Chapter Twenty-Six: The Pact

Boone had been reading for about an hour when the door opened, and a sleepy Sammy walked in.

“What are you doing?” Sammy asked as she rubbed her eyes.

Elaine jumped to her feet and walked over to her Alpha. “What are you doing out of bed?”

“I woke, and Boone wasn’t there, I sniffed him out.” Sammy said as she yawned.

“Come sit here.” Boone said as he patted the couch next to him.

Sammy saw the book he was reading and nodded as she moved to the couch and sat down. She laid over onto his lap and sighed with contentment, then fell back to sleep.

Elaine watched them and shook her head. If only Aly wasn’t destined for another mate. Maybe Boone is her mate during his life span. Though he is a born hunter, he still isn’t an immortal, he won’t live with her forever.

Elaine almost slapped herself in the face.

Of course, Sammy will beg her to keep him alive with the rest of them. Great, she can’t deny her Alpha her mate. But she can’t deny her vision either. And it’s not like Zephron can bite Boone and change him, a bite from a werewolf is poisonous for a born hunter, he will die. She sighed. Things will come into play as it should, she was just terrified of what it is going to do to her Alpha.

~*~

Autor looked out her bedroom window. It was early morning, and everyone was still asleep. Having their Alpha back wasn’t what she had hoped it would be. She’s a totally different person, and Aly is gone. She sighed as she leaned her forehead against the cool glass. A movement caught her eye.

What are you doing? She wondered as she watched Cyrus look around before he slipped through the forest between their settlements.

Autor quickly dressed in regular clothes and rushed out her front door. She sniffed the air and caught his scent, then followed him at a far enough distance, she hoped he didn’t catch her scent. Luckily, the wind was blowing towards her, rather than away from her or he’d catch her scent instantly.

She followed him all day until they came to a clearing over thirty miles from their property. She watched from behind a tree as Cyrus met with another wolf. She squinted her eyes and sniffed the air and her hackles rose.

“Sebastian.” She whispered low enough they couldn’t hear her.

I knew it!

He is in cahoots with the enemy. To think, Sebastian has been so close to their home all this time, it made her feel sick to her stomach. How long has he known where they are? Autor leaned against the tree as she listened in to their conversation.

“I told you, I have control of Alameda’s pack now. It’s all mine and I’m not going to give it up easily.” Cyrus said with a growl.

“Do you really think you can defeat me?” Sebastian asked with a laugh. “You may have a powerful witch in your pack, but I have Voldern on my side.”

Cyrus growled at the name, so did Autor. Both men paused and sniffed the air. Autor covered her mouth with both hands.

“Just a stray.” Cyrus said as he looked at Sebastian. “I have two powerful witches now.” He said as he looked at the other wolf angrily.

“Ah yes, Alameda’s witch. Yes, she is what Voldern really wants.”

Autor kept her hands over her mouth as she silently whimpered. Voldern wants Elaine, what would he want with her? Other than her healing abilities, what could he want? She’s good with protection spells… She is also a pure-hearted female witch with a lot of untapped powers.

Shit. Autor closed her eyes as she listened to the conversation.

“You will have a fight on your hands if you try to take over the pack or try to kidnap the witch.” Cyrus said with a growl.

“Then a fight is what it will come to; because I am getting her pack, and her witch, and her too, if you know where she is.” Sebastian said with a horrible grin.

Autor could smell the stench of Sebastian’s wolf. He was pure evil, no wonder he had Voldern on his side. The evil witch/demon would only side with the foulest of creatures.

Sebastian sniffed the air again. Autor held her breath as his eyes fell to where she stood behind the trees. Sebastian pointed to the trees and three wolves jumped out of the woods behind him. Autor held back a squeal as she turned and started to run. Two wolves stood behind her in human form and growled at her. She turned back around and found Sebastian and Cyrus standing just inside the tree lines, close to where she had been hiding, moments ago.

“We have a spy.” Sebastian said with an evil grin.

“Seriously Sebastian, you are always suspicious. She came with me, I told her to wait here for me until I was finished with my business.” Cyrus said as he walked up to Autor. His eyes told her, ‘Don’t argue with me.’

Cyrus took Autor by the arm and pulled her to his side. “I figured, if I couldn’t have the Alpha, I’d settle for the next best thing.”

“A mutt?” Sebastian asked as he stared at Autor.

