1-Night before the Union

"Alpha Braddock, if you don't stop, I'll stick you in the ankle with a needle, now hold still or these pants will not fit you perfectly tomorrow."  

"Lucy, I truly don't care if they fit perfectly," I mumble, "it's not like she's my fated mate."

Lucy eyes fill with sorrow as she looks up at me, "I'm so sorry Alpha Braddock, but at least you'll have an heir and the packs future will be secured."  She pats my arm, "now go take these pants off and hand them over, I'll have them ready by morning," she waves her hand towards the ensuite. 

I grunt inwardly as I step down off the coffee table she had me stand on, I'm 42 and now have no control over my destiny, the future I've pictured since I shifted, looking for my fated mate to come along.  The pressure surrounding me feels like a cage with it's wall closing in all around me.  I need an heir to take over this pack that's what's important to the elders and the council.   I reluctantly agreed to meet and mate Alpha Leon's daughter Stacy we discussed and drew up a contract to seal my fate.  Lucy waves her hand in front of my face and I cock my brow and lower the pants right in front of her and hand them to her, "serisously, Lucy, it's not like I'm naked, we're werewolves, we've seen each other's bodies a million times,"  I grab my sweatpants and pull them on.  

She walks to the door, "see you tomorrow Alpha, have a good night."  She opens the door and yelps in surprise, "good evening Beta Chris, Gamma Steve," she bows her head, "hopefully, you can get grumpy over there in a better mood about tomorrow," she bows her head and closes the door.

Shaking my head, I walk to my desk and plop down in my chair, "I know why I agreed to this union with that woman, but I don't have to be happy about it."

Chris walks from the bar with 3 tumblers with 3 fingers of amber liquid in them, setting one down in front of me and then Steve, he raises his glass, as does Steve both glasses towards me.  I side eye them both and Steve chuckles, "oh come on Bro, pick it up, let's get drunk and."

Chris laughs, "yeah, let's get drunk, cause you were already stupid." 

I growl, but pick up the glass, "yeah, yeah, I have no choice, it'd be nice for my fated to just drop out of the sky and slam into me."  

Steve clinks his glass to mine, then Chris, "may the goddess bless you tomorrow," he downs his drink and slams it down on my desk. 

I down my own and slam my glass down and it shatters, I grown, "yeah, just like my life right now, shattered pieces," I frown as I grab the trash can and swipe the broken pieces into it.

I hear Steve chuckle, "Bro, you're priceless, giving up all hope of a miracle."  He slaps my back, "see you in the morning sunshine, I have a mate to get home too."

I stand and slap him in the back of the head, "rub it in why don't ya!"

He cackles as he walks out of the office, Chris shakes his head, "I won't abandon you, well not for an hour anyway, Cynthia is making the boys take dance classes and I'm waiting till they go to bed so I don't hear the drama from any of them."  

I arch a brow at him, "thanks, at least one of my best friends.." I'm cut off when Chris mind links us and all the warriors, "rogue breach, several spotted coming in the west boarder, I'm heading that way now."  We move quickly towards the front door of the pack house, shedding our clothes as we leap from the front steps and shift.

We've searched the territory for hours and only found a few rogues as they were running out of our boundries, there were a few fights, but nothing fatal happened.  I mind link all my warriors to check all the outer buildings and houses to make sure no one has been harmed.  As Chris and I approach the field where the my contractual union is to take place.  I stand in the middle looking around, all the tents are shredded, chairs broken, flower, fabric and the arch is strewn all over the place.  I turn and look at Chris, he has a smirk on his face, I growl at him, "what's so funny."

He shrugs, "Looks like someone doesn't want this union to happen more than you."  

I mind link Steve and get no reply, "Steve's not answering me, you think he's out of the territory?"  

Chris shrugs, "knowing Steve, if he has a guys scent, he won't let up till he catches him, so it's possible, I swear the guy is more bloodhound than wolf."

I chuckle, "true, let's get back, clean up and see if anything else is destroyed, or just my future."

After I shower and put on clean sweatpants, I return to my office to find my Beta sitting there, I sit and the pack house landline phone rings, I pick it up, "Crescent Moon, Alpha Braddock speaking."

Steve's voice rings through with a laughter, "Dude we drank too much last night, I need you to come and pick me up, I'm at the Diner right at the edge of Silver Mountain."

I grown, "Okay, so the human's let you use the phone at the diner?"

He chuckles, "yup, nice people, hey bring money, they're going to feed me, I'm starving."

I growl into the phone, "fine," It's not like I have anything better to do today right.   I sigh, "we'll be there as soon as we can."

It takes us an hour to get to the diner, we pull in and my phone rings, I look at Chris as I answer, "hello, Alpha Leon, What can I do for you?"

His voice booms over the line, "We've been attacked by rogues about an hour ago, we we're almost at your pack, and they've taken Stacy."

I sigh, "I'll send some warriors out, where exactly did this happen."

He growls at me, "what the fuck, this is your chosen mate and your not coming, you're sending your warriors, this is outrageous..."

I cut him off with a growl, "if you'd let me finish, I'm not at the pack, I'll join in the search when I get closer," I hang up.  I called my warriors to go back out and into the neutral territory to search for Stacy.

I open the door to the car and step out, "come on, let's get Steve and get back towards the pack and join the search."

I open the door to the diner and my wolf stirs, the faint sweet scent of vanilla and cinnamon hits my nose  and Ceaser growls in my head, "MATE."