Kylie’s Pov
I watched as he stepped out of the shadows. Brown shaggy hair and playful eyes. I remembered a scrawny boy around my age, but standing in front of me was a strong wolf man. I guess three years in a pack like Brock’s would do that to you.
“We thought you were dead,” he said slowly.
I nodded. “Yeah, same to you. Wait, do you say ‘we’? Who else is here?”
“Me,” a deep voice spoke and a large wolf stepped forward. He had tanned skin and dark, black hair. Blake. When our pack was still alive, Blake was the Beta. Even though Blake was years younger than Alana’s dad, everyone respected him. He had proven himself in battle. I couldn’t believe they were alive. I ran forward and hugged them both. They smelled just like I remembered, like home.
“So, you’re alive. Does that mean…” I started afraid to finish my question. They shook their heads. My parents were dead. My eyes stayed dry. I had accepted that fact three years ago. I’m glad that they didn’t say it out loud. I didn’t need Jake feeling sorry for me. I turned towards him to see how he was taking all this. He looked at me once then stepped forward to shake hands with them. When Blake noticed Jake he smirked at me. He had always been perceptive.
“This is just darling. Really, I’m tearing up just watching,” the girl who had answered the door drawled sarcastically, “But if you all don’t mind, I told boss man that you’re here and he wants to talk to you.”
She looked us over as if she couldn’t understand why her Alpha was willing to talk to us. Then she turned and walked upstairs. I guessed that we were supposed to follow. Jake held reached for my hand and for once I didn’t pull away. I could use my mate at a time like this.
Alpha Brock’s office was at the end of an eerily dark hallway. I felt like the old paintings on the walls were watching us. One painting had a real dagger sticking out of its chest. I shuddered. Jake squeezed my hand. Jacob laughed. When the girl heard Jacob laughing she turned to him and gave him a nod of approval. I’ll never understand children. She went into the office, to announce us, I guess, and came back out a few minutes later.
Alpha Brock’s office was everything I expected, complete with a secretary who looked like she hadn’t smiled since the Stone Age. She looked us over critically, raised an eyebrow and croaked, “The Alpha is waiting.”
“See Jacob,” Jake whispered, pointing at the hawk-like secretary, “That’s why you stay away from drugs. One smoke and you’ll look like that.”
Jacob shuddered and I laughed. The secretary glared. I guess she didn’t want us laughing. Oh wait! I forgot about wolf senses. She had heard all of that. Sadly, that just made me laugh harder. Jake was a bad influence on me.
We slowly pushed open the door to Alpha Brock’s inner office and stepped in.
“That’s how I knew that there were strange wolves in my pack house,” a baritone voice rumbled in the relative dark of the room, “Laughter is not something I hear often.”
Was that an insult or a complement? Alpha Brock probably thought that laughter was a bad thing.
“Sorry,” I mumbled unsurely. We needed to get on this guy’s good side…if he had one.
“Well, I’m not,” Jacob said spitefully, “Jake said something that was freaking hilarious. He told me that if I do drugs I’ll end up looking like your secretary there. She’s an eyesore if I ever saw one.”
To my immense surprise, Alpha Brock cracked a smile. “I can see why my daughter likes you, Jacob, isn’t it?”
Jacob wrinkled his nose. I guess he was still in the girls-have-cooties-phase. I smiled amusedly and asked Alpha Brock who his daughter was.
“You’ve met her. She led you to my office.”
Jacob wrinkled his nose even more.
“Oh well she’s…charming,” I answered politely, “What’s her name?”
Alpha Brock laughed. “If she really was charming, then maybe we aren’t talking about the same girl. My daughter is a tough ass,” he spoke proudly, “And her name is Precious.”
We all stared at him in shock.
“That name was her mom’s idea and I think a lot of morphine went into that decision.”
We laughed. Who knew Alpha Brock would have a sense of humor?
“So, strange wolves, you could start by telling me your names and where you’re from.”
“I’m Jake,” he said in his usual overly-happy way, “And this is my mate Kylie. You already knew who Jacob is. We’re from Alpha Damien’s pack.”
“Alpha Damien, huh,” he mused, “He’s a good kid, a good Alpha, like his father. And why did he send the three of you, I wonder? I doubt that you are the best warriors of the pack.”
“What makes you think we aren’t the best fighters of the pack,” I growled angrily. Alpha Brock looked shocked when I growled at him.
Jake squeezed my hand and smiled at Alpha Brock. “Forgive, my mate. She was recently a rogue and doesn’t know that growling at an Alpha is a bad idea.”
Alpha Brock raised an eyebrow. “She was a rogue?”
“Yeah, until we found her and she became my mate,” Jake answered as if that explained everything.
“I believe I’d like to hear that story, but you still haven’t explained why Alpha Damien sent you three.”
“Actually,” Jake answered, “Alana sent us, because Damien’s plan was suicidal and she trusts us and we brought the kid to soften you up, which worked, I guess, since your daughter likes Jacob and you love your daughter.”
Okay, Jake was officially the worst explainer ever.
“The best warriors are back at the pack house, preparing for attack,” I said, “The rogues are interested in Alana, Damien’s new mate. We believe that they are coming to Damien’s territory to kill his pack and take Alana.”
Alpha Brock nodded slowly, “And you are here to ask for help.”
“Yeah, so will you do it,” Jacob demanded impatiently.
“If I say no, my warriors, some of whom where a part of your old pack, will probably sneak off to help you.”
I shrugged. “Only two of your warriors were part of my old pack.”
“No. There’s more than two here who survived that horrible massacre three years ago.”