“She may be a mutt, but she has also kept Alameda’s pack going strong, for three hundred years, and she kept them away from you.” Cyrus said with a laugh as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

Autor’s first response was to push him away, but she knew that would tip Sebastian off and he’d kill them both, right here and now. Though Cyrus would be harder to kill, she would be a very easy target. His lips on hers felt good and she didn’t like the feeling. When he lifted his head, he stared into her eyes for a moment before he turned to look at Sebastian again.

“Indeed.” Sebastian said with a snort. “Our business is complete anyways. If you won’t hand Alameda’s pack over to me, then a fight is what you will get.” He said as he waved his hand at them. “Now go, before I change my mind and kill you both.”

Cyrus nodded as he lifted Autor into his arms and walked away. Autor stared up at Cyrus as he carried her through the forest, back towards their camp.

“Cyrus.” She whispered.

“Shh.” He whispered without looking down at her. “They can still hear, and I don’t want them hearing what I plan to do with you.”

She knew he was only saying that for the benefit of their enemy, but she was attacked by a swarm of butterflies in her stomach, at his words. When they were far enough away from Sebastian and his men, he looked down at her with a sad look.

“What did you think you were doing following me?”

She stared at him. “Seriously? You go to a secret meeting with our enemy and you want to scold me?”

He sighed as he stepped over a log. “I couldn’t let Sammy go, that is exactly what he wants.”

“Why did you meet with him?” She asked as she watched his face.

“I would think you would have figured that out, after all, you heard everything.” He said with a smile.

“I want to hear it from you.” She said as she looked at his mouth. Why was she so drawn to his mouth all of a sudden?

“He sent a note the other day, saying he knows what I’m doing and that he wants a meeting with the Alpha. And since I know he wants Aly, and Aly isn’t Aly right now, I decided to respond, letting him know that I am the Alpha and I would meet him. He responded and told me where to meet him. He thought he could bully the pack from me. He doesn’t know who he’s dealing with.”

“Do you plan to give Aly her pack back when she returns to us?” Autor asked as she watched his face.

He looked down at her and sighed. “I promised I would.”

“Yes, but do you plan to keep that promise?”

He nodded. “I did hope to bind our packs together with becoming her mate, but seeing as she has a mate…”

“You know, we can still combine our packs.” She said as she watched his face.

His jaw moved as he contemplated her words. “And how do you suggest that?” He asked as he stopped and looked into her eyes.

“A partnership that has nothing to do with mating. It has been done before.” She whispered as her eyes roamed over his handsome face.

“A partnership without mating?” He asked as his eyes slid down to her lips.

He hadn’t expected the feelings he had gotten when he had kissed her, to throw off Sebastian. Her lips were so delicate and felt good against his. He wanted to kiss her again, but would she let him?

“Yes.” She breathed heavily as she answered his question.

He smiled. “I was hoping you were going to suggest a different mate.”

Autor swallowed past the lump in her throat. “A different mate?” She asked with a squeak.

He laughed softly as he started walking again. “You’re a difficult woman to read, Autor Kouri.”

She swallowed and closed her eyes. And he’s a difficult man to understand. One minute he’s demanding their Alpha as his mate, the next he’s offering his help with their pack, then he’s going to dangerous meetings to protect their pack, then he’s kissing her…

“What is going on in that mind of yours?” Cyrus asked as he walked across a creek.

“Nothing.” She said with a sigh. Everything. She thought to herself.

“Your pack is going to be very upset that you disappeared.” He said with a grin.

“I will tell them I was spying on you.” She said with a pout.

He laughed. “Not very well, you got caught.”

She huffed as she closed her eyes again. He stopped walking and she opened her eyes and sucked in a shocked breath when she looked into his eyes. He grinned as his head moved closer to hers.

“We’re home. Shall I freak everyone out and carry you to your cabin?”

She sucked in a breath just before his lips claimed hers. She moaned as his mouth played with hers. It was different than the first kiss. That kiss had been to show Sebastian that they were an item. This one, well, this one was showing her that he wanted them to be an item. What is she going to do? Because her body wanted exactly that, but her mind, she can’t do this.

She pushed against his chest. He let her feet touch the ground before he lifted his head from the kiss.

“I will walk.” She rasped.

He grinned. “After you.” He said as he motioned with his hand for her to proceed him to the opening between their packs.

