Nick POV
Jeremy, his Beta, had dropped an envelope on the desk in front of him. He was smiling that stupid grin he got when there was something mischievous about to happen. Nick raised an eyebrow at his Beta, who’s grin just got bigger, and he just stood there staring at him, it seriously couldn't be that funny. Though Jeremy thought lots of things were funny nowadays. The man was 6”4’ with dark brown eyes, short light brown hair and dimple in his chin, and one deep dimple in his right cheek which was showing with his clear amusement over whatever he thought was funny.
The man took great pleasure and delight in ribbing him about that bloody mutt who he’d had a show down with a few months ago, just wouldn't bloody let it go, because according to him and Braidy, he, their Alpha, had lost to a girl, ‘a teensey weensey little girl.’ as they like to phrase it.
He occasionally would find a black arrow stuck in his chair, or a knife in a shoe of his. They thought they were being funny. And no amount of punishment he dished out stopped it. Trouble makers, both of them. Braidy feeding off of Jeremy’s desire to annoy and play practical jokes, the two of them troublesome, but also his closest friends.
Nick, however, did not see it that way, his showdown with the mutt had been interrupted and so, therefore, no-one had won it, according to his recollection. He was actually itching for a rematch. Her skill, he had to admit, was a little impressive, but he was willing to bet if he stood next to her on the training ground his knife throwing skills would surpass hers with ease. His wolf Rip just wanted a chance to use his Alpha aura to put her in her place and show her who was boss.
Though it was unlikely they would ever get the chance, Half Moon Pack was in no way affiliated with his pack, and it was a good 5 hour drive away by car. There was also nothing but rogue territory between his and theirs, and the terrain was pretty rough going, with wetlands dotted along the way and abandoned long dead pack territory as well. Sad story he’d heard it, everyone had. But it was before his time. 3 years before he took over, in fact. No one had gone to their aid, very sad.
Nick turned his attention to the envelope Jeremy had dropped on his desk, the very thing his Beta was finding highly amusing. It was a soft metallic green envelope with a moon seal on the back, which indicated it was a mating ball invitation. He sighed and tossed it into the bin next to his desk. Why Jeremy would find that amusing he had no idea.
He knew Nick would not attend it, wouldn’t even open the envelope for that matter, “why is that so amusing to you?” he asked, already turning back to the budget he had been working on for the new school he was having built.
To his complete surprise, Jeremy retrieved it from the bin and put it back in front of him again.
“Are you trying to test my patience today, Beta.” Nick used his rank instead of his name, allowing Jeremy, who he’d known since he was six years old, to show his annoyance and displeasure at his actions.
“Read it.” Jeremy stated, amusement still with him.
Nick sighed “I don’t have to, it's a mating ball invitation, I can tell from the full moon seal on the back.”
“Indeed it is,” his friend chuckled.
“why? Jeremy, do you find this outdated thing so amusing...you know I am not going to attend, I’m not even going to reply.” he moved to toss it in the bin again.
Jeremy’s hand stopped him. “Oh come on Nick, just this once, open it, read it...humour me just this once.”
“No!” Nick snapped and was about to tear the envelope in half to make his point and show his displeasure with his Beta, but to his complete disbelief, Jeremy snatched it from his hands before he could, used his wolf's speed to grab it.
“You have a death wish today?” he snarled.
Jeremy just laughed at him. “Maybe...Just maybe today I do.” he then walked around Nicks' desk and sat himself down in one of the chairs in front of his desk, tore the full moon seal off and opened the letter.
“For the love of the Goddess,” Nick muttered to himself.
“Yes.” Jeremy grinned again “the Goddess herself requests that you, Alpha Nicholas of Blue Moon Rising Pack, attend one of her mating balls.” he laughed and then proceeded to read the invitation out loud.
Nick leaned back in his chair and watched him. It was the same bullshit every time, bring your un-mated wolves, male and female, for a chance to see if they can find their fated mates upon the next full moon. He was apparently allowed to bring 20 wolves. It also indicated that six other packs were invited, so a total of 140 un-mated wolves would be visiting and there would also be wolves from the pack holding the mating ball. It was the only information Jeremy hadn’t parted with, which was curious.
After a full minute of silence and the two of them just staring at each other, Nick nearly yelled at him “Well you made me listen to that bloody dribble, who sent the stupid thing?”
Jeremy’s grin was back in full force, only now there was a mischievous glint in his eye as well. “Thought you didn’t care.”
“For Goddess’s sake Jeremy!” he was starting to lose his patience.
