Ranger and I were tackled to the floor by a mass of children and pups. Dad was ambushed by them too but stood still as they climbed all over him. They all giggled and continued to crawl on us and sit on top of us.
"What are you goofballs doing?" I ask playfully over the pack bond. I get a series of giggles before they answer.
"We're thanking you for protecting the pack!" They all cheer and I chuckle.
"Well, you're welcome. It is my job to protect the lot of you." I tell them and they all give me smiles. The children and pups hopped off of us and ran back to their parents who were all laughing. The only one that stayed was little Leah, still in my Dad's arms. Optimus and Ratchet smile at them and we start to move through the house. The adults bowed their heads in thanks and I bowed mine back. We met up with my grandparents and uncles in the strategy room.
"It seems Leah is still quite attached to you Ron." Grandpa chuckles.
"I honestly don't know why she would like me of all people. But I can't complain." He said with a smile.
"So, how did they get in?" I ask. The four Alpha wolves bowed their heads.
"There was a hole in the patrols and the rogues found it before we did." Uncle Chris stepped up. I nodded and put my front paws on the table so I could see the patrol charts projected on the giant screen in the middle of it.
"Here." I said and pointed with a claw. "There's a five minute gap where there should be two minutes. Add a third patrol on this route and it will close the gap." I said still using the pack bond. I was scared that the bond would rupture on my shoulder if I shifted so I'll wait until we get home.
"This is why you should be the Alpha y/n. You're a natural." Tom remarked. I shook my head.
"No, these people deserve someone who can be there for them all the time. They also deserve someone better than me and they are you, the both of you." I said and looked at Tom and Chris. They smiled gently and I smiled back.
"Now that this has been solved, can I have some help?" I asked the other Alphas. They all nodded their heads and we ushered the cybertronians and Ranger outside. There we stood in a circle and put Optimus in the middle. He looked confused so I sent him some reassurance through our bond and he relaxed. My grandparents and my uncles shifted and we sat closer in a tight circle.
"Put your right arm out." I told Optimus through the bond and he did as I said. "This'll hurt just a tad, but it'll go away in a minute or so."
One by one, each of us stepped up and sank our canines into his wrist. The ritual calls for all living Alphas of the pack must break the skin of the right arm in order for an outsider to become one with the pack. I stepped up last and once I was done I lapped up the blood on his wrist to clean and heal the wound. I could feel and new tether form within the pack. It felt connected to my soul and a chorus of howls could be heard behind us. The pack had come to celebrate the new member. We broke the circle and the pups decided to tackle Optimus now. They're nuts, always tackling people.
"Can you feel it?" I asked him referring to the pack bond.
"Yes, it's like our bond but completely different at the same time." He said and I smiled. He stood still, smiling as the pups slowly retreated to their parents and friends.
"I think we should get going soon. I want to go home and sleep." I say and he nods in acknowledgment.
"Your shoulder needs time to heal." He said as we walked towards my dad and Ratchet.
"Time to leave?" Dad asked and I nodded. "Alright Leah I've got to go. Go find your fathers."
"Ok. Bye Uncle Hide, bye everybody." Leah said as she waved and walked away to find one of my uncles.
"Oh, hold on a minute." I say and run into the house. I went up to the bunks and stopped in front of my friends' door. I bumped my metal nose against the door a couple times and waited for an answer. Ranger answered the door and I smiled.
"Hi?" He said over the bond questioningly.
"Hi, I just wanted to make sure you guys were alright. And I wanted to make an offer. Since Spencer is going back to Michigan, Maddox will most likely go with her right?" I asked and he nodded his head. "Well, how would you like to come stay with us at the house? We have plenty of spare rooms and the autobots come and go once in awhile, but we have a lot of woods. Woods make everything better."
"Woods do make everything better. Are you sure your Dad and Optimus won't mind?" He questioned and I shook my head.
"I know they won't, you're another piece of our family Ranger." I said with a smile.
"Alright let me pack real quick. Don't mind Spencer and Maddox, they're kinda noisy." He said and I huffed a laugh.
"No worries, I'm used to it. Hey, I do have one more question. What were you doing up in Michigan?" I ask him.
"I just went with Maddox to see Spencer, I didn't know you'd be there. It is really nice to see you again." Ranger said solemnly.
"I'm sorry I haven't been around much. So many things have happened in the last year and a lot of it happened to me." I lamented.
"It's okay. I understand, don't worry. Now let's go I'm actually really glad that you offered because the sounds coming from that room says that I don't want to be here tonight." He said with a snicker and I laughed.
