I grabbed my duffel bag out of the upper compartment of the plane. I also pulled the suitcase for the woman who was sitting next to me. She was in her fifties and we had chatted most of the flight.
“Thank you, dear. I never did catch your name.”
I smiled at her, setting the bag down on the floor. “Vale, Vale Everfell.”
“A beautiful name for a beautiful man.” She winked and I laughed. “Thank you for talking to an old woman like me. I know most people in first class take it because they don’t want to be bothered. I only do it for the leg room.”
Shaking my head, I moved into the aisle and let her take up the spot in front of me. “Honestly, I think my mom books first class for me because she knows I talk too much and would annoy everyone around me. I can’t really sleep on planes. So I should be thanking you for dealing with a whippersnapper like me.”
Her laugh filled the cabin. “Whippersnapper? Sometimes, you don’t seem your age.”
“My Grandpa was a big part of my life growning up. There are some things I picked up from him too.” I blushed slightly.
“My dear Vale, you have a wonderful trip. Make sure you tell that mom of yours that I said she did a damn good job raising you.”
I smiled and nodded. “I will.”
The line of people in front of us started to move and disembark the plane. She thanked me one more time before disappearing into the sea of humans that filled the airport terminal. I followed the flow of people to the exit.
I hadn’t brought any other luggage that my bag and so I was glad I didn’t have to wait for another bag. It was crowded enough. It smelled of humans and it had been years since I had been in such a crowded place. Not only did I tower over most of them, they all stared at me. My hair was currently pulled up into a man bun but I knew the platinum white color was also a beacon for people to stare. It didn’t help that I took after my mom so much.
Taking a deep breath, I was glad I didn’t inherit her height. I don’t know what I would have done being an under 6’ werewolf. Let alone an Alpha. Dad and my brother Týr still were taller than I was but I was happy with my current height. I knew I was more built than them, so I had that going for me.
'Vale!'
My head perked up and I looked around. My face lit up when I saw my mom, standing out even with her 5’6” frame. Her grey eyes somehow had locked with mine but I knew she didn’t see me. I strode over to her and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. Her platinum white hair braided down her back. I inhaled her earthy scent. She smelled like home.
“Mom. I missed you.”
'I missed you, my dear. I’m glad you finally decided to leave that stupid library of yours.' Her mind link came through loud and clear.
I laughed, kissing her forehead. “Please. You saw me two months ago. Or do you want me to tell Dad?”
Her eyes widened and then narrowed. 'Don’t threaten me, son. We know how well that goes.'
I chuckled. “I do. I’m sorry. Who came with you?”
Her smile widened and she took my hand, pulling me outside the airport. My eyes glanced over the line of cars when I saw a man, leaning against the car. He looked immaculately dressed in a suit minus a tie but he smiled at me.
“Grandpa!” I threw my arms around him and I’m sure our little family turned some heads.
He laughed and pulled me into a hug, slapped my back. “Good to see you, Vale. It’s nice not having to brave the High Council castle to see you.”
My mom smiled and brought her hands up. Her sign language was so fast that it took a minute for me track her movements. Morgan, my grandpa, had no issues and laughed.
“Everyone knows I would need dragon fire to melt the stones. No one has that shit laying around and if they did, that castle would have been burned to the ground twenty years ago.”
I coughed out a laugh. “Please don’t. That is still my home.”
Both of them turned up their noses at me. I chuckled and shook my head.
My mom signed at Morgan, still too fast for me. He nodded.
“We should head out. Your bother allowed the borders to be opened for us but only for a few hours.”
I looked at my mom whose face was solemn. She opened the back seat and slid in. I slid in after her.
My Grandpa scoffed. “Fine. I’ll be chauffeur. It’s fine. I’m dressed for it.”
My mom smiled brightly. Her hand came up and touched my face. She brushed her fingers over face and up into my hair, squishing my bun a couple times.
'You’re so grown up.'
“What’s it like feeling the male version of yourself, Auri? Cause frankly, it’s shocking to me how much you took after your mom.” Morgan pulled out of the airport lot.
“I mean, Týr, Freya and Syf all took after Dad. Týr is literally the carbon copy of Dad. I don’t think it’s all that odd that someone had to take after her.”
I felt the shift when I mentioned my brother. My eyes narrowed. “Guys, what is going with the pack?”