“Half Moon Pack, Nick.”
Oh, now he knew why Jeremy found it so amusing to himself, that was the mutts pack. Hang on, how’d he know that, without opening it first? Nick held out his hand, a frown on his face. He hadn’t seen a pack symbol on the thing when he’d glanced at it.
“You’re not going to rip it up now, are you?”
“Just give it over.” he snapped, annoyed with his Beta “You’re tiresome. Do you know that?”
“Yes boss, I do know that.” Jeremy was still grinning and there was full amusement in his voice, he sat there tapping the envelope in his hand “I think you will destroy it,” he suddenly said and pocketed the invite in his shirt pocket, then stood and headed out of the room with it.
Rip let out a warning growl, not liking being dismissed by his own Beta. Jeremy stopped at the door, turned and looked right at him. That blasted mischievous glint back in his eye “ I thought you didn’t care about mating balls Nick.” Then he closed the door behind him.
Nicks wolf hearing picked up his Beta’s foot steps they were running away from his office. He knew better, but it seemed that today Jeremy did indeed have a death wish. Nick gave him a ten count and then got up from his desk, walked across his office and opened the door, cracked his neck, rolled his shoulders and smiled ‘ Let's go get him’, he said to Rip, and they were off after him.
He shot out of the pack-house using Rips wolf speed, passing by Braidy, who was laughing. He was just outside the pack-house's front door. Jeremy, he could see, was off and running towards the training grounds at full wolf speed too. Nick could hear the man laughing as he ran away.
‘ He can’t out run us!’ Rip snorted, amused at the thought that his Beta was trying to get away from him.
‘No he can’t.’ Nick agreed, the chase was on. Jeremy used the training ground obstacles to help delay his capture, but it was still all of only a few minutes before he was crash tackled to the ground and pinned down. Nick flipped his Beta over, who’d stopped fighting him, now he was captured, and reached into that pocket for the invite. Jeremy however, was still laughing hysterically almost. His amusement was even more so now than before.
Nick came up empty handed. Pat his Beta down and checked all of his pockets. There was no envelope he’d palmed it off to someone. “you bastard.” Nick got up, thinking about who he’d past. Bloody Braidy had been laughing outside the front of the pack-house. He put a boot into Jeremy’s ribs just hard enough to make him say ouch “you’ll keep.” he muttered.
‘Oh Braidy, where are you?’ he asked through a mink-link, his voice full soft and deadly.
‘I don’t know boss! Never been in this part of the pack before.’ clear amusement flowed down the link towards him, then Braidy severed the link.
Right the boys wanted to play, it seemed ‘Rip, go get him.’ Nick smiled to himself, no one in this pack could hide from his wolf. It was a hunt, so it seemed. Rip was on it fast. He loved a good hunt, straight back to the pack-house, to pick up the scent of the last place they’d seen him. Rip knew the scent of his Delta, and tracked him, moving quickly through the pack-house and out through the dining room, out the back door and off into the woods heading north. The mission hunt and capture.
It took seven minutes till his Delta was pinned down on the ground beneath him by the north lake. He was laughing so hard he could barely lay still.
Nick again came up empty handed, nothing in Braidy’s pockets either. “Where is it?”
“I have no idea what you are talking about.” he laughed, claiming no knowledge of what he was being hunted for.
“ Who’d you give it to?”
“give what to boss? Jeremy just mink-linked me to run and play along...you know me, I can’t resist boss.”
Nick grit his teeth, clearly Jeremy’s game was still afoot. ‘Oh Jeremy.’ he shot down the link to his Beta.
‘Yes Nick.’ he answered all proper like, Beta respect showing.
‘ Where is it?’
‘ What would you be referring to now?’ he feigned innocence.
‘ You know what!’
‘You sleep walking again boss, having weird dreams again maybe?’ the amusement in his voice. He was unable to disguise. The game he had set up was clearly not close to being over yet. Bloody boys had nothing to do, it seemed, well they would have when he was done with them.
As he walked back towards the pack-house he could only think of one way to end this quickly. ‘ Oh Jeremy…’ Braidy was trailing him, still amused. It wouldn’t be for long, punishment would be dealt out.
‘yes boss’
‘That pretty red head you like...tell her I want a dinner date with her.’ his voice had dropped to a soft husky note, so his Beta fully understood his intentions ‘7pm suits me’
‘ You wouldn’t?’
