CHAPTER 4 - Alpha Mason

 

This is one thing I hate about my job, I hate having to travel to the other packs and having the Alpha's of those packs kissing my arse, but if I want to keep my allies and my treaties up to date either me or my brothers have to visit each one. Unfortunately, I drew the short straw today and I'm the one that has to do the visit to the Midnight Lake Pack. On the bright side, I might find my mate. We each believe we will, one day, meet our mates on one of these alliances or treaty updates. We, or should I say I am hoping that we won't have the same mate. I don't know if I or my wolf Xander would be able to share her. My name is Cole Mason and I am one of 3 Alphas from the Royal Blood Moon Pack.

 

I am traveling today with our Beta Max Fight. It's a long 6-hour drive from our pack to the Midnight Lack Pack. I hate these long drives. I would have preferred to have run in wolf form, but I am traveling to this pack to renew our alliance and our protection for them. So, they would see my arrival in wolf form as a threat. So I just stare out the window trying to imagine what my mate will be like. Will she be strong-willed or will she be a submissive? Will she be beautiful or plain... I smile as Xander growls at me for that description of our mate, but most of all, I want her to be loving.

 

I must have dozed off with images of my ideal mate running through my head because the next thing I know we have pulled off of the highway and are pulling up the driveway to the packhouse of the Midnight Lake pack. Once the car has stopped, I open my door and climb out of the car, along with Max, and stretch, thinking again that there must be a better way to keep everything running smoothly and up to date without all the travel involved. Ha! I can dream, can't I?

 

As I make my way to the door, Xander starts to pace and is getting really restless inside my head, making me feel rather nervous and giving me a slight headache, so I turn inward.

 

"Xander, what's wrong?"

"I don't know, but something good is about to happen."

"Xander, what do you mean, something good?"

"I don't know, it's just something good!"

"You really are no help."

 

I finish talking to Xander and cut him out as much as possible. I lift my hand and knock on the door. A young female opened the door. Once she sees us, she bows says politely.

 

"Welcome, Sir! Please do come in, the Alpha will be down shortly."

 

As soon as I enter the packhouse, I am hit with something smelling heavenly of forest and flowers, but I am interrupted and pulled back to reality by the booming voice of Alpha Jackson.

 

"How are you doing, Alpha Mason?" Alpha Jackson asks, extending his hand for me to shake. I reluctantly take his offered hand.

 

"Not bad.." I replied, shaking his hand for the shortest time possible. I didn't like this guy, he just felt off. He seemed to change after his mate died.

 

"Lunch has been served in the dining room, awaiting your arrival. Shall we go and eat? Then, we can move to my office and conclude our business. Oh! This is my son, James. He will be taking over from me in a couple of months so he will be joining us."

 

"Thanks. This is my Beta Max. He will be joining us as well." I say as I follow Alpha Jackson to the dining room, after shaking James's hand quickly.

 

We enter the dining room. It looks to be set up perfectly and that heavenly scent of forest and flowers hits my nose again. Xander whines in my head. I look around but can't tell where it is coming from. After a little while of eating, Alpha Jackson yells.

 

"SKYLER!!!!"

 

"SSKKYYLLEERR!!!!"

 

After a short amount of time, I hear light footsteps coming from upstairs, making their way down to us. I turn around and see the most beautiful girl ever enter the dining room. She has her long black hair over her face and long baggy clothes on.

 

"MATE! MATE! MATE!" Xander is chanting and growling inside my head at the top of his lungs. Giving me the start of another headache.

 

As I massage my temples, trying to relieve some of the pain. Once I manage to quiet Xander down enough, I pay attention to what is now happening between Alpha Jackson and this Skyler girl.

 

'SMACK' I now see Skyler holding her cheek, and Alpha Jackson is saying, "Where are the drinks? I thought you told James that everything was done to perfection!... If that was so, why don't I have a drink in front of me and I certainly can't see any drinks on this table?." 'SMACK'

 

Xander was growling loudly inside my head now, as the Skyler girl whimpered a "Sorry Alpha!"

 

I presume she then ran to the kitchen to get drinks for everyone. I was starting to get quite upset at seeing Jackson strike our little mate.

 

I watch Skyler re-enter the dining room, carrying a large tray full of drinks. She served the Alpha, then me and then made a round of the table giving one to everyone else, then made her way back to the Alpha, except as she walked past James, I saw he had this evil smirk on his face as he put his foot out just a bit and made Skyler trip. The last of the drinks on the tray went flying and landed all over Alpha Jackson.

 

Alpha Jackson growled extremely loudly, causing the whole house to shake. He jumped up and grabbed Skyler by the hair, and dragged her out of the room. I also jumped up, knocking my chair over, and followed them into his office.

 

"Sorry!.. Sorry!... Sorry!... Sorry!!!" I could just make out Skyler's soft whimpering words.

 

Ignoring her whimpering sobs, Alpha Jackson throws Skyler into the office. She lands with a crash and a crack on the floor in front of his desk. She lets out a soft groan as she tries to move. He walks up to her again, grabs her by the hair, and is about to punch her in the face when I walk into the office behind him. I move with the speed of Xander and grab his arm before he can make contact.

 

"YOU WILL NOT HIT MY MATE AGAIN..."

 

I yell as I pull him away from a whimpering Skyler. Xander was pushing to come out and protect his mate. I move to be in between him and Skyler.

 

"I will treat my daughter, however, I feel like treating her... It is not your place to tell me how to discipline a member of my pack, let alone my family!" He resorts back to me.

 

I couldn't stop him. Xander took over as I turn around at his words and punched him hard directly in the nose, knocking him out, before he had a chance to do or say anything else.

 

Xander then backed off just a little as we crouched down next to Skyler, whispering, "I will not hurt you, little one!"

 

I slowly picked her up, bridal style. She whimpered again but cuddled in closer to my chest. Which made a small smile grace our lips.

 

"MAX!"

 

I then yelled, walking out of his office and back towards the dining room. Max stops just outside the dining room doorway in front of me.

 

"Alpha Jackson and the Midnight Lake Pack are no longer under our protection. We are leaving."

 

I growled at him as I continue walking towards the front door. I also continue to fight with Xander as he is still very close to the surface, wanting to go back and beat the crap out of Alpha Jackson just for the fun of it.

 

Max looked at me, then at the girl in my arms in confusion. Something must have clicked after a few seconds as he then started to follow after me. I walked out of the house and over to the car with Skyler in my arms. Max runs over and opens the back door so I can climb in without removing my arms from around the precious little package within them. Max then makes his way around and climbed into the driver's seat. He speeds off down the driveway onto the road, heading back to our pack, back to our home.