Charlie, Brandon, and I continue our work from the day before, contacting and researching other packs. We don’t even stop for lunch, but instead have the omegas bring something up to us.
Just prior to 1:00, we make our way to the conference hall on the first floor. Though my office is much more comfortable, it would also be difficult for Lucille to climb the three flights of stairs to the top floor. When we arrive, the smell of coffee and sweets fill the air as omegas bustle around, setting up the room. They bow their necks to us, then quickly finish their tasks and leave.
Shortly after, our parents begin filing in and taking seats around the table. They sit on the far side of the table, with the new pack leaders sitting closer to the door. Lucille and Meredith come in exactly at 1:00, sharing large smiles and greetings all
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The afternoon is busy, full of phone calls and meetings with other pack matters. I was placed in charge of identifying medics and locating the required medical equipment and supplies. I spent the majority of the afternoon meeting with the pack doctor.At 6:00, I’m standing in front of my father’s suite, which is soon to be mine. I’m holding a bottle of whiskey in one hand as I raise the other to knock. I would normally bring wine, but I have a feeling that I’m going to need the hard stuff by the end of the night.Father answers the door, his face troubled and pale. A small smile alights on his face when he opens the door and sees that it’s me. “Come in, son.”“Father, are you ok?” We aren’t very close, haven’t
I wake on Friday morning, a sense of excitement and happiness flooding my body. Today is the day. Brandon will find out that he is our mate. Last night, he had linked Zak around 10:30 to say that he was still with his father and that he wouldn’t be coming to see us, but that he would see us this morning.Though I was somewhat disappointed, I knew that it wouldn’t be for more than one night. Brandon would be with from his birthday on.Now that it is the morning of his birthday, I am excited, but a bit nervous, too. What will happen? How will the pack react? How will Brandon react?Only one way to find out. I hurriedly jump into the shower. As I come back out to get dressed, Zak meets me at the bathroom door.
“Same” I reply to Charlie. Looking at the bedside clock, I see the time. I turn back to Charlie, laughing. “You really are impatient if you got up before 6:30.”“Shut up!” she says, smacking my arm.I pull her into a hug, kissing her matemark. “Our mate will come home with us tonight. He will be ours.”Her arms wrap around me, holding me tight. I can feel her body vibrate with anticipation. “Hurry up.” She kisses me quickly before pulling away. “Get ready. I want to go see our mate.”I smack her ass before going into the bathroom. I hear her giggle before shutting the door.While showering,
I can barely sleep. After everything that my father told me, everything that he wants me to do, my mind is spinning. At 6:30, I shove the blankets off me, tired of trying. I spend an inordinate amount of time in the shower, trying to relax. Today is supposed to be exciting. One of the best days of my life. I will take over my position as Beta! I will likely find my mate! It’s my birthday! I mean, if the prospect of cake can’t even cheer me up, I know I’m a goner. But all that swirls in my gut is dread. Dad was right. My mate is likely going to be a male. And I’ll have to turn him away. I always knew that my parents were great friends. But there was never that spark between them that I saw in all of my friends’ parents. There were no little touches of affection. No gleam in their eyes when they saw each other.
CharlieThe pain is excruciating. I can barely breathe through it. It feels as if my soul is being ripped completely out of my chest. The pain is doubled from the echo of it through my matebond with Zak. I try to scream but can’t. I barely feel the ground as my body falls. I can’t even catch myself. I land on my knees and crumple to my side.Mom and Dad run to my side, screaming at me to breathe. But I don’t want to. I just want to die.The only thing keeping me tied to this world is Zak. I have to make sure that he’s ok. I can feel his despair and pain through the bond. I have to make sure that he is safe.Suddenly, my throat opens and air sears through my lungs.
