Chapter 2- Fear of the uninvited guest

Chapter 2- Fear of the uninvited guest

                We all congregate on the training field. It is far enough away from anyone who could be listening. “As you can tell, we have a Lycan in the packhouse. This is no secret. I was unaware of his arrival until just now as well.” She takes a deep breath before continuing. “There are some things I need to tell you that your Alpha has shared with me. The first thing I need from all of you is not to panic. It would seem as though this current situation is a good thing. If the Beta can view us as not a threat, or a pack that needs to be dismissed, he should leave sooner. Please do not give him any reason to look into what we do here. Do not train harder, and do not fight with each other. Hold in any grudges you may have against your best friend. Now is not the time to execute revenge for taking the last pancake. Deal with it.” “Why is it so important to walk a tightrope while he is here?”

A snide Omega interrupts. “Because we have no one who will protect us if they come.” She growls back. “The KING.” The Omega starts again, and Mom has had enough. Her Alpha tone is so strong and demanding that even I lower my eyes and bare my neck in submission. Being as powerful as she is, she can use the term Alpha if she wishes. My father has given her permission to do so, which shows how strong she is. “You will not speak to me in such a way. I am your Alpha. You will learn your place within this pack, or you will be removed from it.” She takes a second before continuing, allowing the Alpha tone to subside. “They have taken our King. We are in the process of working out a deal to get him back. So when I tell you to walk a tightrope, you walk a tightrope. If I tell you to sit at a local human coffee shop and drink coffee all day, I expect it to be done. Do I make myself clear?” She demands an answer, and we all unanimously agree. “Yes, Luna Mindy.”

                Mom dismisses us shortly after they are done, giving us details of what we should and shouldn’t do. Devin never left my side. “Best friends stick together.” He states, smiling back at me. He knows we must go and have dinner with Beta Bret. “Yeah, Best friends stick together.” I agree with a half-smile.

                That evening, as expected, Beta Gary, Devin, Mom, Dad, and I joined Beta Brett for dinner. I had decided to help organize dinner and set the table for it. Even my dad was impressed that I put the formal dining area as nicely as I did. I blamed it all on my mom and how she showed me so many times how to make a proper dinner, even better with a few candles, to take the pressure off me.

                “Briar, I hear you are finishing your last school year. Are you excited about that?” Beta Brett asks me before taking a bite of his steak and watching my reaction. Luckily, I am used to being in situations that make me uncomfortable, and I can perform even better under pressure. “I feel it is very bittersweet. Friends I see daily will no longer be in my day-to-day activities. I will have a lifestyle change that will take some getting used to. I am excited about Prom, though.” “Prom is fun. When is yours?” He counters. “This weekend. Did you attend your prom?” I ask. Purely to show that I am interested in his life and I'm interested in getting to know him on a deeper level. “I did. I met my mate at my prom many years ago. It is one of my favorite memories. She was wearing a beautiful blue dress that night. We had been best friends for all of our lives, and then when the clock struck midnight, and my mate was officially 18, we knew instantly.” He smiles at the memory before asking. “When do you turn 18?” “This weekend. I will actually be at prom when I turn 18. Maybe I will get as lucky as you and your mate.” My smile is genuine.

                Beta Brett and I carry the majority of the conversation. We talk about our favorite foods, the best places to go and see while young, the climate where his pack is, and even the nudist packs we must avoid. The conversation never was left falling to a lulling point. It was intense, informative, and enjoyable.

                “Briar, darling, why don’t you let Beta Brett eat for a few moments in silence so his meal will still be warm.” Dad insists. “You have been talking about important pack business all day. I think his brain needs a break from the business talk.” I laugh as I speak before raising my eyebrow at my dad. “She is right. We talked a lot about business today. The conversation is nice. It is not something that I am used to back at our pack house. So please do not stop on account of me.” Beta Brett confirms I can still talk, and I smile bigger at my dad before diving right back into the conversation. “Do you not talk during dinner normally? I hope I am not coming across as rude tonight; if I am, I am truly sorry.” Recognizing that I could have messed up stops me in my tracks. “Oh no, not at all. You see, we don’t eat as a pack. We all eat with our families. Occasionally we will be asked to dine with the Alpha, but never with the children. Their son is not one to enjoy having meals with others.” His words are carefully used, and I can see right through them. “Is he young? The Alpha’s son?” I question and get a stern look from my father in return.

                Beta Brett watches me while he chews for a few minutes, so I happily do the same. I have no issues being observed while I eat, none at all. He finally smiles, laughs slightly, and responds. “He is 19 years old.” It takes me a moment to find a comeback, but when I ask the next question, I even surprise myself. “What is a memory from your childhood that is your favorite? That you will tell your child one day so the memory can live on forever?” This time I take a big bite of food and watch his reaction.

                His thinking face is unmistakable. “Hitting me with the tough questions, I see. I would have to say I swam in our lake for the first time. There were leaches, and I didn’t know that. Do you know how embarrassing it is to ask your mom to take you to the infirmary to have leaches removed from all over your body? At 15 years old?” He laughs at the memory. “They don’t come off nicely. My body had little leach love bites all over it for weeks. I didn’t heal fast because I cut my foot, and something in the water infected me. I was a full mess.” He laughs even harder. “What would yours be? Do you have a memory yet?” He turns the question around on me, and I smile. “Tonight. The night that I met and had dinner with a Lycan. How wonderful a dining companion you are, but even more so, how great a conversationalist you are. You have no idea how many dull dinners I have sat through.” “I am honored. Hopefully, the story is told in a positive light.” “I have no reason to believe it will be in a negative light, do you?” I question him. He knows I am asking much more than about a conversation at dinner.

                The table becomes tense. Knowing I overstepped was evident, but it needed to be done. “You know why I am here?” He asks after wiping his mouth and placing his napkin on his empty plate. “I do.” I follow suit. “Do you know what we are discussing?” “Not at all,” I admit. “I don’t want things to go badly for this pack.” He counters. “I want to go to prom. I want to find my mate and find love. I want my pack safe. I am prepared to assist in any way I can to ensure what I want happens. If you need ideas, I have them. If you need someone to babysit your child, I can do that to protect my pack. I will do what is needed.” The words tumble from my mouth without hesitation. Only when my father speaks do I realize how badly I have messed up? “That is enough, Briar!”

                I lower my head and stare at my lap, waiting for the repercussions of my actions. I hear Beta Brett’s chair scrape across the floor, his footsteps walk around the table, and then he stops at my side.