Capítulo 18: Paperwork
Lilly's POV
I take off running. I can't wait to see him. It's been too long.
"Let's go then!" My wolf yells and I pick up the pace.
I tear through the woods as fast as my legs will carry me. I know father said 2 hours but with how fast I'm going it takes me just a little over one.
I shift and get dressed in the woods near the Midnight Moon pack house. As I make my way up to the house I see the boy that we saved.
"Hay!" I call to him and he comes over to me.
"Hay! Your the lady from Red Rivers pack!" He says with a smile "I'm Brayden by the way... you didn't get in trouble with your Alpha because of me did you?"
I remembered how father called me out of the room as soon as he woke up. He must have thought he caused me problems.
"Naw little man. The Alpha is actually my dad he just wanted to let me know he was staying with Alpha Aaron and your pack for the night." I tell him. It seems so long ago now. "Speaking of... where is your Alpha?"
"Alpha Mason's your DAD?!" He shudders at the thought "scary!" I can't help but laugh my dad's not scary... well most of the time. "Fallow me!"
Brayden leads me into the pack house. "You're pretty!" He says stopping inside the door. "Do you like younger men?" My jaw drops. The little player! I try not to laugh. I don't need to respond tho because a voice washes over us and we both turn to find its origin.
"She's spoken for pup." Aaron says coming onto view.
"Ari!" Brayden yells and tackles Aaron in a hug. The boy barely moves him. Aron wraps his arms around Brayden as his eyes lock onto mine. "I found her outside. She was looking for you. Did you know Alpha Mason is her dad! Oh my gosh he's so scary. I couldn't imagine living with him. I think I'd pass out when ever I saw him. Like the middle of breakfast plop! Head in my cereal bowl! I mean he..."
Brayden cuts off his breathless rant when Aaron looks down at him.
"Sorry... I got excited." His eyes drop to his shoes under the weight of Aaron's gaze.
"Its fine buddy." Aaron says and the boy perks up. "You found her?"
"Well.... she found me but I brought her in... we were going to your office!"
Alpha Aaron's POV
I could smell her as soon as she came up to the house.
"Mate!" My wolf yelled at the first whiff of her kiwi scent.
I left my office to meet them.
Brayden was making a move on Lilly. That boy! Thinks he's got chance.
"She's spoken for pup." I tell him and he runs to me. I can't take my eyes off her.
Brayden was rambling but I was hardly paying attention to him. I watched Lilly while the boy went on and on under my arm not even stopping for a breath. Eventually I cut him off with a look.
"Sorry." He says "I got excited" Brayden looks away avoiding my eyes. I wish it were just Lilly and I but I can't ignore my boy.
"It's fine buddy." I tell him. I try to think of what he was telling me. "You found her?" I ask. Trying to make it look like I was actually listening to him.
"Well.... she found me but I brought her in... we were going to your office!" He says happily.
"You have a son?" Lilly asks breaking me from my conversation with Brayden. Crap! I never thought to mention him before. I'm saved by the little wolfs voice.
"Na Ari's not my dad he just took me in when I was little." He says.
I can see the relief in my mates face at the news. I am so glad he answered.
"I wouldn't mind making some pups now" my wolf says making me blush.
"Shut up!" I yell at him.
"Yea. I picked Brayden up about 9 years ago. He'll be an Alpha one day. That is if I don't kill him first!" I say jokingly as I rub my knuckles through his hair.
"Stop it Ari!" He yells and squirms away from me. I laugh.
"So Ari?" Lilly says grinning at me. oh my not her too. "What are you up to?"
"He's supposed to be catching up on his paperwork!" I hear the unwelcome voice of my Beta say.
"But I can put it off since you're here." I say to Lilly eyeing Clay.
"No need." Lilly says and my heart deflates. She can't leave already! She just got here! "I'm pretty good at that kind of stuff... I can help!"
My jaw drops. She wants to help me? With paperwork?! I personally hate the stuff. Honestly it never gets done. It piles up and eventually gets thrown out. Don't get me wrong I keep tabs on everything but I do it through phone calls and mind links. I just can't keep the paperwork straight and its infuriating.
"Ummm Lilly." I start not wanting her to see the mess that is my office. "You don't have to I can..."
"Its no problem Aaron. I breeze through it at my pack... hay Bray you wanna help?" She says.
"Anything for you!" Brayden says giving Lilly a hug.
"Sounds great you guys can get to work. I'll have the kitchen send over some food." Clay says pushing me toward my office. I guess I have no choice.
Here we go!
Lilly's POV
I offered to help but I didn't realize just how bad it was. Inside the office stacks of papers were EVERYWHERE. I'm not joking. He might have a desk but I couldn't tell with the papers piled on and around it.
"Wow" I say as we come in. I see Aaron look away embarrassed.
