Christopher
"Was showing the council that arrow the right thing?"
"This again? It's already done." Rolling my eyes towards Reed I follow him into my office. He slings himself down on the couch, arms crossed. His brow is furrowed as he concentrates.
"There's something weird about it. Until we know more you Alphas should have kept it in the pack." He voices his question to me how he wouldn't do with my father. After closing the door, I cross to my desk to sit down.
"Did you recognize the arrow?"
Reed glares over at me. We've already been over this. "No."
"Did you recognize the scent?" One of the patrol scouts had picked up on the unfamiliar scent but Reed had been able to investigate it at the beginning of the search
"No, but-" He pauses.
"But?"
"But why would someone head that way to the clinic? No one outside of the pack knows about Alec yet."
"We discussed that with my parents before the call." We felt confident that no one in the pack would have disclosed something so personal as an unaware human Luna. "Whoever was out there could have picked up my scent, it's strong with all the frequency I go to the clinic."
"But don't you find it too strange?"
"That I got shot with an arrow in my mate's backyard? No, what's weird about that." I snark back while I try to sort the papers on my desk, deciding what I need to take care of urgently and what can wait. Reed's concern stems from his fear for me and I know he's not going to let up until we get some answers.
Reed sits up quickly and I can feel his glare. "Maybe I should be more surprised that you got shot in your mate's yard and it wasn't by Alec himself!" He huffs out.
Covering my face with some of the papers, I stifle a laugh. It wasn't funny. But...Alec does have a cute temper on him and Reed usually sees him riled up. The thought is so clear I can almost picture it. "I was a wolf, Alec wouldn't hurt an animal."
Reed sighs, coming up and sitting across from me. His body relaxes more against the chair, his eyebrows more relaxed. "I was just joking but damn, I think he could pull it off. It's just that. I'm so pissed that whoever it was got so close to you. To both of you!"
Leveling a look at Reed, "I know, that scares me the most. But we got lucky this time and we're going to find out who it is."
"Do you think the council will organize a hunting party?"
"Not sure. It's been less than a day but we lost the precious first few hours for a search because of me."
"Yeah, you got shot, way to go, idiot."
I just roll my eyes but am relieved Reed is joking at least. He doesn't do his best thinking when he's riled up. If I'm honest with myself, even though we requested it, a hunting party now wouldn't be very effective. Usually, the pack would deal with something like this first and go to the council later. However, everything happened so suddenly and by the time the pack was aware it was a rush to get me and Alec home safely.
Once I brought Alec home, my attention focused on him. Compared to some of the other human mates I've witnessed finding out, Alec was really calm. Those times aren't all bad, some of the human mates are ecstatic to find out about us werewolves. Alec...is hard to read.
After he watched me shift, he was still calm but seemed more emotional. I was expecting more hesitation, more disbelief. Instead he wrapped his arms around me until the exhaustion overtook him and he fell asleep leaning against me. He didn't even stir when I shifted back and carried him to the couch. I wanted to place him in my bed and cuddle him but knew he wouldn't be comfortable with that. Instead, I settled for sitting beside him and enjoying my time watching him sleep. When my dad called for me, I had to leave before Alec woke up.
"Are you going to wait until we hear back from the council before contacting other packs?" Reed drags my thoughts back to our conversation.
Earlier, Dad and I agreed to reach out to Dark Rains and Western-Crest because they were the closest. "I'm going to call Alpha Owen, Dad's going to contact the Alpha at Western."
Reed nods slowly, "Okay. That makes sense but..."
"Again, but?"
"Nothing, nothing. I just wish I'd been to the last few summits. I think there might be a lot of scents that I'm missing."
"You think it's someone from one of the other packs?" I hadn't considered that. We've all been on good terms as far back as I can remember. I haven't been able to come up with a list of anyone who has a problem with me and no one outside Shady Woods knows about Alec.
"Not exactly," Reed sits forward, leaning towards me seriously. "I just think it's odd that only a few weeks after the last summit, we have a stranger show up?"
"You think I pissed someone off that bad last time," I try to laugh it off but now I'm trying to recall if I might have done something or said something wrong when we were at Dark Rains a few weeks ago. "Why didn't you say something to my parents?" I have taken on most of the daily Alpha tasks, but Dad is still at the top.
Reed waves a hand at me and sits back. "I can't just accuse another pack to the Alpha, just on a hunch. Besides, there are some things a Beta has to take care of."
"Wha-"
"Don't mind me, I'll let you make your phone call. I know you want to get your work done before Luna Alec wakes up." Reeds gets up and heads to the door.
"Luna Alec?" Reed's probably the second best person to know Alec's bad temper and attitude to me, I thought he might not come around to my mate this soon.
Pausing in the doorway, "He is Luna, isn't he? And now he knows about us."
"YEah, but he doesn't know...you know, about everything!"
Reed shrugs my words away. "He's here. He's my Luna, it's what's right. But I won't call him that to anyone but you for now."
Speechless, I just look at him.
