Everything Changes

Dear Readers,

This is the last installment I have for this story. There's another storyline with different characters I've been working on that I intend to start posting soon.

Thanks for the continuing encouragement.

KemMyst

*****

Joanna came for a visit, bringing along her little girl, the Alphas' first grandpup.

It had taken them some time to come up with a name, as they had expected a boy. Joanna had wanted to combine her mother's and her friend's names. But neither of them liked Aryssa and Lyriel just seemed like too... much. Nathan had suggested a combination of the grandmothers' names and they had contemplated Jewel for a time. They tried it out but neither was quite happy with it. It was good that they had a few days before the full moon. Of course, Juliet kept pressing them for the name of her new, her only, granddaughter.

They finally settled on Lyria.

It took a few days after Emmanuel was born for her to be able to come and visit. The Mini arrived about midmorning and, as several wolves took notice and approached, Joanna removed her baby girl from the back seat. "Here we are, Lyri. Grandmama and Grandpa will be so happy to see you. And we're gonna meet Lyssa's little boy." She nuzzled her daughter's thin, light hair and kissed her.

The nearby females, particularly, smiled. Ariel approached her daughter and granddaughter and enveloped them in a hug. "Oh, sweetie, it's good to see you. How are you doing?"

"Getting the hang of some things, Mom. How's Lyssa?"

"Overwhelmed."

"Has he changed yet?"

"A couple days ago. She was very worried."

"Where are they?"

"I believe the males are sparring. Lyssa is either in their suite or... no, that's about the only place she'll be."

[She hasn't been out?]

[Not much. A few meals. Between the boy and the council...] Ariel took the little girl and walked up the stairs to the main door.

Roland ran by, stopping short upon seeing Jo. He grabbed her and swung her around once. She squealed. "Hey, Jo, good to see you."

As he set her down, she said, "Geez, Rolly. Um, yeah, good to see you, too."

He ran a hand lightly over his niece's head and ran out to the circle. "I'm up. See ya."

Joanna gaped at her brother. "What's with him?"

Ariel smiled, cryptically. "I have an idea."

Lyria's little hands twined into her grandmother's red tresses, and she giggled, yanking on them. They started climbing the stairs. [A female?] Ariel nodded, briefly, and Joanna broke into laughter.

When she finally got enough air to speak, she asked, quietly, "Sally?" Ariel smiled and Lyria began to rub her face against her chest. Ariel handed the baby over. "You're up, sweetie."

Joanna pulled open her blouse and brought her daughter to her breast. The women settled at the sitting area off the second floor landing. Joanna cradled her daughter, rubbing her back as she nursed.

"So, unfortunately, I can't start the program until fall."

"Are there some online classes or coursework you can take in the spring semester?"

"Yeah. I'm debating on one or two courses. Not sure how much I'll be able to handle with her." Joanna kissed her daughter's head.

"So, how's she sleeping?"

"Pretty good, maybe four, five hours."

"I'm glad to hear it." Ariel leaned over, inhaled, and ran a gentle finger over the tiny fist resting on her daughter's chest. "And her cub?"

"If she can't get onto her father's chest she likes to curl up in his dirty clothes. He's starting to find holes."

Ariel smiled.

"Except when he wasn't getting enough sleep, Nathan acts like he can't believe she's real. His mom's already sent so many clothes. I don't think she ever thought she'd get a granddaughter. The boys are really curious."

"Hopefully, the novelty will wear off soon."

Lyria finished her meal and Joanna pulled her up to her shoulder, rubbing small circles on the baby's back. Jo looked into her mother's eyes, seeing the happy glow there and the small smile. "They are amazing, aren't they?"

Ariel's smile grew into a self-satisfied smirk. [I've convinced your father that we should have another.]

Joanna gaped. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. She had spent 19 years being the baby of the Alpha pair.

A baby belch brought her back to her own daughter. While she had been a bit scared, she couldn't imagine not having her. She was a grownup, mated. Her mother obviously had a wish for another pup. Jo just had to get over that last little bit of jealousy over the thought.

"Come, let's go see Lyssa and little Em."

Joanna smiled. "Big Em and Little Em, huh?"

"Oh, don't let him hear you say that. He's trying very hard not to have them called that."

They paused at the door to the first Beta suite. Ariel closed her eyes briefly and composed herself before knocking on the door.

"What?" Joanna was startled at the tone. Irritated.

"Madam Beta, Joanna has come for a visit."