‘Oh wouldn’t I?’ Nick was the one smiling now, he was un-mated and enjoyed the company of a she-wolf. Jeremy’s latest fling was quite pretty, and he would know, no she-wolf turned down the chance to climb into the Alpha's bed.
‘ You're no fun.’ Jeremy huffed down the link ‘its in your office boss.’
‘it had better be, or your red head will be in my bed tonight.’ game over.
Even Rip liked the way he had ended it.
He walked into his office to find Kevin his Gamma sitting on the comfortable couch, smiling up at him and in his hand was the invite. Jeremy was leaning on the side of his desk, still smiling at the game he had set up.
Nick held out his hand “how’d you get that?”
“Jeremy gave it to me as he came out of your office.” he shrugged, but was smiling just as much as the other two were, “ link me to wait in the office with it once you came after him.”
He took the envelope which contained the invite and stared at Jeremy.
“What boss, what you were looking for was right in your office the whole time.”
Nick glowered at him, sneaky bastard, turned the envelope over, to try and figure out how he knew where it had come from without opening it. There were no pack markings on it to indicate the sending pack.
“How’d you know where it came from?”
“I asked the courier who delivered it.”
“What? It was hand delivered.” That was odd.
“Yep and had to be signed for by a ranked member of the pack, so I went, I was down that way.” he shrugged.
Nick was staring at the actual invite now itself. He could smell a female scent on it, the sending packs Luna he presumed. “They don’t normally need to be signed for, right?”
“Correct.” Jeremy nodded, but that stupid grin was back on his face again.
“What now, Jeremy?”
“Nick, I didn’t see anywhere on that invite for you to indicate your reply.”
“No they wouldn’t.” he snapped, reading the invite for himself, looking for the RSVP section, there wasn’t one.
“Yes, I think they would.” Kevin smiled from across the room, joining in on the conversation. “I read it several times. Signing for it is an agreement that you’ll attend the ball.”
“Are they so desperate to mate off their wolves, that they have to use this archaic tradition?” he muttered, his hand had now been forced. His Beta’s signature was as good as his on a matter like this.
Jeremy’s game had started the minute that bloody courier had shown him the blasted envelope. He thought it would be fun to make his Alpha go to a mating ball. Well, he would be punished, that was for sure. His mind was clearly twisted.
Turning to look at the date and then, when the next full moon was, just 9 days away. He frowned, short notice, and he knew that he would be expected the day before. He might not do these things, but the former Alpha had and so had his father. He knew how they worked. You had to arrive the day before to give all the arriving packs time to settle in and mingle first.
“Braidy, you will be in charge of selecting the 20 wolves for this bloody thing.”
“What no, that’s a nightmare of a job, they will all want to go.”
“ Yes, for your part in this little joke, you get to deal with all the wolves begging and crying to go, then angry they didn’t get selected.”
He watched very satisfied as Braidy glared at Jeremy, who’s actual fault it was, but if you want to play you might just get burned.
“Jeremy, you will be going with me to this stupid thing. And as punishment for actually having the hide to sign for it, you get to do Creche duties for the next 5 days.”
“What?” his Beta practically yelled in outrage.
Nick was very satisfied with Jeremy’s response, he wouldn’t be so bored now, the next five days was going to be keeping his Beta very busy. The pack creche house just over 40 rambunctious toddlers and screaming pups, it would be so very loud and annoying, just the thing to remind him not to do it again.
Rip snorted at him, he had actually enjoyed the hunt around the pack, it wasn’t often they just let loose like that. Nick now could see the fun of it too. But punishment was fun to dish out, he was going to enjoy strolling by the creche on a daily basis and watching Jeremy suffer for his foolish game. He could also play, just didn’t do it often. Was the Alpha and had to be seen as the authority not a joker. To be in control at all times, he had to command respect and wield it.
CH5
Lucinda POV
Arriving back onto pack territory was a good feeling, the retrieval team had been away nearly a week, tracking and retrieving a wayward runaway, and Alpha’s daughter no less, rebellious thing at just 13, already as defiant as a fully grown alpha she-wolf would be, and didn’t even have her wolf yet.
She had been a handful to say the least, sneaky little thing was clearly used to slipping past her fathers warriors. Had managed to slip her team twice once in custody. Run away over a boy of all things, typical teenager thought she would be safe in the human world, masking her scent but had run out of it and they had been on her quite quickly then. Safely returned to her family and her father agree she could date the boy to placate her and keep her home.
