Alpha Loren novel Chapter 111

"On that hilltop, you will find an elderly man with a carved wooden staff. My pack refers to him as the Oracle and he has been able to help in many of our times of need. He may know how to help you too," she said gesturing to the peak of an inclination in the relatively flat land about a mile away. "Good luck on your quest," she added with what appeared to be almost a smile and in a much less solemn tone.

"Thank you Alpha..." I began before realising I didn't even know her name.

"Silvia. Alpha Silvia," she answered.

I nodded before she left Max and me to make our way to the so-called 'Oracle'.

"She was nice," I commented.

"If creepy and grave is your idea of nice..."

I elbowed him in the stomach.

"She didn't hand us into Leonardo and she has shown us to someone that can help us. You ought to be more thankful," I said.

"Do you have to talk to me like I am one of your sons? I lost my mother when I was fourteen. I don't need you to replace her now that I'm twenty-seven," Max replied walking faster ahead of me. 

I rolled my eyes and kept going at my own pace. I gave up trying to civilise him weeks ago and accepted the fact that we would never go more than five minutes without bickering.

As we made our way up the dusty hill, my mind began to wonder, as it did at least ten times a day, to my home and family. 

"What are you doing?" I had asked Leo as I walked into the living room early one morning. He was shirtless and appeared to be doing press-ups.

"Working out. Isn't it obvious?" he replied between deep breaths.

"You never work out. You don't need to," I stated, admiring his perfectly toned natural muscles.

"You won't be saying that when I'm forty."

"But you're not forty. You're twenty-five and it's fifteen years until you're forty."

"It's also fifteen years until Cato turns seventeen and takes over the Alphaship so I have to keep up my strength until then," he explained as he continued you to complete more and more press ups.

"Your great great great great Grandpa is still alive at 120. I don't think you need to worry about turning forty in fifteen years."

"When Antonio was my age, he looked like this too," Leo said now doing his press-ups with one arm. "Have you seen him now that he is forty-two?"

"I can't say I have ever seen your father shirtless, to be honest."

"Well, he is still Muscular but nowhere near how he was. He had me when he was much younger than I was when we had Cato so I have to keep this whole Alpha thing up for longer meaning I have to keep my strength up for longer MEANING I have to work out."

"Whatever," I said with an eye roll. "You do whatever makes you happy but does it have to be in here? With all the sweat and panting."

"I'm hardly sweating," he pointed out.

"That's because you don't need to bloody work out," I said as a little person waddled into the room.

"Mama, what is Dada doing?" Cato asked.

"That is a very good question, Bambino," I said as he stood next to me watching Leo continue to push himself towards and then away from the floor with his arms.

Our eldest child then toddled forward and as Leo came down he took a seat on his back only to be lifted up again by Leo's press up.

Leo and I both laughed as he sat casually on his father's back as he continued to do his press-ups.

"Is that more of a challenge for you, Alpha?" I asked.

"A two-year-old? He doesn't even weigh 30 pounds," Leo replied.

"What about a nineteen-year-old weighing like 110 pounds," I questioned picking Cato up and sitting on Leo's back with him on my lap.

"Is that more of a challenge for you? 140 pounds?" I asked as the front door swung open.

"In here Luca!" I called knowing immediately who our visitor was.

"Oh my, this looks like a fun game," he said his eyes casting to Cato and me. "Can I join?"

"No," Leo stated. "Absolutely not."

Luca looked at me, then Leo again and then me again before giving in to temptations and lurching forward.

"Luca, no!" Leo hissed as he slid himself onto Leo's back beside me "Luca!"

I burst out in laughter as Leo shook under the weight of the three of us.

"Come on, Alpha," Luca encouraged. "Give us ten."

"Is there any point calling me Alpha if you are going to ignore my every command anyway?" Leo asked breathing heavily as he completed another slow push-up.

After exactly 31 more, Leo collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.