What. The. Hell? I thought that Brandon would be ecstatic that he not only had one, but both of the people that he is in love with as his mates. The Goddess pretty much guaranteed that if we didn’t tell him about the trio beforehand, then he would accept them. Xander and I even came to breakfast this morning specifically to see it happen.This wasn’t supposed to happen!I follow Brandon’s heavy running out of the packhouse. He’s nearly to the treeline when I catch up with him.I grab his shoulder and spin him around to face me. “You fucking idiot!” I scream. “What the hell was that?”But when I see his face, I back off. Tears pour from his eyes.&nb
Charlie Though the physical pain has dissipated, my heart aches. Tears don’t stop leaking from my eyes and my throat is raw from my screams. Not even Zak’s arms around me, his front pressed into my back, his chin on my head can reduce the pain. We’ve been laying like this for hours. Our mothers keep attempting to coax us to eat or drink, but we refuse everything. We don’t talk. We don’t move. I’ve cut off my mind link with everyone. I keep repeating all of our moments with Brandon over the last week, since the morning that Lucille told us that he was our mate. Every touch. Every kiss. Every “I love you.” The intense joy that I felt when he claimed me as his mate. Claimed Zak. The look on his face as he backed away from us. And his words. They repeat over and over in
I finally stop crying. Snot and tears soak my shirt, but I don’t care. I truly don’t care about anything right now. I don’t know that I ever will again. I couldn’t have my mates. What compares to that pain? And the most horrible thing is that they hadn’t rejected me. So we are still connected. I still feel the pull to them. Even though they are somewhere in the packhouse, my soul still calls to them and theirs to mine.Did I go through all of this pain for nothing? If they don’t reject me, I will end up just like my father. Yearning for two people I can never have.Devin is still beside me, saying soft words of comfort, but I barely hear him. It doesn’t matter. Nothing does anymore.“Bray.&r
Welp, that was a shit show. It went about as well as we expected, though I had no idea that Arya would reject Xander and Devin. Having felt that with Brandon, I know what they are going through. And they will be feeling like that for two days until she returns. They are currently staying in Brandon’s room so that they are closer to everyone. Lauren and Mom are with them.Xander’s mom is in the pack hospital after her most recent bout of chemotherapy. She’s called and Facetimed several times, attempting to get him to respond, but he hasn’t really said anything. He and Devin haven’t moved in hours, laying in each other’s arms on Brandon’s bed.Charlie, Brandon, and I have taken turns going to see them, but Charlie and I both know that they don’t really hear us.&n
After Devin entered and he and Arya claimed each other as mates, pretty much everyone was silent and shocked. Well, those of us that didn’t know. So everyone except the Oracle, Meredith, my mates, and me. And Mathias. I could already tell that he was pissed when Arya and Xander claimed each other as mates. I’m guessing that he and Arya were in some kind of relationship and he isn’t too happy to have his bedmate taken. But when Devin claimed Arya as well, his fury became palpable.Zak, Charlie, and I had watched as Mathias began to shift, seemingly without his consent. His wolf fed on his rage and began to take over his form.The three of us fanned out, each linking separate warriors to make sure that we were ready for whatever might happen.