Morgan cleared his throat and looked into rear view mirror at my mom. “Auri?”
She shook her head and I threw up my hands. “I’m gonna figure it out eventually. I already get the feeling Dad and Týr don’t know I’m coming, do they?”
My mom nodded slowly and I rolled my eyes.
“It’s been a little stressful around the pack. So we didn’t want to add to it.” Morgan kept looking at my mom in the rear view mirror.
Her face didn’t change. It was a mask, showing no emotions. I’d seen it too many times to not be able to pick it out. Something big was going on and it wasn’t good.
“You didn’t ask me out to…”
'No, sweetheart.'
Her head turned to me and smiled. My mom was the strongest person I knew. She still, without telling my dad, would run missions for the high council. It’s how I still was able to see her every few months. Since I was sixteen, five years ago, I moved to the High Council’s castle in Germany. My mom ended up raising me after I had my first shift, nearly solo. Like my mom, I got my wolf Naresh at twelve.
When my wolf came, my dad and my brother started to alienate themselves from me. At first, I thought it was something I did. Something that I could fix or control. My mom explained it wasn’t. That’s when she sat me down and told me about what it meant to be an Alpha King. That Dad and Týr were struggling to deal with the fact that they felt submissive to me.
Týr, the older brother who I loved and followed around, started to ignore me. He taught me so much but suddenly turned his back on me, yelling and getting upset if I did something or came near him. For years, I thought I would be his beta. We would run the pack together. Everything changed though and even when I explained multiple times I never wanted to take the pack away from him, he felt threatened by me.
My mom ended up breaking up a challenge that he issued to me. I wanted to show him I didn’t want the pack but Týr was serious. It left us both scarred and our relationship never mended after that. Not even when he took over the pack officially. Dad tried harder, tried to be there for me. He loved me and I knew it. Cato also did. We were special in his eyes, taking after mom. But it became hard while mom was teaching me to control my presence. How do you handle baring your neck to your own son when he was only thirteen?
Mom used to laugh and say the same way she used to order him around but he never found it funny. She was my rock. Teaching me to fight, to control, to be better and to actually embrace who I was; that I was chosen. When I was sixteen, my dad and mom gave me a choice. She could continue my training, focus on building on the basics that she instilled in me or I could go with the high council. Stay with them, learn from them. I chose to move to the high council. I thought it would help Týr, help Dad.
I looked out the window, my eyes narrowing as we weren’t heading in the direction of home. Grandpa pulled up to a house with a wrap around porch, surrounded by the forest but the clearing itself was devoid of trees. It had a huge garden though, rows and rows of different plants. Mom opened up the door and got out, as did Morgan. This place was on the far edge of the territory of the pack and I wondered if it even was on the territory.
“Mom?”
She walked up the steps and opened the door, leaving it open for my grandpa and I. I grabbed my duffle but he stopped me.
“Your Dad’s been at the pack house. He’s been staying there for a couple weeks. Helping your brother.”
“Grandpa, what is going on?”
He had a sad smile on his face. “Your mom and Týr got into it. Badly got into it.”
“What happened?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know the specifics. She won’t go into it but he issued an official challenge. One she felt she couldn’t refuse.”
“She kicked his ass, didn’t she?”
Chuckling, he nodded. “It wasn’t even fair. But…your Dad stepped in. He…”
“He backed Týr. Whatever the issue was.”
My grandpa nodded again. “He challenged her again. Same as Týr. Cato was not happy and apparently refused to help.”
I shook my head. “Of course, he lost too. Dad couldn’t even beat Mom in his prime. Did he think he could beat her now?”
“I think he thought she would submit.”
I snorted. My mom never submitted. Dad should have known better than that. She was his mate, but if anyone asked who the Alpha really was in the family, everyone would point to her. She couldn’t see, couldn’t speak, didn’t have a wolf, but she had an aura that carried to this day still brought people to their knees.
“So she’s been out here? On her own? Grandpa…that’s…”
“Her choice. She said the other house was lonely. Your sisters have been gone and while she could have gone to stay with them, or your uncle Ty or even your Aunt Maddie, she said she still will protect this pack.”
I sighed and walked up the stairs with him. He shut the door behind us. The house looked like a showroom. Everything was light, airy, pops of color here and there. It felt like a vacation home, but not a real home.