It was almost 5pm, the evening setting in. She already knew there was a mating ball tomorrow night, thankfully she would be on border patrol like always. Lucinda was still kitted out in her retrieval gear, even her bow was still on her back, its case’s lock busted that little brat, had broken it, Thomas had taken it to his friend Manny who was the packs weapons specialist, he’d fix it and drop it off at some point tomorrow for her..
Lucinda could see that just past her house her twin sisters were playing, in the playground that sat between her house and the pack house. Those two girls knew better, than to be out without Gabby when there were other packs visiting. She frowned and walked right past her house to the play ground, hopped over the fence, one hand on it for leverage.
“What are you two doing?” she growled at them playfully.
They both turned and looked at her, squealed in delight and run right over to her, they were small for 8, maybe looked 6 if they were lucky. Luna Lindy said it was because they had been born prematurely. Lucinda snagged an arm around each ones waist and tipped them upside down, then spun them around till they were laughing so hard they were crying out they were going to pee themselves. She put them down.
“Come on you two, you know better than to be out here on your own...yes?’
“Yes,” they both pouted up at her with their big blue eyes. Batted their very long lashes at her, like they would for Gabby or James to get away with naughty things
“Oh that doesn't work on me.” Lucinda said “lets go home.” and then she chased them out of the playground and down the side of the pack house. In through the omegas door and up the stairs to the first floor, right to the Luna’s office. She followed them with Ky’ra making little playful growls and snorts at them, making them laugh and scream all the way there.
Lucinda followed them right into Luna Lindy’s office saw Gabby and Lindy both there. “Did you loose a couple of things?” she asked referring to the twins now climbing into Gabby’s lap for protection from their big sister.
“They were with the nanny.” Gabby frowned at them.
Both girls giggled and battered their lashes up at their mummy, she melted. Lucinda could not have asked for a better mother to them. Gabby loved them as if she had birthed them herself, they owned the woman’s heart that was for certain.
“They were out in the playground unattended.” she frowned at them “not something they should do with other packs here, hmm.”
“No Luci.” they answered all sad like, but were faking it completely.
Lucinda smiled behind her mask and shook her head only they would call her that, no one else did, it had started when they were little and unable to say her full name, and it had stuck, she didn’t mind at all, her mum and dad had used to call her Luci all the time.
“I’ll spank you next time,” she told them firmly.
That made their little mouths open in big O’s, she sounded like she meant it but really didn’t mean it.
She nodded to the Luna “I should go nap, I have patrol duty tonight.”
“Thank you for returning them.” Gabby nodded to her.
“No problem, girls I’ll see you at training tomorrow.” and then she was gone.
Lucinda woke half an hour earlier than needed to, her wolfs hearing could already hear wolves mating, with so many wolves on pack territory it was bound to happen. They wouldn't find their mates until the full moon rose tomorrow, but that never stopped the horny beasts from finding someone to have sex with tonight. It might be their last night for a fling. She knew some wolves liked to wait to find their goddess gifted Mates, but others didn’t care at all, those were the ones she could hear now.
Night patrol started at midnight and for Ky’ra it was only a 30 min trot or 13 min fully fledged flat out run to get there, she only ever patrolled the eastern border. It was harder over here, saw more action on a regular basis, due to the massive amount of rogue territory between this pack and the next one. Ky’ra loved a good fight, anything that came into sight was fair game, even if it was strolling on by to close to the border, she would be off to hunt it down.
With all the mating going on their would likely be extra rogue activity tonight and tomorrow. The rogues would be able to smell the arousal of all the wolves and be driven to try and get some for themselves. Likely patrols all the way round the pack would see rogues tonight. She and Ky’ra were on alert to assist all other borders tonight and be patrolling with another wolf in case she was called away to a different zone to help out.
Food in her belly and a large coffee drank she opened her front door and stepped out closed it and shifted into Ky’ra, headed for her border to protect as always, in wolf form ready for action. They passed several couples having sex right out in the open, up against trees, on the ground, bent over a boulder, not caring really who saw them. Ky’ra snorted her disgust at them ‘not mates’.
It was clear right from the beginning Ky’ra would not be interested in any wolf other than her Mate. She certainly wasn't going to allow Lucinda to run around and do as she pleased in that department, not that Lucinda would. She had only ever been with Matthew her Mate and he was gone now. Second Chance Mates didn’t come along all that often, she was also not looking for another Mate.
Stayed away from the full moon mating balls. That was not a guarantee she wouldn't be scented out if someone was her Second Chance Mate, but it did limit it quite bit.