As I walk through the packhouse, I can smell the most intoxicating scent of lavender and honey floating through, mixed with Xander’s scent of oak, nutmeg, and leather. It’s her. She’s here and with Xander. “Go, Gamma,” Lucille smiles at me as she sees me scenting the air. “Meredith will help me from here. We’ll be right behind you.” I gently release Lucille’s hand from my arm and place it on Meredith’s. I smile at her warmly before hurrying out of the house. I hear the loud voice of a male wolf say, “Looks like we have something more to celebrate, other than our packs’ meeting.” I figure it is Mathias, but I don’t even spare him a glance as I take in the sight of my two mates holding each other. Seeing the two of them t
I walk outside with Zak, Brandon, Charlie, and the pack elders. This is it. Our mate will be here in a matter of minutes. My heart feels like it is going to thunder out of my chest and I can’t help but reach out to the hand closest to me. It happens to be Brandon’s, which causes a sudden movement from Charlie and an almost glare from Zak before they see my face. I’m sure I’m as white as a ghost.Brandon looks into my face and squeezes my hand. “It’s ok, Xander. I know that this is incredibly hard, but it will be ok. The Goddess promised. You will see your mate today and then you will have her forever in two days. We’ll be here for you and you’ll have Dev. You just have to be strong for a little longer.”I nod, absentmindedly. I didn&rsqu
By 12:45 everyone but Devin,Lucille, and Meredith are in the dining hall. Everyone is tense, waiting for the inevitable blow-up. This is going to be bad. Really, really bad. “You’re going to end up hurting your lip, Red,” Brandon says, sliding his thumb along my lip to pull it from between my teeth. He bends down and gives me a quick peck on the lips. “I’m just…” “Nervous?” “Yeah,” “Me, too. But we’re going to get through this. I’m more worried about Dev and Xander than anything.” After leaving the banquet hall this morning, and fucking like crazy, Zak and I told Brandon everything about the Goddess’s visit. He knows everything and why we kept it from him. I have to s
We are all in the banquet hall to help Clara prepare for the Blue Crescent Pack’s arrival. Whereas the hall was decorated in soft drapery and blue and silver tones for the ascensions, there is a completely different vibe for this arrival. Clara mixed the soft tones of our pack and the large portrait at the end of the hall to display hopeful friendship and peace, along with displays of might. Clara ensured that the seating arrangements showed our best warriors at the head of the hall, while putting their pack below the high table with only their Alpha and Delta at the head table. Pictures of our wolves in battle and during training, both in human and wolf form, were displayed throughout the hall, along with copies of deeds of land that we had won through battle, treaties with other packs, and pictures of Zak and Jared with a variety of alphas from across the country. It was a way to show our prowess in battle and our
It’s hard to believe that the bond between Charlie, Brandon, and me can get even deeper. But the second that Xander drinks from the cup and our brotherhood is complete, it is almost like I can feel him in every corner of my mind. Though he has been inside my head as my mate, able to feel my emotions and occasionally read my thoughts, this is new. It feels as if his presence is everywhere. This ever present feeling is only matched by Charlie’s presence.Unlike our last ascension dinner, this one ends well. Many in the pack come up to congratulate not only Brandon in becoming Beta, but the three of us in our mating. Some of the older women start asking about when we are going to provide them with some pups to dote over. Charlie’s face is glowing at their questions and I can’t keep the smile off of my face. Brandon’s face starts out
“Members of the Artemis Pack!” The Oracle booms into the banquet hall, arms spread wide and a smile on her face. The meal was magnificent, a true testament to Clara’s skills as a hostess. Now it was time for the ceremony. Lucille’s salutation is greeted with howls and thunderous applause. “Today we are completing our pack’s new leadership with the ascension of our new Beta! “Brandon Snow will take his place beside his mates, Alpha Zakary Loup and Luna Charlotte Loup, and his friends Gamma Devin Laoch and Delta Xander Hawthorne. I cannot imagine a better choice for Lady Selene to pick as the second-in-command and helpmate to our beloved Alpha and Luna. His faithful and selfless service nearly led him to reject his mates for the good of our pack. I cannot imagine a more committed and loyal wolf to help lead us.”
Clara steps to the podium to welcome all of the pack to the dinner. “Good evening my beloved pack and welcome to our induction of a new Beta for the Artemis Pack!”A roar explodes from the pack, along with hand clapping and stomping of feet.Clara waits for the sounds to quiet down before continuing. “As our Silver Lady and our patreon goddess have blessed our pack with plenty, so we bless them with our fellowship and joy. In the spirit of love, support, and thanksgiving, I present to you our feast.”Clara’s arms open and the omegas enter the room loaded down with food in large serving bowls and plates. They set them on the tables for family style service among the pack members. More omegas came to the high table to serve us, starting with me and Zak, then