Autor took a deep breath as she straightened her back, then headed out of the woods. She stumbled over a root and he caught her with a laugh. She swatted his hands off her waist, then stomped out of the woods. As he had predicted, her pack was gathered, and she could hear her name on their tongues.

“Look!” Someone hollered as she came into view.

“Autor!” Monty hollered as he ran across the field and pulled her into his arms. “Where have you been?”

“Spying on me.” Cyrus said as he stood behind Autor.

“Spying?” Monty asked as he looked up at the Alpha Wolf.

“I saw him sneak out this morning and followed him.” Autor said as she watched the rest of her pack gather around them.

“Explain.” Reinhard said as he watched his daughter and the Alpha.

“I had a meeting with Sebastian.” Cyrus said bluntly.

Autor stared up at him. He had been honest; she hadn’t expected that.

The pack growled as Monty pulled Autor closer to their pack.

Cyrus held up his hands and explained to them what was going on. He told them word for word what he had told her. Everyone seemed to believe him.

“He tipped his hand.” Cyrus said with a nod.

“How so?” Monty asked as he stared at the Alpha.

“He is partnered with Voldern.” Autor whispered.

The pack grunted. That’s all they need, a powerful Alpha with a powerful witch/demon.

“The only way to beat this is if we work together.” Cyrus said as he looked at Autor. “I know I haven’t been the most trustworthy guest here. I had bigger things on my mind, rather than the protection of two powerful packs. And I think we can combine our packs permanently…”

“You’re not getting Sammy.” Boone said as he joined them.

Cyrus looked at the hunter and shook his head. “A smart wolf told me that we can combine our packs together, without my mating with a member.”

“How?” Monty asked suspiciously.

“A partnership.” Autor said as she looked up at Cyrus. “A friendship.”

Cyrus smiled at her. “A friendship.”

“A friendship pact?” Reinhard asked as he thought about it. “I haven’t heard about one of those in hundreds of years.”

“Can it be done?” Drake asked as he folded his large arms over his large chest.

Reinhard nodded. “Two packs pulled together and bonded with two Alpha leaders. It hasn’t been done in a long time because it caused so much trouble for the Alphas. One always tried to out rule the other.”

“But if we keep the packs separate, and they each still run their own pack, that should work.” Autor said as she looked at her father. “Shouldn’t it?”

“Two packs as one?” Reinhard asked.

“I’ll do it.” Sammy said as she walked up to stand in front of Cyrus. “Two packs, two Alphas, with a bond stronger than any demon.” Sammy said with a smile.

Cyrus nodded as he smiled at her. “Friendship.” He said as he held his hand out to her.

Sammy shook his hand. “Friendship.”

Thunder crackled in the sky and a lightning bolt struck the ground in the middle of the field. Everyone squealed as they jumped away from it.

“What was that?” Autor asked as she started to approach the ground, where it had hit.

“Don’t.” Monty said as he grabbed his sister’s arm. “Let the Alphas inspect it.”

Sammy and Cyrus moved over to the ground where the lightning bolt had hit. Sammy sucked in a shocked breath. A large crystal had been created in the earth, with two words scribed on it.

Bonded Pack

“I guess the angels approve of our arrangement.” Cyrus said as he examined the large crystal.

“What is it?” Autor asked as the rest of their pack crept closer to it.

Boone moved towards his mate and noticed Cyrus’s pack walking across the field, from their side. When everyone was gathered around the crystal, it started to glow.

“We are two packs of one whole.” Sammy said as she watched the crystal glow.

“Sebastian won’t know what hit him.” Reinhard said with a laugh.

The glow from the crystal became brighter as it illuminated the field and every pack member from both sides. They could hear everyone’s heartbeat, everyone’s thought, everyone’s intake of breath. When the light dimmed to nothing, they all stared at each other.

“This is going to be fun.” Cyrus said with a grin.

“I feel sorry for anyone who attacks us.” Monty said with a laugh.

“Two packs of one whole.” Sammy repeated on a whisper.

They could no longer hear each other’s thoughts, but the feelings were still there. That moment of clarity, that moment of oneness.

“I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m starving.” Cyrus said as he looked at his pack, then at Sammy’s. “How about we go hunting and have a celebration of our union?”

Sammy smiled. “Boone.” She said as she turned to her mate. “Put a hunting party together.”

Boone smiled as he pulled her to him and kissed her. “As you wish.”