"I know," he smiles. "I'm pretty awesome, right?" And he's gone out the door.
Remind the others not to use Alec's title either. I let Reed know. Telling Alec about our positions in the pack is a conversation I am not exactly looking forward to. Baby steps, I'm still trying to keep him from dumping me.
Roger that. And Reed's footsteps disappeared down the hall. Reed always seems cavalier but he has a keen sense of observation. Reed's given me a lot to think about regarding our, or, my latest interactions with the other packs. And how I'm going to integrate Alec into the pack without him fully flipping out.
That is later me's problem.
Opening the top drawer of my desk I pull out my cell phone, where I usually store it when I go out on runs. Dark Rains only uses landlines while on their remote pack lands, scrolling through my contacts I find Alpha Owen's office contact and hit call.
"Dark Rains." An unknown voice answers after several rings.
"Hi, this is Alpha Christopher from Shady Woods, is your Alpha available?"
"I'm sorry, he left for a distance run with his mate a little bit ago. Is this urgent? Oh, hold on-" There's some muffled talking on the other line before the call is picked up by Evan.
"Hey, Christopher, is there something you need help with?"
"Hi Evan. Do you know when your dad will be back?"
"It'll probably be a few hours. Did something happen?" Evan's tone turns more serious. "Is everyone there alright?"
"Uh, yes. Everyone is fine." I debated if I should disclose everything to Evan or just leave a message. Evan isn't even partial Alpha yet, like I am, but this technically isn't an official call.
"You're hesitating, something did happen! Listen, I'll send out a couple of scouts and see if they can get into range to link with him if you can wait-"
"No, no, Evan, it's fine. I can talk with him later."
"But you're making me worried, Christopher."
"Okay, look," I take a deep breath. Evan will be an Alpha one day and my friend. "Someone attacked the pack today. I was the only one hurt but I'm fine now. I wanted to talk to your dad and send him some pictures of the arrow that was used."
Evan gasps over the line. "An arrow? Where did you get hurt? When? Have you notified the council? Do you know who it was?"
"We don't know who it was. It happened yesterday and we just got off the call with the council and are still waiting on their decision. I don't remember the details but the pack only picked up one scent and no one could place it."
"Just the scent? No one saw them?"
"No. They knew what they were doing to keep their scent hidden from me, I never saw it coming."
"Oh, my god, Christopher! How does something like this happen? You're really okay now?"
"Yes, I got some good care right away and healed up very fast. Actually, that was another thing I wanted to talk to your dad about but also to you. Is there someone I might have done, or said, when we visited Dark Rains a few weeks ago? Do you remember?"
"A few weeks ago? No, there's nothing I remember that you would have done. You're usually very friendly and diplomatic during occasions like that. My dad calls you a born Alpha. Do you think you were the only target?"
"I was alone when it happened."
"Alone! Damn, Christopher, that really freaks me out. How did you get help?"
"I'll explain but first, the main problem for me isn't that I was alone, it was where I was." Hesitating, I know that I'll have to explain about Alec.
"O-kay..." Evan drags out the syllables, waiting.
"Actually, I didn't mention this last time I saw you but I've found my mate."
Silence.
"Evan? I'm sorry I didn't say anything but things hadn't exactly progressed enough to announce it and-"
"Because they're human? Yeah, I, um, I had actually suspected that you had found yours, from when you were asking me about human mates."
"Oh. Again, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner-"
"No, no," Evan cuts me off. "Don't apologize, you had good reason not to announce it yet. So, does this mean, that you- that you and them-"
"Alec, um, his name is Alec. Things aren't exactly settled. He just found out that I'm a werewolf and I haven't explained anything about mates yet."
"But you...and him... are together?"
"Yes," something I say proudly. "We're dating, well, we were dating and I guess we are as long as he doesn't choose to dump me now that he knows about all of us."
"And...how does this connect with you being attacked?"
"Because I was at Alec's. I was scouting for an unfamiliar scent that had detected on patrol and I went to check on him first. I was outside, and hit, before I even knew someone else was nearby."
Evan was silent for a pause. "Then what happened?"
"Hmmm, I don't know, I was struck in a bad place and passed out. I know I lost a lot of blood and when I came to, I unknowingly shifted in front of Alec.
"But you got help by then?"
"Alec helped me! He's a vet, that's why he moved out here in the first place, he took over the old vet's clinic. So, he thought he was just helping a wolf and, ta-da, found out about werewolves. But he saved me, he got the arrow out and sewed me up. Well, started to, I started healing once my blood stopped pouring out and-"
"Okay! Stop, please, Christopher, I can't- I don't want to imagine you going through that. I can't."
"Oh, sorry." I got a little taken away boasting about Alec's rescue. "Anyway, that's everything I know. Reed was the one that questioned if I had pissed anyone off recently because no one knows about Alec. They probably could have picked up on my scent trail from the pack edge to Alec's clinic though. Except they would have had to come out this way intentionally hiding their scent."