The pause was pregnant with possibilities. Joanna began to get nervous. The door opened abruptly and Lyssa blinked out into the bright hallway. The room was in twilight. A sheet or something was wrapped around her shoulder to her waist and a pink, chubby boy with dark hair was held in it, against her body. Lyssa's face slowly showed a tired, small smile. "Hi, Jo."

Jo leaned in and gave her an awkward, one-armed hug. "Hi, Lys."

"May we come in?"

Lyssa glanced behind her. "Um." Wolf eyes saw the disturbed bedclothes, articles of clothing on the bed and chairs. "Just a minute." The door closed in their faces.

"We could go to the sitting area", Joanna said through the door.

They heard shuffling, a muffled 'ouch,' the slamming of a door. The door abruptly opened again. "OK. C'mon in."

They walked into the darkened room. Although it was cloudy outside, there were drapes on the windows and they were drawn. Jo shifted her little girl and frowned.

As they sat, Lyssa's butt hit the couch and she just jumped up again, "Um, would you like something?"

"No, Lys, c'mon, sit down for a bit."

Lyssa sat again, but she seemed nervous, on edge. Joanna was beside her, on the couch. She reached over to touch the little boy's arm. Lyssa caught herself but Joanna recognized the beginning of a growl, saw the slight lift of her lip.

Ariel looked between the two new mothers, the two friends, and decided to make herself scarce. Perhaps her daughter could help the First Beta female. She stood. "Excuse me, Simon needs to speak with me."

"Why's it so dark in here?"

Lyssa rolled her eyes. "He sleeps all hours of the day and night."

Lyria fussed a bit and Joanna rubbed her arm. "Yeah. And they don't care if it's light, dark, or loud. All they wanna be is warm."

"And that means I gotta curl up with him."

"No, Lys, that means a blanket sometimes." Jo reached over to touch Lyssa's arm. Concern colored her voice, "Lyssa, are you getting any sleep?"

Dark brown eyes, with the initial glint of tears, looked into blue. A little sniff and Lyssa closed her eyes. "Yeah."

"Hey. How 'bout we put the babies down for a nap and talk?" Joanna stood and walked over to the bed. She laid her sleeping daughter in the middle, rolled up the covers and put the pillows around her. She looked back and held out her hand. "C'mon."

Lyssa exhaled, looked down at her son. Swallowing, she rose.

Joanna watched Lyssa's face as she reached for the little boy. Lyssa tensed, holding herself rigid as Jo took Emmanuel from the sling and placed him beside Lyria. She then went around the bed and threw open the drapes on two of the windows while leaving closed the ones that would throw the most light on the bed.

Lyssa blinked as Joanna turned back, eyes squinted a bit. Jo walked over and wrapped her arms around the older, taller female. Lyssa asked, her voice heavy with emotion, "How do you do it?"

Joanna was ready to make a quick reply then stopped and thought a second. "I have had some help." There was a pause. "Seriously, Lys, why the drapes?"

"Well, um, he was, well, he was a wolf, and, I know my eyes are.. more.," she petered out.

"Lys, his eyes are closed, you know that. He's got to get used to sunlight anyway."

Lyssa pulled away, "I don't need to be scolded. I know I'm doing it all wrong."

"Lys, no, you're not."

"He wants things, all the time. To be fed, to be held, to be cleaned up, to be talked to, to sleep, to have me with him, all the time. Emmett doesn't know what to do with either of us. And then I've got the pack council, we've got another meeting in a week." She took a deep breath. "I can't think straight."

Joanna led Lyssa over to the couch and sat her down, then sat beside her. Lyssa put her face in her hands.

"Cancel the council meeting, Lys, they'll understand."

Lyssa lifted her head. "Weakness. You know I can't."

"Don't you sleep when he does?"

Lyssa shook her head. "I'm afraid I'll roll over on him."

Joanna looked over at the crib; they were unusual in the den. "How about the crib?"

"They're made for babies, Jo. What if he gets between the slats and falls out and hurts himself?"

"Put something in so he can't, Lys. C'mon, you can figure something out."

"And then he'll just cry."

"Now you're making excuses. If he's tired, he'll sleep. He may whimper a bit but, if he's tired, he'll sleep." Lyssa glanced over to the bed. "You have to do something different, Lyssa. You can't live on coffee."

Lyssa snorted. "No coffee while I'm breastfeeding."

"You need to get some sleep. Let someone else take him for a while."

Lyssa got up, walked over to the bed, and picked up her son. "What is it?"

"He needs changing."

