Chapter 4

EVANDER POV

Rolling down the windows of my gray Nissan Titan, I smell the fresh air of the pack that I’ll be the Alpha of. It feels good to be back on Moon Valley pack soil.

I switched seats with Alonso a few miles back so that he could be the one to greet the warriors at the gate so no one would see me in the back. My scent is all over the car but hopefully, all our scents mix so it won’t be as strong. We don’t want anyone suspecting that I am back.

Slowing the truck down, we’re greeted by a few warriors that recognize my vehicle. One warrior that I recognize approaches my vehicle from the guard hut.

“Hey Alonso, welcome back. Is the Alpha with you?” Gary, a warrior at the gate, asks with a bit of excitement in his aura.

“Nah, man, he’s coming in on another date. He had me drive his truck back for him”, Alonso covers for us while pointing to the vehicle behind us. “Liam and Asher are in the truck behind us bringing back all of our stuff”.

“The pack has been buzzing for the last few days with speculation about your guy’s return. Alpha Eli mentioned to the pack at training today y’all would be home soon. Everyone’s excited to see you all”.

“They’ll have to wait a little longer for Alpha Evander. He’s doing some touring of other packs for a bit”.

“Okay, man. Welcome back guys”, he nods his head at everyone in the vehicle. “It’s good to have y’all back here.” Gary waves us through and the pack gates open with the other two cars entering through the gates with us. The other warriors nod their heads in welcome as we drive through.

Technically, Alonso isn’t lying since I have plans to tour other packs after Alpha training. That was the plan until I decided I had enough of being away from my mate. The mate bond hasn’t snapped in place fully, but I can tell you the pull is like no other, especially the more time that you spend with each other. 

The longer I spend away from her, the more restless I get. Some mornings when I wake up it’s as if I’m drowning under water or being suffocated by a pillow and I can barely breathe. The only thing that helps me is the teal-colored silk bonnet that I swiped from her bedroom the night before I left. I kept it in a zip-lock bag under my pillow. I don’t need the other guys seeing it and in my business. Knowing Jalen’s clown-ass, he’ll never let me live it down. Not that I care, I just don’t want to hear his ass about it.

Now that we’ve entered the pack, I can breathe and a sense of calm has settled in my heart.

I don’t mind postponing my pack tours. I want to take my mate with me so we can build relationships with packs we’re not in alliance with, but also strengthen the relationships we already have.  

“Alonso, take the back road to my parents’ house and drive slowly. I don’t want to go straight to the pack house because it’s probably crowded after the pack run,” I instruct him. Nodding his head, he turns the truck in a different direction towards the house.

Our pack has a weekly run on Friday afternoons. It’s voluntary but many wolves join in as some like to blow off steam after work or get together with our pack members. Afterward, there’s a barbeque.

“Here’s the plan. My parents are probably getting ready at the pack house for the barbecue. I’m texting them both to go to the house to pick up the package I sent that needs to be picked up from the porch and opened immediately by them at the same time. I’ll walk in the back door and surprise them. Jalen and Zach, once my parents get over the surprise, I’ll have them call your parents to come over to the house to surprise them.”

“Sounds like a plan, Alpha,” Zach says with excitement in his aura.

All of us have been champing at the bit to get back these last 2 days driving home. If it wasn’t for the need to sleep and not wanting to smell like a car full of sweaty balls, we would’ve driven straight through. 

As we get closer to my parent’s house, excitement fills the truck.

“Pull around to the back so they don’t see my car. Everyone else, as soon as our parents know we’re here, you can go home and see your parents. Just keep up with the same story that I’m not back yet”.

Taking my phone out of my pocket, I text both of my parents at the same time. My mom always has her phone down in her purse somewhere, so I know if I want to get ahold of both of them, I just call my pops.

Me: I have an important package on the porch and I need y’all to grab it and open it up for me right away. I don’t want what’s in it to spoil.

Pops: Sure thing son, we’re headed home now to change for the bbq. Anything we need to know about the package? Mom wants to know if it’s food.

Me: Maybe. Tell her she’ll find out once she get’s home. I need y’all to open it as soon as you get home.

I put the phone down and look out the window as we’re driving through the pack.

The pack's location is East of San Diego, and it runs from the Palomar Mountain area through East Escondido, CA to Riverside, California.

The pack house is situated at the center of Temecula, California.

There are a few new restaurants and shops that have opened up over the last year. Another Hospital is under construction to accommodate the pack’s growth. They have built more homes in the residential areas. The pack has been thriving without us here. Seeing the growth of my pack pleases me because it shows that our pack members trust us.

Breaking me out of my thoughts, the boys point out all the things that they notice that have been built in the last year.

“Does anyone know what the girls are up to tonight?” Jalen asks after pointing out the new basketball court in one of the residential areas.

“No, but I can text Zuri,” Zach responds while reaching for his phone. “She’ll know what the plans are and knowing her, she’ll try to weasel her way out to avoid going and stay home to read her books.”

“Yeah, she’s a lil nerd like that,” Jalen jokes back. Yeah, he would know, since he’s been secretly crushing on her for the last few years.

