A Wolf Knows

*Shaun’s POV*

The tension in the room was almost unbearable. I brought Elise around the room introducing her to people of power she had probably never met, including the most important member of the counsel.

Dudley Evans was the head of the Wolf Counsel and the most respected in all of our lands. He was tall and lanky with arms that seemed to stretch on and on. His eyes were all white. It was said that he had fought with the Winter Goddess herself and she had taken his sight, but amazingly, Dudley could see just fine. His hair was long and gray, strung back into a ponytail that didn’t seem to move as he floated around the room. When he approached us, he kissed Elise’s hand, leaving a wet shine of saliva on it when she pulled away. He smiled a toothy grin at both of us. “Pleasure, Luna Elise.”

I was surprised at how easy he was taking my marriage to someone who was not of Alpha blood. I saw Allie-Jean wave Elise over and she politely excused herself from our conversation.

“Might I ask . . .” Dudley’s voice was whispery and each word was drawn out in a breathy gasp. “Do you want to be who your father did not get to?”

What an odd question. The raise of his brows made me uncomfortable and I didn’t have a chance to answer before he was grabbing at my face. I wanted to run, but I couldn’t. It would be a huge sign of disrespect. “The jaw and the face and the striking red hair, my son.” He reached for my hair and plucked one out of my head. I said nothing and tried not to move. “It is a shame that your father was lost so early from you being a child. He could not teach you. Now, what do you remember? Do you wish to rule like him?”

“My father was a noble man,” I said simply. “He loved his family and he loved our pack. I would be honored to be anything like he was.” A lump of air caught in my throat.

Dudley chuckled. “Your father was odd.”

YOU’RE ODD! I thought to myself.

“He loved you. Of that I’m certain. He made a mistake and I only ask about your future because you seem to be doing the same things. I don’t mind the Luna you chose. In fact, I see a strength in her I only saw from one Luna in my time before.” He stood straight suddenly, crossing his long arms behind his back and staring deeply into my eyes. “It was your very own mother.”

I said nothing. My heart was racing and my soul was angry.

“Your mother wasn’t of Alpha blood, either,” he announced calmly. I stared back into his eyes, my hands and fingers starting to form into uncontrollable fists. “Your mother was original. Just like your Luna Elise. Trouble may find you, my boy. I must tell you the same thing I told your father. I do not pick sides. I pick justice and for the good of all the packs.” He winked at me before walking off swiftly. My head started to ache and I loosened my body. Everyone knew my mother had not been of Alpha blood. I hadn’t heard that it was a problem when they married though. Why was it a problem now?

I spotted Elise and Allie-Jean hunched over their drinks at a nearby table and moved towards them. Before I made it, I was stopped by a tiny blonde woman. I was surprised as it was Winnie Dawn. I had seen her leave with her father, hadn’t I? She had come back alone.

“I congratulate you.” Winnie’s eyes sparkled blue and she fluttered her eyelashes at me. I knew that Winnie had hoped I would choose her as a Luna. “You picked a good Luna. I promise you I have no anger in it. It’s fair. You don’t know me as well as you know Elise. Don’t let my father get to you.” She touched my shoulder and passed by as quickly as she had come.

Before anyone could stop me again, I rushed over to the girls and joined them. “What are you two talking about?”

“Nothing,” Allie-Jean snapped. “What were you and WINNIE talking about?”

I rolled my eyes. “She congratulated me.” Turning my attention towards Elise I added, “She said you are amazing and I couldn’t have chosen anyone better.”

Allie-Jean put a finger in her mouth and imitated herself throwing up. “C’mon, brother. She wanted you to pick her. Don’t be foolish. For the sake of Elise, don’t speak to her again!”

Elise had been silent and I raised my brows at her. “Just because you’re my Luna doesn’t mean things are different. You’re still my friend. That’s why I chose you.” She nodded, glancing over at Allie-Jean, who put her head down. “What’s going on with you guys?” I asked.

Elise couldn’t stay quiet anymore. “Allie-Jean thinks she found her mate!”

I leaned on my elbow, staring at Allie-Jean. I grinned and poked her in the arm. “Hmmm. Is it your turn to wed?” She rolled her eyes at me and gave Elise a look that said ‘why did you tell him all that?’ I laughed and grabbed her drink of wine, taking a fat swig. She snatched it back from me. “Okay! So who is it?”

“It’s Alpha Jaedon Lyle!” Elise covered her mouth as soon as she had spilled the secret and giggled loudly. “She said it came over her the moment she spotted him. It’s like a real life love story!”

