Ch. 1: Pack Business

ALEKSANDR

“Alpha, did you still want to go on a drive through the human town tomorrow?”

I look up from my desk to see my Beta Dustin standing in the doorway.  His sandy blonde hair hangs down on his forehead, while his brown eyes always have a hint of mischief, even in serious situations.  He’s always had a very happy, light-hearted personality, and he’s the eternal optimist. He looks extremely young but he’s only 3 years younger than me.  Those werewolf genes keep us looking much younger than our true age.

Patrols have been running through the closest human town daily to check in, but he knows I like to see first-hand how things are going every now and then, and it’s been a while since my last visit.  The humans aren’t aware of our presence, but it doesn’t matter.  It’s our job to protect any human towns that fall within our territory.  This doesn’t usually include large cities because no packs or pack members actually reside in the city and we let the human authorities handle those areas.  Obviously, they don’t do a great job because crime in the city is usually much higher, but they also have to follow different rules than we do when it comes to keeping the peace.  Our territory is just outside the city and includes a couple small human towns at the far edge of the suburban area.  The closest town is Riverview, and that’s the location Dustin is talking about visiting.

“I can’t make it tomorrow because I have a meeting with the other alphas and I’m still preparing for that, but I can go with you on Tuesday,” I replied.

Dustin nods his head in confirmation. “Sounds good.  We can head out around noon and grab lunch while we’re out.”

He turns to leave and I turn my attention back to my mound of files on the desk.  The paperwork is the worst part of being Alpha. I would much rather be running patrols, training the pack, or even helping clean the pack house instead of sitting at this desk.

As much as I dislike doing the paperwork that often has me stuck in my office, I love the space itself.  The far wall opposite of the door is floor to ceiling bookshelves in a dark walnut, with a desk sitting right in front of it facing the door.  To the left of the door are several large windows with a beautiful view of the forest and a river off in the distance.  In front of the center window is a large brown leather sofa with two end tables on either side with lamps sitting on top.  There is a small coffee table in front of the sofa and a couple chairs on the other side of the coffee table.  To the right of the door there are more bookshelves, but they don’t go all the way to the floor, built in with the bookshelves is one long bench for seating, and 2 long tables sit in front of the bench wall.  This set up is ideal for meetings with more than 4 people in attendance.

I’ll force myself to do one more hour and then I’ll take a break from the office duties.  I need to go for a run soon too.  It’s been over a week since I let my wolf out to simply run without having other responsibilities or objectives to accomplish.  Most of our runs lately have been helping with patrols, or working with the warriors to train in wolf form.  We really just need to stretch our legs and feel the wind in our fur and the dirt under our paws.

Just as I was getting refocused on my work I smelt two very familiar scents.  A few seconds later I hear a knock at my door.  “Come in,” I call as I looked up.

My mom walks through the door with a gentle smile, followed by my dad with his trademark stoic expression. Mom speaks first, “Hey Alek, we haven’t seen you much lately.  It’s been almost two weeks since we’ve had a chance to talk and catch up.  We just wanted to check-in and see how you’re doing,” my mom explains as her eyes search mine.

To everyone else I am Aleksandr, but to my parents I’m Alek. Everyone knows they call me Alek, but no one else would ever even consider using that name.  Even my Beta, Dustin, calls me Alpha.  Occasionally he’ll call me Aleksandr, when we’re being informal, but never in front of other pack members.  He can get away with it because we grew up together and we’ve been friends since we were small children.

“Yeah, you know how your mom always worries about you.”  Dad gestures to mom as the corner of his mouth turns up ever so slightly.  He may be the most serious hard-ass in history, but he has a soft spot for mom.  Most wolves do when it comes to their mates.

“Of course,” I reply as my eyes slide over to acknowledge my mom, “I’ve just been very busy, but I’m good.  I’m sorry if I made you worry.”

My mate died 5 years ago, and my mom has not stopped worrying about me for a single day since it happened.  Wolves usually only get one mate, and when a wolf loses their mate it’s devastating.  It’s like having half of your heart ripped out.  Most lower ranking wolves will follow their mate in death, dying from heartbreak, or the more gruesome option, suicide.  They just can’t handle the pain, and they don’t want to suffer through it.

I didn’t have the luxury of death to release me from the pain.  As an alpha my wolf was strong enough to survive the heart-break, and my pack was depending on me.  My dad and Dustin were immensely helpful in taking over a lot of extra responsibilities while I mourned my mate, but I couldn’t wallow in misery forever.

No one pushed me to get back to work right away, but I knew my time was limited because my pack needed me.  Getting back to work and having the distraction of alpha duties was actually very helpful when it was time to move on.  I poured myself into my work and mom would come by regularly to make sure I was eating and sleeping enough.

On rare occasions a wolf might get a second chance mate, but I never expected or even looked for one. At first, I couldn’t imagine accepting another mate.  I felt like it would be a betrayal of Ana, but as time went on and I began to heal, I was just too busy to give it much thought.

My mother is a seer and often has visions or feelings about things that are going to happen.  She has often warned us of potential threats such as rogue attacks, vampires venturing too close to our territory, or even human activity affecting pack business.  I’m convince that she often knows more than she lets on, but she intentionally chooses to be vague.  I’m sure she has her reasons, so I take whatever information she provides and don’t ask a ton of questions.  If she has information that I need, I know she’ll tell me.

Over the last several months my mother has said a few cryptic things that hint at the idea of me possibly having another mate out there somewhere.  She hasn’t outright said that she knows anything, but she’s starting to make me wonder.  I know she doesn’t want me to be alone, but I think the bigger concern is that Ana and I never had any pups, so I have no heir to take over as alpha one day.

Even if I had a son, it’s not guaranteed that he would take over leading the pack, but it’s how power is usually transferred.  The pack would expect it, and there are only a small handful of situations where the son of the alpha wouldn’t take over that role.

“Your father and I were just thinking it would be nice if we could all have dinner together on Tuesday night. You know, catch up and spend some time together.”  Her beautiful green eyes sparkling with the hint of a secret.

I smirk at the thought that she has something to tell me, but in her typical fashion, she won’t just come out and say it.  She likes to make plans and I’m just along for the ride.  “Of course, mom!  What time would you like me to come over?”

“Come by our place around six,” Dad answered.  They’ve obviously already discussed this and come up with a plan.  “We’ll let you get back to your work now.  We know you’re very busy. See you Tuesday.”

As the former alpha he is painfully aware of how daunting the responsibility can be.  He is very blunt and to the point.  He doesn’t waste time with unnecessary words.  Some people might take his curt responses as rude, but I know that he does it to be considerate of other peoples time.  His brown eyes always hold a look of professionalism, but there is a warmth there that is reserved for his family, and we get a glimpse of it on occasion.  He was a great alpha, and I can only hope that I am half as good for the pack as he was.

I’m distracted again trying to work out what my mom wants to tell me.  Even though she didn’t outright say that she has something to share, I know she does.  Maybe it’s time to go for that run and clear my head.  I have a lot of work to get done before the alpha meeting tomorrow, and I won’t get anything done with my mind bouncing around like this.