"I just don't know about this, Christopher? Maybe I should come out there, I'll talk to dad about sending some of our best guards and I can come out there and help-"
Alpha, this is Mason. The Luna left your room. One of our warrior's voices came through the mind link, drowning out the rest of Evan's words.
Okay. Why would he report about my mom? Did she go to check on Alec? Oh, shit, he means Alec! Okay! I'll head that way!
"Evan! Alec's up, I have to go. Let's talk later, please tell you dad to call me or my dad later. Okay?"
"Oh, he's there? Um, yeah, sure, I'll call you-"
"Thanks, Evan. Bye." I hurriedly end the call, fumbling to put my phone in my pocket and stand up at the same time, already heading for the door. Mason mind-links me again.
He asked for directions, I offered to show him but he told me no.
You didn't call him Luna to his face, did you?
No, Beta said not to. But I don't know how else I should properly address him.
Just call him Alec, everyone calls him Alec until further notice. I'm on my way there now.
The pack house is too crowded to run full out but I rush through the halls, barely nodding at any pack members that try to greet me. Any of them that have mates will understand my pace.
I can smell him! He's made it to the main floor and should be close. His sweet fragrance is still tinged with my shampoo and my soap. Rounding the next corner and I finally lay eyes on him. He stands still at the doorway of one of the larger family rooms. I nod briefly to Mason lingering several feet back. He must have followed Alec to make sure his Luna didn't get lost.
Adding a new Luna to the pack is a rare event, Reed obviously isn't the only one affected by our new pack member. And no one's more excited than me.
"Alec!" I jog up to my mate. He doesn't turn when I call out and he doesn't look at me when I stop beside him. Following his gaze, I look into the family room as well.
There are more of us than normal and every seat is filled. Some of the elders are dozing off while parents play with the youngest pups and talk among themselves. Older kids are running around, chasing each other in and out the full crowd. A few of the teens have joined while others are clustered together, on their phones or joking and laughing with each other.
Looking around again, I can't quite pinpoint what he's looking at. Everyone is in their human form, probably for space, or maybe my mom has warned them not to go around shifted with a new human in the house.
"Alec?" I lightly brush his arm to get his attention. He looks at me, eyes widening a little as if he didn't know I was there and then they slowly drift back to the pack members. "Is something wrong?"
"There's just so many...families." He mumbles.
"Huh?"
"It's nothing." Alec turns to face me fully. Despite whatever distracted him, he seems calm and well-rested. I'm impressed he wandered around the house alone. Sometimes the pack house full of werewolves seems daunting to some of the human mates. Alec just seems...in place here. I just want to scoop him up and never let him go.
"Did you sleep okay?"
"Yeah, I must have been really tired. I'm not sure how long I was asleep for."
"A while and you needed it. Are you hungry? Why don't we go eat and I'll let you know everything you missed." I turn aside to let him go in front of me down the hall. His hand shoots out and grabs my arm. "What is it?"
"Um," Alec starts nervously, his eyes darting back to the family room again. "Everyone is looking at me."
Turning my head, sure enough the pack members have taken notice of Alec standing in the hall. The room slowly becomes quieter and quieter as we stand there. I take a step in, gently pulling Alec with me. "That's not true," I lean down to whisper to him, "some of the babies don't seem to care."
The tension eases in Alec's eyes, replaced with their usual bite and he jabs his elbow at me. Several of the pack members laugh along with me. "Everyone, this is Alec," introducing him to the room. "We'll save all of your individual introductions until later. Okay?"
"HI, ALEC!" A chorus rings out at once and I mentally slap myself. Way to look like a creepy cult, guys. Shooing Alec out and back out along the hallway I lead him to the dining hall, showing him some of the pack house we walk through to get there..
Reaching the dining hall, I usher Alec to one of the mostly empty tables. "There's always food being prepared because we all have different schedules. There will be a larger, main meal served later but you can always duck in here and help yourself. The kitchens are through there," I point along the back wall to the large doorways, "I'll go get you a plate."
Turning, I stop in my tracks. There's usually the same kitchen staff and a changing schedule of workers and volunteers preparing food and cleaning. Now that the pack house is full, there are more workers than ever. And it looks as if all of them are headed over upon seeing Alec. A small crowd passes me. Each one of them is holding a small plate of something. They place it down in front of my mate, introducing themselves over each other, encouraging him to try this or taste that.
Alec's eyes shoot to me, sharpening in a glare. Scooting around the crowd I come to his side. He immediately pulls me down next to him on the long bench. I try to smile and act like this is a normal act and not a crazy one. He leans towards me to hiss in my ear. "Start eating, I can't finish all of this."
To the others he turns on a smile, thanking them and showing excitement over the food they brought him. Smiling for real now, I push a few plates closer to him and pull the rest towards me. He's going to fit in really well here.
A/N: Jiminy cricket, this has just as much dialogue as the last chapter. Also, it is still hard to remember to write 'hit call' when my characters make a phone call instead of 'dial the number'.