"It's always like this Ari hates paperwork." Brayden says.
"Shut it!" Aaron scolds him and I laugh.
"Its all good!" I say trying to make Aaron feel better. "We'll get this sorted out... think about it this way. We get to spend time together."
Aaron smiled at that. "Well you said you were good at this... where do you want to start?" He asks me.
"Hmmm." I think but then I smell BBQ "lunch." I say "we start with lunch"
We ate together in the office Brayden and I sat on the couch and Aaron in his chair.
"Well let's get started!" I say wiping my hands on a napkin and standing up. "Do you have a map of your territory?" I ask
Aaron looks confused but pulls out a large map of the territory split up into sectors just like mine.
"Why do you need this?" Aaron asks me.
"It helps you visualize what your doing. We can sort the papers based on where they come from. Seeing the map helps me." I say but he looks unconvinced "ok so who's in charge in the northern sector?" I ask trying to get him to see how this can help.
"Riley." He says.
"So..." I direct my attention to Brayden "anything from Riley we need to put here."
We go through all the sectors and Brayden starts sifting through the papers. I expected him to give up saying he was bored but he didn't. In fact he seems to be having fun. Once we had our organization plan in place all three of us start in on the papers with Aaron reading them and Brayden and I sorting.
"So?" I begin to ask after about a hour of work. "Who taught you how to do this because no offense but this is a mess."
"No one really." Arron shrugs "my father died when I was 17 and he wasn't gonna show me any of this until I proved myself."
I didn't know that. Father had vaguely mentioned Aaron had it rough but he had no training and became the leading Alpha in North America talk about pressure!
"How did that work if you weren't 20 yet." I ask.
"Well I graduated early and took over as Alpha." He said I still don't get how that works he was too young. "I didn't actually get the title until I turned 18. My fathers Beta helped me figure out what I was meant to do. The elders made me the probationary Alpha until I proved I was a true Alpha."
"I'm sorry that must have been hard." I say. He shrugs it off.
"More like awkward. For those two years everyone was watching, judging, trying to figure out if I was worthy of being Alpha." Aaron says I was about to say something but he continued.
"Our pack was attacked a few times. Upstart Alphas who wanted more territory thought I was weak... we won and people started to respect me as Alpha. Once I turned 20 no one had any doubts about who I was."
"Wow" I say amazed "you must be a strong Alpha to lead so well so young."
"I had a lot of help but yea I guess so. A lot of alphas are afraid of me... I kinda like it that way. They leave me alone. But my pack knows better... we are a family."
I love hearing him talk like that so modest. He is kinda a kid at heart. It's cute.
Alpha Aaron POV
She kept asking questions. For once I don't mind. I don't usually talk about myself but she wants to know me and I like it.
"So what about you?" I ask.
"What do you mean?" She responds.
"You've been grilling me on my becoming Alpha. When is your dad stepping down for you?" I ask
"I don't know really... we haven't set a date or anything. Since the banquet I've just been shadowing him." She answers.
"Well it will have to be soon." I tell her.
"Why?" She really has no idea.
"Well because you met me of course."
"Aaaand what's that have to do with the price of tea in China?" She asks. She is so adorable.
"Well you have to become Alpha before we... before we ummm become mates." I try to explain running my hand across the back of my neck...why do I feel so awkward? Why hasn't Mason explained how the Alpha works to her?
"Why? I've never heard about this!" She says I can see her getting mad. Lilly stops sorting papers and looks at me dead on.
"Let me explain it like this." I say. Lilly leans back on the couch calming a little. Brayden is trying to keep working but keeps glancing between us.
"Ok so it's kinda like Braden here." I see Lilly's eyebrows raise at that. "I haven't brought him into my pack even tho he's been here 9 years."
"So you can't mind link anyone?" Lilly asks Brayden.
"Nope!" He grins "it bugged me when I was little till Ari explained it to me."
"You see." I continue "if I brought him in it would effectively nullify his Alpha status. If we wait until he turns 20 we see if he inherited his fathers Alpha. When he shows himself an Alpha he will take over his fathers pack."
"Soooo..." Lilly starts and pauses "if we were to ahem... umm..." she starts to blush. Oh my I can't handle how cute she is. "If we were to become...mates" she whispers the last word "I wouldn't be able to be Alpha?"
"Nope it would revert to me... I'd gain your title and power." I tell her. She looks worried by the news. "I don't want that tho! You will be a great alpha! You deserve it!"
"I mean father did say someone could try to forcibly mate me taking my Alpha but I didn't realize my true mate could do the same." Lilly says thinking it over.
She called me her true mate. Keep your cool Aaron. She needs you right now.
"You don't have to worry tho because we're taking it slow. I don't mark you you don't mark me and... nothing.... else happens... all is good we have time." I try to reassure her.
