Chapter 5 - ZANDER

After an eventful lunch hour, the rest of the day went by slowly. I relaxed with my friends and figured out what I was going to do on the weekend. I love a good night out and am no stranger to the night life. Rumour has it that there is a party at the club on Friday night. The guys and I intend to go and check it out.

As I walk into the packhouse after finishing classes I call out, “I’m home!” and wait around for a response. No one’s around. Dad is too busy nowadays to just be hanging around the house and Jake, dad’s beta, is surely with him.

The packhouse is a huge mansion with an open floor plan. As you walk in the door you are invited into a wide-open living dining area. A massive 100-inch plasma TV up on the wall with a 20 seat sunk in lounge, the dining table is behind, fitting about another 25-30 people.

The kitchen is at the back with two massive fridges and two industrial ovens and an island bench with bar stools. We used to hang out here a lot when we were kids. Since growing up we were allowed to venture out to the pack grounds.

Our pack has a variety of different shops and businesses around town. With a gym that most people train in twice a day. And if you can’t get to the gym during the day there are plenty of hiking trails around that many people use.

Danni and I make our way to the kitchen for something to eat.

“Bro, what are you hungry for? Pizza? There are a few frozen ones we can heat up?”

“Yeah, sure, whatever suits you,” he responds, shrugging off his jacket and slumping onto one of the bar stools.

Danni is Jake and Ella’s kid. He is a year younger and a year below me in school. With the age gap just being a year and him being the next beta, he and I grew up together and are close friends. We may have drifted apart a bit while I was on alpha training but since getting back it’s like I never left. No weirdness at all.

“So, what do you think about Friday night?” I ask him while waiting for the pizza to cook.

“What’s happening on Friday?” Danni asks curiously, leaning over the kitchen table planting himself on one of the bar stools.

“Something about a birthday at one of the clubs? Are you keen to go out? Maybe have a sniff around the females?” I ask.

He laughs and shakes his head, “bro, that’s exactly why your old man is the way he is about you becoming Alpha.”

“Come on. Why can’t I have my fun while I’m young and single?” I sigh.

“Ha! You’d better not say that while Grace is around. She’s been clinging to you like a leech lately,” he said.

“Pfft. She knows what we are. I never promised her anything,” I reply, shrugging off the uneasy feelings that linger from that comment.

“Hmmm, maybe you should keep your distance then or tell her again because … today, man. She was all over you like she had claimed you,” Danni warned.

I sigh. I know he’s right. Especially after the incident with Ashleigh. Man, I’m still so confused over that whole thing, I have no idea how Ashleigh didn’t back off even when I used my alpha command. It’s like it just didn’t affect her at all. But I am definitely not saying anything to anyone.

Just as the timer went off for the pizza dad, Jake, and Ellie all came into the packhouse. I scramble to grab some mittens before pulling the pizza out of the oven.

“You guys hungry? I can throw another two or three in the oven,” I called out as they make their way over.

“Sure,” Dad replied.

“How was the first day back? Anything exciting happen?” Ellie asks as she made her way around the counter and grabbed some plates and cutlery.

Danni and I share a glance before responding. “It was ... interesting,” Danni says, chuckling to himself. While I am cutting up the pizza, I shoot him a salty look. I don’t want dad knowing about what happened at lunch. And, of course, he caught on.

“What happened?” he sighs.

I roll my eyes in response. “No big deal, nothing I couldn’t handle.”

He folds his arms across his chest and gives me the ‘I don’t believe you’ look and I sighed in defeat. If I don’t tell him now, it will just get worse later.

“No big deal, Grace got into it with the Liverpool Beta. Although, from what happened she could have used an ass kicking. Grace was being a total bitch and the Beta told her so,” I shrug.

Danni rolls his eyes at my comment. I made sure to leave out the part where Grace soaked her with her lunch and the disrespectful language she used towards Ashleigh. Dad doesn’t need to punish her as she learnt her lesson ... I hoped.

“Oh, Beta Ashleigh?” Ellie asked.

“Umm, yeah, I guess,” I shrug, tucking back into dinner.

“She’s a sweet girl, it’s actually her eighteenth Birthday on Friday.”

I look up and frown. “I guess that’s whose birthday it is at the club Friday night then?”

“Are you still going?” Danni asked curiously.

“Might as well. It’s a club, right? Anyone can go, plus there would be more shifters around because of the birthday.” I look back at dad and ask, “unless it’s not okay with you?”

He nods, “it’s fine, just behave as it’s on neutral grounds. The peace treaty is still in place, maybe take a few of the young ones who haven’t found their mate yet.”

I nod and look at Danni. We already have a few people in mind, I’m still contemplating if I would invite Grace. I know she’s new and it would be good for her to meet people but with what went down today … I’m not sure we need a repeat of that.

Jace is still grumbling at the back of my mind. He agrees with Danni and thinks Dad should punish her, so she learns her lesson. Personally, I think she has. I still don’t think she did what she did intentionally.

“What do you have tomorrow?” I ask Danni as the adults’ chat at the other side of the counter.

“Sports in the morning and then science and maths in the afternoon,” Danni said. “What about you?”

“Study hall first period then history. It’s stupid. I hate history. At least they make it somewhat interesting and put some of our history in the classes now.”

Ever since our worlds merged many adjustments were made so everyone would feel comfortable and accepted. Humans helped put in place schools like Summer Vale where everyone can attend and have no issues or worries. If any arise, then the ranked members of the pack have to deal with it.

Thankfully, there hasn’t been much hate towards our kind. We just needed people to understand that we won’t hurt anyone or harm anyone unless they harm us first. We are very protective over our pack members and mates.

“I’m out for the evening. Going for a run then heading off to bed.” I wave to everyone as I head out.