“I know where they’re gonna be,” Aaron speaks up. “There’s a party tonight at Drake’s house. It’s his birthday and his parents are throwing a party. That’s where everyone is going tonight.” Rubbing his hands together as if he’s ready to get into his shenanigans, like what happens when we play a game of dominoes.

“How do you know that?” I ask him suspiciously as I turn my head to look at him. A hint of mischief sits in his hazel eyes letting me know I’m about to hear some mess.

“Mo told me. I texted her when we pulled up to the gate and asked what she was doing. She texted me back that she’s headed to a party tonight with her friends. Everyone is getting ready at Jayda’s later on. I asked her to model the outfit she was going to wear so I could make sure it was appropriate. Ya know, play the overbearing boyfriend role even though I don’t care what she wears just as it ends up on the floor by tonight.” He says, raising his eyebrows up and down like some horny bastard. 

“Dude, we ain’t need to know all that,” Alonso says with a raised voice and a smirk on his face. “You and Jalen just have to always give us TMI, man.” Everyone laughs at his reaction.

“Why are you just telling us now?” I ask as Alonso pulls the truck around behind my parent’s house and puts the truck in park.

“Because I was too busy drooling and giving feedback on Monique’s outfits, I got distracted. Look, I’m a starved man that’s ready to go eat his next meal.”

“Yeah, yeah we get it,” chuckles Zach. “Let’s get in this house so we can all greet our parents and then head over to this party.”

“Yup, let’s get these reunions started so we can go get our party on and maybe a little lovin’ too,” Jalen says while looking up from his phone with a mischievous look on his face. Knowing his ass, he’s probably got one of his lil fuck buddies on standby.

I grab my phone and check to see if my parents have arrived at the house. As I pick my phone up, Dad texts that they’ve arrived at the front porch and are opening the box now. I dial my dad’s number because I’d rather talk on the phone than text. My dad answers after the third ring.

“We’re opening the box, son. Your mother is about to rip the box open.”

When it comes to gifts, my mom is just like a kid in a candy store. 

“Okay, let me know when it’s open. Open the box while you guys are inside the house, though.”

I go silent as I listen for the front door to open and wait for my parents to walk inside.

“We’re inside. Mom has the box open now and is taking the stuff out of the box.”

Just before I reply, I hear a squeal of happiness come from my mom’s direction. 

“Muscadine jam!! Oh, this is gonna go great with breakfast. I can’t wait to open these jars and add them to my morning biscuits”. 

“Mama, you make the best biscuits and there’s a local family that makes the jam, so I knew you’d love them. You can make biscuits for me in the morning”.

As I’m telling her I want biscuits for breakfast, I unlock and open the back door, walking through the kitchen to the family room. Jalen and Zach walk in behind and shut the door gently. 

“Evander, what are you talking about? I’m not making biscuits and sending them to you. They won’t stay fresh in the mail,” she says, and I see her with one of her hands on her hip. 

“You don’t have to send them to me since I’m here,” I respond, walking right into the family room, right into their view.

“My Baby is home!” Mom screams, running over and throwing her arms around me, nearly knocking me down.

Pops walks over to me, shaking my hand and pulling me into a hug. “Welcome home, son. When did you get here?”

“We arrived about 30 minutes ago. Pulled up to the house about 5 minutes ago, waiting for you to get here.” I let go of my mom to point to the guys as they walk up behind me.

“All my boys are back here in the pack. Just wait till your parents see you guys,” Mom says with a big smile on her face while hugging Zach and Jalen. “Eli, mind link Shemar and Morris and tell them to come over quickly”.

“Already done treasure. They’re headed over here now”.

I roll my eyes at the nickname that my dad has for my mom.

While we’re waiting for the other parents to arrive, Zach goes out to my truck to get the other guys while Jalen tells my parents about the drive back to the pack. A few minutes later, Beta Shemar and his mate Michele- Zach and Zuri’s parents arrive with Gamma Morris and his mate Nicole- Jalen and Jayda’s parents. Their moms had the same reaction as my mom, Luna Alicia.

“Pops, we want to keep it a secret that I’m back until we go to Drake’s party and surprise everyone. Our presence here needs to remain a secret, so please don't tell the girls,” I say while narrowing my eyes while I look over at our moms.

“I don’t know why you’re looking over here at us,” Mom says as she crosses her arms across her chest.

“Yeah, we know how to keep a secret,” Aunt Michele says as she turns to Aunt Nicole and winks.

“Uh Huh, we’ll see about that,” Uncle Morris says while everyone laughs.

The guys and I chat with our parents for a while. Of course, Jalen and Aaron are the loudest and have everyone laughing at stories about our time at training.

After a while, I send Asher, Liam, Alonso, and Aaron home to reunite with their families. We all agree to meet at Aaron’s place at 8 pm to get ready. Aaron bet not take his ass straight to Monique’s house. I swear, if that horny bastard blows our cover, I’ll split his wig.

A big smile spreads across my face as I head up the stairs to my room to shower and unpack. These next few hours need to fly by so I can reunite with my mate. 

Little did I know that the events of the party would be a complete shock and put a strain on my heart.