Joanna looked puzzled. He hadn't made a sound but he was awake. Lyssa set him on a table and removed the wet diaper. As she turned back a stream of urine arced up, catching her in the face. "Em." The tone was a bit scolding. "I swear he thinks it's funny," Lyssa said as she wiped her face. Emmanuel was placed into a new diaper and re-installed in the bed. She stood there, looking at him.

"C'mon back over here, Lys. He's good."

Reluctantly, her hand tracing down his little arm, Lyssa tore herself away from her son.

The door opened and Emmett strode in, stopping when he saw Joanna and the open drapes. "Oh, hi." He walked over, slid his hands around his mate, and kissed her. She was a little stiff. He looked over at the two infants in their bed and smiled. He pressed another kiss to the side of her head. "I'll let you two talk."

Lyssa looked at him. "Was there something you needed, Em?"

"Just checking on you, sweetheart. Is there anything you want?" Lyssa shook her head. "I'll let you visit."

Emmett left the room, closing the door behind him. Joanna watched Lyssa. Her shoulders dropped, like she was defeated.

Joanna waited, to see what she would do. Lyssa should be happy right now. She had a pup, a mate who loved her deeply, but she seemed so overwhelmed.

How long had it taken her to settle in after Lyria had been born? It had to have been a couple of weeks. But she had had Juliet, and the mates.

Lyssa had turned back, slowly, and was again staring at the babies on the bed.

"Lyssa?"

"I was so scared he wouldn't change. That he'd be stuck that way."

"He's good, Lys. Healthy." She took a breath and spoke again, "The mates told me that it was OK to let her wait a little. That I didn't have to go to her as soon as she cried. That I'd spoil her if I did."

"How can you stand it? How can you not give in?"

"You do, Lys." Joanna stood, walked over, and took Lyssa's hands, "You do give in. It's not like you neglect him. You just don't have to go right away, all the time. Put him in the crib and take a bath. He won't starve if he gets fed 5 minutes later." Lyssa looked down at the younger mother, nodding sadly. "And you've got to sleep when he does. It'll get better when he sleeps longer."

"OK."

Jo led Lyssa back to the couch and got her to sit again. Jo sighed. "So, how's Emmett?"

"Huh? Oh, good. He's good."

"I know you don't feel like it yet, but don't forget about your mate."

Lyssa growled at Jo's presumption. Jo took it that the matter was closed. "Somebody's gotta be able to help you with the stuff for the council. Isn't there something someone can help you with?"

Lyssa looked at her, as if she hadn't thought of it. "I, I suppose so."

"Then do it. You don't have to do everything yourself. Let someone help you."

She had always done for herself. Her family had died when she was a teenager. Lyssa had grown up independently. She had been brought into the pack 3 years prior. Born human, Emmett had changed her when they mated. As Beta female, and a changed human, she couldn't afford, didn't want to show, any weakness to the pack.

She stood again and Joanna looked up at her. "He's hungry."

Joanna knew what that meant. Her breasts got full and painful if she waited to feed Lyria.

Lyssa brought her son to her breast and Joanna picked up her daughter. "I can't stay too long. I'm gonna hunt down Mom."

"Sorry I'm not good company."

Joanna took a breath and ran a hand down Lyssa's arm. "It gets better. Soon."

***

Lyssa groaned and rolled. "Em, can you get him?"

Emmett swum up from sleep at his mate's request. "What?"

"He's hungry, can you bring him over?"

Bleary, Emmett rose and lifted his son from the crib, confused. If he was hungry, he wasn't making any noise.

Lyssa pushed up in the bed and put out her arms to accept her baby. Emmanuel yawned and smacked his lips as he was transferred to his mother's arms. He took hold and began suckling as Emmett laid beside his mate, rolled up on one side, and fondling his son's feet. "You are gorgeous, mate."

Lyssa gave him a tired smile.

***

He had been very surprised when Emmanuel's eyes had opened. Both his and Lyssa's eyes were brown so he expected his son's eyes to be brown, too. He was shocked to see bright blue eyes.

Lyssa had laughed. "Ask anyone, Em. All babies' eyes are blue. The color comes later."

Emmett went to her then and kissed her. She had been so tired since their son had been born and, after the initial bout of joy at his birth, she was often tired and grumpy. This was the first time in a couple of weeks that she had laughed, and he was glad to hear it.

Emmett put his arms around his mate and looked over her shoulder down at their son. "He's gorgeous, mate. Just like his mother." Emmett nuzzled Lyssa's hair. "Hey, how 'bout we go outside for a run? You haven't been out for a while."

Lyssa pulled away, shaking her head. "We can't just leave him."

"Cassie could watch him for a little while, or Caroline."

"Who's gonna feed him if he gets hungry?"