Allie-Jean didn’t seem angry anymore. Instead, she scanned the room for the Alpha. “Can you believe it’s an Alpha?” I could. It wasn’t rare for Alpha kids to be mated with other Alpha kids when they reached of age. “I wonder if he feels the same for me. He hasn’t even come over to find me yet. There must be something he’s feeling if I felt so strongly, don’t you think?”

Quickly, I hooked Allie-Jean’s arm in mine. “Stay put,” I told Elise. Elise clapped her hands playfully and threw her head back as she laughed. I pulled Allie-Jean around the room, scamming for the Alpha of Snow Creek.

“Are you MAD?” Allie-Jean asked. “Stop it!”

“I’m sure he’s been looking for you, too.” After a couple more paces and turns, I had found him. He was a broad-shouldered man with black hair and hazel eyes. He was seated at a round table, nervously scanning the room. A cup of wine was in his hand and he sipped it one, two times. I could tell he was anxious, either about finding his mate or about all of the people in the room he wasn’t used to. He was Alpha of Snow Creek pack, a pack that wasn’t too well known. They lived all the way up North in the cold and no one really visited. They had grown in numbers over the years of Jaedon’s reign, mainly with Rogues who meant no harm but had left their own packs for some innocent reason. Snow Creek was widely known for taking in helpless Rogues who needed a pack of their own to live in. Jaedon Lyle was quiet and shy, but had a seriousness about him. He did have charm and strength. “Ah! There you are, Jaedon, my friend.” I had launched my sister and I towards him.

Jaedon didn’t know me too well, so he stuttered out, “I - Hello, Alpha Shaun.” He stood, knocking a biscuit from the table. Allie-Jean and him went to reach it at the same time and both stood, very embarrassed. Their faces blushed red. “Oh, Allie-Jean of Blood Moon. I’m so sorry.”

I almost laughed out loud at the sight of them.

I could tell that both of their wolves were going crazy, yelling at their humans that this was their mate! They both said nothing, so I broke the silence. “Allie-Jean figures you’re her mate.” Allie-Jean looked at me in awe, her face turning a deep red and she quickly looked down at her feet. Jaedon stared at me with wide eyes.

“My wolf insticts are strong and they say you’re my mate, too, my love.” He quickly took Allie-Jean’s hand in his and kissed it. “Allie-Jean. I would love to get to know you more.” He smiled at her and she finally made eye contact, nodding like a stupid fool. I smiled and turned to leave them be so that they could get to know one another.

As I walked back towards Elise, my guy turned.

That’s what I had wanted to feel one day. I was upset that I would never get to know how that was. With the party dying down, my happiness seemed to go with it. I would have to live the rest of my life with Elise. There was nothing wrong with that, but I didn’t want her to feel like she was stuck.

I neared her and watched her sip her wine, her soft pink tongue licking her lips and she pulled the cup away. She spotted me and smiled a sweet smile, two dimple forming on her tanned cheeks. Her hair was short and light brown and freckled were very prominent on her nose as I came face-to-face with her.

Something unusual was happening. My stomach fluttered with what people had called ‘butterflies’.

Suddenly, my wolf instinct screamed loudly in my head: “MATE!”

_____

*Allie-Jean’s POV*

Jaedon was so kind. He was incredibly handsome. He had offered to bring me back to Snow Creek to live with him that night, but I told him I couldn’t leave my family. I still had to tell my mother I had found my mate.

We laid together in my room that night after the party. We had marked each other and the love we had for one another was already so strong and unbreakable.

In the morning, he was awake before I was. When I blinked open my eyes, he was staring at me with a serious look. “What’s going on?” I asked. “What’s wrong, Jaedon?”

“I know we just met. You don’t know anything about my pack and I barely know anything about yours. I think your pack is in danger. Your brother made a bold choice by choosing Elise as his Luna instead of Winnie Dawn. I think our packs will need to join together.”

It was too early to comprehend what he was saying.

“I think we need to announce you as my Luna and you should come back to Snow Creek with me. Alpha Vincent Dawn isn’t pleased that your pack has been marrying into original blood for two generations now. I know it’s hard to hear, but I think Twilight Village isn’t on our side even if Elise was part of their pack. We need to act quickly.” He touched my cheek, softly outlined my lips with his finger as well. I leaned into his touch, never wanting it to end. Why couldn’t we just enjoy our lives together? How could he be certain that something was going to happen?