"I got this." I said and walked over to their door and knocked before speaking over the pack bond. "Just take him with you!"
"Hurry go before they kill us!" Ranger said and pushed me into his room. I jumped up onto his bed and laid down. He grabbed a duffle bag out of his closet and threw it on the bed next to me. Ranger then proceeded to grab a bunch of clothes and stuff then into the bag. He grabbed his phone, charger, and earbuds before grabbing his iPad too. He stuffed them in and zipped the bag up before slinging it over his shoulder.
"I'm ready." He said and I smiled and hopped off the bed. I trotted to the door and Ranger opened it for me as we both neared it. We got into the hall and shut the door behind us.
"Thanks for letting me come with you. Who am I riding with?" Ranger asked and I thought.
"Well, Ratchet isn't a people person so you can ride with my Dad or Optimus and I." I told him.
"Would you mind if I ride with you? I would like to get to know your mate a little more." He said sheepishly.
"Of course! He'd love it. Optimus takes any chance he can get to learn more about humans and werewolves." I said and he smiled.
"Cool I'd like to know more about cybertronians too. Plus Optimus can learn about our gods as well." He said and we came to a stop. I had already asked my dad about Ranger and everyone agreed to having him stay with us. I led Ranger over to Optimus' alt and bumped my muzzle on the passenger door. It swung open and I jumped into the cab, motioning back to my friend to get in as well. Ranger climbed in and sat in the passenger seat while I went to the back of the cab and perch myself on the bunk.
"Hello Ranger, it is nice to finally get the chance to talk with you." Optimus greeted.
"Likewise." Ranger signed.
"You know you can use the pack bond right?" I told the both of them.
"Oh right, I forgot." Ranger said as the bond was opened between the three of us. Optimus backed out of the driveway and headed out into the road to go home.
Ranger and Optimus talked for the two and a half hours back to the house. I dozed off half an hour in and only rolled off the bunk once. After that Optimus had activated his holoform to hold me so I didn't fall off again.
When we got home I stayed in the med bay with Ratchet. Me and Dad had set it up after we moved in and it's come in handy once in awhile.
"Alright, try shifting. I'll be here to help if your shoulder ruptures." Ratchet said and I shifted back into my human form. After I was done I looked at my shoulder to see that it hadn't ruptured. It actually took the metal bond that Ratchet made and turned it into the metal on my face. Almost like it grafted to my skin.
"I still don't understand how you do that. First your face and now this. You make me look like a terrible doctor." Ratchet said with a small smile.
"You're not. I'm just that weird case." I signed with a bigger smile.
"I suppose, let me know if anything changes." He said and I nodded before walking into the house. Everyone else had gone inside and were sitting in the living room.
"Did it rupture?" Ranger asked mentally.
"No, it actually turned into metal like on my face." I said and opened the bond to Optimus and my Dad. I pulled down my sleeve and showed them my shoulder.
"Soon you're going to be all metal I swear. Stop getting hurt!" My Dad said playfully.
"I try my best!" I bounced back and he chuckled. I stopped when I heard a yawn. Ranger was on the couch, half asleep.
"Hey, come on let me take you to pick out a room." I said to him and pulled him off the large grey couch. He grabbed his duffle and I said goodnight to my Dad and Ratchet who had just come in from the garage. Optimus followed along so he could go to our room.
"Do you want green, grey, blue, or black?" I asked and he thought for a minute.
"Green please." He answered and I led him upstairs and to the end of the hallway. I opened the door and his eyes lit up.
"Do you like it?" I asked and he nodded.
"I love it." He said and I smiled.
"I'll leave you too it. Goodnight Ranger." I said and closed the door behind me. I turned around and padded with bare feet down the cold tile of the hallway. My door was open and I slipped in before closing the door. When I did I felt two arms around my waist and a chin rest on my head.
"Hi." I greeted.
"Hi." A deep voice replied.
"You wanna go to bed?" I asked and he nodded against my head.
"Then let me get pajamas." I said and pulled away from Optimus to get to the closet. I pulled out a pair of blue flannel pants and a white top that had the sleeves cut out from shoulder to my waist. After I got dressed I jumped in the bed and pulled the covers over me. Optimus chuckled at my child-like attitude and crawled in beside me after phasing into flannel pants of his own. Keeping his new routine of sleeping shirtless as well.
"Goodnight Sweetspark." He said as he hugged me close.
"Goodnight Ifemi." I mumble back.
"I hope to know what that means some day." He said.
"You will in time." I reply with a smile.