"We won't be gone that long."

"The council meeting is in three days. I've got work to do."

"Lyssa.."

She picked up Emmanuel and put him in the sling, then walked over to her computer. Apparently, the matter was closed.

Emmett sighed and she shot him a dirty look.

He couldn't, wouldn't let that stand. So he walked over to her, put his hands on her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. [I love you, Lyssa.]

She grunted in response.

Worse still.

As he tried to figure out what to do next he saw her attention shift. Someone was sending to her.

[Madam Beta?]

[What is it, Thomas?]

[I'd like to speak to you. Ask you about something Lorelei wants. Privately.]

[Coming.] She looked up at her mate as she stood. "Thomas needs to speak with me."

He suppressed a growl. She was running away from the conversation they needed to have. He watched as his mate walked away from him.

[Erich?]

[What's up, Em?]

Emmett strode purposefully into the nerve center of the Wyeth pack and closed the door. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked ready to scream. "Em? Emmett? What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I don't know what to do." Emmett sat heavily in a chair. "I want to help her. I want to be able to touch my mate again. I want to get her outside, to run through the snow, to get her to let someone watch our son for a short time."

"She just had the pup, Emmett. It's gonna take a while before she feels like it."

"Why didn't any of the other females have this problem?"

"They probably did, Em. Have you paid that close attention? She went wolf for the birthing. Maybe this is part of it."

"Between Emmanuel and the council, she's not sleeping much and working on things constantly. I can't get her to stop."

"So, what do you want?"

Emmett sighed. "I want things to get back to normal."

Erich barked a laugh. "Normal? Em, you've got a pup now; nothing's ever gonna be the same."

Emmett closed his eyes and exhaled.

Lyssa walked into Medical with Emmanuel. "Thomas. You have a question for me?"

Thomas looked over at them and smiled. "How is the pup?"

Lyssa growled out the question, "You called me down here for that?"

Thomas swallowed. "No, Madam Beta, I was just asking. It's something Lorelei has asked me to do."

Lyssa's brow furrows. "Um, I'm not sure I want to discuss your sexual encounters with you."

He put on a knowing grin and shook his head. "No, no. It's nothing like that." He took a deep breath and released it. "She wants to take something. Something she says will enhance the experience." Lyssa looked at him; he was uncertain. "I refused her, saying I was satisfied with what we were doing. But," he looked at her, "I wonder if I should."

"Why ask me? Wouldn't the other healers know better?"

"They do not have the experience. And I don't know if you do, but I thought I would ask."

"What is it?"

"She calls it X."

Ecstasy. She had tried it in her wilder days, when she was a teenager.

She'd taken it a couple of times. OK, maybe more than a couple.

The first time one of the other girls had given her a tab they had been dancing in a club. She was a little disappointed when she didn't feel anything right away. She hadn't realized it took a while to kick in.

All of a sudden, it was like she could feel the music. Yeah, you can feel the bass or the movement of bodies to the beat but it was more than that, different. She couldn't describe it. All she knew was she found she didn't like the heavier beats that night.

And her clothes, the touch of it against her skin. It was like a whisper, a soft caress. Her skirt flowed across her thighs as she danced. She felt the movement of the satin blouse on her shoulders. And her hair, like silk on her neck.

She bumped into Melanie and it was like a shot of heat on her hip, her arm. Startled, she had turned, and touched Melanie's shoulder. Melanie's hazel eyes looked up at her and she about got lost in the depth of the color. Lyssa had never noticed the intensity of the color in Mel's eyes. It was the green of spring leaves, of new grass, of.. of.. Wow.

Mel kissed her. She reached up, and kissed her. Her lips were soft, and warm, and soft. And her mouth opened and her tongue pressed against Lyssa's lips. Lyssa opened and Mel's tongue slid into her mouth; Mel's arms went around her shoulders and hers went around Mel's waist, and their legs slid between each others'.

She grabbed Mel's hair as they began to grind against each other on the dance floor.

She was getting hot. And she was definitely wet. And she could feel other bodies close around them, warmth just radiating from them.

They were humping each others' thighs, rubbing their boobs against each other, kissing like they wanted to crawl inside each other. Their hands wandered a little. Mel had her butt, Lyssa was taller, and Lyssa had one hand up and one hand down. She had Mel's hair, held her face to her.

Big hands grabbed her hips. She and Mel clung to each other, continuing to grind their mounds into each others' thighs. Actually, she was up against Mel's hip.

But, those big hands clung to her, and she got really, really warm. He ground his erection into her backside. She felt the moisture start sliding down her thighs.