"I guess." She says "I just hate not knowing things."
"How about this" I offer "you ask me a question I ask you one we can learn about each other and our packs. Have some fun while we fight the paper beast."
"Ok but let's do it this way... whatever you ask you also have to answer. It keeps us from things getting too embarrassing." Lilly counters.
"Works for me!" I say.
Poor Braden just keeps looking at the papers. This has to be awkward for him but you know what? Who cares I get to know my mate.
"Past relationships?" Lilly asks.
"A couple" I respond. "You?"
"As if my father would allow it." She laughs.
My turn "clean freak?"
"I'd say I like things tidy but I'm not compulsive about it." Lilly answers and nods at me.
"Well... I could be better." I say looking around my disheveled office.
"Do you roll the toothpaste or squeeze from the center?" She continues. Where does she get these things?
"I just squeeze it." She crinkles her nose at my response. "What?!"
"Just... we will each have our own toothpaste." She says and I roll my eyes.
"Fine... toilet paper over or under?" I ask.
"I don't really think it matters you use it just the same." She says
"And I'm the only one allowed to change the toilet paper." I tell her and she laughs.
Lilly's POV
We play our game as we work. It's nice just talking. Brayden jumps in a few times but mostly keeps quiet. The pup is a machine tho he goes through the papers faster than I do.
After a while Brayden collapses on my lap as I sit on the couch. Having him fall asleep ended our conversation and we began to work silently. Before long I looked over to see Aaron asleep on his finally clean desk.
I should get going... but I'm almost done with this stack... that was my last thought and not my best idea. I fell asleep.
●○●○●○●
"What have we here?"
An all to familiar voice wakes me up.
I yawn. "Hay Delta David what are you doing here?" I ask.
Delta David is standing in the doorway with Aaron's Beta.
"Well let's see lil' Alpha... I believe yer father said ta be back before dark." David says.
I look out the window... oh crap!
"How mad is he?" I ask David.
"More worried but we need ta go." He says.
I walk over to Aaron's desk. "See ya soon?" I ask.
"Most definitely!" he responds with a smirk.
"Hay Ari!" Brayden yells and we both look at him. "I got to sleep with her before you even kiss her!" I feel my face go red. That pup!
Aaron chucks a stress ball at Brayden as he is running out. Brayden catches it and tosses it on the couch. "See ya soon Lilly!" He says and jets out the door.
"I'm so sorry about him!" Aaron says. I turn to him and smile.
"Don't be too hard on him he's just a pup and he thinks he's funny." I tell him. Aaron's look says he did not find it funny at all. Better run Brayden!
"You sure beat this guy into shape." The Beta says. Clay? I think was his name. "I've never seen this office look so good."
Aaron is running his hand through his hair. He's obviously still embarrassed about the state his office was in.
"My pleasure... now you just need to keep it this way." I tell Aaron and he smiles. I could get lost in those dimples.
"Come on lil' Alpha we gots ta get goin' ya can flirt more later!" Delta David says. I shoot him an evil look.
"Bye Aaron!" I say as we walk out the door.
Delta David gets in the front seat while I get in the back and one of the warriors drives us away informing father that we are on our way with the CB radio attached to the dash.
I watch the Midnight Moon pack house disappear thinking about Aaron. The trees flash past as we drive home in silence. Lost in my thoughts I don't even see the shadows running through the trees outside.
Alpha Aaron POV
"Hay Clay" I say looking at one of the last letters from the southern sector "why didn't you tell me Billy and Abigail had a pup?... I woulda sent them something!"
"You did." Brayden says as he comes back into my office eating a push pop. "Beta Clay sent me to give them a soft blue baby blanket."
I glare at him not quite over what he said about Lilly. He tosses me a push pop and I can't help but smile. They are my favorite and he knows it. Brayden grins at me and I wave him in accepting the apology. He jumps into the chair opposite me.
"Its kinda my job." Brayden says "I play errand boy for Beta since you won't let me patrol."
"I got you Aaron. I've always watched out for you." Clay says.
"Clayton?" I say not really wanting him to answer this question. "Am I a bad Alpha?"
"No Aaron... you just do things... differently." he says. I sigh. Different means wrong. I put my head in my hands.
"And you've been covering for me all these years?" I ask. Clay shifts uncomfortably.
"Look. You're a great Alpha. You love your pack and get to know each member personally. You may not get all the information you would through the reports but I make sure you know the big stuff. Plus everyone loves you! After your father... you are exactly the Alpha this pack needs." Clay says.
It helps hearing him describe my reign as Alpha but I need to be better. I can't put my job off on him.
"Thanks Clay... for everything... I want to do more... I will do better." I tell him.
"No matter what I'm here for you man." Clay says.
Suddenly the phone rings.
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