am so glad that they found each other. Robert still is a wolf, the only thing that changed was just his aging so that they would grow old together.

The last race of the night was coming up, and it was the one that everyone wanted to see. It is the fourteen to seventeen-year-old race, with only two competitors, Maksim and Milena. The other teenagers in the pack refused to race against them. They can't beat them. It goes back and forth between them who wins. I would say that Maksim wins at least sixty-five percent of the time.

That is because Maksim has been blessed with incredible speed and strength. He is one of the strongest in our pack, and I am including the coven. Right now, only Alexei, Anton, Jaxon, and Dmitry were stronger than Maksim. Maksim even beat Chase and Robert in a fight. Robert was so proud of his little brother after their fight. In addition to strength and speed, Maksim also has the power of hypnosis. Dr. Gurin has been keeping track of everything and believes Maksim might end up with another gift.

Milena was fast, but not as fast as her brother. She has also been given gifts as well. She has the power of healing and telekinesis. Both she and her brother have a unique link between them to speak. They have a telepathy and connection to where they almost don't have to speak to know what the other is thinking. Add in the fact that they can speak several languages and are highly intelligent, and you will see that they are both a force to be reckoned with. Due to their being hybrids, they can be in the sun longer than their father and Alexei. They can be out about six hours a day before it becomes an issue.

They have both been taught several forms of fighting and are proficient at handguns. Milena has discovered a love for long-distance shooting. Something that I am pleased about. I worry so much when Alexei has to help assist other packs and covens from rogue vampires. I fear for his safety and the safety of the entire team. Taking out dangerous rogues, whether vampires or wolves, from a distance is a good thing. It also allows them to be killed before they can recover from being shot. It helps to protect the whole team. I sleep easier knowing that they have officially joined the team.

Everyone is waiting for this last race of the night. It is almost silent on the hill as they wait for the gun to sound. They took off together and went side-by-side as they ran the course. There is insufficient running time between the obstacles for Maksim to use his full speed against her. Unfortunately for Milena, there is an opportunity for him to use his strength against her. He scaled the rock wall, and he was ahead as they went through the running course, which had the cones in it. That hampered him instead of helping him. They both arrived at the rope wall at the same time.

Maksim started climbing up, but Milena was determined not to lose today. She jumped straight up to land on the top before jumping back down the other side. Once Maksim saw that, he immediately jumped up and followed her, but she had managed to gain a slight lead on him. They flew through the rest of the course, their movements so impressive that they were almost unbelievable. I could see the pride on their parents' faces as they turned to face the last few obstacles.

Everyone was watching this race, including some of the other pack members. They had been drawn in by our cheering the other races. We all held our breath as we watched them fly across the wooden beams together. It will be a fight to the finish as I can see the determination on Milena's face. Maksim often beats her in their races, and I didn't even realize it when I stood up to get a better view of the race. Everyone is on their feet now and cheering them both on. I watch as they silently agree not to climb the posts but jump up to ring the bell. Both push forward as they try to finish first.

After taking a running leap, they both flew through the air together. It was absolutely impressive how strong they were. My children were vampires, but seeing Maksim and Milena run this course for the first time, I was seriously impressed. The bells ran out at almost the same time, but I was not close enough to know who hit their bell first. No one could tell, as no one cheered, and no one's name was called out. They both landed on the ground as gracefully as a cat and looked at each other.

I knew that there was a camera on each of the posts. In some previous races, arguments have occurred, so the cameras had to be installed. Before Jaxon could review the footage, Maksim stopped him.

"Milena beat me," Maksim said with a grin. He wasn't upset with her. He had pride in his voice when he announced she was the winner. Milena grinned back at him in thanks. It could have been a big argument, but the twin's bond was strong. They were good kids, and I knew how proud Anton and Cheryl must be. I watched as they rushed up to hug each twin and then changed places to hug the other twin. I felt Alexei's arm wrap around my shoulder. He could feel how proud I was of them as well.

We sat back down and watched the children start doing the course for fun now. No racing, just hanging out and having fun with each other. Maksim and Milena stayed with the youngest, and we snuggled in with our mates and watched our children play with each other as the sun slowly set. It was lovely to stop and enjoy time together. It is usually busy with five children in our home, but we try to have date night. Even if it is just going to a movie. I loved Alexei more with each passing year.

The children had returned to sit with us as we ended this night with fireworks. Alexei had outdone himself again, and I leaned over and murmured, "I thought running the course was the only thing Lexie asked for?" "Running the course was the only thing she asked me for. I just thought that this would be fun for all of our children to experience," he replied in my ear. He then pulled me closer and gave me a kiss that gave me promises for later tonight. The night then exploded with color as the fireworks started. Lexie was spellbound and couldn't take her eyes off them. The kids were laid out on the grass or on a blanket, watching the sky light up.Alexei sat near me, with Vadim on one side of him and holding Damian in his lap. Katya was sitting between us and leaning against her father, who wrapped his arm around her. Lexie was in my arms, and Mila was beside me as we watched the fireworks. My heart was full. I have a wonderful family, and I wouldn't change a thing. No matter how hard the road was, I would do it all over again to get back to this. The pain of my childhood has completely dimmed compared to what my life is like now. Alexei took my hand and kissed my wrist before looking back up at the sky. Yes, I would definitely do it all over again to have my mate and my family. I know no matter the cost, I would do it all over again.