The Wanted Alpha

Chapter 6 - Families

Ethan

We were heading to the main hall connected to the pack house that would usually be used for mass meetings such as these and pack events, like an important Winter Solstice party that would now double as my Beta's wedding ceremony reception. 

I had spent the majority of yesterday and this morning preparing for any attack that could be coming from Alpha Nicholas and Hunter. Training of my warriors had been doubled, our patrols had been tripled, I had stationed remote cameras well outside our borders that were set to be activated upon detecting werewolf body heat and I had sent two of my best covert trackers to Montana to keep an eye on movement from Monkshood Moon. I was already monitoring their borders from here via hacking the humans CCTV network on the highways around the packs border, but I needed physical eyes on it as well. I was a little reluctant to send them as they were both she-wolves; they were my best but I still worried for their safety given what I knew of that pack's heinous leaders. I had called them to my pack office on the ground floor this morning, told them the situation and gave them the choice. They never hesitated to volunteer despite the danger and being away from their families on the Solstice, outraged by the mindset that this Alpha thought he could take a female at his whim. 

I had missed the last attackers sent from that pack because I hadn't been monitoring airports and airfields around us for private planes landing, an oversight that I now had covered. I doubted that Nicholas or Hunter would be sending a small team again, given the challenge I threw down, the next attack would be most likely direct and large. I had also contacted my nearest two allies in western Pennsylvania and northern Virginia to request reinforcements should the need arise. As I didn't know when or even if this attack would happen I couldn't ask my allies further away. Moon Meadows pack in Kentucky and Silent Rivers, or Silent Forest as they were now known, in Tennessee were too far away to be able to drop everything to come to our aid. Plus my main contact, Stella, in Silent Forest had said her pack had gone through 'an insane upheaval' since spring so Alpha Eden and her new mate would probably not be in a position anyway to offer aid.

As we were about to enter the double doors of the main hall, I gave April's hand a tight squeeze. I could still feel her internal fretting over whether the pack would hate or scorn her for putting them in danger, but I had no doubts. She had done nothing wrong, all she had done was exist and be perfect. The person to hate and scorn here was Nicholas and his son and I knew my pack would see that. I had mind-linked Jude and Carrick yesterday evening to notify them of the phone call I'd made to this black market data broker. My Beta had suggested letting his mate tell the wiccans and his coven, I had also sent some phones with him; if they were going to be part of the pack then they had to be able to be contacted by other means than the mind-link. I already had a messaging system in place for my human members and my few werewolves with a more tenuous link with their wolf. My Gamma, in his own words, liked the 'come at me bitch' approach we were taking with Monkshood Moon pack...so I guess we were all on the same page.

I slipped my free hand along my mate's jaw and tilted her head up to meet my lips, giving her a final encouraging kiss before we faced the crowd. Striding in through the doors, all eyes were on us. I could feel April's nerves, she would have never addressed a large group like this before, but the confidence she wore on her face, you would have never known otherwise.

Like a true Alpha. 

The crowd numbered around 400, about the capacity for the hall. It was barely a fraction of our pack's size of 9100, half of which were humans who lived in our pack for the protection and the better schools. Most of the pack had work, duties or training to carry out, which I didn't want disrupted so I would be mind-linking the rest - who had the ability - that couldn't make it as I spoke, so that they wouldn't miss out.

The two of us walked up to the front to the elevated platform that usually served to host a band, as we held more joyous occasions in this hall rather than serious pack addresses like this. Carrick stood already waiting for us after having let the crowd into the hall. Jude had stayed with his mate to talk to the coven and the wiccans, to alleviate their worries at the possibility of them being in danger again and to also compose the message to those that couldn't receive a mind-link.

"Thank you for coming, everyone. I know I didn't give you much notice, but this is important. There is a very real danger that may be coming our way...a battle with another pack."

Worried murmurs started instantly, but I raised my hand in a silent ask for them to be quiet so I could continue.

"I realise that this will come as a shock to some of you, this is also why in the past week, patrols and training have been increased dramatically. This fight doesn't come from any of the few rivals our pack has. It comes from a lot further away, the Monkshood Moon pack in Montana. A lot of you by now will have met my mate and your soon-to-be Luna, April here. This pack I've mentioned want her and as some of you have heard, they almost succeeded 3 days ago."

I placed my hand on my mate's back to pull her forward, this was her story to tell. 

'Just tell them what you want. It can be as little or as much as you feel comfortable with' I encouraged, keeping my hand on her for comfort.

She began her address speaking with poised courage, keeping her voice level and measured throughout. She chose to disclose virtually everything, omitting the part when Hunter showed up drunk at her cell and tried to force his mark on her neck; that I was thankful for as just the reminder of it had both Ezra and I wanting his blood.

As April finished speaking, I took over to reaffirm that I had the situation in hand and had made thorough preparations for the inevitable conflict.

"...so rest assured that if and when this fight comes I will make every effort to keep it as far from our borders as possible...to keep all of you safe."

I could feel abject fury and anger ring through the pack link, incensed that this Alpha and his pack would destroy another just for greed. This fight was more than just over April; there was nothing stopping this man from doing the same thing to another pack and another one after that. The support for my mate flooded the room, both verbally and through the link; I could see how her eyes glistened slightly, feeling the encouragement through the pack.

White Tree pack hadn't had a Luna for 25 years and we would be damned if we lost our Luna now.

'See, I told you. You've got nothing to worry about' I mind-linked her.

After answering the questions and concerns from the crowd as best we could, we left as the last through the door. I saw how April quickly glanced around the empty hall, I could tell she was looking over it for Jude and Christopher's celebration.

"You wanna go for a quick run? I've got an hour before my warriors training and we've not run together for a while?"

She nodded with a huge smile, taking my hand and dragging me out, making me laugh at her eagerness.

April

With everyone gone from the hall, we could strip and shift from here so our clothing wouldn't be soaking wet and freezing from the snow. As soon as August took control she immediately brushed herself up against Ezra's huge wolf form, nuzzling into the deep fur of his chest and flicking her tail into his muzzle teasingly.

'Don't get carried away, August. They have training to lead, don't wear him out' I laughed, already feeling her wanting to pounce on him.

We took off into the snow, leaping, rolling and play fighting, wanting to test out some of the moves Bryce and Carrick had taught us.

"Damn, I can barely keep up with you now, the guys have been training you well. I can only imagine how lethal you'd be if you were trained from shifting" Ethan praised, hugging me close "I'm not going to be back till late this evening. So make sure you eat, don't wait for me, ok?" he finished with a kiss.

"Ok. Now I've got a hall to go plan and decorate!"

If 12 year old me could hear present me right now!

Chapter 49 - The Wanted Alpha