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.
Alpha Aaron's POV
"Aaron!" Masons panicked voice comes through the phone.
"What's wrong Mason?" I ask his tone making me nervous.
"Lilly!" He says.
Panic. That's all I feel. She just left. She can't be far. I drop the phone and take off down the road. I feel my clothes shred as my wolf takes over.
Why did they have to take a car? I can't track her if I can't smell her! As I run down the road Clay mind links me.
"They crashed 5min after leaving us... it was the rouges."
Filthy rouges! They better not have hurt her!
Finally I can smell her! I see the car. It is on its roof facing the wrong way on the road. The headlights blind me as I approach.
Lilly's POV
As we drive down the road toward out territory I am lost within my own mind. All I can think of is Aaron and what he told me.
Will I remain an Alpha?
I know that thus far no female Alpha has kept that power. I don't know if I am strong enough. What if I fail?
"What's eatin' ya lil Alpha? Missin' yer boy already?" David jokes. If he only knew the doubts that plague me. But Aaron... the thought of him makes me blush earning a laugh from the front seat.
"I'm sure he ain't stayin' away long lil Alphaaaaaaa!" As David's last word came out it turned to a scream. A loud crunch filled the air as our car jerked. With no time to recover another crunch and a bang of a blown tire ring out.
○●○●○●○
Have you ever driven upside down? People say things happen in slow motion when you crash but they don't. I remember the feeling of weightlessness as my body lifted itself from the seat and the pull of the seatbelt holding me in place. Most of the crash was truly a blur. When I remember it it is more slow motion but in the moment I couldn't even hear my own screams. I blinked and when I opened my eyes my hands were dangling above me.
A sharp intake of breath sends pain through my body. The pain is quickly forgotten as I look around taking in my surroundings. The front seat is empty. Where is David? And the warrior? Both gone. Glass coats the car like a blanket of snow. Everything shines around me and... wait a minute... I'm upside down!
I hear footsteps near me and stop moving.
"Alphas gonna kill you! He said the girl was to be unharmed!" A man says near the car.
"She's got the Alpha blood in 'er she'll be good as new by da time we get her to 'im!" The other man replies.
Alpha? One whiff of these wolves and I know they are rouge so who could they answer to?...questions for a later time I need to get out of here! I claw at the seatbelt forgetting something very important... What comes up must come down.
CRASH!
My body hits the roof and I can feel the glass embed itself into my shoulder. Oww!
"Eager to get going I see miss!"
I look out the window to see a rouge grinning at me hissing out the word "miss" his breath only adds to the malodorous stench that taints him as a rouge. I want to gag as his face is so close to mine. He reaches in to grab me. As I avoid his grasp pitch black fur sweeps across the window. I dive to the front seat grabbing the radio that is directly connected to the pack house.
"Car crash rouge attack!" I quickly yell.
I scramble out of the car and jump up to see Delta David's wolf tearing out the throat of one of the rouges. I can see more coming out of the woods.
In a matter of seconds I am clothed in fur and claws snarling at the approaching wolves. I hear a response on the radio.
"Lilly where are you? Sh..!" My father's last word was cut off. I turn th see a large rouge wolf holding the crumpled box in his jaw. He throws it and turns on me.
I lunge first trying to catch him off guard. The wolf dodges and tries to pin me. I notice he is refusing to go for the kill... his mistake. I lunge again shifting my attack at the last moment. I slide under him with my claws up digging frantically at his underbelly. I slide out the other side springing back to my feet. I see the disemboweled wolf collapse and turn to face the rest.
I see Delta David fighting many rouge wolves. They begin piling on him slashing teeth and claws into his dark pelt. We are sooo outnumbered!
I play bowling for wolves throwing myself into the pile freeing David. I can see his chest slowly rise and fall. He's still alive! I look to the wolves now surrounding me and back to David. Crap! Unconsciousness has caused him to shift back and I can see the blood pouring from his chest. I take up a defensive position near David waiting for the attack when a roaring growl makes me flinch and begin to bow before I can think about what I'm doing.
Alpha Aaron's POV
As I run up to the crash I maneuver so that the headlights no longer impede my vision. Once I can see clearly I am stunned by the sight. One wolf. One beautiful brown wolf with a black tale is facing of against at least 8 rouges. With all the power I have I growl an order. In wolf form an alpha command growl is more a demand for submission than a specific order.
Every wolf stops under the weight of my growl then a few run. The rest turn to me. I charge at the wolves. In a matter of seconds many of my warriors catch up to us and join in the fight. I run to Lilly.
I look over the wolf in front of me carefully. She does not seem harmed but is covered in blood. She nods at me as if to tell me that she is fine but as soon as she does her eyes go wide and she begins to stumble. As she hits the ground she shifts and I see a dart sticking out of her skin.
"All the rouges are dead." Wade my Gamma informs me as he runs up tossing me clothes. I shift and throw on the shorts placing my oversized shirt on Lilly.
"Mason!" I hear a scream and look over at the delta covered in blood "I need to see my Alpha!"
"You need a doctor." Clay says as he bends down to try and stop the bleeding from the wounded wolf.
"My pack!" He coughs "take me to my pack!"
Lilly's POV
I pull my head up instantly shaking off the powerful weight of that growl. I see the rouges stop dead unsure what to do. Then some scatter the rest turn their attention to the source of the sound. I fallow their gaze and see him.
