True mates Book Two of Ozark Wolves
Chapter 6: New Day, New Challenges

The dawn was grey when Alexandria woke. She looked around in a panic. Forgetting where she was. A soft whimper in her throat. "Calm down, little one." William's voice floated up the stairs in a soft whisper. "You are safe." He appeared seemingly to materialize at the top of the stairs leading to the loft. A mere five feet from where she lay. "A little early to be awake given the late hour we all got to bed," he observed. No censure in his tone just a statement of fact.

"I am used to rising early. I helped to tend the children when I was not practicing in the fields." Alexandria replied. He was still in his tight boxers and robe from the night before. Though he had taken the time to tie the sash this time. "Why are you awake?" She asked.

"Rick snores. Quincy throws a pillow at him. I sleep light." William grinned. "Coffee then?" He did not wait for her answer but headed down the stairs silently. The coffee was perking by the time she made it down the stairs. Not quite as silent as he had.

"So what is a dom?" She asked her curiosity about that had burned her alive until she had finally fallen asleep.

"Alpha light. I suppose." William replied with a self-deprecating smile. "Or heavy depending on the individuals in question." He shrugged. "Rick was being an ass. I am sorry if what he said scared you."

"What makes you think it did?" Alexandria asked. The full force of his light green gaze met hers. Do not lie to me, they said. I will not tolerate it. "I wasn't sure of the parameters." She clarified. He rolled his eyes.

"You are a horrible liar, little one." William replied. He filled two cups then the portable carafe. "Grab the cream and sugar and a spoon." He ordered. Then paused. "Please and thank you." He had to remember to use those words. She had agreed to nothing and thus was not under his control. He liked control. Having had so little of it. Being a triplet was chaotic. She grabbed the items and followed him to the dining room.

"I am not lying," she returned when in her seat from the previous night. He shook his head and took his seat. "So I understand Rick. And I kind of get Quincy. But you are more difficult."

William shrugged his smile from earlier back in play. "Half the time I do not understand myself so good luck." He looked up to replace her studying him. "I like control. Living with those two has been nothing if not...interesting." William tried to explain. "But that is an illusion and so I started researching different things to help personalities like mine. That particular lifestyle suited me."

"Suited? Past tense?" Alexandria asked. "Why not still?"

William sighed and pulled out his phone from his robe pocket. Turned down the volume and opened up a video. A pretty girl with long black hair was handcuffed to a bed. Naked. A hand with a riding crop slipped into view. It hit her lightly on the top of each of her bare breasts. The video stopped and he took the phone back and slipped it into his pocket. "That's why. You looked both intrigued and disgusted." The smile teased his lips. "I will replace another outlet." He ignored the way she had sat back quickly in her chair when he moved. Keeping distance between them.

So he caused pain. That seemed to fit him right. She could see him abusing some poor female for disobeying him. "What did she do wrong?" Alexandria asked before she could check herself. William's expression turned thunderous.

"Asked. She told me where and how hard. She had complete control over everything I did." William had never been accused of abuse but that was damn close to it. Maria had researched and learned what the lifestyle was. Had trusted him explicitly. "I taped that to learn." He sighed. He wrapped his large hands around the small cup. "Absolute trust is required for such a relationship. So there is nothing to worry about where you are concerned."

"Ouch, Will." Rick said from the entrance to the dining room. "She asked a question. Defensive much?"

"When the question is borderlining abuse. Yeah. Mother and Father would remove one triplet from the pack in a heartbeat." William replied turning his gaze to look at his brother without looking at her. "What are you doing awake?"

"My turn to make breakfast." Rick replied pointing to the calendar on the wall next to him. "He does have a point, Alexandria. Mother and Father would have a thing or two to say about one of us hurting a female. Especially with Mother's experience before she came here and mated to Father." Having said his piece to defend his brother. Rick walked into the kitchen and began pulling pans and bowls out to start breakfast. "Bacon or sausage?" He asked from the inside of the fridge.

"Both. Just in case." William replied. He had closed his eyes for a second. To collect his thoughts and regain control of his temper. She had pushed a little hard with that question.

"I didn't mean to offend. With so many children and only one real adult. At times to keep the more obstinate ones in line force had to be used. I do not view it as abuse." She said to smooth things over. She had been on the receiving end of such punishments herself. William's eyes popped open. Rick stepped from the kitchen both of them looked at her then at each other. Rick cursed and turned away with disgust. William reexamined the contents of his coffee hating life at that moment.

"What did I miss?" Quincy asked as he walked into the kitchen for his cup for coffee.

"Ask cult girl. I am busy." Rick replied an angry edge to his voice. Quincy looked from William to Alexandria. Then took his seat and reached for the carafe.