'There is the bedroom at the top of the stairs to the right. That’s yours.' Mom was banging around in the kitchen. 'Go drop your stuff, wash up, and I’ll have dinner ready when you come down.'
“Thanks, Mom.”
I nodded to Grandpa before heading up the stairs. Surprisingly, the bedroom she put me in felt less like a showroom, more homey. It had darker tones and the furniture was a little older. I smiled, seeing some stuff from my old room, scattered around.
Throwing my bag on the bed, I headed into the bathroom. It was tiny compared to the one back at the castle but the shower head was actually above me, which could not be said for a lot of hotels and homes I’d stayed in. I leaned against the tile, rinsing off the grossness I felt whenever I traveled by plane.
My mind wandered a bit to my dad and brother. What the hell they were thinking going against mom, for one? But two, why mom was so adamant enough to fight the both of them? We used video chat often, allowing her to sign while we talked. She hadn’t ever mentioned any issues with the pack. It obviously wasn’t enough to be brought up in the high council meetings or I would have known about it.
My role was not on the High Council itself but I was a figure of power. In some cases, making decisions for packs of individual werewolves coming in. Things that wouldn’t necessarily be deemed High Council worthy to step in but definitely something a king should handle.
The High Council boasted the best collection of supernatural books, history or otherwise. I learned from the kings of the past. It wasn’t until my dad was born with the gene, did a king not sit on the throne to rule. The High Council still did not know my mom had received the Alpha King gene from my dad way before the end of his rule. The books just say it got passed to me. Not that mom died the day she birthed me, which then transferred the gene to me. They just knew I was born with it.
Now, while I didn’t have a pack, or a throne per say, I stepped up as a leader. Twenty-one was young but Naresh and I had knowledge of the kings past running through us. Along with the Alpha King presence they couldn’t be ignored. I was the alpha king, no matter who liked or disliked it.
I turned off the shower and got out, rubbing myself down with one of the towels hanging from the rack. As I dried off, I grabbed my sweats and a shirt from my bag, throwing them on. Out the door, I started to explore a little. The house was small, only two bedrooms on the top floor. With an office as well.Opening up the other bedroom, I looked in to see the bed unmade, a stuffed bunny laying on the bed, and some clothes tossed on the end. My mom definitely made herself at home. My dad was the neat freak of the two of them. Outside the kitchen, of course. Mom in the kitchen she was a cooking goddess and everything had a place. More than once my sisters, Freya and Syf, got in trouble for messing up the kitchen.I headed down the stairs and sat at the kitchen island with Grandpa. He had a glass of tea in one hand, his cellphone in the other.“Frankie’s made his move.”My mom turned from the pot she was leaning over and signed: “What happened?”“Took over the southern region. Managed a f
***Two Weeks Ago*** Shit shit shit. I was going to be late. I had been searching for a book or really a journal from Alpha Killian, three Alpha King’s ago. I finally found it, but I had been so deep in my search, I didn’t realized it was ten minutes past the High Council meeting that was supposed to start. I raced through the long corridors the castle and up the stairs before turning into a door.I fumbled with it before I finally got it open and closed it behind me quietly. The main floor of the High Council had their seats behind a long table. From what I understood, the old High Council used to have robes they wore but now it was just formal attire. There were seats surrounding the high chairs and table. Those were for any onlookers, people who had come with the parties requesting an audience, or people like me who worked with or for the High Council.Rarely did I sit on the main floor. Usually, I sat in the balcony above. From below, you couldn’t see anyone sitting up in the balc
My eyes widened when I realized what I was thinking and shook my head. I wasn’t gay. At least, my only real sexual escapades was with Jess or another vampire named Emma. She was Jess’s friend and the two of them liked to gang up on me sometimes. Outside of that, there was nothing else, no one else. I didn’t even know if there could be gay mates. How would the moon goddess set up two men when neither of them could have kids? It didn’t make any sense.“Alpha King Vale, please step forward.”My heart fell. I didn’t want to step up. Naresh forced us to stand up. We stepped forward and I grabbed the railing until my knuckles where white. I looked down at the group, keeping my face blank, my lips in a thin line. I watched as the Alpha’s eyes raise to mine. We looked at each other and the room melted away. My heart hammered in my chest and I watched as his eyes grew to the size of saucers. For the first time, his scent filtered into my nose. It was pine. Pine and the scent of cracking openin
