Victoria's POV
Watching Finian get out of the truck smiling and clasping shoulders of the members of his pack. Looking kindly in their eyes. Admiration is shown in the smiling faces of this pack. They crowd around him, patting his back and he lets them touch him. He ruffles the hair of many members, giving them affection with his touch.
The atmosphere is charged with excitement yet he portrays a great calmness that washes through him and into his gathering herd. Watching the way the members of his pack react to him is something new to me. He doesn't snarl or make himself bigger, he leads in a way that makes me want to follow him. He has a gentle kindness in the way he interacts with each one on an individual level.
He compels obedience......
Finally making his way to my door he opens it, holding out his hand to me. I take it, flesh on flesh, I ignore the fire his touch ignites.
The pack pressing in on me the moment I step out of the truck. Noses raised taking in my scent, hands trying to touch me. Kind eyes find mine but also the sharp and menacing eyes of many send the fine hairs on my neck to stand on end. My wolf's hackles are raised and I snarl at the crowd to back away. My leadership is much different from their King.
All my fighting blood is surging through me.
The call of my legacy of ancestry as first born pumps through my system.
The nature of my wolf is demanding me to kill or be killed to set the example now and quickly so there is a compelling understanding that I will not tolerate challenges.
He grips my hand tighter leading me down the gauntlet of people. I think what he fails to realize is this is what I know...this is what I have been trained to know. I don't need his hand for support, I can do this on my own. Pulling from his grasp, I slow my walk down. Head held high, making it a point to look straight into the eyes that try to hold mine.
"Victoria," His lips almost touch my ear, his warning is filled with a very real threat to me. His hand now is rubbing my lower back underneath my shirt. He's trying to calm me, my females can sense my growing agitation. I've never done well with too many people around, all they want to do is inflict pain as a group. Always they come in groups never by themselves. I don't expect anything less from these wolves, safety in numbers.
The crowd parting slightly ahead of us, grey eyes meet mine. The older version of Fin is flanked by several older females. His eyes are from her, but Grey carries more of her than Fin.
She smiles to Fin holding her arms out wide as he embraces her cheek to cheek in the Old Way custom.
"I've missed you Finian." Looking on at their interaction a mother's love is pouring through her skin, it's warm and comforting watching this interaction.
"Mom, this is Victoria." The judgment is not missed by my wolf. I can see her females flanking my sides. Angling around me in a circle, pushing members of the pack out of their way. I don't take my eyes off his mother, my females rise up, puff themselves up to this perceived challenge.
I knew that I would have to fight a group but I never thought that his mother would take the point...
This is a fight I don't want, I don't want this but I will do this, I will set an example.
A smile creeps on her face, along with the rest of the older wizened females. Her stance relaxes as she takes my left shoulder flanking me, along with the rest of her females in a show of protectiveness. All these females face into the crowd, their malignant with menace to anyone that wants to do harm.
Unity in numbers is what is being taught here. They are stating that they have the numbers and it will be very hard to defeat them all.
The mastery of power that this former Luna is exuding has me in awe of her. My wolf takes notice of this worthy female.
"Victoria..." my name is said in kindness, trying to smooth down my raised hackles.
She takes a cautious step towards me, slowly....hands open, palms exposed. "I finally get to meet you, I've been wanting a formal introduction for many years now."
So I cover my fangs and the wolf slinks back inside me. Fin's hand is on my right shoulder, trying to smooth my raised fur. I shake him off in annoyance.
Slowly she approaches me, very slowly she takes in my scent, her arms circle around my shoulders pulling me into a hug. I can't bring my arms around hers, she pays not mind as her cheek touches mine. "I'm so happy to finally meet my son's worthy mate. You're perfect in every way."
My hands on their own come up and gently pat her back, it's very light, almost as if it never happened. I swallow down the lump in my throat not use to the complement she just gave me. A former Luna calling me perfect. She pats the back of my head before letting me go. This single act of kindness and total acceptance has my armor cracking, not in force but from kindness. This act is more powerful then all the lashes and kicks I received throughout my life.
It's an unsettling feeling she's giving me, I can't look at those kind eyes that make me want to have her hold me, and wipe the years of tears away from my soul. I have this longing for someone like her in my life.
A paralysis of fear is threatening to overwhelm my nature with what she is showing me. With her I don't have to fight, I just have to be me and I'm afraid how to act with this. I don't want to do anything that will destroy this new feeling.
"Come, let me show you around," her arm interlocks with mine. Leading me away from the crowd into the house that feels like a sanctuary compared to outside.
She's so gentle with me, almost like I'm wingless and floundering on the ground. Cooing to me, as she sits me down. She strokes my hair, I try to bite the inside of my cheeks to stop my emotions from flowing out.
I can't hide what I'm feeling from Fin, it's too powerful for me to even grasp. It's all consuming the acceptance I'm feeling from her. I cover my mouth, clenching my teeth together, my body shaking with my restraint. My fist clenched on top the table, nails digging into the soft pads of my hands. She slowly opens my fists placing her hands in mine. I can't look at her, everything that I have put up in defense is dropping at this female's feet. Taking a breath in and it burns the inside of my throat, the first tear slips out.
"Victoria," Fin says my name slowly.
Not able to look at him,"I'm sorry." it's a hushed whisper as I try to wipe away the evidence of my weakness away.
"Do you have a bathroom I can use." I need to get away from this, I can't cope.
"Yes I do." she leads me away from his table and up the stairs to the end door, opening it up I smell the subtle scent of new paint. It's through that door there.
Quickly I shut the door behind me, taking a much-needed breath I run the water splashing it on my face.
"What have you done to my room mother?" Fin's voice is hushed and hard.
"It needed to be freshened up, there was this lingering unclean smell to it." Her voice takes on an edge.
"Where's my bed." He's pacing the room I can hear his feet pound against the hardwood floors.
"I thought that Victoria would appreciate having something clean and new to rest her head on. That bed was filthy don't you think...Finian." The way she said his name almost like she was very disappointed in him.
"You ripped out the carpet!"
"No matter how many times I tried to wash it that stink was still there." I could almost picture the verbal slap to his face his mother was throwing at him.
"Finian she deserves something clean and nice...I wasn't going to let her come in here with how dirty you made it. Have you seen that poor female, she nearly had a breakdown with just a few nice words I said to her? It's as if no one has ever said anything nice to her." There's an undertone of great sadness in her voice.
"I'm afraid for you Finian, she is something special and I think you're throwing it away for some long ago misstep on her part." Another slap to that male's ego and I smile to myself that it's his mother putting this big bad Alpha in his place.
"We're having dinner at six, semi-formal in the hall please don't be late and have Victoria wear something nice." I can hear her footsteps getting fainter as she descends the stairs leaving me hiding in the bathroom and Fin stewing on her words in his newly painted bedroom.