Ky’ra also never really took interest in mating balls either. To much noise, to many un-mated males that would take one look at her and want to have sex with her, she was a beautiful wolf. Lucinda had been propositioned many times herself, which lead her to believe she must be somewhat attractive.
She had waist length black hair, milky white skin. No matter how much time she spent in the sun she just didn’t tan. Her body though small was athletic, she had curves, quite ample breasts and a round bottom from all her lunges and squats. She had large golden brown honey coloured eyes which did seem to attract males probably due to the thick long black lashes that went with them. She had a heart shaped face and full lips that she had been told were wasted, because she wouldn’t let anyone kiss them, that guy had be punched in the gut for trying to even after she’d told him to back the hell off.
Though her personality was generally a happy demeanour she was easily annoyed and if Ky’ra was in a fowl mood, it could filter to Lucinda and put her in a bad mood too. Her wolfs emotions could influence her own, though cheering Ky’ra up was relatively easy, as easy as spending time with the little ones, it seemed her wolf loved babies and toddlers. Happy to sit and watch them all day. Babies, Lucinda had left that one alone.
The only other thing she liked was running, hunting and training. Ky’ra didn’t much like sitting around doing nothing and a board Ky’ra could be a destructive Ky’ra. Therefore they trained 6 days a week and working 6 nights on border patrol when here in the pack only taking one day off, as this was all her wolf could handle without becoming agitated and growly.
The night was eventful on border patrol Ky’ra got 3 rogue kills, in on the eastern border along with her wolf partner. And had raced across the pack to help out on the western border. Just before sunrise as their was a group of 15 rogues setting up for attack.
Ky’ra had launched herself into the middle of the fighting to lend an assist to her fellow wolves. Not much caring about anything, she had ripped rogues off her other patrol wolves, slammed them down on the ground and ripped throats out, she slashed with her claws. Ripped with her jaw showing no mercy at all. She had given no quarter. There had been an alpha wolf amongst the battle going on she had seen it, stood a good head and shoulder above her wolf, it was massive. Shocked her a little to be honest, as he wasn't her alpha and was out assisting patrol a little odd. Not to mention they’d never seen a wolf so large before, Ky’ra was a large wolf stood taller than all the wolves in the pack bar the Alpha and Beta’s wolves that was.
Ky’ra had turned and looked right at the giant black wolf, when the battle had been over, ‘not one of ours, definitely an alpha’ Lucinda had commented, ‘Just by the sheer size of him’ that wolf had stood right up and watched her. Ky’ra had bared her teeth to him, showing her displeasure at his attention, then Ky’ra had simply turned and walked away from him in wolf form.
This was just going to be the beginning, tonight would be even worse though, she thought as the sun rose and she headed home. Strolled through the edge of the forest past the back of the pack-house still in wolf form, heard several un-mated wolves call to her. She simply growled at them menacingly and moved on without stopping. They did not interest her in the slightest.
Made their way around the pack-house, past the playground and to her front door, where she shifted. Lucinda stopped and turned to look around her, she could feel eyes on her, she knew she was completely naked but that was nothing to be ashamed of. Everybody saw everyone naked at some point, after shifts for pack runs, after fighting rogue attacks, after the first shift, there were many reasons why wolves ripped out of their human counterparts.
Her eyes landed on two men over by some of the visiting pack cars, she wasn’t facing them directly only side on, but they were clearly watching her. She rolled her eyes, that big bastard of an Alpha and his Beta. Ky’ra had likely caught their attention, even from way over here on the other side of the pack house, they were a good one hundred and fifty meters away, but Ky’ra’s size and beauty drew everyone's attention.
Lucinda turned away from them the moment she realised that was the Alpha who like to call her a mutt, just yesterday when she had come home she’d heard it with her wolf hearing.
“Hey Nick look over there.”
“the mutt” he muttered once he’d looked to where she was, easily recognisable to him as she’d been kitted out still.
She and Ky’ra had completely ignored him. Their only thought had been the twins and to get them inside away from non-pack members at the time, so they had left it alone. If the twins hadn’t been there she’d likely have shot and arrow at him for his disrespectful comment, or let Ky’ra have a go at him herself. Ky’ra was completely offended by the term mutt.
‘That’s the Alpha wolf, fighting rogues with us” Ky’ra huffed ‘smells the same.’ the wind was blowing in their direction and she could scent him easily from here.
Right now the man was staring at her not knowing she was the so called mutt. What a dick.
She showered and ate breakfast, and hit the hay they had training with the twins this afternoon and then had patrol again tonight.