I closed the books and sighed. Looking at the genealogy book, I pulled it closer and opened it up. Flipping through some of the pages, I decided to go from the back and worked my way in. The last page that had any writing on it was my name, sitting at the top of the blank page.The next page was full of Dad. Logan Everfell and a fairly detailed recount of his time as Alpha King. It included the information that the High Council requested to collect him as a child. As a result, his entire pack was nearly wiped out. I could understand why my dad had no love for the High Council. It spoke of the war between his pack, the fake Alpha King, and the BloodHunter coven.It wasn’t unless you pulled my mom’s journals on the war that there was any detailed information of what happened. Though, all of it was missing the parts about her being the Alpha King. I flipped through the pages further in.Alpha King Reinard with his Luna Bethany.Alpha King Callus and his Luna Courtney.Alpha King Killian
Jess nestled her boobs against my neck and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. “It’s so cute the relationship you have with your mom. You guys are almost like siblings rather than mom and son.”I shook my head. “You don’t want to see how I am with Freya and Syf. They took it upon themselves to fuck with me at every opportunity.”“And your brother?”“In the beginning, he taught me what it meant to be a young wolf. How to be brave and strong. How to save the girls from the spider on the playground. He was there a lot until I was twelve. Then, my family just broke apart.”She rested her chin on my head. “Is the Alpha King gene that strong?”I nodded. “I was still learning to get a handle on it. My dad said he didn’t remember ever having an issue, which doesn’t help. But Mom said he rejected his blood from the beginning. He never really knew until he was in his mid to late twenties. But Mom taught me not only how to control it but to embrace it. It might make it stronger.”“You’ve never
'Vale Maximillion Everfell!'Before I realized it, I got a mouthful of pillow. Blinking, I looked over, my mom who was readying another pillow to hit me with.“Woah woah woah. What the hell was that…” I was still hit in the face by the second pillow. “…for?”'The first one was because you explicitly disobeyed my instructions on not to use your power unless it was an emergency. Not for fucking around because you wanted to impress your mate. Goddess, Vale, you could have hurt people.'“I know. I know. But I didn’t think it was…wait…you knew it would work on everyone?”A cheeky smile graced her face. 'Of course I did. Did you think that your grandpa gave you the last bite of cake for a year because he wanted to?'My eyes widened. “I was forcing Grandpa to give it to me?” She nodded and I threw up my hands. “No wonder he stopped eating cake around me. Mom, you should have told me!”Her eyes narrowed. 'What? That you are the most powerful Alpha King there has been and that you, as a fiftee
I jolted up in bed and shivered. Looking down, I saw I was covered in my own cum. Rubbing my eyes, I fell back on the bed. When was the last time I had such an intense dream that I literally came over myself?'You were fourteen. The 9th grade and the substitute teacher Miss Halloway.'I growled. 'That was a rhetorical question, Naresh. I didn’t actually need to remember.'He snickered. 'Good dream though. You think our mate felt it as well?'Rolling my eyes, I got up and headed into the bathroom, turning the shower on. 'Probably not. He was probably fucking his Luna at that exact moment.'Naresh whined and immediately regretted it. It was mean and uncalled for. 'I’m sorry, Naresh. I’m still angry about it apparently.'He didn’t say anything as he retreated into the back of my mind. Sighing, I stepped into the shower and washed my body off. When I turned the water off, I could hear movement in the kitchen below. My mom must have been up already.Pulling on some boxers, sweats, and a sh
She signed at the screen: “I’ll connect with you later.”“Alright! Have fun! Nice to see you, Vale!” Immediately, she cut off the call before I could even reply.“Mom?”'So the day after you called me, the High Council called and asked for me to do a mission. You didn’t tell me anything so how was I supposed to know?'“You can’t do that mission! That group is dangerous. It’s more than just one or two wolves. It’s a pack, able to give grief to an entire other pack. You think you can just waltz in there and fix everything?” My voice was serious but I was pissed that she agreed to the mission.'Sometimes I wonder if you know what I really do. I kill people, Vale. No matter the race, about 90% of my jobs are to kill people. I know what the mission was. I get briefed on it before I agree to it. Plus, I’m not going alone this time. I have a crew.'Shaking my head, I got up and started to pace. “Mom, you cannot be serious right now.”She sighed. Getting off the stool, Mom placed her mug in t