"I am not from a cult." Alexandria defended.

"Yeah you are. But that is neither here nor there," Quincy replied. "What triggered this response?" He looked to William again who just shook his head and kept his eyes closed sipping his dark liquid with zeal. Quincy looked to Alexandria again. "Come on." He coaxed.

"I simply said that corporal punishment was a way of life there and so I do not see anything wrong with it." Alexandria replied. "With so many of us. Fights would break out and something had to give."

"How many did you instigate?" Quincy asked.

"Three. But two of them were not my fault. I jumped in to defuse them and they got worse." Alexandria replied.

"Explains the nightmares." Rick said from the kitchen. "Trauma of the basic kind. My favorite."

"Nightmares?" Alexandria asked. She would have remembered waking up screaming again. She had slept rather well last night. Now that she thought about it. She looked at all three of the males. "What nightmares. I would have remembered."

"They started at about three this morning." William replied. He opened his eyes and met hers. "Your hair is very soft. Should consider growing it out. I like the color."

"She needs to be taken to Bath and Body Works for lotions or better yet ask Mom what she uses. Her skin is a little rough. Moisturizing is important. I do not recall seeing much as far as toiletries in her bags." Rick said from the kitchen. Then the sound of breaking eggs and shells hitting the trash can.

"Right here, Rick," Alexandria ground out. She needed nothing from them. She was here to get a mission complete not be their mate. She was losing sight of what was really important with every passing second. "Will I see Margarette today?"

"Doubtful. She and Dad usually either stay in their house all day doing the Moon knows what or he takes her to the city for the day. It being Saturday. Probably the city." Quincy replied relaxing back in his chair. The exact same one he had sat in the night before. A howl was heard outside followed by a second. "Or they could be out for a morning run." Quincy grinned. Alexandria did a double take at this. They could run anytime? "The moon is still full, Alexandria. We can still shift." Then he bumped William's shoulder. "Go run it off. Take a shower and join us for breakfast. You will feel better."

"I doubt it but it is better than the alternative." William grumbled and got up. He walked around the table to the back mudroom. And closed the door behind him.

"He is not as tough as he thinks he is. In fact he is more sensitive to everything. Be careful what you say in front of him." Quincy said lowering his voice. "He takes everything seriously. From his responsibility to our parents, the pack, us, and now you. His instincts are stronger in the regard of protection and guidance. That is why he is good as an architect. Blueprints do not lie. Creating something like that takes mastery of everything. Numbers. Scale. And himself. Rick took up psychology because he got the intuition. He can get to the heart of what are thinking before you even say the words. He will help you if you want it. With the nightmares. I have a knack for moving numbers. Making them stick where I want them. Finance and investment are my areas." He stood and picked up his coffee cup. "I need to start yours. Do you have a degree or a special job?"

"No. I was good with the younger children. Helped get them dressed and fed. Taught them when I had time. But I did not attend college as you three have." Alexandria replied.

"That's fine." Quincy smiled. "The pack is large and wealthy. We share all and whatever is left is used for individual purposes. Utilities and such. Mom and Dad set us up for a while." A ding from the kitchen had Rick at the entrance again.

"We are lucky if she knows how to spell her name. It is all fake." Rick said with sadness in his voice. "Ford and Carter just emailed. Nothing she was given is real. Like the others." His eyes were genuinely sad. "Given her biology thus far I would put her at just turned eighteen like the others. Their paperwork all said they were a hell of a lot older than they were."

"I can read and write." Alexandria said in her own defense. But eighteen? No she was older than that. Older than them.

"Thank the Moon for that." Quincy breathed. "I guess I could call Kenneth and ask for his videos from the last eighteen years. See if she is on them and get a read on just how old she is."

"Better idea. Seth. He needed to come ask Mother advice for the pack library there near Jeff City. Kind of cute that one of the boys she had taken pity on picked up her career path." Rick replied. "He is set to be here tomorrow."

"He lives?" Alexandria breathed.

"Yeah all four do actually. Jason is now Alpha and has a Luna and two pups. He was adopted by an Alpha. Jerome runs the little league in K.C., and Tex. He runs his own financing company near Little Rock, Arkansas." Quincy ticked off. "They come here a few times a year to meet up and share their lives with Mother. They had taken a shine to her when she did not kill them outright for barging into her library at the university to kidnap her."

"Mercy?" Alexandria asked. "Why would she show them mercy?"

"They were children in her eyes. Having just conceived us. She was feeling very maternal." Rick replied. "And she had been worried as to whether she would be a good mother." He snickered and returned to flip the pancakes. The smell of homemade food made Alexandria recall that she had not eaten anything but the sandwich from last night in two days. She was starving. Though hunger was nothing new to her.