My eyes widened. I couldn’t believe that Alpha Brock had waited this long to tell me that. I wanted to run downstairs and search their faces for more of my friends, but I contained myself…barely.
“And even if they aren’t part of your old pack, my warriors all want to fight the rogues. Most of my warriors are bloodthirsty bastards. If I don’t give them something to kill now and then, people from the local villages start disappearing and you can imagine the trouble that causes me.” He shook his head, smiling.
Jake and I stared at him in absolute shock, but Jacob just laughed a bit.
“Ahahaha,” Alpha Brock’s laughter seemed loud enough to shake the room. “You-hahaha-should-ahaha-see-haha-your- ha-faces! I was just kidding. Oh, I’m gooood.”
“You are good,” Jake agreed, “I totally fell for that. You have my eternal respect Alpha Brock.”
Alpha Brock smiled and brought his hands together, “Well, I we going to keep standing here staring at each other or are we going to get going. Alpha Damien’s territory is hours away.”
Jake threw his fist in the air and started happy dancing. He grabbed me and pulled my around in a sloppy waltz. I laughed uncontrollably when he swung me down for a dip. I had never met anyone as spontaneous as Jake.
“Come, my dear. Let’s go find more of your old pack,” he said happily, waltzing me out the door.
Jacob’s Pov
I laughed at the idiots. I was laughing a lot these days.
“So, Jacob, my daughter likes you,” Alpha Brock stated bluntly.
I just looked at him. What was I supposed to say to that? I thought she was crazy, but I wasn’t going to tell him that.
“And even though you are only ten, it’s my job as Precious’ father to interrogate you. I'll start with an easy question. What’s your favorite color, son?”
Well, I might as well answer the questions. Even if I thought the girl was crazy, I kind of liked Alpha Brock. “It’s black.”
“Oh, that’s Precious’ favorite color too. You two must be destined for each other.” Alpha Brock laughed. “You should see your face right now. I’m just kidding, boy. But I do need to talk to you about something. If you let me, I would like to be a sort of mentor for you Jacob, because I think you might need someone to talk to in the next few years.”
I shook my head. I didn’t need anyone.
“What am I thinking? A strong boy like you doesn’t need an old fart like me bossing you around.”
“No I don’t,” I answered, “But what did you want to talk about anyway?”
“Well, Jacob, you don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to, but have you and Damien talked about his plans…for you?”
I had no idea what he was talking about so I just stared at him.
“Jacob, your father was an Alpha. You are his only son. One day, like it not, you will be an Alpha. It’s in your blood.”
I stared at him. Of course I knew that I was my dad’s only son. I guess I just hadn’t thought about what that would mean now that he was…gone.
“You mean I can’t stay in Alpha Damien’s pack,” I asked, surprised to hear sadness in my voice. I was usually good at hiding my emotions. Alpha Brock stood quickly, walked around his desk and put an arm over my shoulders.
“Of course you can, Jacob. The full Alpha status does set in until you're 18. It just means that you might have more trouble dealing with authority as you get older. But eventually, yes Jacob, you will need to get your own pack.”
My own pack.
“Don’t worry Jacob; you are not this first Alpha with an…interesting situation. In the past if an Alpha is raised in another Alpha’s pack, when he comes of age he can simply choose the pack members that he is closest with in age and emotionally and ask the Alpha if they can be the beginning of his pack. It’s as easy as that. I’m only bringing it up, because most Alphas begin training when they are ten years old. After all of this mess with the rogues is over you should sit down with Alpha Damien and have a long talk, okay Jacob?”
I nodded dazedly and walked to the door. Before I left I turned back to him. “Thank you, Alpha Brock.”
“Sure thing, Alpha Jacob,” he said laughing. “If you ever wanted to come back and visit, feel free. Who knows? You could choose some of you future pack members from my pack. I have a few good fighters around your age.”
I left his office before he could say something else to set my world off its axis.
On the stairs I ran into Precious, literally.
“Thanks a lot, klutz," she growled.
“Not my fault. You were in my way,” I said.
“You should have seen me and walked around.”
“Yeah, well, I had things on my mind.” If I didn’t have things on my mind my insults would have been a lot better right now.
“Yeah,” she said, “Talks with my dad tend to do that. Most people walk out of his office looking as dazed as you. He’s wise, that’s what it is. People go to him for advice every day.”
I nodded, not believing that we were agreeing on something. I had to fix that. “So, your name’s Precious.”
“No it isn’t,” she growled angrily, “My name is Mercy.”
“How is Mercy any better than Precious,” I asked, saying them both with disgust.
She smiled maliciously, “Because if anyone ever calls me Precious, I beat them up until all they can say is ‘Mercy! Mercy, please!’”
I laughed. “Cool,” I said, “Nice to meet you, Mercy.”
“Yeah, whatever, don’t test me, little Alpha.”
“How do you know that I’m an Alpha?”
“The secretary listens at the door and tells me everything,” she said smugly, “Plus I go through my dad’s office when he’s not around.”
“Right. Of course.”
That girl was crazy.
A/N: Hey Everybody! Thanks for the reads and Votes and CoMmEnTs and FANNING!!!
So I know you're just dying to know how my day was. My little brother invited six of his friends over. One of them stole the book I was reading, which led to a fight, which left me with bruises and him with a black eye. Another one lent me his bike, but forgot to tell me that the brakes don't work. I rode it down a huge hill and almost died. (At least, I thought I was going to die. That's what I screamed all the way down.) And another one took my ice cream and when I asked what he was doing, he said he was keeping it warm for me -__- .He should know better than to take my ice cream :) So anyways, that's it for now. Bye!