"Finally!... I knew that wolf would be HOT!" My wolf screams in my mind.
I see a towering figure ready to fight. The dark red wolf is twice the size of any rouge. His fur shines in the moonlight.
Aaron charges into the fight. He is shortly joined by more wolves attacking the rouges. Aaron turns his attention to me looking me over. I nod to him letting him know I'm ok. I feel... I feel dizzy?
My vision becomes blurry and I fall forward at Aaron's feet.
●○●○●○●○
"What?" I break out trying to keep my eyes open.
I can feel the vibrations telling me I am in a vehicle going... somewhere? Finally the fog lifts enough I can open my eyes. All I can smell is Aaron and I look down to see his shirt on my body. I can see him in the driver's seat next to me jaw set focused on the road. Good thing I guess considering as I sit up and look at the trees zipping by I'd guess we are going between 80 and 90mph minimum.
"Ahhhhhhhh!" A scream from the back seat draws my attention.
"David!" I gasp.
"Ahhhhhh!" another scream is all the response I get as Beta Clay and another man try to hold Delta David still in the back seat.
"Where... where are we going?" I ask still finding it difficult to remain conscious.
"Your pack house." Aaron responds.
"Yours is closer." I say
"Not any more we're almost there... he insisted." Aaron says gesturing to the back seat.
As we pull up to the pack house the doctor and my father greet us. They take Delta David away quickly. I try to get out of the car but stumble only to be caught in firm arms that shock wherever they touch giving a tingling sensation across my entire body as I fall into him.
"Carful now the drugs are still wearing off." He says as my face rests on his chest.
I quickly push off of him and try to get into the pack house to see David. Unfortunately he was right and I stumble again. Aaron steadies me. With a chuckle and leads me into the house. He sits me on a bench outside fathers office.
"We got it from here Aaron" father says coming to check on me. "Thanks for your help son."
"I'm not leaving!" Aaron replies.
Father stands up from where he was crouched looking at me.
"This is my pack boy. I appreciate your help but I can't watch over you right now." Father responds barely holding his anger.
"I won't leave her after this!" Aaron yells eyes flashing as his wolf battles for control.
"You will do as I say in MY territory!" Father fumes letting his anger slip.
I jump up head finally clear. I run to my father and place my hand on his shoulder. "I got this." I murmur
"Aaron go home." I tell him. His blue eyes shift to me full of anger. He begins to protest but I stop him "I'm fine. You need to take care of your pack as I do mine. GO HOME!"
Aaron shifts uncomfortably looking to his men.
"Fine." He says and turns to walk out "I'll be back tomorrow Mason." He says with a growl "I want to know EVERYTHING you know."
"See you tomorrow Aaron." My father replies and turns back to me. Aaron storms out his men on his heels. "Let's get you cleaned up little wolf." My father says as he leads me up to my room. "Come to the infirmary when you're ready I need to talk to you." Father turns and walks away leaving me at my door.
I rush inside grab some clothes and head to the bathroom. I take off Aaron's shirt and look into the mirror. Blood covers me from head to toe. A gash on my head is nearly healed and the seatbelt mark across my chest is fading. I jump in the shower and let the hot water wash away the pain that has now creeped into my body. The soreness makes me long for the adrenaline rush that kept me going this far. After a long shower and some mouthwash I make my way to the infirmary.
"Father?" I say as I enter and see David wrapped in bandages unconscious on a bed.
"Come here Lilly." Father says and I take a seat next to him at David's side.
"How is he?" I ask
"Doc had to knock him out. Too much pain. He wanted to tell me something but couldn't get it out through his screams." Father informs me. I cringe at the thought of the pain David is in.
"What can you tell me about the attack?" Father asks.
"Well..." I say trying to remember "something hit us and we rolled... when I woke up David and the warior... wait what happened to Ray?" Father shook his head. I gulp. Father put his hand on mine.
"Continue." He says.
"They were gone...no longer in the car." I say my mind fuzzy about the last few hours. "I was upside down and... rouges!... they were talking to each other!"
"What were they saying little wolf?" Father prompts me to continue.
"They said they were after her!" David chokes out.
"David how are you feeling?" I ask.
"Just peachy lil Alpha." He says wincing as he tries to move.
"What else did they say?" Father asks putting us back on topic.
"They said something about their Alpha being mad if they hurt me.... but they were most definitely rouge!" I say.
"They sure were." Delta David says tapping his nose "da nose knows!"
"Not possible!" Father says "there can't be a rouge Alpha... not a true Alpha at least."
"All I know is what they said... the one seemed afraid of this Alpha." I say
"We'll need to look into this... get better David... take your time I'm gonna call Erickson back to take over the warriors."
"What ever you say Alpha." David says and sinks back into bed.
"Go to bed Lilly you need to heal." Father says. Feeling the pain that covers my body I can't argue. I just nod in agreement and walk to the door.
"Night Delta feel better!" I say as I exit. I see David give me a thumbs up and turn to leave.
I return to my room and collapse onto my bed.
"Sleep take me now!" I say as I fall onto the plush surface. The contact makes me flinch so I pull out the muscle relaxers Doc gave me and take one.
"I love these things... sleepy time!" I say to myself as I nod off to sleep.