Abruptly, Jaedon stood up. He had been so shy last night, but now he seemed on a mission. He dressed quickly and then told me to dress as well. I did. “We must tell your mother and brother of our plan. We have to tell my pack and warn our allies up North. I think a war is going to happen.”

My heart began to race. A war? I dressed quickly in jeans and a sweatshirt and he took my hand in his as soon as I was finished. He kissed me softly on the lips, sending electricity throughout my body.

He guided me out of my room and into the family dining area, where my mother sat stirring her morning tea. She was looking out the large window taking in the sunrise.

“Summer.” Jaedon bowed in front of my mother, a signed of extreme respect. I was shocked that he was bowing down to her. She was equally as shocked. She gave me a funny look and mouthed ‘what’s going on?’ I smiled shyly. “I am Alpha Jaedon of Snow Creek. My father, the last Alpha Nicholas, was very close friends with your late mate Dread Dire.”

My mother stood at the sound of my father’s name. She placed her cup of tea on the table beside her. Her hair was long and white. “What’s going on?” She said out loud now.

“Your daughter is my mate. I want to ask your permission to make her my Luna after I take her to Snow Creek today.”

My brother was standing in the doorway and made his presence known. “I know you’re her mate, but you want to take her back to Snow Creek so soon?”

Jaedon nodded. “I fear a war is starting.”

My mother looked down at her hands, where she was turning her wedding ring on her finger. “You’re right.”

I was confused.

Mother continued. “When your father and I married, there were many threats made to us. However, Alpha of Snow Creek and Alphas of many other packs were our allies or just indifferent. This was the first marriage they had seen of an Alpha and an original. No one was as upset as they are now. When we married, there weren’t too many daughters of Alphas that your father could choose and I was his destined mate for a reason. People were angry, but it was what it was. Now, there are suitors that your brother could have married since he has no living mate. He chose not to marry Alpha Vincent Dawn’s daughter Winnie. I fear, too, that a war will begin. The way Vincent was acting that night was out of anger and plotting.” My mother looked up and walked towards me. She placed her hands on my shoulders and forced me to look into her eyes. “It’s important that Snow Creek is on our side right now.”

Jaedon cleared his throat. “My plan is to to back to my pack and tell when what I suspect will happen. Since I’ve taken the title of Alpha, I have helped Rogues all over our lands. Our numbers are strong, much larger than anyone knows. We will be your allies. This is a promise right now. Allie-Jean and I are bonded and will marry quietly.”

Tears stung my eyes. So much for my dream wedding. I was more sad that I would be leaving my birth pack so quickly.

“Don’t fear, my daughter.” My mother started to take off her necklace. “You will be safe with Jaedon. Your brother, Elise and I will stay here to warn our other allies and our pack. We must prepare our soldiers for what might happen.” She put her necklace around my own neck and fastened it. “Take this. It was a gift from your father on the day we wed. Go with Jaedon and prepare your men. Be strong. Please, Jaedon, teach my daughter combat. If something is to happen here, we will send a messenger and you will, too.”

Alpha Jaedon nodded.

My brother came to me and grabbed me in a tight hug. “Do not be afraid, my sister. I know he will keep you safe and you will be better off there if something is to happen.”

My mother instructed my favorite maid Irene to go with me. She had been my nanny as well when I was a child. “You are part of Snow Creek now as my offering. Help my daughter and keep her safe, Irene. I know you love her so much. Pack her up and help her into Alpha Jaedon’s car. They must hurry out of here to warn their pack.”

Their pack. I was in the Snow Creek pack now, basically. Jaedon and I would marry as soon as we got there and start preparing for war.

Quickly, Irene pushed me towards my room and started to throw together clothes, makeup and important belongings. My eyes blurred as I silently cried to myself. I kind of wished I hadn’t met my mate. I wanted to stay here with my brothers and mother. I didn’t want anything to happen to them and I would be told too late by a messenger.

After I had packed, Irene and Jaedon helped me to bring my things to his car. He didn’t have a driver and would instead drive us. He was humble.

I hugged my mother and Shaun tightly. I was sad that little Ryan, my baby brother, was still asleep soundly in his room. I knew that I would see him again soon. “Please say goodbye to little Ryan for me.” My mother promised that she would. I sent an air kiss up to his bedroom window and climbed into the car.

As we pulled off, I watched my family disappear in the back window. Now, it was just Irene and Jaedon who were my family.

Would a war actually happen?